Layouts and layout building

Vail and Southwestern RR wrote:

Probably not Singletown, either, huh?

Nope

I have laid out the track on the plywood.  can't seem to get a decent picture though.  I traced over the pencil lines with PSP and added some text.  The track is the narrow lines.  The plywood will be cut about where the heavy black line is.  The bottom panel goes to the right of the top panel ( 2 -8' sections combined into one 16' layout).  Both panels will have 1.5" added to the top as shown (back of layout against the wall).  The back track will have a 1 to 1.5% up and down grade for visual separation from the rest of the layout.  Direction of travel is counter-clockwise on the outer loop.

Sorry for the poor quality; however, this is the only track plan that I have.

Tracks from top to bottom:

continuous run loop

3 track classification yard - yard lead to right

caboose track

2 industrial tracks - buildings will be here

continuous run loop

Please comment on the track plan before I make any cuts or lay any track.  Thanks

Okay, Alan, I may have missed it...

...but have you chosen a general locale for this layout?  Town names are often very regional.  New England names, for example, have names like "Lyndon Center" or "Crawford Notch."  In Virginia all the couty seats have the name "Court House" in them, like "Spotsylvania Court House."  Many towns in the upper Midwest have German names like "Minster, OH," and so on.

Tell me where you envision your layout being, and I can help you come up with a name.  I'll be out of town this weekend, but I'll check in next week.

Keeo up the good work!

Well, he has a UP and an SF loco, so that narrows it down a bit.  I'm thinking Spanish, but I haven't thought what, maybe Tortilla Flats.  A little bit of a play on words, or maybe I'm just hungry....

Vail and Southwestern RR wrote:

Well, he has a UP and an SF loco, so that narrows it down a bit.  I'm thinking Spanish, but I haven't thought what, maybe Tortilla Flats.  A little bit of a play on words, or maybe I'm just hungry....

Let's shoot for southern Colorado; both operated there.  Time period is 1970.

How about the plywood track plan? Any comment (including looks OK ) is acceptable.

Alan_B wrote:

Vail and Southwestern RR wrote: Well, he has a UP and an SF loco, so that narrows it down a bit.  I'm thinking Spanish, but I haven't thought what, maybe Tortilla Flats.  A little bit of a play on words, or maybe I'm just hungry....   Let's shoot for southern Colorado; both operated there.  Time period is 1970. How about the plywood track plan? Any comment (including looks OK ) is acceptable.

I think it looks good.  I assume the turnout angles and track spacing are right.  The only thing I would consider would be adding a passing track, maybe across the back, in case you wanted a clockwise train and a counterclockwise train.  Or even two in the same direction.

Town name: Alan's Mesa

(or maybe your last name?)

Vail and Southwestern RR wrote:

Alan_B wrote:  Vail and Southwestern RR wrote: Well, he has a UP and an SF loco, so that narrows it down a bit.  I'm thinking Spanish, but I haven't thought what, maybe Tortilla Flats.  A little bit of a play on words, or maybe I'm just hungry....   Let's shoot for southern Colorado; both operated there.  Time period is 1970. How about the plywood track plan? Any comment (including looks OK ) is acceptable.   I think it looks good.  I assume the turnout angles and track spacing are right.  The only thing I would consider would be adding a passing track, maybe across the back, in case you wanted a clockwise train and a counterclockwise train.  Or even two in the same direction. Town name: Alan's Mesa (or maybe your last name?)

Thanks.  The pencil line layout was done with actual turnouts in place and the spacing is correct.   No room for a passing track. The narrow part is 8" in order to keep me from hitting my head in case I sit up in bed.  I figure that by the time that I start really operating this layout that a little switching will be enough to keep me happy.  I am using the whole open wall section so that I can have a long loop to let me just watch a train run.

Thanks for the name suggestion; still not it though.  My German last name would be out of place ( Bierbaum).

Since it will be operated as a junction (Santa Fe switcher and UP road engine); I may just call it Suzi's Junction (My daughter is nicknamed Suzi).

I thought that you had probably considered a passing track, but sometimes the obvious is missed.  I was going to suggest using a kid's name, but didn't know if you had any.  I like Suzi's Junction.

If you're doing Colorado, German names are not as inappropriate as you might think. After all, there are quite a few German immigrants who have made it big in Colorado.  One who comes to mind is a guy by the name of Adolph Coors...

Also, there are places such as Walsenburg in CO...  Bierbaum may not be so out of place.

Nevertheless, you can probably find some good names in the ol' atlas for southern Colorado.  You may be able to combine a few.

If you're doing the area around Alamosa, you may want to go with Spanish names related to flat or to the foothills.  Hills translate to "Colinas," so that might be a good name.

Have not heard from you for awhile Alan how are you doing. How about S.B. Junction daughters initials.

Kevin

Canondale61 wrote:

Have not heard from you for awhile Alan how are you doing. How about S.B. Junction daughters initials. Kevin

One step forward - three steps backwards.

Spent the entire last weekend in the hospital getting a stent put in my completely blocked right coronary artery.  Looks like everything will be OK.  I was weak from the last series of "problems" and now have trouble just walking 50 feet.

Back to the recovery mode though.  I keep trying.

Sorry to hear of your latest setback. Glad to hear you are doing better. Rest up I miss your weekly updates.

Take care

Kevin

Hope you are feeling better, Alan.  I hope that I can have the grace and strength that you've shown if I am ever in your position.  I really look forward to seeing your layout.

Sorry to hear of your setback, hopefully you will continue to improve and get back to your layout soon.  Good luck with the new layout.

John

jjbmish wrote:

Sorry to hear of your setback, hopefully you will continue to improve and get back to your layout soon.  Good luck with the new layout.   John

Thanks for the support from all of you guys.  I am starting a walking program to get some of my strength and stamina back.

Alan Good luck with the walking program. We are all pulling for you.

Kevin