After two years with a 30x80 door, I have torn it down and set it aside. I was tired of a completely flat layout, and with both back and right sides up against a corner, I had reach issues on the back-right side of the layout.
So Im moving to a 3x5 where I can easily reach 3 sides of the layut (one long side against a wall.
must haves:
Continuous running,
over-n-under layout. multiple levels. figure 8, folded dogbones, trains need to cross once another
Grades in even percentages (2%, 3%, or 4%) so that woodland scenics styrofoam grades can be used to keep things easy. Trains will be short (5-8 cars and road switcher)
Industrial tracks that are interesting to switch without being tedious.
Interchange track heading off-map.
Small yard with at least 3 tracks for shuffling and a yard lead, able to operate seperately while anther train circles. Single person operation
Ill be using Atlas Code 80 tracks, because I have tons of it. I also have a single Kato extra long warren truss bridge, a couple of Atlas Plate Girder and one Atlas Warren Truss bridges.
I have a rought draft of a 3x5, but I want to see what ideas others have, as I may be in a rut.
When I hear the iron horse make the hills echo with his snort like thunder, shaking the earth with his feet, and breathing fire and smoke from his nostrils, it seems as if the earth had got a race now worthy to inhabit it.
-- Henry David Thoreau
This is the 3x5 plan I've come up with:
and a 3D version:
right now my thoughts are an Appalachian small town, somewhere in the era 1960-1990. The town will be mostly on the right side and in front of the yard and industries, following the road. I haven't put in the town yet but it will be mostly DPM buildings, and some other items I already have lying around
the right slide climbs up a 3% grade, starting after the last switch and climbing until the bridge. Both climb from the base up to 2.25", giving 2 inches of clearance in the tunnels, plus space for a 1/4" foam to support the upper level. Trains will be short (engine plus 5-7 cars, usually) so the 3% grade is not going to be difficult for trains to climb.
Industries on the lower level: Corn/Soybean Grain silo (white cylinders), Furniture factory (black building), food Processor (red building), and the interchange with a larger road (N&W, L&N, or NS, CSX), on the upper level instead of the usual coal tipple, its an aluminum smelter powered by a nearby Hydroelectric dam (off the layout). the black figure with 2 red circles represents the location of the power pack to run everything. its small enough that one wire to the yard, and another wire to the nearby tracks will be all that is needed to actually run this. I prefer manual switches, so no additional wiring would be needed.
Does anyone have a better suggestion or an offer of improvement?
ScrewySqrl The interchange with a larger road (N&W, L&N, or NS, CSX)
The interchange with a larger road (N&W, L&N, or NS, CSX)
I would stay with the original NS since you already got the freight cars and locomotives.
I'm not good at judging track plans and improvements.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.