Horseshoe Layout

[preceng]

Hello All. I am bying a new house that has a basement large enough for a fairly good size layout. I am stoked. After working for years on a layout that fits in a shoebox I can honestly say I have become an expert in designing tight layouts, or as we say in my business "a ten pounder", which refers to 10 pounds of crap in a five pound bag. Having more space than you need is presenting new challenges for me, although this is a great problem to have. I was wanting some input on one of these.

At one point of the basement, there is an octagon shaped bump-out with each wall section approxinately 4 ft long. These five sections allow a 180 degree turn for the along the wall shelf (12-15 inches deep) I am planning. My question is what what would be more striking visually for the track design. I can provide for a continous radius around the octagon of approximately 52 inches, or I can more closely follow the edge of the shelf by using 16inch long tangent pieces between a 26 inch radius at each corner?

Thanks

[conrail92]

so your dealing with a horshoe area, well depending on wha roadname your modeling and location you could model the one and only Horseshoe Curve!, depending where you live you might or might not have herd of it. if im understanding it right it would something realy interesting too model

[jbinkley60]

I had a similar challenge and it was 54" wide. I went the mountain approach. Here are some pictures during construction:









I need to fini***he landscaping next.

Jeff

[conrail92]

awsome work i like the tunnel and i see you model NS love too see more pics of layout

[jbinkley60]

QUOTE: Originally posted by conrail92

awsome work i like the tunnel and i see you model NS love too see more pics of layout

The mountain has a liftoff lid in case of the dreaded derailment. You can see more pictures at:

http://www.thebinks.com/trains/

I haven't done any work on it for just over a month due to vacation and work. I am itching to get started again. One more day of yard work to get out of the way <g>...


Jeff

[conrail92]

kool layout im jealous of how Many Locomotives you have i too am modeling NS but im still in the planning stages almost ready to start the bench work, keep us updated on pics of the process

[ARTHILL]

I always started with deciding what I wanted and then tried to get it in the space. You will be good at that. Scenery, opperations, yard work, mountains, tunnels??? Know what you want and the space will tell you how to do it.

[dgwinup]

It will probably depend on what you really want to accomplish. If you will want to run trains with longer engines and cars, the larger radius will look more prototypical. If you don't need the larger radius, having a tangent between curves might allow for a short siding to be installed.

Now to the REAL question, WHAT kind of BUSINESS are you in that generates a term like "10 pounder"???? Holy crapola, Batman!

Darrell, having very weird mental images, and quiet...for now

[preceng]

I design site plans for land development projects. As everone in my business has encountered , and I imagine many other businesses, the pie eyed client who wants a maximum sized building, with maximum sized parking, and all the other bells and whistles stuffed on a site (usually already purchased) that is way to small for their dream layout?

[Dave Vollmer]

YES! YES! Horseshoe Curve! The mecca for all Pennsy (and PC, Conrail, and NS, I know!)! fans! Yea, thou shalt maketh the sign of the Keystone...

I would absolutely love to see another model of the Curve. I know most folks don't have the room (or stomach) for a four-track mainline, but now that it's down to three tracks, it might be more do-able (maybe make one of the ascending tracks a passing siding rather than a main). I want to see pictures!!!

Dave

[conrail92]

3 tracks wouldnt be hard but if your going to do altoona some parts of it is 4 track wide and also you could do galitzen tunnells, i would easily have done the curve and altoona region if i had the space but i dont