In my limited knowledge of operation- overall it appears well thought out and planned. Only 2 "concerns" I can offer is (1) you have a few buildings (mainly servicing bldgs) indicated along the front edge....this "may" cause issues for reaching behind to the tracks in the back. However, at 54" this should not be a major concern. Number 2 "concern" is all the tracks run extremely parallel to the edge of the layout. This might distract from the layout itself. Perhaps consider placing a few slight curves here and there to break up the monotony (sp?)?
Like I said, looks well planned!
[edit] You commented about not getting the whole room......regardless of the project at hand it seems as though the CEO/CFO/President Of The Residence allwys needs to have some leverage....LOL
Additionally, you may wish to reconsider the canterlevered approach unless you get specific approval from the landlord/bldg owner. I say this because you will need more than a few screws into the wall to hold the layout.
Good day everyone. While I'm not exactly a newbie to model railroading (if you count the 4 x 8 oval with sidings I had as a teenager 20 something years ago) I am new to this whole concept of building a model railroad based on a concept, and a plan.
So, in a fit of self-flagellation (perhaps) I am presenting that vision, along with the track plan that I am currently pursuing. Throwing it to the wolves, so to speak.
First, some limitations. I'm building this in the negotiated space allowed to me by the railroad zoning commission in our 960 square foot apartment (the wife was, for one reason or another, against me using the entire bedroom. I'm sure she has her reasons.) Due to this, I am limited to an around the walls layout that is 6 feet down one wall, 15 feet down another side of the room, and maxes out at 24" wide in one corner.
The Concept
Given that I am a Virginia boy living in the Midwest, I really wanted to get back to my roots, and also sort of pay tribute to my grandfather, who worked on, and retired from, the C&O railroad before it became CSX. So it was probably a given that I would model an Eastern railroad. But I wanted something with a lot of traffic and variety, as well as some operation. So I hit upon the idea of modelling a part of the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac. As a bridge line, the RF&P runs a lot of traffic through for the other railroads in the area, and the interchange yards would see heavy use.
I also chose to model in 1963, just before the mergers that lead to the eventual demise of most of the Eatern railroads (at least in terms of them being separate entities) so that I could model locomotives from the ACL, SCL, N&W, the B&O, and the C&O, and still keep with the theme of the railroad.
I eventually decided on modelling a fictional area of the RF&P - a western division that would run from Roanoke, Virginia, north to Front Royal more or less following the route of I-81, before cutting east to the Potomac Yards.
The Trackplan
Of course, all of that isn't going to fit in this bedroom. That's the goal, the dream. What I have here is the first step - the yard at Roanoke, and a small industrial area. With that said, I present you with the initial track plan (click the link, the images are a little large to post directly in the forum.
Trackplan with Tracks Named
Trackplan showing operation of inbound train
Some basic information - I am using code 100 track for this present layout. Eventually, when we buy a house and I can build a larger layout, this section will be rebuilt and probably redesigned, so I'm not feeling bad about that. Minimum curve radius is 20" overall, with a minimum of 22" on the tracks I have designated as mainline or arrival/departure tracks.
Thanks.