a version I drew a couple of years ago, with the yard at the edge.
Paul
To have more operation, you do not necessarily have to increase the number of tracks. To add passenger operations, you WILL need to increase the minimum radius to accommodate the passenger cars (22" min is a must) and add a new staging track or two, but other than that, not modifications need to be made to this plan. The operating schedule can be modified to fit in a passenger train or two between the freight trains (though actually the freight trains should be fit around the passenger trains.)
The increased radius will also make the freight trains look and run better. And if you decide that you still want the third main line, just tack it on around the outside, but I'd recommend keeping the 22" radius curves.
S&S
Modeling the Pennsy and loving it!
If possible, I would try to expand the radius of the middle loop to put it closer to the outer loop. It would give the effect of a double tracked main line and provide more separation from the branch line loops.
You might then be able to make each yard track longer, thereby eliminating one yard track and still have the same storage capacity. This would allow for a thicker scenic divider (the hill and trees)
- Douglas
Looks good. You might want to consider just expanding the plan and increasing the tight 18" mniimum radius instead of adding a third main line. It was designed as a backwoods railroad, and a third main line might be overkill. The third main will also complicate operations as described in MR, since it would change where trains can get to easily from a given location (say, the main yard, for example.)
I like your drawing. I considered an adaptation of the Virginian myself, but I couldn't get it to fit my available space.