So I've decided on my layout. I'll post a picture below. I need some help deciding what Indusies will fit and work. Im wanting to do something in the 70s, since my main loco will be a Burlington Northern RS1, or a SW1500.
I don't particularly have any Indusies in mind, but I did look through a quick lineup of what Walthers offered. I know i want a team track, and would like an oil dealer and gravel thing of some kind. Pretty much if i can run box cars, tankers, and hoppers, im a happy boy
http://imgur.com/a/TSwRGoY
I can't seem to get ot to work, but there is the layout (on my phone, I can't also backspace without an issue)
Anyways. What Indusies or buildings would you put on this layout? To set it in the 70s?
And yes, I'm stuck to a 4x8. I already have the table ready to go, so im going to stick with it. I really like the layout, and am set on it as well.
Here's your image
Many of your tracks are much closer to the edge than would be recommended for reliability (which is one of the downsides of the HO 4X8 with broader radii, of course). I also wonder about your track-center-to-track-center spacing for curved tracks close to one another.
Good luck with your layout.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
What part of the country are you modeling, might make a difference on industries people will suggest. Also, are you thinking of rural or urban industries?
Good luck,
Richard
cuyama Here's your image Many of your tracks are much closer to the edge than would be recommended for reliability (which is one of the downsides of the HO 4X8 with broader radii, of course). I also wonder about your track-center-to-track-center spacing for curved tracks close to one another. Good luck with your layout.
I'm going to add a border walls to the outside of the layout. And probably extend it out an inch or so to space those right side curves a bit more. I think too I'm going to add a cassette to each side of the interchange. Just have them slide into a shelf under the table when not in use. But for all intents and purposes im calling it a 4x8 since im not going way outside that. Once I get the table here and end up having more room, might add 6" both ways, 4.5x8.5
cowman What part of the country are you modeling, might make a difference on industries people will suggest. Also, are you thinking of rural or urban industries? Good luck, Richard
I'm not too picky there. Would just like my locos to fit. My best ones are both Burlington Northern locos, a sw1500 and an RS1. I don't want to do too much scenery work, so I'd imagine an urban setup would be best for that. I'm keeping it simple at first with just painting the table and putting the track on cork. Thrn placing the Buildings and adding some trees. I'll paint on roads too, but nothing fancy for now.
Wdodge0912 I don't want to do too much scenery work, so I'd imagine an urban setup would be best for that. I'm keeping it simple at first with just painting the table and putting the track on cork. Thrn placing the Buildings and adding some trees. I'll paint on roads too, but nothing fancy for now.
How's that going to work? I mean your track is running at every which angle. Blocks and lots are going to be wierd shaped. An industrial area with businesses and wholesale suppiers could line these streets. But you really should plan them. For instance:
You could bend the lower branch of the wye in the upper right hand quadrant to run parallel with the upper branch.
The branch in the lower right could be tweeked to be in parallel those above.
The branch in the center could be bent a little to run perpendicular to the other three.
Now you have a square from which you can design city blocks.
As for which industries to serve with your railroad, you need to pick a location like the gentleman above suggested, and do some googling. You should be able to get a Sanborn Map for the area and year you choose, and it will show what was there. But you can determine what was likely there without the map, then ask us whether or not the industries are plausible.
The more you think about how everything will look together, and draw it out, the more satisfied you'll be with what you've created.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
Honestly, I put near-zero thought into choosing my industries.
I buy kits for buildings that appeal to me, and try to use generic names where possible.
"Hughes Agricultural Supply" can receive all kinds of stuff.
"Andrews Warehousing" also can be a spot for any train car to go.
I know that is not the answer you want, but it sure has worked well for me.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 Honestly, I put near-zero thought into choosing my industries. I buy kits for buildings that appeal to me, and try to use generic names where possible. "Hughes Agricultural Supply" can receive all kinds of stuff. "Andrews Warehousing" also can be a spot for any train car to go. I know that is not the answer you want, but it sure has worked well for me. -Kevin
I came up with a few that I'd like, but without actually having buildings to compare them to, or having dealt with any buildings, I'm not sure what would fit where.
some minor modifications. I think this fixes most of the issues with everything except being too close to the edge. I will add border walls to it so that wont be an issue (probably add an inch out then up like 4 inches, or maybe 45 degrees out
still not sure what I'm doing wrong there for the images. not sure why it doesn't show up. i'm even on my pc now and it doesn't work for me. I'm using the add image button.
SpaceMouse Wdodge0912 I don't want to do too much scenery work, so I'd imagine an urban setup would be best for that. I'm keeping it simple at first with just painting the table and putting the track on cork. Thrn placing the Buildings and adding some trees. I'll paint on roads too, but nothing fancy for now. How's that going to work? I mean your track is running at every which angle. Blocks and lots are going to be wierd shaped. An industrial area with businesses and wholesale suppiers could line these streets. But you really should plan them. For instance: You could bend the lower branch of the wye in the upper right hand quadrant to run parallel with the upper branch. The branch in the lower right could be tweeked to be in parallel those above. The branch in the center could be bent a little to run perpendicular to the other three. Now you have a square from which you can design city blocks. As for which industries to serve with your railroad, you need to pick a location like the gentleman above suggested, and do some googling. You should be able to get a Sanborn Map for the area and year you choose, and it will show what was there. But you can determine what was likely there without the map, then ask us whether or not the industries are plausible. The more you think about how everything will look together, and draw it out, the more satisfied you'll be with what you've created.
I'm not sure how or if it will work. would Rural be better for the layout? I just don't want to have to dive in deep with the scenery to make hills and such. pretty much some buildings, some treesm the track, and painting up the board it's on for "grass" and "roads". Probably just go with that road tape for roads honestly. that way I don't have to paint them. I mean, Burlington Northern 1970, set somewhere in Wisconson or any of the states that would be served by BN when it merged? I figure this way if I find locos of the companies that merged, I could run them too and just say they haven't been updated to BN paint yet.
Wdodge0912 SpaceMouse Wdodge0912 I don't want to do too much scenery work, so I'd imagine an urban setup would be best for that. I'm keeping it simple at first with just painting the table and putting the track on cork. Thrn placing the Buildings and adding some trees. I'll paint on roads too, but nothing fancy for now. How's that going to work? I mean your track is running at every which angle. Blocks and lots are going to be wierd shaped. An industrial area with businesses and wholesale suppiers could line these streets. But you really should plan them. For instance: You could bend the lower branch of the wye in the upper right hand quadrant to run parallel with the upper branch. The branch in the lower right could be tweeked to be in parallel those above. The branch in the center could be bent a little to run perpendicular to the other three. Now you have a square from which you can design city blocks. As for which industries to serve with your railroad, you need to pick a location like the gentleman above suggested, and do some googling. You should be able to get a Sanborn Map for the area and year you choose, and it will show what was there. But you can determine what was likely there without the map, then ask us whether or not the industries are plausible. The more you think about how everything will look together, and draw it out, the more satisfied you'll be with what you've created. I'm not sure how or if it will work. would Rural be better for the layout? I just don't want to have to dive in deep with the scenery to make hills and such. pretty much some buildings, some treesm the track, and painting up the board it's on for "grass" and "roads". Probably just go with that road tape for roads honestly. that way I don't have to paint them. I mean, Burlington Northern 1970, set somewhere in Wisconson or any of the states that would be served by BN when it merged? I figure this way if I find locos of the companies that merged, I could run them too and just say they haven't been updated to BN paint yet.
Scenery is fun once you get into it. Hills can easily be made from sheet foam, trees can be scratch built and shaper sheets are easy to use once you figure them out. I use the acryic paint from walmart for 50 cents a peice and I use the foam craft sheets painted pavemet for roads.
On my 4x8 I made some scrifices, more track seems nice in planning but when you get into it, it becomes much. The rule I heard from someone, which I now follow closly, is it's better to have less with good detail, rather than having a lot with a little detail. Kinda like the quality over quantity.
I planned my layout for a while before building it. I still ran into second guessing myself and that slowed me down. But just remeber one thing: It's your railroad. Do it to your liking.
Heres my 4x8 before I tore it down
Good luck with yours, looking forward to seening your progress
Wdodge0912 I'm using the add image button.
I seem to be answering this question a lot this week.
Do not use the "Add Image" button on this forum if you are using Imgur.
Go to your image in Imgur, and you should see this screen:
Click the "Copy" button in the "BBCode" bar. This will add the correct syntax text to your clipboard.
Then simply paste the text to the Post Body in this forum. It is that simple.
Don't ask me how to add a clickable link to these posts, that is a bugaboo that goves me fits.
If you go online to the Walthers website, you will find that many structures have the dimensions included with the description. I had already bought a number of kits so I had some in hand, but I found it very helpful to cut out floor templates for buildings from cardstock when planning structure placement. I did the same for roadways and even a thin canal. Later in my modeling, I upgraded the flat floor plans to simple paper 3D models, to get an idea of how the trains would look moving between the buildings.
Consider your roadways as part of your structure planning.
You might also think about using building flats around the outside of the layout, particularly if you have an edge which is normally against a wall.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Your latest image
A simpler method (for me) that also seems to work fine is to right-click on your image in Imgur, select "Copy image address", then come back to the forum, click on Insert/Edit Image, paste, and then click "Ok". That's what I did for the above.
With tigher radii, one could keep a similar design confortably on a "sacred sheet", such as this HO 4X8. Or better still, expand the benchwork a bit, but you seem not to be able to do that. Good luck with your layout.
Wdodge0912I'm not sure how or if it will work
The problem is you are using sectional track. I don't know the specific names, but if you were to take the curve coming off the almost vertical spur, and put it on the lower branch of the wye in the upper right, that should do the trick.
Also, put a second curve on the one the almost vertical one and that should bring it into perpendicular.
Listen, whether you choose rural or urban industrial should not be a matter of which one you are least afraid to tackle. Choose what you want to see. YouTube University will teach you all you need to know.
So the Software I am using (Atlas RTS 8.0) does have some buildings available to place on the layout. So I added some
I think it'll work? the industires fit the spurs. not exactly sure. I think the oil co is actualyl doubled, like there is a whole building, or all the buildings apart of the kit seperate. Not sure though, so idk. I have thought about just dropping one of the spurs off and going with 1 box, 1 hopper and 1 tanker industry, well to where each industry takes at least one, might have one take 2 or maybe 3.
I have both Walthers Interstate Oil and their tanker loading platform. Interstate Oil is a good kit, because it has a bunch of tanks, a quonset hut and a truck loading platform, all of which are separately assembled and sited. The loading platform is a single long-strip model. I use mine by the tanning factory, for the acid deliveries they would need, plus some fuel oil for heating.
My layout is set earlier than yours, so my tanning factory is a big industry. My fuel company brings in both coal hoppers and oil tankers. If you're still looking at open topped, bottom-drop hoppers, a gravel facility is not much different.
A freight house can take the place of a team track if that fits your plans better. A freight house can be a flat background model, or a team track can be a narrow platform. I have a small freight house (DPM?) that I opened the large door on so I could detail and illuminate the interior.
Remember, though, that most models can easily be "re-badged" with signs, so don't assume that a kit must be the name on the box. My main train station downtown was the YMCA in the box.
You are seriously limiting what you can do, and multiplying the track problems you can have, by using sectional track. You can use the Altas software and use flex track. Just leave the turnouts where they are and delete all the straights and curves. Now just connect the flex track between the turnouts. Should just be a matter of selecting flex track and clicking on the two turnouts you want to join.
Then move your turnouts to where you want them. You'll have a lot more freedom.
Try it. You can save your track plan above by doing a save as.
BTW There are better layout design software programs out there. Xtrack is freeware, and very good, but it might be hard to learn. Atlas is okay though. You are pretty much limited to Atlas products.
You can chose any building kit manufacturer. Maybe stroll through Walther's online catalog. Just get the dimentions of it's footprint and you can draw a box to represent it on your plan.
SpaceMouse You are seriously limiting what you can do, and multiplying the track problems you can have, by using sectional track. You can use the Altas software and use flex track. Just leave the turnouts where they are and delete all the straights and curves. Now just connect the flex track between the turnouts. Should just be a matter of selecting flex track and clicking on the two turnouts you want to join. Then move your turnouts to where you want them. You'll have a lot more freedom. Try it. You can save your track plan above by doing a save as. BTW There are better layout design software programs out there. Xtrack is freeware, and very good, but it might be hard to learn. Atlas is okay though. You are pretty much limited to Atlas products. You can chose any building kit manufacturer. Maybe stroll through Walther's online catalog. Just get the dimentions of it's footprint and you can draw a box to represent it on your plan.
I have way more sectional track than any one person should own, so I'm sticking with it, instead of having a huge collection just to toss it and spend more money to go with flex track.
As for the software, I know how to use the Atlas, and it works out well for me, so I will stick with it.
Wdodge0912I have way more sectional track than any one person should own, so I'm sticking with it, instead of having a huge collection just to toss it and spend more money to go with flex track. As for the software, I know how to use the Atlas, and it works out well for me, so I will stick with it.
Fair enough.
I use Atlas sectional track for my 22 and 24 inch radius curves. That way I know the curve radius is precise and continuous with no sprirals or kinks.
My locomotives will run on a 22 inch radius curve, but it needs to be perfect. Sectional track assures that it is.
The biggest loco i have is a 6 axle diesel, but it's a tyco and runs well around 18" curves (when it runs, it's super dirty)
The right side curve, along with the section off to the interxhange are 22s, the rest are 18s, or the sections of flex track which are at least 18 if not more. All the turn outs are #4.
I am thinking about dropping 1 of the spurs after the cross there, amd going with the oil dealer, the freight terminal (id move that to the grain silo spur) and then a brewery
For my layout I let the prototype do my track planning and industry-choosing for me. But it is also the case that my era of the late 1960s was in a sense sort of a last gasp for fairly small industries being commonly rail served. Things changed a lot by the time I got out of school and revisited the area in the 1970s. Sometimes the industries were long gone; other times trucks had captured the business. And even then most of the industries received but did not ship. Too small to ship.
Type of industry and how busy it is as a shipper or receiver plays a role in track planning by the way. For example two relatively small industries, one a manufacturer of tables (but garden and farm implements before that) and the other a lumber dealer, were served by sidings that in turn had additional sidings at the end of the track so the switcher could swap out the empty that was being replaced by a load. Eventually they stopped being so busy, so an empty would be removed well before the next load would arrive, so that extra little siding was less necessary. That sort of thing.
There was also one siding that was not long but was surprisingly intense as a rail customer (in the 1960s): first came a bulk petroleum dealer (but trucks got that business by the mid 1960s), then a tannery that got raw hides in smelly old boxcars, then an area near a road that served as a team track for lumber loads for a lumber yard a few blocks away, then a plastic bag plant that got (and still gets today) covered hoppers of plastic pellets, then yet another tannery that got hides, and finally at the end of the spur, a gray iron foundry, but it was closed by 1970 and ceased to be rail served well before then. At one time there had been a coal dealer between the tannery and the gray iron foundry but that was gone by the 1960s, and probably by the mid 1950s.
As the 1970s developed, there was still lumber delivered, plastic pellets, and one of the two tanneries was still rail served. By the 1980s it was lumber and plastic pellets. Today: just plastic pellets.
But in its prime it must have been a long process to serve that siding because things would have to be removed to place a newly arriving car, then put back in place and often that would mean working with the industry involved.
On a smallish space for a layout creating a track plan first and then wondering what kind of industries it should have might be slightly backward. As I said earlier, the track plan might differ for an industry that ships as well as receives, and might differ for an industry that gets a car nearly every day versus once every couple of weeks. Setting aside space for a siding is precious and needs to be made the most use of. But think how a given local freight would work its industries (trailing point), then run around its train and serve the industries going the opposite way, also trailing point.
Dave Nelson
Wdodge0912The right side curve, along with the section off to the interxhange are 22s, the rest are 18s, or the sections of flex track which are at least 18 if not more. All the turn outs are #4.
There is nothing wrong with using 18" radius curves as long as you are willing to accept the trade-offs for the space saving.
As long as you use smaller locomotives and freight cars it should all be fine.
Ok, came up with a couple designs. I'm not sure on having a crossing, so I changed that area up on the scond one. I went for 3 industries.
The Access Road will come over the double curves, so it should be able to reach every building.
Also on the one without the crossing, I mixed 18" and 22" sectional track to make the curve, and the flex track (according to the software) is a 31" radius. All the other flex tracks are more than that too (again according to the software) I'm leaning towards that one.
I've got a small brewery on my layout, but it's really just a place to deliver and pick up ice bunker beer reefers, whick would have been no longer used by your era, either ice bunkers or the colorful billboard signs. In the present day, all the breweries around here are purely truck served. I suppose a valid case could be made for supplying a brewery with barley and hoppers of hops, and maybe tank cars of water.
For future reference, the old ice bunker refrigerator cars had a wealth of operational possibilities. The cars had to be pre-iced before loading, and sometimes top-iced before they went out. Through freights might have a midway layover to re-ice their reefers on a hot day. My layout had a small packing plant and the brewery, plus a few Railway Express reefers that would also need icing and would likely be loaded at the Railway Express depot. With icing platforms, I could spend a lot of time just taking care of reefers.
I cpuld change the era, I would prefer 40s, so I could run steam amd diesel together. Im a little stuck in the 70s since I have 2 Burlington Northern Locos that are my best. They were my grandma's locos so they arent getting any changes made to them besides figuring out how to upgrade the couplers. They have damage so that makes them a bit hard to work with, maybe I should just keep them as show peices. They were the 2 locos my grandma ran on her double oval, she let us kids (my siblings and I) race them around the track, which the RS kind of has taken a few too many falls from.
cuyama With tigher radii, one could keep a similar design confortably on a "sacred sheet", such as this HO 4X8. Or better still, expand the benchwork a bit, but you seem not to be able to do that. Good luck with your layout.
I'm stuck for now with the 4x8, as I have a table ready to go. Was what my grandma had. I'm also stuck in my garage so I'm putting it on castors and adding walls so I can run the track to the edges if needed. I am going to see if I cant add 6" at least to both sides, so it gives me more room.
I would like to do that layout, but I'm not sure how to go about it with sectional track. Im stuck.with that too because of cost, I have a ton of sectional track, some brand new in the package, sonce I waa given a ton, amd bought a huge lot of stuff really cheap. Also the local hobby shop owner retired and sold the store, and all the railroad stuff went cheap, which I bought a lot of there.
I'm planning on now the interchange of my layout to run cassettes off each side, and then once I do get to bring it inside, I will run off of them to other layouts.
Wdodge0912 cuyama With tigher radii, one could keep a similar design confortably on a "sacred sheet", such as this HO 4X8. Or better still, expand the benchwork a bit, but you seem not to be able to do that. Good luck with your layout. I'm stuck for now with the 4x8, as I have a table ready to go. Was what my grandma had. I'm also stuck in my garage so I'm putting it on castors and adding walls so I can run the track to the edges if needed. I am going to see if I cant add 6" at least to both sides, so it gives me more room. I would like to do that layout, but I'm not sure how to go about it with sectional track. Im stuck.with that too because of cost, I have a ton of sectional track, some brand new in the package, sonce I waa given a ton, amd bought a huge lot of stuff really cheap. Also the local hobby shop owner retired and sold the store, and all the railroad stuff went cheap, which I bought a lot of there. I'm planning on now the interchange of my layout to run cassettes off each side, and then once I do get to bring it inside, I will run off of them to other layouts.
I mocked up that plan when I was going to build another 4x8. I used sectional and snap track. I wouldn't shy away from getting a few peices of flex Track for the odd ball areas where snap track won't work. I had used all snap track curves and only 2 pieces of flex track and it was laid out nice
That plan (Cuyama's) is great for operations by the way, with its double loop. The tunnel might look a bit toy-like, but it's hard to avoid on a 4x8...
Simon
Wdodge0912 I cpuld change the era, I would prefer 40s, so I could run steam amd diesel together. Im a little stuck in the 70s since I have 2 Burlington Northern Locos that are my best. They were my grandma's locos so they arent getting any changes made to them besides figuring out how to upgrade the couplers. They have damage so that makes them a bit hard to work with, maybe I should just keep them as show peices. They were the 2 locos my grandma ran on her double oval, she let us kids (my siblings and I) race them around the track, which the RS kind of has taken a few too many falls from.
This might be for some time down the line, but you can also dual-era your layout, replacing engines, some rolling stock and the road vehicles with those from days gone by. I've done that, and it let's me have either a steam-era layout or a diesel-era layout.