real trackplans

[ndbprr]

I just did something that worked out great. IF there is an area of the country you want to model (in my case the PRR in the Phildelphia area) go to terrserver.com and enter that geographic area. When you find a railroad track follow it for awhile until you an area that looks appealing and has the eatures you want. In my case it was the area from N. Phl. station to Fairlawn yard about 1.5 miles. terraserver lets you zoom in to where you can almost see both rails from outer space. Now figure out if you want the ends to attach in a loop or a return loop at either end and you have a prototypical "layout" The area I chose is perfect because there is about a 50 degree curve right in the middle so the railroad can basically run down two walls and have hidden stroage between the rr and the walls. originally I had planned to model from 30th St. station to Trenton with a helix and two levels. I just simplified the whole thing and because it can be built in full scale also eliminated running with a scale clock. Real time railroading in a real time environment. What could be better?

[ndbprr]

I just did something that worked out great. IF there is an area of the country you want to model (in my case the PRR in the Phildelphia area) go to terrserver.com and enter that geographic area. When you find a railroad track follow it for awhile until you an area that looks appealing and has the eatures you want. In my case it was the area from N. Phl. station to Fairlawn yard about 1.5 miles. terraserver lets you zoom in to where you can almost see both rails from outer space. Now figure out if you want the ends to attach in a loop or a return loop at either end and you have a prototypical "layout" The area I chose is perfect because there is about a 50 degree curve right in the middle so the railroad can basically run down two walls and have hidden stroage between the rr and the walls. originally I had planned to model from 30th St. station to Trenton with a helix and two levels. I just simplified the whole thing and because it can be built in full scale also eliminated running with a scale clock. Real time railroading in a real time environment. What could be better?

[Anonymous]

the uk MR has a section on useing aerial photos as real track plans

[Anonymous]

the uk MR has a section on useing aerial photos as real track plans

[pwilfong]

Another source might be "Sanborn maps". This is a source described in an MR issue a while back. I got one a while back for an area near where I grew up in Anaheim Califorinia (another bit of Germany!), and it is pretty neat. Anyway it looks like they have a website now: http://www.edrnet.com/sanborn.htm

[pwilfong]

Another source might be "Sanborn maps". This is a source described in an MR issue a while back. I got one a while back for an area near where I grew up in Anaheim Califorinia (another bit of Germany!), and it is pretty neat. Anyway it looks like they have a website now: http://www.edrnet.com/sanborn.htm

[Anonymous]

Don't know if this will help, but I've found that rail layouts, including old, large yards, appear on USGS "quads," the sectional, detailed maps used in site engineering and for many development projects. For example, I've seen the Bayonne Marine Ocean Terminal, the yards around Newark and further north along the Jersey waterfront, over in New York, etc. Many of these yards no longer exist or are much reduced, but the info is on the maps. I have a program, "3D TopoQuads" from DeLorme, that has CDs with the quads from various states. I can drill down to look at the track layout for any area. Note that these are not detaialed tothe point of showing dimensions, but you certainly can see how a particular area was laid out.

[Anonymous]

Don't know if this will help, but I've found that rail layouts, including old, large yards, appear on USGS "quads," the sectional, detailed maps used in site engineering and for many development projects. For example, I've seen the Bayonne Marine Ocean Terminal, the yards around Newark and further north along the Jersey waterfront, over in New York, etc. Many of these yards no longer exist or are much reduced, but the info is on the maps. I have a program, "3D TopoQuads" from DeLorme, that has CDs with the quads from various states. I can drill down to look at the track layout for any area. Note that these are not detaialed tothe point of showing dimensions, but you certainly can see how a particular area was laid out.

[fischey]

Hello Railmodeler. I model Euro but decided to respond since I have been in US modeling as well. The recommendation to use the historical societies is a best bet. Also there are map books available, as posted in this forum series.

Further, There are musems to contact. In Baltimore they will have Norfolk/CSX/Eastern railroad information and they can be very helpful. In the West, it's the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Their library is quite extensive and their staff is also very helpful.

Lastly try past issues of Trains and Model Railroader for their articles, " A Railroad You Can Model". These articles are very good because they often give real track maps and as well, they give you a full environment to model complete with buildings, industries, and pictures. A "no-brainer". Since CSX and NS swallowed many eastern railways from the past, look up the articles that concern regions you have interest in. I remember one specifically involving an Appalachian mountain interchange from a few years ago, maybe in West Virginia or Virginia Coal country. Likely, you can find a plan you want.

Cheers, und Viel Spass.

[fischey]

Hello Railmodeler. I model Euro but decided to respond since I have been in US modeling as well. The recommendation to use the historical societies is a best bet. Also there are map books available, as posted in this forum series.

Further, There are musems to contact. In Baltimore they will have Norfolk/CSX/Eastern railroad information and they can be very helpful. In the West, it's the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Their library is quite extensive and their staff is also very helpful.

Lastly try past issues of Trains and Model Railroader for their articles, " A Railroad You Can Model". These articles are very good because they often give real track maps and as well, they give you a full environment to model complete with buildings, industries, and pictures. A "no-brainer". Since CSX and NS swallowed many eastern railways from the past, look up the articles that concern regions you have interest in. I remember one specifically involving an Appalachian mountain interchange from a few years ago, maybe in West Virginia or Virginia Coal country. Likely, you can find a plan you want.

Cheers, und Viel Spass.

[Anonymous]

In a Union Pacific building in Oregon there is a complete N scale operating hump yard built by them to check it's operation and find any flaws before they built the real one outside. It's huge. It is much larger than any home or club layout.

I think that you will find more valueble information on track plans and layout design by studying other model railraods instead of real ones. Model railroaders are more skilled at shoehorning in a tight curve where a real railroad just takes the land they need. Study other layout track plans and see how they flow and if there are bottlenecks or other problems like not being able to walk around with your train.

Simple rules for model railroad design:
The siding always curves away from the main on most turnouts.
The spur is on the opposite side of the main then the siding, so that you can switch the spur without blocking the main.
The yard lead should be longer than the longest track in the yard, so you can work the yard without going on the main.

It seems like you have the right idea of what questions to ask before you build. Some people build a tiny scaled down version of their layout first where it is like a model of a model.

Good luck
j......

[Anonymous]

In a Union Pacific building in Oregon there is a complete N scale operating hump yard built by them to check it's operation and find any flaws before they built the real one outside. It's huge. It is much larger than any home or club layout.

I think that you will find more valueble information on track plans and layout design by studying other model railraods instead of real ones. Model railroaders are more skilled at shoehorning in a tight curve where a real railroad just takes the land they need. Study other layout track plans and see how they flow and if there are bottlenecks or other problems like not being able to walk around with your train.

Simple rules for model railroad design:
The siding always curves away from the main on most turnouts.
The spur is on the opposite side of the main then the siding, so that you can switch the spur without blocking the main.
The yard lead should be longer than the longest track in the yard, so you can work the yard without going on the main.

It seems like you have the right idea of what questions to ask before you build. Some people build a tiny scaled down version of their layout first where it is like a model of a model.

Good luck
j......

[Anonymous]

You will be wondering, but you can squeeze more or less the same in N scale.
Z scale turnouts and curves take enormous place. You can run longer trains, but the yards will be more or less the same. It's a false connection to think Z scale is really smaller than N scale. I tried Z scale, it's nice though. But be aware: There is only a small choice of models and even a smaller choice of buildings.
Microstructures has some really nice buildings.
There is a german manufacturer who makes supply for harborscenes (ships, docks, buildings etc.)
Let me know if you need some information about that.

[Anonymous]

You will be wondering, but you can squeeze more or less the same in N scale.
Z scale turnouts and curves take enormous place. You can run longer trains, but the yards will be more or less the same. It's a false connection to think Z scale is really smaller than N scale. I tried Z scale, it's nice though. But be aware: There is only a small choice of models and even a smaller choice of buildings.
Microstructures has some really nice buildings.
There is a german manufacturer who makes supply for harborscenes (ships, docks, buildings etc.)
Let me know if you need some information about that.

[Anonymous]

Re: actual track plans

There are RR atlases available. I have not bought any, still undecided about what to model, but the advertisements say they are detailed, with expanded scale drawings of areas that have complex track arrangements, e.g., yards, metropolitan areas.

The suggestion about satellite photos is also workable, but could be expensive. Less than 1 meter resolution is now available, in color. By the way, I model in Z scale and you can really squeeze a lot of prototype into a layout at 1:220.
Best regards, Malcolm Z

[Anonymous]

Re: actual track plans

There are RR atlases available. I have not bought any, still undecided about what to model, but the advertisements say they are detailed, with expanded scale drawings of areas that have complex track arrangements, e.g., yards, metropolitan areas.

The suggestion about satellite photos is also workable, but could be expensive. Less than 1 meter resolution is now available, in color. By the way, I model in Z scale and you can really squeeze a lot of prototype into a layout at 1:220.
Best regards, Malcolm Z

[Anonymous]

@BentnoseWillie

That is my old layout, built with Märklin C-Track.
I used the Märklin Digital System (Motorola Format)
Märklin is not DCC compatible.
locos and rolling Stock on that layout are from Märklin and Brawa.
But Brawa has only a few AC models, like the UP GP-38 you have seen on the layout.
check www.brawa.de, but their models are factory tuned life-like models.
The quality is good though.
Mehano also makes AC locos, but they are cheap and so is the quality.
It is possible to switch between systems, but then you have to rebuild all trackpieces (cut the connections between the rails). It is not worth it.
Only on really small layouts.
I switched to DC because there is a much bigger variety of models, and the tracks look more real. I do not like those little nipples in the middle of the Märklin track, and i do not like a third rail either. Like i said, i want it to be as real as possible.

@all
I found a website showing detail trackplans of some big yards, very interesting.
http://www.ble439.org/maps.htm

[Anonymous]

@BentnoseWillie

That is my old layout, built with Märklin C-Track.
I used the Märklin Digital System (Motorola Format)
Märklin is not DCC compatible.
locos and rolling Stock on that layout are from Märklin and Brawa.
But Brawa has only a few AC models, like the UP GP-38 you have seen on the layout.
check www.brawa.de, but their models are factory tuned life-like models.
The quality is good though.
Mehano also makes AC locos, but they are cheap and so is the quality.
It is possible to switch between systems, but then you have to rebuild all trackpieces (cut the connections between the rails). It is not worth it.
Only on really small layouts.
I switched to DC because there is a much bigger variety of models, and the tracks look more real. I do not like those little nipples in the middle of the Märklin track, and i do not like a third rail either. Like i said, i want it to be as real as possible.

@all
I found a website showing detail trackplans of some big yards, very interesting.
http://www.ble439.org/maps.htm

[Anonymous]

If you are looking for track diagrams for CSX, try the C&O Historical Society. They have a web sight. It is http://www.cohs.org/
Try there and they will help you to find CSX
Try NS's web sight for theirs. I think it is www.norfolksouthern.com I'm not sure, but you should be able to find it from there.
Have a groovy day
Bob/Clinton Valley Railroad (S scale)

[Anonymous]

If you are looking for track diagrams for CSX, try the C&O Historical Society. They have a web sight. It is http://www.cohs.org/
Try there and they will help you to find CSX
Try NS's web sight for theirs. I think it is www.norfolksouthern.com I'm not sure, but you should be able to find it from there.
Have a groovy day
Bob/Clinton Valley Railroad (S scale)

[BentnoseWillie]

I notice that your HO layout uses Marklin track. It looks good; what control system do you use? AC, DC, Digital or Delta?

Are you:

Using US-outline Marklin (if it exists)?

Modifying US-outline equipment to work on Marklin, or adapting US-outline shells to Marklin mechanisms?

Switching between systems?

Or simply using available Marklin track?

Is Marklin digital compatible with the NMRA DCC standard, perhaps?

[BentnoseWillie]

I notice that your HO layout uses Marklin track. It looks good; what control system do you use? AC, DC, Digital or Delta?

Are you:

Using US-outline Marklin (if it exists)?

Modifying US-outline equipment to work on Marklin, or adapting US-outline shells to Marklin mechanisms?

Switching between systems?

Or simply using available Marklin track?

Is Marklin digital compatible with the NMRA DCC standard, perhaps?

[Anonymous]

Thank You

[Anonymous]

Thank You

[Anonymous]

I am impressed with your web site

[Anonymous]

I am impressed with your web site

[Anonymous]

Yes, you are right. That is really big. I have a discussion running on a german forum about model trains,the topic is what makes a modelrr professional.
There are many points, but one is to have a really good, realistic, fun to operate trackplan which suits the room the rr is going to be in.
There are many questions i am asking myself, before i start to plan.
for example:
-what kind of trains am i going to run ?
-mainline or branchline ? both ?
-what kind of industries are going to be on the layout ?
-what area is the layout going to represent ?
-modern or past times ?
-can i justify why the tracks are there where they are ? or did i just put them somewhere because it looks nice ?
-what sense does it make?
-what is the optimum between fun, realism and the possibilities given by the room the layout is in.

I do not think that UP is building a yard, without a detail plan. They know what they are doing.
I want to plan a good layout, which makes fun.
I want to know what i am doing. To be honest, there would be no way for me at the moment to plan a good layout.
If somebody is an engineer, he knows how that works.
So i try to find out what i can, and to take a look at the real world.

There is a magazine in germany, which shows professional private layouts.
sometimes one layout per magazine.
I am totally astonished, about how much they know. Some of these people can explain everything on their layout.
It is similar to the annual model railroader (10 dream layouts). These issues are the best. They show some high end railroading.
I have build some standard layouts already. And i found out, that it is really tough to build a professional layout.

Take a look at my website, to see some US layouts build in europe.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you are right. That is really big. I have a discussion running on a german forum about model trains,the topic is what makes a modelrr professional.
There are many points, but one is to have a really good, realistic, fun to operate trackplan which suits the room the rr is going to be in.
There are many questions i am asking myself, before i start to plan.
for example:
-what kind of trains am i going to run ?
-mainline or branchline ? both ?
-what kind of industries are going to be on the layout ?
-what area is the layout going to represent ?
-modern or past times ?
-can i justify why the tracks are there where they are ? or did i just put them somewhere because it looks nice ?
-what sense does it make?
-what is the optimum between fun, realism and the possibilities given by the room the layout is in.

I do not think that UP is building a yard, without a detail plan. They know what they are doing.
I want to plan a good layout, which makes fun.
I want to know what i am doing. To be honest, there would be no way for me at the moment to plan a good layout.
If somebody is an engineer, he knows how that works.
So i try to find out what i can, and to take a look at the real world.

There is a magazine in germany, which shows professional private layouts.
sometimes one layout per magazine.
I am totally astonished, about how much they know. Some of these people can explain everything on their layout.
It is similar to the annual model railroader (10 dream layouts). These issues are the best. They show some high end railroading.
I have build some standard layouts already. And i found out, that it is really tough to build a professional layout.

Take a look at my website, to see some US layouts build in europe.

[Anonymous]

You migt try going to a web site that has aerial/satellite photos - like terraserver.com - to see if there's enough detail for what you're looking for.. It's pretty unusual for an actual track plan to be fully replicated, in any scale, leave alone O, due to the amount of space required. (As an extreme example. UP's Bailey yard is around 8mi long - that's what, around 800-900 ft in O scale!)