Alright, back to the drawing board, I'll try and get a new layout done and repost it for comments, thanks for all the help.
BeefNChedda wrote: Horray, I got it to work, I can finally post! I reviewed your descriptions of those three things, I understand what you are talking about now, but how could I incorporate those into the layout effectively?
Horray, I got it to work, I can finally post! I reviewed your descriptions of those three things, I understand what you are talking about now, but how could I incorporate those into the layout effectively?
I think you pretty much need to start over. I get the impression that you have started by laying track and put in industries and since you can get to them it is good to go. Instead of looking at it as a layout look at it as a railroad. A railroad moves from point a to a point b, not round and round. That is not to say that continuous running is not bad, I like it myself.
Rather break your layout down into scenes. You probably have room for 6 scenes. Then move your railroad from scene to scene. Try not to have the track pass through the scene more than once--unless there is a specific reason that a railroad would do so.
Each scene should follow your theme.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
From Ryan
I am beginning to wonder if I will ever be able to post to the forums or not, I read the posts though, I did take the time to read your beginners guide to layouts and found it very interesting, there were a few things that I didn't not think of when I started planning the train set. As for Givens, I am building this layout in a spare bedroom, I decided that an 8' L shape would be easiest to build and transport when I do move, right now I am living in an apartment. The table is already build, I built it in 3 4'x4' squares that bolt together, this way it is light and portable. This is really the only given that I can think of for the layout, as for the druthers as you call them there are a few things that I want out of the layout, the layout that I designed is probably not going to be the final draft by no means, I would love to be able to run a passenger train as well as a freight engine, I was wanting to model the modern era, and as for road names I am partial to the Boston and Maine line, I remember seeing these trains when I was growing up, as well as Maine Central and Bangor and Aroostock. I grew up in Bar Harbor but now I'm living in Illinois. I would like to have a decent amount of industry traffic, I played around on a store layout at my local train store and really like the idea of switching tracks, as well as picking up and dropping off cars. But I also like the way a lot of the passenger trains look, I think that if I could I would like to have both, now I understand that druthers are basically a wish list and I would need to compromise on somethings. I would also like to have a decent sized yard to switch cars and line up trains for the freight engines to pick up. As for scenery I wanted two mountains, one in each corner I like the tunnels as well as some sort of water front. Money is no issue when building this I have been saving for quite a few years and finally figured out what I was saving for, just don't tell my wife. The only other thing that I want is to incorporate a bridge over the ravine and try and keep this as believable as possible. I'm a little lost on what a drill track is, and a runaround. Any idea's you all would have are more then welcome I'm pretty easy to please and just want something to play around with while the wife starts to nag at me to do the dishes or take out the trash. If you all would like to revise the track plan please do so I'm curious to see how you all would do this too.
Check out my site for the definition of runaround and drill track (yard lead). Also check out staging.
http://www.chipengelmann.com/trains/Beginner/Runaround.html
http://www.chipengelmann.com/trains/Beginner/YardLead.html
http://www.chipengelmann.com/trains/Beginner/Staging.html
Right now I think the most important thing is to get you so you can post. We'll start with the most obvious.
Have you logged onto the forum?
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Conemaugh Road & Traction circa 1956
If you're using DC watch out for the hidden Y which will need some special wiring.
For a first (and probably experimental) layout, I wouldn't worry too much about staging. The yard will allow you to make and break trains, along with a little storage. That way, you can rotate cars in and out of the yard and have a few "fresh" cars in the consist.
Tom
Life is simple - eat, drink, play with trains!
Go Big Red!
PA&ERR "If you think you are doing something stupid, you're probably right!"
I agree with the other comments. I was wondering if the tail off the yard could be extended, you could make a useful wye, and be able to turn trains.
Definitely need to know about walls, and givens and druthers are helpful to see if the layout gives what you want. A layout can be perfect for you, but useless to someone else, and vice-versa!
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
As an operator, four things jumped out and bit me:
The lack of a drill track can be compensated for by allowing a train to orbit the inner loop while yard switching fouls the outer loop main. The lack of runarounds, with industry tracks facing both directions all along the line, is a more serious problem. It isn't prototypical (or really convenient) to run all the way around the loop to get to the other end of a train.
Interchange tracks and staging are essential to get across the idea that this railroad connects with the rest of the North American rail grid. Without them, how did those foreign-roadname cars get on the line?
On the plus side:
This would be a good layout if the prototype inspiration is a local short line, perhaps interchanging with a class one at the yard, bottom right. It wouldn't work as a representation of part of a heavy through route.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Ryan,
Are there any walls to be concerned with--that block access to the layout?
What are your givens and drughers? What are you trying to acheive? If you have not done so please read my beginner's guide in the signature line.
Ryan asked me to post this.
I'm semi-new to this hobby, being only 25 I'm sure I'll have plenty of years left to tweak my layout designing. I'm currently drawing up a layout for my son, I have a rough draft of the layout that I created using Atlas' Track designing program and was wondering if you would have any time to take a look at it and let me know what you think? I've not quite figured out how to use the program to adjust heights but I'm going with a 2% grade starting the entire table off on 1/2 inch foam. I'm no stranger to miniature hobbies I used to work for Games-Workshop as a painter and am co-owner of my own hobby store.
I have attached a jpg of the track and the industries I am thinking of working with, it doesn't have any track height though, the wierd shape that is tacked on the top center is supposed to be a ravine that I am going to model. Let me know what you think, its pretty much something I'm doing in the guise of my son, but I can't lie...It's really just a new toy for me to play with. Dimensions are 8' by 8' with a 4' square taken out, so an L shape basically.