starmanIf I use a turnout, I will have to switch the turnout each time the train comes out of the loop. I am hoping I won’t have to do that. Thanks for your time and help.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
starmanHere is a general view of the first phase of my track plan.
Nope the link you copied should have ended in .png, .bmp or .jpg. I put pics of photobucket in your other thread.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BD I have my photo in my Photobucket library. However, when I click on the photo, I don't have any file attachment. What have I done wrong? Starman
from your photo library, click on the photo you want.
When it comes up on screen on the right side you'll see a window that says codes. Click on the text box that says, "IMG". It should auto copy to your clipboard.Paste that text into your edit window.
see the General forum thread: How to Post a Photo to the Forums
you need the URL address (link) to your photo. It's not an attachment
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
I can't mentally slap your track dimensions 13x19' on this drawing. It's entirely possible that most people can, I'm just talking about me personally. I realize it's not to scale but the green hairpin turn at the start of the turntable yard doesn't look doable in this perspective.
I hope this works. I have copied my post of earlier today so it is whith the picture.
BigDaddy I can't mentally slap your track dimensions 13x19' on this drawing. It's entirely possible that most people can, I'm just talking about me personally. I realize it's not to scale but the green hairpin turn at the start of the turntable yard doesn't look doable in this perspective.
Henry - My drawing is not even close to scale. I just made a basic drawing for the purpose of talking about how to wire it. I have my bench work covered with white paper and the track drawn real close to where it will actually be. I believe it will work, or at lease I hope so. Starman
As long as you aren't inadvertently creating 12 inch curves you should be ok. Make sure you have enough aisle room. None of us get younger or thinner.
All the best
[quote user="BigDaddy"]
None of us get younger or thinner.
Ain't that the truth!!
My aisles are about 24". I will eventually get a scale drawing made of my pike, but for the present, I am drawing my track arrangement on the paper covering my benchwork. I am ready to remove the paper and actually start laying the track and begin wiring. The wiring is why I began this topic. Once the two main lines are complete, I will tackle the rather large yard that takes up the peninsula.
starmanMy questions is exactly what do I have and how to wire it. I know about bus lines and drops, but I am not sure where I will need a reversing loop or anything of the sort to make this track plan work.
looks like you have a reverse loop around the "yard". An auto-reverser can be used for DCC. DC requires some switches to reverse polarity
starmanI would like to have this plan automated as much as possible so I can power up trains on main lines RED and GREEN, when the grandkids are over, and they can just watch the trains run. At other times, when my son and I am operating, I am willing to throw turnouts, etc. as needed to move the trains around.
At other times, when my son and I am operating, I am willing to throw turnouts, etc. as needed to move the trains around.
the grade level crossings at C and D require something ("interlock") to prevent trains running on the Red and Green loops from colliding. If you can eliminate C & D, there would be no need for automation for two trains running on the Red and Green loops. If you want C & D, the interlock to stop trains won't be trivial and you're asking some very basic questions.
Not sure what you have in mind for a yard. A yard is typically used to break down and re-assemble trains. A staging area may be more appropriate. Staging would be several long enough tracks to hold trains between runs on the main lines.
Based on the orientation of the yard, it looks like a train would leave the yard heading toward the bottom of the page. This means traveling clockwise on the inner Red track and counter-clockwise on the outer Red track. The crossover allow trains to move onto the green track and similarly move in one direction.
But based on your drawing, a train travels counter-clockwise around the yard and backs back into a yard track. Another option is to have a 2nd connection from the mainline into the yard track (upper left) so that a train can pull forward into a yard track. And based on this orientation, it may be better to locate the turntable nearer the bottom of the page. You might consider having the yard/mainline connections on the right instead of left side of the yard
Really don't need any special wiring on the red and green lines. could put insulated rail joiners at the crossover at E to make red and green separate power districts( the crossovers are not reverse sections). Having at grade crossings at C and D could lead to interesting situations as the kids watch the trains run. Probability of a crash is relatively high. You seem interested in having the trains be able to just run. The at grade crossings will need some attention. Didn't address the yard as you stated you would work on that plan later. Seems as though Greg and I were posting at the same time saying about the same thing
Below is a photo of the Lambert's Point Yard in Norfolk, VA. This yard is mainly a coal yard and the end of the line for Norfolk & Western coal trains coming out of western Virginia. Three hundred plus coal trains (locals call them coal jacks) come in several times a day and several leave with empies. Here the coal is dumped by a two 3 car rotarys and loaded onto colliers (ships designed to carry coal). The coal piers are to the left in this drawing. This yard is unbeliveably large. I am going to model my interpretation of this yard in a 5' by 12' space.
Starman
Using John Allen's design by squares, this layout plan is not possible with even 18" curves. It's at least a good 6' + change horizontally just to get to the end of the turntable.Edit: It might be possible. But it will be tight.
DigitalGriffin Using John Allen's design by squares, this layout plan is not possible with even 18" curves. It's at least a good 6' + change horizontally just to get to the end of the turntable. Edit: It might be possible. But it will be tight.
Using John Allen's design by squares, this layout plan is not possible with even 18" curves. It's at least a good 6' + change horizontally just to get to the end of the turntable.
Edit: It might be possible. But it will be tight.
The grade crossings at C and D are set at a weird angle, so hand laid crossings would likely be required.
It is not really a double mainline as I would define a double mainline, but there are two separate tracks to accommodate multiple trains.
The double crossover can be wired in phase between the two connecting "main lines", so no reversing sections would occur. As someone else pointed out, the yard is a reverse loop, assuming that it could be fit in, which it cannot.
Here is my scale drawing.
Rich
Alton Junction
It fits - barely - but that's assuming the room entrance is not in the upper right (lower right in the OP's sketch). No way is a double ended yard fitting in that interior space, even with #4 turnouts. The weird angle crossings of the two loops at the upper right could be elminated by having them cross at different levels, there's enough length to gain clearance without an insane grade. The lower right ones though....
To the OP - you saw a mention above about "Amrstrong" and "squares method" - pick yourself up a copy of John Armstrong's Track Planning for Realistic Operation. One of the things discussed at length is a method of dividing the available space into 'squares', the size of which are based on things like the minimum radius you are planning to use and the turnout size. Once you know how many squares your room is, and what will and will not fit in a square, you can freehand doodle all you want and know it will still fit. I personally prefer the second edition, as they took some of the details out of the start to finish plan to add the chapter on intermodal and unit trains - so unless you are modeling modern era, see if you can find a copy of the second endition. There is a plan in a very similar size space which may give you some hints.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker It fits - barely - but that's assuming the room entrance is not in the upper right (lower right in the OP's sketch). No way is a double ended yard fitting in that interior space, even with #4 turnouts. The weird angle crossings of the two loops at the upper right could be elminated by having them cross at different levels, there's enough length to gain clearance without an insane grade. The lower right ones though....