We´re four friend here (Argentina) traing to expand our N scale raildroad with a complex freight yard with diesel and steam engines facilities and some industries around the yard. I'm in charge of the preliminare design. My problem is the roundhouse. I asked my friends to eliminate the roundhouse in order to save space but... two of them are steams engines lovers and doesn´t want to erase such huge structure no matters what. I leve a screeshot of what I came up until now. We use n scale Atlas code 55 and "Anyrail" software.
I should mention also that the design MUST be constructed on modules. This is another limitation in terms of "design freedom" because you have to accomodate all the tracks and structures acording to the modules sizes. All modules in the courrent layout are 60"x30". In order to make a decent freight yard I've broke this standar by adding two "oversized modules" of 72"x30". This modular construction is made in order to allow the future dismantle and tranportation of the layout. The roundhouse it´s a head pain. You can note, in few seconds, how easely those three upper modules could be eliminated... if my friends accepted to withdtaw that HUGE turntable and roundhouse from the layout. Nevertheless the design development must go on forward with the roundhouse included on it. I suppouse I will come up with an idea about how to make all the people involved happy. Cheers! (To view a large image, click on the icon. To view the full size image download the jpg file) Cheers.-
Some time back I saw in a magazine a low relief roundhouse. It showed just the entrance with locomotives obviously a little way in to the roundhouse. Perhaps you could do something similar on the main board.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Another I saw was the round house had a few stalls but they got shorter and shorter and were fake near the end, gave the illusion of a full roundhouse in function and look but there were only a few usable stalls. Will steamers settle for a smaller turntable, I use a 90' because of space and I have a direct shot from the lead to one track so I can still run a larger engine.