clover leaf... good idea or madness? (pic)

[Anonymous]

OK gents and ladies I'd like your opinions, is this a good/intresting idea or just plain silliness?



Ideas, suggestions, laughter?


Peace.

Coyote

[Anonymous]

grandpa,

What are the layout dimensions? And Radius of the curves?

My only concern is the S-Curves and if you would be running long trans?

[Medina1128]

My head hurts just looking at it. If you rest the whole thing on a sort of Lazy Susan, THAT could make things interesting. Rotate the layout while train is running would make the train stationary to an outside observer. Sort of The Watcher sort of thing... bwahahahaha...

[electrolove]

Madness, you asked [:D]

If I had that space I would build a 'around the wall' layout, maybe 2 decks.

[alstom]

It's just plain silliness! Try something with less curves so that way the train will be able to stay on better. So, my opinion is to try something in the "less curves categorie".

[dave9999]

Well, you have to admit that it's original... I'll leave it at that [:D]. Good luck, Dave

[davekelly]

You may find that an around the walls design with a peninsula or two would give more layout area. I would also be a little concerned about the distance to the middle of the "leaves." Is this area reachable?

[rrinker]

Looks good for a test track, all curves! No space for sidings. If you had a really big spae and extended the arms out like a big cross - there could be some merit to a plan like that if you really were against the idea of around the walls - sort of like a great big modular setup.

--Randy

[Anonymous]

Too much symetry. S-curves are asking for trouble. No space for a yard. Just how skinny are you, anyway???

Around the room, if room I'd stick in a peninsula with a "shortcut" behind it. Give me continuous running on at least 2 seperate lines, plus some good switching a and yard. A siding or two from the main lines, mountains, industries, an addition on my house for all of the layout.....

Mark in Utah

[ereimer]

too silly . no where to add passing tracks , yards or sidings . if you just want to watch trains run a 4x8 with an oval of track would be easier and less expensive to build , the trains would look better on it too .

back to the drawing board !

[:D]

[Anonymous]

A variaton to give you some straight runs, make it multilevel. have a Xover ( Diamond ) on one level, then ramp up to a bridge for crossing another. Add a Tunnel and Cut or two. You could build it, photograph it, write an article on it since it's so out there, then dismantle it or auction it off. It is origional. Dave

[pcarrell]

Besides all that has already been mentioned, you wouldn't have anyplace for your trains to "stretch out" so to speak.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by polizi

grandpa,

What are the layout dimensions? And Radius of the curves?

My only concern is the S-Curves and if you would be running long trans?

The layout dimensions are c. 4 6x6 'corners' and a c. 6x 6 'center'.

The Curve Radii on that layout are 30" outside curves and 28" inside curves... the S -curves areas are each seperated by a min 1' piece of track.

Coyote

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Medina1128

My head hurts just looking at it. If you rest the whole thing on a sort of Lazy Susan, THAT could make things interesting. Rotate the layout while train is running would make the train stationary to an outside observer. Sort of The Watcher sort of thing... bwahahahaha...

*chuckles* Now even -I- balk at that [;)] but that would be an intresting project to get the lazy susan motor to run on DCC so that it would move 'in sync' with the train to produce the illusion you mentioned.... Ouch!![ D)] Now my head hurts too!


Coyote

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dave9999

Well, you have to admit that it's original... I'll leave it at that [:D]. Good luck, Dave

[:D] that's almost as good as it being "special" [;)] hehehe

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mark_in_utah

Too much symetry. S-curves are asking for trouble. No space for a yard. Just how skinny are you, anyway???

Around the room, if room I'd stick in a peninsula with a "shortcut" behind it. Give me continuous running on at least 2 seperate lines, plus some good switching a and yard. A siding or two from the main lines, mountains, industries, an addition on my house for all of the layout.....

Mark in Utah

It has c. 24" all the way around it, 36" isles on the left and right and 48" isles on the top and bottom... Im not too terrible skinny anymore but I could move in those areas...

mind you it is pretty weird eh? [;)]

Coyote

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by electrolove

Madness, you asked [:D]

If I had that space I would build a 'around the wall' layout, maybe 2 decks.

*nods* working on an around the wall sort of layout as well in fact the loops on the clover are from one 'end' of that.. I just grabbed it and looking at it said hey... I wonder and so I presented the above mentioned madness [:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by davekelly

You may find that an around the walls design with a peninsula or two would give more layout area. I would also be a little concerned about the distance to the middle of the "leaves." Is this area reachable?

each 'square' would be c. 6'x6' so that would give an across reach of 36"... 30" being an ok reach for me.. would indeed leave 6" per side or a square foot in the middle of each lopp that would be difficult to reach without step ladder... but that space could be scenic'd I suppose... I had also in my maddness thought of running backdrop boards between the tarcks and through the middle of the loops 'dividing' them.. that would handle that unreach able square foot and create a between 8 to 12 scenes...

Coyote

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by davsachz

A variaton to give you some straight runs, make it multilevel. have a Xover ( Diamond ) on one level, then ramp up to a bridge for crossing another. Add a Tunnel and Cut or two. You could build it, photograph it, write an article on it since it's so out there, then dismantle it or auction it off. It is origional. Dave

LOL ahhhh my ticket to fame, fortune.. wine, roses etc.. who'd a thunk it all these years...

[:D] the multi level idea is intresting... adding to the madness.. weeee..


*strokes chin* hmmm I suppose it would be one way to get a layout into Model Railroad Magazine.... *snickers*


Peace.

Coyote

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pcarrell

Besides all that has already been mentioned, you wouldn't have anyplace for your trains to "stretch out" so to speak.

Good point.. mind you considering my consist is somewhere around... 14' to 15' long it wont ever be strtched out for more than a flash... but.. good point *nods*

[cacole]

As long as you have no desire to do anything but get dizzy just watching trains go 'round and 'round, the cloverleaf will certainly accompli***hat.

This seems to be more of a modified double figure 8. I remember that figure 8 layouts were popular with Lionel and American Flyer sets when I was growing up in the 1940's and 50's, and it might be okay if you intend to run Lionel or American Flyer trains, but HO or N scale models would not like a layout that is only curved track.

[Anonymous]

Lots of space you can't really use. I think that generally the plan is to minimize "The Blob", that plan maximizes it. An interesting exercise, butI don't think I'd do it.

[Anonymous]

Try this same idea with four 90 degree crossing tracks in the middle of the layout, with straight sections to connect the corner "circles". Of course, they're not circles, but only 3/4 circles. The crossings would give the train four straight sections of track to get rid of the "S" curves. In other words, if you can imagine this (and I'm too lazy to upload a photo of a sketch!), your train, going clockwise around the curves, would go through a straight section after leaving, for example, the circle in the upper right. After passing through the straight section, it would then enter the upper left hand circle, also going clockwise, and after that, go through another straight section to the lower left circle, then another straight to the lower right circle, and then another straight back "up" to the upper right circle. Each straight section of track would include two 90 degree crossings, and the layout would have a square shape of track in the middle. If you stretched this configuration out a bit, you could add crossovers, which would form reversing sections for variety. This cloverleaf idea would be great for a G scale store display, or even a model of a tourist train through a zoo or some other attraction. I think you could really have fun with it. I have, in fact, contemplated doing it myself, so you are not the only one with this pretty strange and hilarious idea! If you can't understand my description of the track changes, email me and I'll send you a photo of a sketch.

[railroadyoshi]

this does seem a bit crazy
also, it would be hard to move in case you had to pull up the stakes
doing the multiple diamonds would be a problem with the long trains proposed
i suggest reworking the planinto a around the wall peninsual design
perhaps you could design it to be a two level nolix

the whole rotating thing-wouldnt the trains fall over?

[Anonymous]

If YOU like it, I say put it together as a test track and see what happens. As long as you like, and trains don't fly off, who cares what anyone else thinks?

QUOTE: Originally posted by grandpacoyote

OK gents and ladies I'd like your opinions, is this a good/intresting idea or just plain silliness?



Ideas, suggestions, laughter?


Peace.

Coyote

[Adelie]

I think it is quite functional. By my count, it can hold four Christmas trees - one in each loop!

[(-D][(-D]

[SpaceMouse]

If you power the lazy susan just right it will always be

coming around the mountain.

[leighant]

I believe this was done-- at least at the plan and sketch level-- in either Model Railroader or Railroad Model Craftsman magazine about 35 years ago. Only it was done with 3 lobes and called the trefoil. They tried several variations including tracks that went behind a lobe to create a short straight section as a possible yard site.

[Anonymous]

With no sidings all you can do is run your trains aroulnd in circles, I vote just plain silly. A curving layout is a good idea, but I would try to be more realisitic, the best rule for a good model raiload is don't do anything without a reason. I doubt a real railroad would have a reason to run a section of track like this. It is interesting though.
James[C):-)]

[ndbprr]

MR publiched a plan based on a three lobe layout called a trefoil in the 70's. The big advantage was being able to reach into any scene and they had a natural mountain in the center as a backdrop. It was a conceptual railroad and the plan looked pretty good. The difference with your plan was theirs didn't go around the edges. A track from lobe 1 went strigaht over to lobe 2 made a 270 degree turn and went to three made a 270 degree turn and back to one. If you want an island railroad where the operators have good access it is ok. but there will be a lot of hidden track. I'd check out the one they drew first for ideas.