I'm going for a 7x7x6x6 layout with a cut out space in the middle. Maybe an extra foot would be possible for the 6x6. Gotta clear that with my parents. I'll show you the shape I mean. http://www.flickr.com/photos/cesposito2035/231148443/in/set-72157594216845354/ I wanted an eastern appilachian themed route. A good bit of industries. I would like if it could be planned for operating. Anybody out there, could you help me?
Based on the layout you referenced, I'm guessing you're in HO.
How about some more info? Eastern Appalachian is a start. Operations oriented is good. What time period? Type of equipment? How do you envision the railroad operating?
Here's a website with questions that will help you: http://www.layoutvision.com/id13.html
Once you have a good idea of where you want to be, you can map out a way to get there.
Keep the forum informed.
Darrell, quiet...for now
I planned on making this modern day. I wanted at the largest an GP40. I run the railroad with 1 person. Maybe 2 if I every find a friend that's into model railroading. I planed on mostly switching. Then, if I ever get room, build a small stub end yard. I wanted to run operations for me, like a local around the railroad, switching industries, then come back to the yard. I plan on staying with DC, unless the layout is expanded to a point where I would need two operators. Then I would switch to DCC. Is that enough info?
Anybody else's help?
demonwolf224 Anybody else's help?
(Edited)
I recommend that you follow the link you got above, read that web page, and try to come up with good answers to the questions that are asked on that web page.
Some other web pages:
Appalachian Railroad Modelling: http://members.tripod.com/appalachian_railroad/
Model Railroader Magazine track plan database (for MR subscribers): http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=tp&id=93
Good luck.
Smile, Stein
Guess I owe people (including the Original Poster in this thread) an apology for being a grumpy old(ish) man yesterday. I was overly grumpy, and for that I apologize.
Okay - back to the original request. OP is desiring to build a layout featuring modern day local trains and switching somewhere in the eastern part of the Appalachian region of the United States.
Modelling modern day locals means that it might be a good idea to look at what shortlines exist in the general area he wants to model.
I note that his home is in Lewistown, Pennsylvania (btw - spelling mistake in signature - extra i between va and nia in Penn-syl-va-nia - you might want to fix that, since your signature gets repeated on every post you make).
Shortlines in Western Pennsylvania. Mmm.
List of railroads in the eastern region of the US: http://www.railserve.com/Freight/North_America/Eastern/
Searching that web page for "Penn" yields quite a few hits.
Checking www.bing.com/maps I see that there is 25-mile shortline named Everett Railroad, which connects to the NS at Holidaysburg, Pa, a little to the west of Lewistown, Pa, where the original poster is located.
Everett railroad serve, according to their web page, the following customers:
http://www.railserve.com/jump/jump.cgi?ID=18423
Based on this list, Roaring Springs is the main town they serve. Going back to http://www.bing.com/maps and looking up Roaring Springs, one can zoom in to Birds Eye view to see what the railroad customers and their sidings look like, to get inspiration for a layout plan:
View of one of the paper plants: http://tinyurl.com/ltqoom Aggregate unloading of some kind: http://tinyurl.com/n68hgc
Following the line northwards, it has a junction with another line in East Freedom ?. This other line crosses under Woodbury Pike, and crosses a small river on a RR bridge - pretty modelgenic elements.
Mmm - this might be customer Suburban Propane in McKee : http://tinyurl.com/n52te9
Here is an overview shot of the yard/interchange point with NS at Holidaysburg, Pa: http://tinyurl.com/nfpfs8
Anyways - here is my suggestion : find some shortline railroad you think would look interesting (using the web pages above), and do a little research on how their lines look today.
Then pick a subset of what you have found for your railroad - for a H0 scale layout your size (less than bedroom sized), no more than one town (Roarding Springs ?) with 2-3 customers , plus maybe an intermedatiate location or two (maybe the Propane Place in McKee), and a small yard (e.g 3-4 stub ended tracks and an arrival departure track - ie a small corner of the yard at Holidaysburg) at the other end of the line.
Interchange with NS could be modelled as having one or two single ended hidden tracks where an NS train can wait in hiding before coming into Holidaysburg to drop off say 10 cars or so for the Everett railroad (or to pick up 8-10 outbound cars from the Everett railroad).
And then you can start looking at how to fit this into your room. I am pretty sure you do not really mean that you have a layout area is 7x7x6x6 feet, since area is just two number multiplied with each other (e.g. 7x6 feet).
Make a reasonably accurate drawing of your entire room, with distances clearly marked, windows marked, doors marked, other things you need to access in the room clearly marked and so on and so forth.
Don't like this particular prototype ? Then Not Appalachian enough ? Then research some other prototypes. I am not telling you what to model - I am offering some brief advice on how to do some simple research on modern railroads to find out what you want to model. What you want to model is up to you.
Thanks, I didn't read the post above. It's cool. I planned on modeling a shortline like that. Thanks.
Approximate track schematic of Everett Railroad between East Freedom Junction and Martinsburg Junction, Pa:
The paper plant has two places where tank cars are spotted (see map views from bing.com). Boxcars for the Warehouse. Some gravel hoppers for the team track. Covered hoppers for the Renaissance Nutrition and the Cargill place (which may be named "Youngs Inc").
Should be pared down to a manageable amount of tracks when designing the layout plan. I'd suggest designing industry spurs for 2 RR cars (short spurs) and 4 cars (long spurs).
Try not to model two of the same type of industry on a small layout - ie drop either Young's/Cargills or Renaissance Nutrition, and for sure drop one of the warehouses.
Mmm - not an awful lot of back and forth running discussion or feedback from the original poster in this thread.
Kid - over to you - time for you to go back to the check list from Byron Henderson's home page and follow the instructions there.
Sorry for not keeping up...
Thanks for drawing me out a diagram of the industries. I am going back to the 4x8 scheme. Don't worry, the industries are going to be used. :) Thank you I owe you.
demonwolf224 Sorry for not keeping up... Thanks for drawing me out a diagram of the industries. I am going back to the 4x8 scheme. Don't worry, the industries are going to be used. :) Thank you I owe you.
You are welcome. Good luck on a 4x8 - it is not really likely to fit into a space that is 6x7 or 7x7 feet, but maybe you can free up some more space than you initially indicated that you had available.
If you want to repay me, feel free to fix the way you spell the name of your home state in your signature - it hurts my one-time teacher's eyes to see the name of the commonwealth spelled Penn-syl-vai-nia instead of Penn-syl-va-nia.
Grin, Stein
Alright, I think it's fixed. I have started laying roadbed. Atlas Code 83 flextrack with Atlas Custom line turnouts. Walthers Kits (a good few) :D
A 4*8 is a fine small layout. The carpentry requirements are modest and it's large enough for a good deal of operation. Operation is partly picking up and setting out cars on industry spurs. The industries can be modeled after the track goes down, many folk have delivered cars to unbuilt industries for years. Anyway an operations layout needs industrial spurs, and will need an engine run around unless all the spur turnouts face the same way.
Then for extra fun, schedule some thru trains that have to run on time. This imposes a duty on the peddler freight to get clean off the main line to let the thru train go by.
Your layout will look better if the main line does NOT follow the edge of the table. Put some gentle curves into it. You don't want a straight line of track emphasising the straight edge of the table. You can do a double track main, which allows you to run two trains at the same time, or you can do a single track main with passing sidings, which requires more operational skill to get one train into the siding to let the second train thru. If you allow a crossover, either at grade or thru the use of an overpass, you can have the main line loop twice around the layout. Overpasses must be carefully planed in order to keep the grade down below 3% and still gain enough height to clear the tracks below.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Alright, thank for the info, but now I've decided to rip up the roadbed. Since this is a class 3 railroad that I'm modeling, it just seams prototypical. I would like if someone could help plan a layout for me. I've decided to go back to a 6x7 too. Also, where could I find a GP16, I don't think anybody makes them though.