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layout planning

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layout planning
Posted by WILLIAM ROLSTON JR on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 7:50 AM

Hi, I have been planning my new layout for a while. Does this shelf layout look good? Do any of you see any problems that could be fixed? What kind of industries would be realistic on this? The dementions are 11ft 6in x 4ft 10in by 1ft deep.

Any help or thoughts would be appreciated. I can provide anyone with the .atps or the .layout of this file upon request.

[EDIT] I should let everyone know that I want to model somewhere in Ontario, Canada and its Canadian Pacific. As noted below I forgot to add the era which is going to be around present time. And yes, its HO scale.

The track plan is not finished.

Tags: layout , planning

I am a prolific H0 scale hobbyist.

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Posted by Omaha Road Man on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 8:40 AM

Did something get cut off on the left side of the plan?  If not, that blue spur at the top is completely inaccessable and useless; you need at least enough track to the left of the bottom turnout to fit a locomotive and the longest car you plan on using.

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Posted by WILLIAM ROLSTON JR on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 9:40 AM

Omaha Road Man

Did something get cut off on the left side of the plan?  If not, that blue spur at the top is completely inaccessable and useless; you need at least enough track to the left of the bottom turnout to fit a locomotive and the longest car you plan on using.

The track plan is not finished. If you read the above text I am wondering what industries would be realistic.

I am a prolific H0 scale hobbyist.

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Posted by floridaflyer on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 10:08 AM

Without the track plan being finished it is difficult to make a judgement or recommendations 

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Posted by Omaha Road Man on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 10:44 AM

WILLIAM ROLSTON JR
The track plan is not finished. If you read the above text I am wondering what industries would be realistic.

Sorry I mised that, but as was pointed out, without a finished track plan it's hard to give advice on that aspect of things.  What era are you planning on modeling?

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Posted by dknelson on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 10:58 AM

Googling the phrase "industries in Ontario" provided a wealth of information including this interesting site from the government

http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/labourmarket/ojf/industrySector.html

I happen to think furniture is always a good layout industry because it offers the opportunity for loads in AND loads out (at least in older eras loads out) and empties out, as well as interesting buildings that also get truck traffic and create scrap material that has to be dealt with.  And the loading and unloading ideally needs to be protected from the elements which offers more model structure opportunities.

Dave Nelson

 

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Posted by skagitrailbird on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 1:47 PM

Although you didn't mention scale, by your tag line I will assume it is HO.

What is the radius of your main line around the corner. From the diagram it looks pretty tight. Anything less than 18" is pretty tough for HO scale unless you are running really short wheel base equipment. And if you are running six axle diesels your minimum should probably be at least 22", preferably more if at all possible. Consider adding a gusset in the corner to bring the curves out from the walls a bit more.

Is there any chance you could extend the short side a foot or two? It would provide space for several more cars and/or locomotives.

As drawn, by curving the white track to the left it could be extended to allow more locomotives.

I know nothing about industries in your chosen area so I will leave that to someone else. Good luck!

Roger Johnson
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Posted by WILLIAM ROLSTON JR on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 3:11 PM

skagitrailbird

Although you didn't mention scale, by your tag line I will assume it is HO.

What is the radius of your main line around the corner. From the diagram it looks pretty tight. Anything less than 18" is pretty tough for HO scale unless you are running really short wheel base equipment. And if you are running six axle diesels your minimum should probably be at least 22", preferably more if at all possible. Consider adding a gusset in the corner to bring the curves out from the walls a bit more.

Is there any chance you could extend the short side a foot or two? It would provide space for several more cars and/or locomotives.

As drawn, by curving the white track to the left it could be extended to allow more locomotives.

I know nothing about industries in your chosen area so I will leave that to someone else. Good luck!

Thanks for the input! I just edited the photo in the first post. The inner curve is 21.8 and the outer one (Main Line) is 19.3. I will try to rework the curve but I am not sure how successfull I will be.

I am a prolific H0 scale hobbyist.

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 5:42 PM

What are the benchwork dimensions?

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Posted by WILLIAM ROLSTON JR on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 6:36 AM

BMMECNYC

What are the benchwork dimensions?

The dementions are 11ft 6in x 4ft 10in by 1ft deep.

I am a prolific H0 scale hobbyist.

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Posted by Texas Zepher on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 1:58 PM

WILLIAM ROLSTON JR
What kind of industries would be realistic on this? The dimentions are 11ft 6in x 4ft 10in by 1ft deep.

Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.

Is either of the ends accessible or are they up against walls?   I was thinking a removable cassette on an end could be used for an interchange track that would start and end an operating session.  I guess you could even angle something like that out into the area from anywhere.   1 foot is just narrow.

What kind of industries would be realistic on this?.

 In west Onterio you have the Canadian Shield that would yield all sorts of hard rock mining, but I assume this would be more like an industrial area in a city or town.   In that case, depending on the era, there are the usual suspects, grain elevator/mill, hatchery/seeds, dairy distributors, brewery, warehouse, auto part supply, freight house, ice house, cold storage, furnature supply, millworks, , milinary, news paper printers, mail distribution center.  All of these were often all bunched up together in a tight down-town or a just out of town along-the-tracks industrial area: grain elevator (again), brewery (again), cement plant, junk yard, fuel supply, automobile unloading, stock yard, canning facility, lumber yard, pickeling plant.

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 11, 2016 8:24 AM

You can fit larger curves than what you currently have in this space.  1ft wide is just fine for a shelf layout.  

Have you taken a look at the track plans here on MR for shelf layouts?  Are you planning on operating this layout yourself or with one or more other people?  Do you want the design to be set up for future expansion or will this be stand alone?

Can you fill in the corner piece to take away the 90 degree part?

What length of car are you planning as your maximum?  What will be the shortest acceptable maximum single car length?  What type of locomotive do you own, are you planning on buying?

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Posted by cuyama on Saturday, March 12, 2016 4:39 PM

You'll have more options if you move what appear to be yard(s) currently on the short leg onto the longer leg.

For a narrow shelf, backdrop and fascia flats are excellent ways to add indsutries in not much depth.

Unfortunately, with so little of the design complete, it's hard to know how to help.

Good luck with your layout.

Byron

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 12, 2016 8:03 PM

Is it possible to add on to either leg if say the addition was only used while operations where in progress, and stored while not in use?  If the 4/11 ends are at a door, would it be possible to make another leg that forms a U when in use and folded down into the L shape when not?

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