Here's a layout I dveleoped to fit in a roughly 9 x 11 space I have a couple questions. The realroad is called the "James River And Western" and is set in the late 90s in Central Virginia, It's interchange partner ont he layout is a fictionalized version of the Virginia Blue Ridge railroad. 1.) On the right side, would a crossover work better for the industrial switching area? or Keep it as is?2.) what should go into the blank space of the left side of the lay out? I'm thinking either the corperate offices for the packing plant or a cul-de-sac that backs up to the tracks.
It is hard to tell from your drawing, but it looks like your turnouts are a little steep. Some of them look like they could be #2s--especially in the area of your single red question mark.
The other issue, of course, is there are lots of "S" curves, which can be a problem with many trains, especially the longer cars of the 90's.
I don't know if you have tried any of the free track planning software out there, but even the simplest ones will keep your plan realistic as to what can be done.
I use XtackCAD
Probably the easiest to learn, but possibly the most rudimentry is the Atlas Track Planning Software, but of course, it is geared toward Atlas products.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
I usually don't jump in on these, but as Spacemouse says, using some type of program, or even a true scaled drawing, so you get the turnout dimensions and angles right, would be the first place I'd start.
I think you could utilize that space between the meat plant and the team track much better, and getting things to scale will help with that, and that communications company could be a small rail served industry.
I'd move the meat plant tight to the corner, and then use the next 1 foot area, going up, to show more of the meat plant and offices. That way, with some creative backdrop work, you could make that plant look huge!
The town scene, I would use to fill in the rest of that wall, only using a back street view, the back of the buildings, with maybe an alley, and a fence along the tracks.
The TBA factory, I would also move tight to the wall, and use creative backdrop work to make that factory look much bigger than it is.
Where the town scene is now, I would use that as railroad property, with stuff sitting around, maybe a small storage shed, you know, railroad stuff.
Just my worth!
Mike.
My You Tube
As others have noted, turnouts are not likely drawn to-scale. That will affect what fits. A single, longer runaround that curves around the corner will probably be more flexible than the two shorter runarounds. This would allow longer leads to switch at the ends, if desired.
Similar to this HO small switching layout that I have posted here often, but with the extra length, even better. (Sorry for the repetition).
[Curving a central runaround in L-shaped switching layouts is almost always a good idea, in my experience. One needs the curve anyway, why not make it pull double duty?]
Switching the long Ham Packing plant spur will be somewhat limited by the short lead. Revising the runaround and rearranging the rest of the layout may help.
DavidH66On the right side, would a crossover work better for the industrial switching area? or Keep it as is?
Perhaps you mean crossing, not crossover?
Good luck with your layout.
Byron
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
cuyama As others have noted, turnouts are not likely drawn to-scale. That will affect what fits. A single, longer runaround that curves around the corner will probably be more flexible than the two shorter runarounds. This would allow longer leads to switch at the ends, if desired. Similar to this HO small switching layout that I have posted here often, but with the extra length, even better. (Sorry for the repetition). [Curving a central runaround in L-shaped switching layouts is almost always a good idea, in my experience. One needs the curve anyway, why not make it pull double duty?] Switching the long Ham Packing plant spur will be somewhat limited by the short lead. Revising the runaround and rearranging the rest of the layout may help. DavidH66 On the right side, would a crossover work better for the industrial switching area? or Keep it as is? Perhaps you mean crossing, not crossover? Good luck with your layout. Byron
DavidH66 On the right side, would a crossover work better for the industrial switching area? or Keep it as is?
b.) also englongate the team track by 4-6 inches and make it easier to work with. c.) Have more lead on the Packing PlantAnd yes I meant crossing not crossover. :P I didn't intentionally mean to draw that section that sharp, but I also did want the train that would switch the Brickley factory to use the trailing track. I felt since the team track would only be used on an as need basis, that I would be ok with using it. Even if the trailing track has a "Backwoods" locomotive facility (The idea being its really just a dirt patch where the current Local operates out of)
my layout isn't much bigger than yours. i found the layout described below helpful.
what if you had separate tracks from one end going to the other, each serving different facilities and requiring separate trains.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading