Man, I forgot how absolutely difficult it can be to come up with a good layout design. Been at this for three weeks now, and this is the best I was able to come up with ... and it's still pretty rough.
The board-looking things are the benchwork I have from a previous (and arguably better) plan; but the actual plan has been lost to time and moves, so .. onward we go.
I've always liked the look of yards / roundhouses, so that's what I'd like to convey in this ... well, I guess "large diorama".
While I'd like the layout to look and feel like it's part of a larger railsystem, this is mainly going to be a learning layout -- so, future connectivity to the rest of a layout isn't planned really / needed (although I'll probbaly end up having the power bus brought to the edges anyway.Power will be DCC (NCE Powercab, 2A), and I kinda want to explore CMRI / JMRI with it (if for nothing else than to to track detection for the turnout alignments / yard track occupancy.
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
I also like yards, and I can appreciate a project like this. Looking at the plan, two things come to mind: 1) Do you intend to do operations? if yes, it will be difficult to operate the sections on the top due to lack of space to back out from, that is, a loco with a few cars. 2) There is a lot of track in there... I would make a bit of space to add a few buildings.
Well, that's my two cents anyway.
Simon
Operation - not really. We'll, nothing more than the making / breaking of trains headed to that staging cassette.
If the "main" (blue track at the top) can be extended through the wall, then the double-ended siding will be a ready track of sorts, with the made up trains then leaving for points east (west). Otherwise, the siding is getting scrapped, and there's just going to be the yard ladder.
The yard offices (etc) will be in the "eastern" corner, between the ladder and the table edge. Must've deleted them in the picture and not noticed.
The other buildings I "want" to put in wouldn't fit - coaling tower and the like ... We'll, maybe if I can put another domino on the right side ...
Talked to the CFO about it some more, and looks like we might be able to spring for a (roughly) 5' 6" x 3' 6" extension of the eastern limits (the room has a funny jog in it, giving an extra 2' of depth), meaning I can flip some things around, and have a better laid-out plan to include either a walther's or tichy coaling tower, and some extras to actually make this yard look like it's serving a purpose...
Nothing wrong with a "learning layout" as you wrote. Having more space/money/time for future efforts is a sound approach. My 1st layout was definately of that style.
One concern I have with the layout is enough space to reach all the track. That certaily appears like a potential issue at the corners. I didn't leave enough on my 1st layout. It was a pain reaching over things on a step ladder.
The largest reach is (approximately) 40" from the inside of the corner with the long table -- yeah, it might be a bit far, but I think that I should be alright with a stepladder so I can lean over the table.
If I can actually add the larger table, the 3' table is going to mainly hold a curve, which'll end up pulling the track in to about 2-2.5' from the edge.