I want to share with you the track schematic for my proposed bedroom-sized layout.
It is simply a continuous mainline with four tracks of staging (A-A) and a point-to-point branchline (B-D). The bedroom is about 10x12 feet extended 3 feet (making it a 10x15). The shape is "donut" requiring an on-the-knees crawl under which I am resigned but willing to accept. It is designed in HO scale, with a minimum radius of 30 inches and #6 turnouts except for #8s for mainline cross-overs and #5s for some industrial spurs.
The only visible portion on the mainline is the town of Hammil. It includes a passing track (track 2), a couple of double-ended spurs (track 3 and house track), and four single-ended spurs (team track, industry spur, corral [stock pen]), and engine service supply track (primarily for fuel and sand deliveries). There are also two tracks leading to a turntable, one of which also serves as the switching lead.
I didn't take the pedestrian choice of having the branch take off from Hammil. Instead, the branch starts in the staging area. Since Hammil has a turntable, and with an additional track or two, it could serve as the source of the branch. I chose not to because it would create undesired crowding and shorten the distance traveled by branchline trains which originate in staging and pass through Hammil on the way to the branch. It was a very common practice for branchline trains to originate at a point away from where the branchline left the mainline (like the SP San Ramon branch which left the mainline at Avon but with branchline trains originating from Oakland or Port Costa.)
The purpose of the turntable is to simulate helper service on the mainline. It is imagined that a helper grade starts soon eastward of the town (in actuality, Hammil is only a couple of feet from the top of the grade). However, this provides additional operating interest and an excuse to display more of my locomotives. It could also provide a functional helper on the branchline where the grades are up to 3% It will also be used for turning locomotives when setting up the next operation session.
The primary purpose of Hammil's track 2 is to serve for dropping off any cuts of cars from westward mainline trains bound for the branchline, and dropping off of cars from westbound branchline trains bound eastward on the mainline.
There are four double-ended staging tracks. I'd like more but there isn't room. They will each hold a train of about 25 cars each, although I plan to use one to hold two branchline trains of about 10 cars length each.
The branchline (B-D) uses a switchback to gain the altitude needed to reach the branchline terminus Aeolis, which is on a second deck along two walls. The original plan called for a twice-around-the-room route. That arrangement, caused excess crowding, access issues as it left much of the mainline in a valley between the two branchline routes, and unsolvable scenery believability issues. A once-around route called for excessive grades. The solution was the double switchback. The uphill approach will have a 2.5% grade, the backward switchback move is on a 1.5% grade, and the second switchback has a maximum 3% grade.
After sketching out the plan, I saw that by connecting the two switchback tails (C) with hidden track, I could provide for a continuous branchline route as well as a route avoiding the switchback. By having a hidden connection, it avoids the earlier problem with a twice-around branchline. Of course, this alternate route makes a high proportion of the route invisible. The switchback route adds to the elapsed time and visibility of branchline trains.
Aeolis, the branchline terminus, has a turntable for turning locomotives. It has two double-ended spurs (house track and corral) and three single-ended spurs serving a feed mill and a petroleum distributer. Aeolis's double-ended track 2 serves for assembling and disassembling of trains.
The major industry is a mineral processing plant with a switchback serving four single-ended spurs. They will be served by the private plant switcher.
The plan intentionally avoids a classification yard for three reasons. We don't need no stinkin' yards. There isn't space without taking away desirable elements. I prefer car pick-ups and deliveries as opposed to car shuffling.
Feel free to share your comments. Thanks for your patience reading this rather long message.
Mark
Hi Mark. Looks like you have nailed it at first glance. A couple of comments / questions though.
1- The track schematic is too small to read the details, but the basic track arrangement looks good to me.
2- Have you laid this out on any kind of a track plan scale drawing or in a cad program? The reason I ask is, it looks like an ambitious plan that may be cramped for space. Things have a way of not always working out as we plan them. I should know, because I am guilty of that myself.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
gandydancer19 wrote: Have you laid this out on any kind of a track plan scale drawing or in a cad program? The reason I ask is, it looks like an ambitious plan that may be cramped for space. Things have a way of not always working out as we plan them. I should know, because I am guilty of that myself.
Have you laid this out on any kind of a track plan scale drawing or in a cad program? The reason I ask is, it looks like an ambitious plan that may be cramped for space. Things have a way of not always working out as we plan them. I should know, because I am guilty of that myself.
Earlier versions of the track plan were laid out in CAD (professional civil engineering version) by a friend, but he is sick and tired of making changes. (I have largely given up using CAD because I can't seem to make it do what I want.) It is rather complicated because one needs at least three layers to distinguish among the various levels of track. I have laid out the critical trackwork using full-size paper turnout templates to make sure things will fit and checked out track lengths and grades.
Thanks,