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HO Triple Deck Track Plan

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  • Member since
    June 2022
  • 39 posts
HO Triple Deck Track Plan
Posted by IC_Tom on Saturday, February 18, 2023 12:05 PM

Looking for comments and suggestions -

This is HO, with 27-28 inch min. radii.  It's primarily for passenger trains, but with some industrial trains and switching - mainly on the middle level.  The bottom level is staging, while the top level is the primary passenger station with a coach yard on top of the helix (yet to be developed).  Both middle and top levels use a double-track mainline with peninsula where the double-track mainline circles the outside perimeter of a helix.

In trying to keep the helix uncomplicated, it's only a single track in two stages.  One from the staging level to the middle level and then one from the middle level to the top level.  So the middle level has two entrances/exits into either a bottom helix or top helix, while staging and top levels only have one entry/exit into a helix. Crossovers at the neck of the peninsula and a wye on the staging level provide train reversing so that no train goes into the tail-first.  The plan also allows for optional point-to-point operation from staging all the way to the top level and back down.

Three-foot lift-out sections are used at the door on the middle and top levels.

It's basically for single user operation, with the double-track mainlines providing passenger train railfanning, while I mess around with yard switching or the turntable.  There are two pinch points around the sides of the peninsula, but I think the clearances are OK elsewhere.

The benchwork outline is only valid for the middle level, but that's the one that has the most width.  I haven't quite developed the structure around the helix/peninsula.  I'm going to have to resort to paper dolls to visualize it better, because I'm having a heck of a time trying to visualize it in Anyrail without the ability to create 3D sections and elevations views.

I have a request in on the AnyRail forum for Walthers Wyes.  They don't have them in the libraries yet, but Walthers has both a #3 and #4 Wye.  One will be used on the staging level insted of the #6 shown heading to the peninsula.

TripleDeck-Staging.pdf

TripleDeck-Middle.pdf

TripleDeck-Top.pdf

Staging:

TripleDeck-Staging

Middle:

TripleDeck-Middle

Top:

TripleDeck-Top

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Posted by Colorado Ray on Sunday, February 19, 2023 2:02 PM

Interesting concept.  27" radius is pretty tight for passenger train operation unless you are using "shorty" cars.  It looks like you could adjust to use a 32 inch minimum radius with 2.5" centers by shifting the peninsula to dead center.  If you are a single operator, I'd sacrifice the aisle pinch points to gain the extra radius. 

 

Ray

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Posted by IC_Tom on Sunday, February 19, 2023 3:40 PM

Colorado Ray

Interesting concept.  27" radius is pretty tight for passenger train operation unless you are using "shorty" cars.  It looks like you could adjust to use a 32 inch minimum radius with 2.5" centers by shifting the peninsula to dead center.  If you are a single operator, I'd sacrifice the aisle pinch points to gain the extra radius. 

 

Ray

 

Thanks for the comment, Ray!

Actually, only the inside loops at the left are 27-1/2" radius, while the Staging Level wye has about 28" in the bottom left corner.  I can probably tweak the Staging Level to get them up to 30" if I work at it a bit.  Maybe I can do the other levels, too.  There's a short section of straight in the curves at top left on the Middle and Top, so there's still some wiggle room, I think.

Every other curve is 30" min or larger.  The helix is set at 30", too. 

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Posted by TrainzLuvr on Monday, February 20, 2023 8:54 PM

Maybe consider flipping the entry door so it opens out. Takes an hour of work with modest tools, but the benefit is worth the effort.

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  • From: Shenandoah Valley
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Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, February 20, 2023 10:01 PM

What are the heights of your three levels?  I am 71 and stooping hurts.  Some my age have chosen a level suitable for sitting in a chair.  I prefer to stand, but I cannot say I am a fan of 3 levels.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by IC_Tom on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 11:08 AM

You've only got 3 years on me. Wink

32, 45, and 60 inches, as it stands now in the design.  It's really a Double-Decker with a lower level only for staging.  So, it's maybe not what one would refer to as a completely operational Triple-Deck.  I'll probably run the DCC bus wiring above along the wall, in addition to having the switch machines and wiring on top of the staging level.

About the door - you are correct and it's something to consider.  Removing it altogether is probably the better option, but I've got a dog and grandchildren to worry about, so being able to have an operating door for security is a necessary evil.  I'll check into it, though.  It would have to be flipped 180 so that it not only opens to the outside, but the hinges would have to be toward the top of the plan view.  That's how it would work in flipping the door anyway, right? 

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Posted by ROBERT PETRICK on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 11:24 AM

I'm not sure fiddling with the door would get you much. Still gonna be a broad sweep of a curve and a lift out or swing gate sort of thing. A straight removable section (as currently shown) would be easier to construct and/or align than a curved section.

Robert 

LINK to SNSR Blog


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Posted by doctorwayne on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 2:56 PM

ROBERT PETRICK
Still gonna be a broad sweep of a curve and a lift out or swing gate sort of thing. A straight removable section (as currently shown) would be easier to construct and/or align than a curved section.

I have a couple of curved-track liftouts, and have never had any problems with either of them...

...and also hung the entryway door to open outward.

Wayne

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    June 2022
  • 39 posts
Posted by IC_Tom on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 1:55 PM

doctorwayne
ROBERT PETRICK
Still gonna be a broad sweep of a curve and a lift out or swing gate sort of thing. A straight removable section (as currently shown) would be easier to construct and/or align than a curved section.

...and also hung the entryway door to open outward.

Wayne

I've seen your photos of your double-level liftouts before and studied them at length.  Thank you for sharing!  However, I'm going to go with the straight style using DCC Concepts PowerPoints, as shown recently by Larry Puckett on youtube.

Robert is right in this instance, partly because of the double-track main that will be needed on the lift-out sections and partly because I can't swap the door.  Studying it recently, that entry actually sits in a space you might as well call a door pocket already.  There's not really another door, but the aisleway is only a bit over 3 feet and runs at a 90 deg. jog (down in the plans) just outside of the door entry.  It's going to be difficult enough as it is, to get benchwork through there.  Placing the door on the outside would make a cramped space even worse to get things in and out of this room.

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