With the great selection of engines and rolling stock from Kato for Metra, has anybody done a nice tripple track(race track) layout in a small space? Simulating one of the best places to railfan and watch the morning or afternoon "dinkie" parade on the ex BN line to Aurora IL. With my lack of space to do anything that satisifies me in HO. I am regrouping in N scale and have already bought some Metra stuff. Going to use their Unitrak and the T track modules on top of a folding table. I will just add a 3rd main line to the standard double track. The idea being I can take my layout to train shows to display once those return in my area. Been looking for layouts done with a Chicago Metra theme to get ideas on scenery and such, but not finding much online yet. Mike
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome
EMDMike, I'm right there with you. I'd love to see such a layout, but I've come across very few. I'm modeling the Rock Island but would be interested in seeing a 1970s BN Racetrack design in the vignette style as described by the late, great layout design guru John Armstrong. The signaling could be really cool if the focus is a crossover-heavy location. In a small space it would seem to benefit from having significant staging on a lower level. That would allow for a dinky parade with non-stops blasting through and freights sneaking past.
If there are no layout or track plans out there, you could be the first to model the Burlington Northern's Chicago Racetrack.
If you Google 'Burlington Northern Racetrack', a lot of good stuff turns up. Have you watched the Burlington Northern's Chicago Racetrack (Ultimate Railroading DVD Series)? That should wet your appetite.
There are also a lot of good YouTube videos which give you a pretty good idea of the scenery along the right of way. Mostly flat land so mostly trees and shrubs and grass.
Rich
Alton Junction
Bob Sprague designed a modular Marshall Sub plan I thought would make a great commuter layout.
Kato has a few stations available, you might check those out and see if one looked good for your purposes.
I'm in a similiar boat, and thinking about an N scale version of Bay Junction
KATO makes model railroading exciting by releasing great road names like METRA, unique stations, and high quality products and engines that run smooth and slow without DCC.