Two forum threads have discussed PROs & CONs "102 Realistic Track Plans":
[1] 8-22-2008 -- 102 Realistic track Plans' v '101 Track Plans' ...
http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/135245/1516930.aspx#1516930
[2] 12-03-2008 -- 102 realistic track plans...
http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/142737.aspx?PageIndex=1
As a change of pace -- This forum thread is intended to emphasize positive feedback AS TIPS instead of general PROs & CONs (which can be also discussed under those two forum threads).
SO: Clearly label each item you liked as "TIP #_" which can then receive helpful responses about what you have either gleaned from the special issue, or what you can piggy-back onto these "102 TIPS."
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The Goal: 102 TIPS gleaned from "102 Realistic Track Plans"
TIP #1: Many ways to include LAYOUT INTERCHANGES.
Plan #8 (The Appalachain Central) -- interchange off layout corner
Plan #21 (Houston's Port Terminal Railroad) -- interchange off layout corner
Plan #25 (Spokane Valley & Northern) -- interchange off layout corner
Plan #28 (Glass Rock & Eastern RR) -- two interchanges with Conrail & CSX
Plan #31 (Bogg's Landing & Trotwater RR) -- three interchange tracks with a 'wye switch'
Plan #42 (Ninigret Cove Branch) -- curved interchange off layout side
Plan #52 (Benedict & Wexford) -- interchange with Ann Arbor RR off layout middle and underpass
Plan #55 (59th Street Branch) -- action-packed upper interchange yard plus lower interchange yard
Plan #56 (Fort Myers Ry.) -- double-ended interchange yard in the middle of 1'-'6" x 22' layout
Plan #58 (Cunningham's Gap) -- interchange yard tracks with a private coal mine
Plan #59 (Coal Belt) -- Pennsylvania RR interchange in the middle of a larger staging yard
Plan #70 (Arkansas & Missouri) -- Union Pacific curved interchange in a steep-grades layout
Plan #75 (Grand Trunk, Western, Romeo Subdivision) -- "ex-NYC" abandoned? interchange
Plan #83 (Black Root & Marmot) -- curved 4-track staging interchange with Southern Pacific
Plan #86 (Missouri, Kansas & Quincy) -- agricultural interchange between two Class I railroads
Plan #92 (Southern Pacific Bakersfield Subdivision) -- interchange within a very long staging yard
It was John Armstrong who promoted interchanges as a way to connect to the world beyond your layout even if it was only a single track that ran off a layout corner blending into a clump of trees or under a bridge.
...now on to TIP #2...
Conemaugh Road & Traction circa 1956
tgindyPlan #75 (Grand Trunk, Western, Romeo Subdivision) -- "ex-NYC" abandoned? interchange
I'm guessing ex-NYC also means PC. Being a native, I would have labeled it "ex-Michigan Central"
But I think this interchange was actually in Rochester, a city to SW along the GTW towards Pontiac. There may be a little geographic fudging going on to promote operations potential on the layout. This line was the PC Bay City branch, and it was abandoned in 1976 - part of it is now the Paint Creek Trail. The last little piece of (barely) live track is now part of the CR Detroit Shared Assets, which includes Sterling Yard. If you had more space, you could figure out a way to connect this layout with the Conrail Sterling Secondary layout, which was packaged with 102RTP in the "6 Railroads You Can Model" booklet
The GTW Romeo Sub itself was abandoned in 1998/1999, and is now the Clinton River Trail.
davidmbedard One major flaw with this thread: you need to buy the book to understand what you are talking about. That means that this thread will have very short legs.David B
One major flaw with this thread: you need to buy the book to understand what you are talking about. That means that this thread will have very short legs.
David B
Or actually receive what you purchase, instead of getting the run around from Kalmbach that it's "in the mail. "
This space reserved for SpaceMouse's future presidential candidacy advertisements
I'm up here in Australia, and have never had issues with issues. Got my copy of 102... 3 weeks ago. I'm still in armchair mode, so my tip would be keep on looking and eventually things will coalesce.