Virginian Project layout, what would it look like in an around the wall layout design?

[Bluegill1]

I'm not very good at it, that's why I'm asking, what would the track plan look like in a lineal layout design, a shelf/around the wall design. Keeping the same points of interest: climbing up the branch, minimum 2 mines, 1 truck coal dump, yard, staging area etc....

Thanks for any help

Dave

[DigitalGriffin]

I thought about the same thing.  some nice wide curves around a mountain pass like that could be quite impressive.

[NittanyLion]

Honestly, a bit bland.  

I mean, you could devote a lot of space to tree covered mountains.  It could be quite a scenery project, if you wanted it to be like that.  But the trackplan itself is pretty basic once you unfold it.  Opening it up into an around the room layout, you could increase the size of one of the mines to something fairly substantial, have a second population center (no industries, just housing), and make the yard much larger and expand the town around the yard into an actual down.  Depending on the size of the layout, you could even add a junction (functional or not).

To me, basing a layout on that trackplan and expanding it out to fit the new space...its a bit like a 747F and Air Force One.  Yeah, they're both 747s, but they're not the same thing at all.

[jmbjmb]

For the heck of it I just tried a quick sketch.  If you open it up enough, the space allows for more realitist length trains.  Now you have a reason for multi unit SDs or big mallets.  Rogers yard starts to become like Dante with room for some engine servicing to support the coal branches.  The bland side of the loop becomes a large staging yard on the other wall, to represent the rest of the world such as Elkhorn City and Spartanburg (ok so you can see I prefer Clinchfield to VGN).  Next the branch moves onto it's own pennsulua in the middle of the room, mines get bigger, (much as Tony Koesters Coal Fork extension).  Add in the extras of most small town such as lumber yards, gas & oil, warehouse, feed store, and you have a multi operator CTC or TT&TO railroad.

Though for me personally, the the Louisville & Wadley in the latest MR is a triple (need to add some cotton mills) but that layout just screams small town south. 

[cuyama]

If the designer was good, it might look a lot like Allen McClelland's Muddlety Creek Branch in Model Railroad Planning 1996. IMHO, a better design than a 4X8 with extensions, including a significantly broader minimum radius (27" versus 18"). That's the beauty of around-the-room versus the "sacred sheet" HO 4X8.

And it would all fit in 12X12 (plus a small closet) in HO, probably less space overall than the Virginian 4X8 once you consider the additional staging and branch terminus sections and access aisles. 

If you wanted two big mines, you could replace the plywood mill on the peninsula with a second mine.

It would be great if MR would one day build a project layout that really made the most of a mid-sized space -- as McClelland's design does very well.

[Bluegill1]

Anyone have the trackplan for the Muddlety Creek Branch?

I searched with no luck.

Dave

[Paulus Jas]

Hi,

the Muddlety plan dates from times before MR was going digital.

This was drawn by me lots of years ago; the original plan was way more detailed. W. Allen McClelland drew it for handlaid track, so it will be hard to copy with standard track components.

Smile

Paul

[cuyama]

Bluegill1

Anyone have the trackplan for the Muddlety Creek Branch?

I know it's old-fashioned, but you could contact Kalmbach Customer Service to buy a back issue or purchase a copy of the article. That was a great issue, by the way, with lots of good ideas. Railpub is another source for back issues, but they don't seem to have that issue in stock right now in their current catalog.

[Bluegill1]

Thanks everyone.

David

[rrinker]

 If it's from MRP, it will be in the new DVD release of the special issues as well. I have most issues of MRP but I am missing a couple and they are out of print, so to go with my MR digital collection I plan on getting the Special Issues set.

             --Randy

 

[jmbjmb]

cuyama

 

It would be great if MR would one day build a project layout that really made the most of a mid-sized space -- as McClelland's design does very well.

 

Absolutely.  MRP, and to some exten MR, has had a series of room sized track plans, of which I think the Muddlety Creek was one.   The premise was a railroad design to fit in a typical spare room, with windows and doors.  Interestingly their room size and window and door location is almost identical to the actual space I have.  I would absolutely love them to build  an HO  project layout in that space.  HO because it forces a greater discussion on the space compromises than N scale would.