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Please help me figure out the track plan from this photo

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Posted by NVSRR on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 12:06 AM

That is ln the cover of the book. "Top 7 layout trackplans for a 4x8. ".   So a track plan does exist.  Althouth that doesn t look like a 4x8. Unless it is n scale.     If you look in the lower right corner, you can just make out what looks like a dark streak between the rails.   Probably the Marklin contact nubs on thier track. 

Shane

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by doctorwayne on Sunday, May 23, 2021 1:16 PM

I'm not sure how anybody could accurately show a track plan, especially since everybody seems to assume that they're seeing the whole thing. 

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the far end of the layout makes a left turn and continues on, unseen.  If that's not the case, then all you're seeing is spaghetti....scribble your own assumptions for a trackplan.

Wayne

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Posted by jjdamnit on Saturday, May 22, 2021 2:59 PM

Hello All,

richhotrain
What difference does it make if the layout if German, French, English, whatever, if the layout still makes no sense?

One of the pikes in the Märklin magazines had a track plan that, to North American sensibilities, made no sense either.

But it's what they built, documented, and published.

That's the Europeans for ya! Stick out tongue

Knowing this WON'T help.

"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"

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Posted by richhotrain on Saturday, May 22, 2021 2:36 PM

What difference does it make if the layout if German, French, English, whatever, if the layout still makes no sense?

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by jjdamnit on Saturday, May 22, 2021 2:26 PM

Hello All,

Ja, ich verstehe, dass die dritte "Schiene" auf der Märklin-Bahnstrecke eigentlich keine Schiene ist.

OK, so it might be a Märklin pike.

In the magazines from Märklin I got the highlighted layouts list both types of track to build the layout.

They also give time-specific details.

If it to be in the steam era roundhouses with the associated track are listed. If the era is in the post-war diesel period they give a list for switching tracks in the yard(s). For the modern electric era catenary and transfer tables are listed.

Oh, those through Germans.

Hope this helps.

"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"

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Posted by jjdamnit on Saturday, May 22, 2021 1:57 PM

Hello All,

Lastspikemike
Those buildings are all German.

OOOHHH! Good eye!!

Further inspection also reveals that there appear to be beer steins on the bookcase in the background and the photos on the wall seem to be of European locomotives.

Seems to be a European-based layout.

The track appears to be two rail as opposed to the Märklin three rail HO. That would lead me to believe it might be a Trix layout.

At the last train show I attended the Märklin/Trix booth was giving out old editions of their magazine.

Each magazine highlighted a layout with options for both Märklin and Trix track.

I don't know if Märklin has a track plan database but it might be worth a try to contact them.

Hope this helps.

"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"

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Posted by 7j43k on Friday, May 21, 2021 7:25 PM

What's there to figure out?

Your friend likes what he sees.  He should just, then, recreate what he sees.  Where tracks are in tunnels, he can connect them any way that pleases him.

Task done!

 

Ed

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Posted by Frisco-kid on Friday, May 21, 2021 7:12 PM

You got that right!

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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, May 21, 2021 5:50 PM

BigDaddy

I think the tunnel closest to the camera ends blindly. 

You mean The Tunnel To Nowhere?  Laugh

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by Water Level Route on Friday, May 21, 2021 5:41 PM

OK.  I'll throw my guess at it.  The "weird" flat edge on the upper loop is nothing more than the track straightening out before starting to loop back around.  It looks like a folded dogbone plan to me.  The upper most tunnel you can see (round portal) must expose a short section of track that disappears again under the building just to the left of it, eventually making its way to the squared portal in the middle of the screen, and that round portal is fed by the two lower outside tracks as they make their way around the far end.  I would guess that the two lowest portals are not only not blind endings, but actually connect somewhere under the far end to complete the dogbone.  My 2 Cents

Mike

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Posted by BigDaddy on Friday, May 21, 2021 5:23 PM

It's got elevations that the Woodland Scenics layout doesn't.  I'm puzzled by the innermost loop. 

I think the tunnel closest to the camera ends blindly. 

I think the inner most loop, which looks pretty tight to me, comes out the lower level all the way in the back right.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by Frisco-kid on Friday, May 21, 2021 4:47 PM
Personally, I don't care for it, but a friend is intrigued and thinking of building something like it. He asked if I could figure it out
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Posted by jjdamnit on Friday, May 21, 2021 3:09 PM

Hello All,

Without the overall dimensions, it's difficult to even guess.

Frisco-kid
The website owner wants to sell his book, so he wasn't much help.

To really be certain you'll have to buy what he's peddling.

From the photo, it appears to be similar to the Woodland Secnics Grand Valley™ HO Scale Layout.

If you are looking for track plans check out the Atlas HO Scale Layout Packages in both Code 100 and Code 83.

Yes, these plans are based on Atlas products.

They can be adapted to any track manufacturer and can provide a starting point for your own layout.

Hope this helps.

 

 

"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"

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Posted by dstarr on Friday, May 21, 2021 2:52 PM

I would call it a double track figure eight.

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Posted by Frisco-kid on Friday, May 21, 2021 2:35 PM

Yeah, there are some very odd things going on. I guess it could be a composited image. The website owner wants to sell his book, so he wasn't much help.

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Posted by Doughless on Friday, May 21, 2021 2:10 PM

The double track mainline in the foreground leads to a loop up top.  Looks like its more of a folded dogbone than a figure 8, but there's something else going on that I cannot follow.

The idea that its a collection of images and not a pic of a real layout is not out of the question.  That upper loop has a weird straight egde along the right side.

- Douglas

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Posted by Trainman440 on Friday, May 21, 2021 1:57 PM

Sort of looks like the website maker just took images randomly from online and pasted them in as examples without citing any of them. Maybe its best to just contact the owner of the site for more info on the layout?

 

Charles

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Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO

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Please help me figure out the track plan from this photo
Posted by Frisco-kid on Friday, May 21, 2021 1:27 PM

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