I have a question when it comes to track plans. How does one know what type of track or elements are used in a specific plan? The turnouts, crossovers, and other obvious things i get. What i dont get are that after looking at probly hundres of track plans none of them have the radius listed on the curves, length of track needed, etc.
Are the idea of these plans to give you the idea and figure the rest out on your own?
Perhaps this is a stupid newb question, i dont know.
Curve radii and turnout frog numbers are almost always listed in the legend block when not shown on the plan. If all the curves have the same radius that information is usually found ONLY in the legend block.
Since the number of layouts built to an exact track plan, no deviation, is probably a minor fraction of 1% of the layouts built to published track plans, trying to figure out and list length of track would be an exercise in futility. The only exception would be track plans designed to use a specific manufacturer's sectional track and prefabricated specialwork, which almost always include a complete bill of materials.
In my experience, strict adherence to a specific track plan (published or home-drawn) never lasts beyond the first contact between track and subgrade. There are ALWAYS deviations.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I second this opinion totally.Published trackplans are indeed an excellent source of great ideas but most do not exactly fit everyone's particular needs.All have most interesting features of their own but have to be adapted to be implemented on other layouts.
Not having any spare space to build my "dream" layout,I've been drawing my plan in my head for a few years now,occasionally coming up with small preliminary drawings on paper.Then I'd be some time looking at them,trying to figure out what I liked best and what I didn't but even more important,what was possible and what wasn't.
Now that I'm about to have a sufficient space (although moderate),I've increased my efforts towards drawing a more complete plan lately.And I've come up with what seemed as a pretty interesting drawing.Mountainous landscape,generous curves,room for a decent trestle,a river,fair grades and hopefully a small yard.
That all looked nice on paper but lasted until I actually started assembling turnouts and drawing their silhouettes on paper.I found out that in real dimensions (N scale Peco small TO's),my planned ladder would take so much room that I'm reconsidering the idea and might content myself with only a few spurs here and there.
Atlas does have a few interesting published plans on their website,on wich they stipulate radius and turnout types,but are only useable for small and medium sized locos and rolling stock as they feature minimal radiuses almost throughout.
Atlas has published track plans and sells complete track packages for them. No thinking involved. Pick one you like and buy the kit.http://www.atlasrr.com/Code100web/index.htm
They also sell many track plan books that will tell you exactly what track you need to buy.http://www.atlasrr.com/books.htm
You can fudge a lot of your track radius by using flex track if you find a layout you like with no curve or turnout information.
tywest wrote:How does one know what type of track or elements are used in a specific plan? The turnouts, crossovers, and other obvious things i get. What i dont get are that after looking at probly hundres of track plans none of them have the radius listed on the curves, length of track needed, etc.