Hi everyone, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I am hoping you all can help me with my layout shown below. It is a L shaped dogbone layout, with 2 main lines, and as you can see, a loop on either end (other loop hidden under skyscraper and foam board upper left).
This is a DC layout, and last night I worked all the bugs out of it and ran 2 passenger trains on their isolated DC loops for about an hour.
Here is the problem....I thought it was boring! The most exciting thing I could do was back the train on the inner loop into the passenger platform spurs on the right or stop on the main line passenger platform on the left. The outerloops sidings are too short to accomodate 4 passenger cars.
In my dispair, I ordered a Digitrax #ZEPE Zephyr Express Starter Set (#1065), hoping that by adding 2 more decoder equipped locomotives and also adding 2 decoders to my 2 existing ones, will liven things up. Sadly, above and beyond the added control capabilities of Digitrax DCC, I feel the layout itself still presents and issue.
As you can see I have 5 additional bumper tracks not being used yet. I have 8 straight tracks on the way in which to add more passenger platforms. However, if you look at the right sections inner loop; just to the left of the left most black girder bridge (pair), on the bottom of that light blue rectangle of foam, and to the left of the 2 turnouts sitting there unused, there is no room to add a turnout there without connecting it to a curve. I have found that unless I add a short piece of track before a turn out, the engine sometimes derails. I did have a turnout located there, which allowed a 2nd turnout and 3 additional passenger platforms, but the derail issue persisted and there was not enough room to add a short piece of track leading into the turnout, so I replaced that turnout with the straight piece you see there.
Is there anything you can suggest I do once the DCC Zephyr Express starter set arrives to make things more exciting?
I have used DCC many years ago 2000-2005 when I had a Digitrax Chief II set up, but purchased the one I mentioned as I was short on funds and also needed to re-aquaint myself with DCC, so I felt the Zephyr Express starter set was a good choice to slowly build upon if needed.
Unfortunately, we can't see your diagram. You probably need to review the Posting Pictures these at the top.
EDIT:. Thanks, that's better.
When you add a few more trains the layout will be more fun. Freight, in particular, adds more operational activity and is generally much more involvement for the operator.
Now that we can see it, the layout should be fine. I started with a loop for subway trains, which I had to complete including scenery before I put the next layer on top of it. I had one subway train. Fortunately, I upgraded to DCC and had so much fun that I never got bored.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I would have to agree with Mister B. Once you add more trains and your scenery effects start to take shape, your layout will become more interesting.
Perhaps consider adding the Vulcan figurine T'Pol, waiting trackside for the train
Image courtesy of Star Trek Enterprise 2001 through 2005.
That may liven things up a bit until your other added scenery progresses
TF
Here ya go!
There it is Chip!
You've only just begun to dangle your toes in the water.
As Jack Nicholson said "I'm drowning here and you're describing the water"
It looks like a good start but you need to wade a little deeper into the pool than that to start feeling a little more than some simple gratisfaction.
Looking good! Carry-on
Hi there,
You can make your loops much longer by reversing the turnouts and your problem with the short section before the Ess curve would be reduced if you can copy and paste my link
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1AgUaVNyHLcN9tcm0o0N1wK3esJ_IfWJzDukMiyhY3IE/edit?usp=sharing
The top diagram shows similar to what you have while the bottom one shows what you could have by reversing the relative positions of the turnouts. With a train not being pushed through an Ess curve, the sideways moment of the couplers would be less.
Hope this helps,
Cheers From Australia
Trevor Associate Editor, Rail Modeller Australia magazine
The trouble with double mainlines in a small space is they use up a lot of real estate which is fine if you just want to watch trains run. Otherwise you could use that space for industries for switching.
Alright folks, I am going to give the famous "www.themodelrailwayclub.org/layouts/minories" a try!
I will post some pics ASAP.
PS.
I forgot to mention I used John Armstrongs book "Track Planning For Realstic Operation to come up with the right side of the track plan.
He has a diagram showing several real stations;GCT, Chicago Union Station, Penn Station, Etc., and I selected his Chicago Union Station to use.
Sadly. I could not fit 4 sidings, i.e. one on each corner, and thus yu see only 2. For the 8 stub tracks he shows for the Union Station, I show 2, but have more track ordered to add 4 more for a total of 6, but not 8.