Lisa and I believe we have settled on the ROW in the basement which will include most of the storage room and a portion of the family room as shown in the graph area below. Now before folks again talk about the door, it will still stay in its configuration unless we can turn it into a pocket door that slides to the East. The Fireplace is not used so I can safely place the layout right up against it while keeping it in place for long-term home value. My desk will also be partially underneath the layout. The "Shelf" in the newly designated "Train Room" will be kept in place and kept in use so an isle-way to it will need to be part of the design.
I have completed Plan Concept #3 for your critique that I will be presenting in the posts to come. I have taken into account many of the criticisms from past presentations but overall it's the same high level idea. To help get folks into the vision I put together this diagram of what the West Wall might look like in this Dual-Deck, Multi-Loop Layout...
I again encourage folks to offer their constructive criticism to help me make my vision come alive...
Darren (BLHS & CRRM Lifetime Member)
Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum (DHVM), Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures)
My Blog
So here is the isle-way I have designed for this conceptual design
Now, keep in mind the "West Wall" diagram in the initial post and envision that look going all the way around the edge of the layout space with the visible shelf space being about 12" deep in most places. Within the peninsula area is a hidden area with two different access holes (shown in WHITE). The BLACK 4x4's will be heavy support polls and the GRAY is a new support wall that will also double as a major View Block. The smaller GRAY lines are the other View Blocks that make up the back of the visible shelves. As with the "West Wall" diagram, the base will be completely supported by cabinet style storage space underneath; with the exception being where the "Duck Under" is located. I have also reserved 1" away from the physical walls for supports to attach the storage cabinets to the walls. The WEST and SOUTH walls are concrete foundation walls.
Something I also wanted to point out is as with past designs, Deck #1 is to be my "Tunnel District" and the Eastern most section be a Canyon / River Gouge. So the View Blocks will also double as where the Tunnel Portals will be. To resolve the Access issue in the past designs note again the "West Wall" diagram where I will have side access into these tunnels or will be able to access nearly the rest from the Hidden Access area. So, for my major critics from the past designs does it appear so far that I have address most/all of the access issues with this design???
Modelling HO Scale with a focus on the West and Midwest USA
The WHITE Box and Oval would be open holes into the area hidden behind the View Blocks
Here is the Lower Loop of Deck #1 which is the Freight Mainline through the Tunnel District... Note as with past designs this is based on being "DC" for now and thus my Double Slip / Cross Over has an arrow for planned direction of traffic. This will be where the Lower and Upper Loops will touch
I do want to show a little detail of the Upper Right as this section of the Loop will also be mainly Hidden Track with only a portion of the bottom section being exposed . To access the rest will be from below or from the side. Will likely have to add some more support poles to support the Upper Loop (coming soon) but this is to give the concept of the below access. Any issues with access here?
That was for an HO Layout idea that is still many years out from getting anywhere. Heck the wife and I have been kicking around the idea of taking the HO layout outside rather than fight the tight space that patio room was giving me fits with...
In the above diagram I have now added the Mainline Upper Loop of Deck #1 in GREEN and the Lower Loop of Deck #1 is still in BLUE. All the Turnouts / Switches are #7 with the exception of the Double Slip / Cross Over (PINK) which are #10. The minimum clearance is 2 inches and the maximum grade is 2 Percent. There is a mixture of curves but the minimum radii is 15.00 inches.
With the Deck #1 bench-work in place, you can now see the Lower Loop return loop is now mostly hidden and the Passenger / City section now showing in the above diagram. Where the river is at, envision looking down from the top of a canyon over the track just below you to the river farther below and also seeing a track closer to the river on the opposite side of the canyon. One will also be able to look up the canyon from the side...
This last diagram is just to hide all the Hidden Track from view to give everyone a better feel for what Deck #1 would look like to the viewer. Everyplace the track crosses a View Block would be a Tunnel Portal worked into the topography for that diorama
To complete Deck #1 here is the Quad-Helix to support traffic Up & Down to Deck #2. The inner most ring uses 15.00 Inch Radii curves and with the straight track and 2" clearance which works out to 1.8% grade. The inner most curve is for the Lower Loop (Freight Traffic) to climb up to Deck #2. The next ring uses 16.25 Inch Radii with the same straight track and 2" clearance; 1.7% grade. This is the for the Lower Loop as well to handle the downward traffic from Deck #2. The third ring used 17.50 Inch Radii curves and with the straight track and 2" clearance which works out to 1.6% grade. This ring is for the Upper Loop (Passenger Traffic) to handle the downward traffic from Deck #2. Finally the outer ring uses 18.75 Inch Radii curves and with the straight track and 2" clearance which works out to 1.5% grade. The outer most curve is for the Upper Loop to climb up to Deck #2. The Inner most rings reach Deck #1 at a elevation of 43" from the floor and at a elevation of 47" from the floor. The Outer most rings reach Deck #1 at a elevation of 51" from the floor for both Upward and Downward Traffic. ******* Looking just outside the Upper Right of the Helix you can see both the Upper and Lower Loops are inside tunnels so I envision that part of the scenery there would need to be a Lift-Out for access ******* Comments / Concerns?
Darren ..... Before going too far, what are your objectives?
It looks like, you wish to run trains on the mainline with little or no switching. I don't see terminals or storage tracks. Nothing is wrong with that if you intend to just run trains without changing the consists. Perhaps, you intend to have a scenic layout, and you just want to watch the trains pass through the scenes. Of course, that is fine if that is what you want.
Perhaps, you could tell the forum members more about your vision for operations and your objectives. Then, it will be easier for people to comment on your plan.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Great Idea Garry!
Yes, the goal of this layout is to have up to four (4) trains running without an operator and to have various dioramas for track-side photos / videos. I live in Colorado with a love for railroads in mountains but I have a thing for D&H so this layout is to compine them as if the D&H was always here in the Rockies.
Currently my roster is based on "DC"; hence the position / direction of the few turnouts you are seeing and the "Arrow" direction showing the planned direction of traffic. My roster of all scales can be found here http://myrailroad.wordpress.com/
The Cross-Over on each deck would allow a train on each deck to use the entire Deck and thus basically doubling the mainline. The Helix can be used the same way and combined with the Cross-Overs, one train could run over nearly all the track-age as one long mainline. Not something I would do often but like to have the option for longer consists so it's not chasing it's tail...
I spend a great deal of time sitting at my desk (as I am doing right now) so having 1, 2, 3, or 4 trains pass by now and then is part of that enjoyment. It would also be nice to have my large D&H model collection be out of their boxes and someplace where I can see them and what better place then where I sit.
The Train Room will also double as where my real D&H Memoribillia can be displayed and stored safely hence the Bookshelf design.
I am 6'5" and the wife 5'3" so the design also looks to take that into account...
Oh .... Is it a "His and Hers" layout withe hers being the lower level and his being the upper level.
Now I see behind the fireplace you have union station and the yard, and so you can run trains out of there. Looks like a fun layout plan as it is. Feel free to post progress as you build the layout.
Right now I am still in conceptual design looking at options that fit my vision but once real construction begins I will certainly post photos all along the way...
Time to head up to Deck #2 where this time the Lower Loop is the Passenger Traffic Mainline. As mention earlier, the two outer rings of the Helix are for the Passenger Traffic and they will reach Deck #2 at 60 Inches for Upward traffic and 62" for the Downward traffic. This area I envision as more rural / hilly and not Mountainous so mainly void of tunnels. In place here within the Train Room, I am more thinking passing under structures, bridges; more of an Inner City in the peninsula area. Again like for Deck #1, the Lower Loop's return loop will be hidden track with access from below; noting Deck #1 is also below it.
Above is the same diagram from before as reference on where Deck #1 and Deck #2 are at in relationship to them vertically
Here is the Upper Loop of Deck #2 that is the Freight Mainline. You can see here I have a Roundhouse near my desk as well as a yard and potentially other structures. Will likely put some industry in the bottom area amd for now just placed a few short sidings as a place holder
And this concludes Deck #2 with what it might look like from above with possible Lift-Outs of a City Scene above one or both of the two Hidden Access holes So, what do folks think? I have been getting some great input from various sources that I am truly listening too that I will look to add back into this and other conceptual designs for this space I think next I would like to go back and show this same design from a track spacing and elevation perspective in a few detail areas to look at those areas deeper for additional input
Deck #1 / Lower Level
Deck #1 / Upper Level
Deck #2 / Lower Level
Deck #2 / Upper Level
Here is the side view of the Helix in 3D where you can truly see the turns and the Enter/Exit points by level. Looking at the right side of this image you can now see where Deck #1 Lower and Upper Loops reach the Helix at different elevations. Then, looking at the Left and Top side of this image you can see where Deck #2 Lower and Upper Loops also reach the Helix. It's the 15.00 inch Radii Inner ring that makes the most turns that is shown here as the ORANGE track and the steepest grade at 1.8% maintaining a 2.00" clearance from top to bottom. It's actually only a Quad-Helix in the middle section for 4.5 turns
Here is a slice of Deck #1 that shows Elevations / Spacing and looking for feedback from this perspective as well