John Allen's Timesaver?

[jfugate]

Although the timesaver track arrangement makes for a great switching puzzle/game, putting switching puzzles in your track plan is not a practice I recommend.

A friend of mine has a timesaver as one of the towns on his layout. I've operated on a lot of layouts and done all kinds of jobs. I drew the local that went to that town at the end of the branch, and switched the timesaver inspired town.

It was very tediuous and felt more like a brain-teaser and not like prototype railroading.

And I have never volunteered for that job again, nor will I ever do so again.

Prototype-inspired track arrangements have plenty of complexities as it is, and a contrived brain-teaser track arrangement isn't appropriate on a model railroad if you plan to operate realistically.

[rrinker]

and Ed ALWAYS puts a TImesaver or two in his designs. Although if the plan is modified, even simply changing the siding lengths, it is no longer really a Timesaver and is probably far more prototypical.

--Randy

[davekelly]

This month's Model Railroader has two timesaver based track plans by Ed Vondrak. Looks like two great ways to either have a small layout or to add a pretty neat plan for a town on an existing or planned layout.

It's great to see Ed back in print. He's published a bunch of trackplans.

[Anonymous]

I just recently built a timesaver. I didn't incoperate it into my layout because these track arrangments were not used for the most part in the prototype. The prototype favored simple arrangments and the timesaver would tak to long to switch.

i built mine on a peice plywood and put it on legs about 3 feet high so I can slip it under my full layout. That way i can hav somee fun with that while I lay track for my real empire.
Andrew

[Anonymous]

Here's a site with some links to more information on Timesaver layouts.

http://members.lycos.co.uk/thirdrail/sw-inglenook.html

Doug

[Anonymous]

Hey evereybody
Been a long time since I have posted.I would like to know if any of you have used the timesaver on your layout.If you have I would like to see some pictures.

Thanks Barent