<picture it, a model railroading support group> queue flash back type fog...
Hello, my name is Jason and I'm indecisive about my track plan.
My benchwork has been done for going on 3 months now, along with what I thought was my finalized N scale plan. Now here we are, entering the colder months, typical time to start more dedicated work on the model railroad and me ready to jump in, gung ho, on the new track laying. Of course we all know it's not that easy. Because I like to mess around with Atlas RTS 8.0, I started messing around with "what if" plans, not expecting to actually finish something I could possibly use, but guess what, I did. So now I'm stuck.
A bit of history...
With this being my first serious foray into N scale from HO to better utilize the space available in the hosue we recently moved into, I wanted to come up with a track plan that would meet two of my druthers... decent operation possibilities for myself and a couple others and the ability to just run trains if I'm in a "rail fanning mood". Yes, I'm a roundy rounder, but that is a whole other discussion.
With an 8'x8' corner of my basement to use, I came up with what I thought would allow me to meet both requirements, esentially a loop to loop plan representing an branch line with "mainline" extension which would lead to cassette staging and enough spurs to meet my operations plans. The results of that plan are here:
Plan 1: loop to loop
During my messing around with RTS8, I came up with another plan to fit into this same space, I came up with a sort of folded figure 8, which would give me a bit more mainline run but limit ops a bit. That plan is here:
Plan 2: over 'n' under
Both plans have ther +/-'s, and overall meet the requirements I'm looking for. Both will be linked to the same cassette staging, featuring the same basic them, just different scenery elements due to one being over/under.
As always, any thoughts and comments are welcome.
Thanks,
Jason
Modeling the fictional B&M Dowe, NH branch in the early 50's.
Which one is better depends on your intended operation, that is how you will run the railroad as opposed to how you will run model trains.
Where do your trains run from and to?
Are you modeling the middle of a line, the end of a line, the beginning of a line?
Will the trains be made up someplace else and then run to the area represented by your layout?
Will the trains be made up (switched) on your layout?
What era is your layout? steam? Diesel? 1900? 1930?, 1950? 1970? 2000?
Think about some of those questions.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Johnnny_reb Once a word is spoken it can not be unspoken!
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dehusman Which one is better depends on your intended operation, that is how you will run the railroad as opposed to how you will run model trains. Where do your trains run from and to? Are you modeling the middle of a line, the end of a line, the beginning of a line? Will the trains be made up someplace else and then run to the area represented by your layout? Will the trains be made up (switched) on your layout? What era is your layout? steam? Diesel? 1900? 1930?, 1950? 1970? 2000? Think about some of those questions.
Hi Dave, valid questions, let me provide some answers...
The line is a fictional B&M branch line set in 1952, running from the B&M "northern mainline" just north of Concord, NH to the end of my branch, terminating in the fictional town of Dowe, NH. The link to the main is represented on each plan, connecting to cassette staging which will represent the mainline with connections to both Concord, NH and White River Jct. Vermont. The trains will be made up in the staging and then switched on the layout, with the cars taken from the online industries back to the cassette staging. My locos are both steam and diesel, consisting of a 2-6-0, two GP7's and an RDC for the local passenger train.