Time for a new railroad! - Printable Version +- (https://bigbluetrains.com) +-- Forum: Branchline (https://bigbluetrains.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=45) +--- Forum: Layouts (https://bigbluetrains.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=46) +--- Thread: Time for a new railroad! (/showthread.php?tid=7080) |
Time for a new railroad! - ScrewySqrl - 09-26-2014 for the last several years, I've been playing with the layout pictured below, which IMHO is the best 30" x 54" layout in N-Scale ever! my scenicking was terrible, but the game it made was fun. Givens and Druthers (Railroad Name) - to be determined Scale: N scale Gauge: (Std, Narrow): std Prototype: (the railroad you want to model): Fantasy. semi-modern with heritage steam. freight and passenger (eg: just about anything) Era: Region: Railroad: Space: 36x80 door Describe Space e.g. basement. Provide diagram showing Overhead clearances and any obstructions or limitations. Governing Rolling Stock: (Biggest planned): some amtrak passengers. Might eventually try a Tomix shinkansen Relative Emphasis: (move the V) |______________V________________________________| Track/Operation .................................................. ..Scenic realism I want to try better scenicking this time |_________________________V______________________| Mainline Running .................................................. ........ Switching I want the option to do both, possibly simultaneously Operation Priorities: (rearrange as required) wanted: long, aesthetically interesting mainline run. as long as possible while leaving room for a small yard and challenging, but not frustrating, switching. Mountain scenery Switching at the yard and at the industries should be able to be run without disturbing a train running on the mainline No storage tracks planned, I'm not averse to use of the 0-5-0 switcher :mrgreen: Typical operating Crew: __1____ Eye Level (Owner) : N/a The door will be placed on a table and operated from a standard office chair, with occasional standing. with overall operating height somewhere between 36 and 40 inches. Turnouts and coupling will be all manual (toothpick based decoupling). I do not plan to add DCC, but to operate the old fashioned way with a couple of power packs. one for the mainline run, one for yard and switching. I'd like the option to link with my old layout, but I don't know that I'll have space for both. so that is optional and the old layout shouldn't be a consideration in the plans for this one Add to this any features required or intolerable (e.g. duckunders, multiple levels). Would like some tunnel/mountain scenery. A two level double folded dogbone mainline would be best. 2% grade max. prefer 11" curve minimum radius if possible on mainline. 9-3/4 is acceptable in switching area switching area able to operate separately, but linked to the main line Re: Time for a new railroad! - Mr Fixit - 09-27-2014 Welcome to Big Blue ScrewySqrl and I hope that you enjoy your time with us all here. I had a brief look at your track plan and I would like to recommend that you search out the articles on GERN as I think that some of your industries could be suitable shippers/receivers of the all purpose product that makes everything that it is made from automatically 3% better. It will even make your hobby time 3% more productive, better and more enjoyable. Seeing the ACME plant makes me think that one of your receivers should be named Wile E Coyote Industries and as we all know from our Bugs Bunny days, a major user of their products. ACME are also major users of GERN in nearly all their products especially the explosives as it makes the explosion 3% bigger. Perhaps if Wile E Coyote Industries also began using GERN they would have 3% more ideas and 3% more success in catching the Road Runner. Mark Re: Time for a new railroad! - ScrewySqrl - 09-27-2014 thanks. That's my OLD plan though. Note that I am looking to make a new door-sized layout. Re: Time for a new railroad! - Sumpter250 - 09-27-2014 Sprinkle a little GERN on your "Old Plan", and it would become 3% bigger......... POOF !!! Door Size :oops: You would have to restrict the width so that all the enlarging happens in the "length dimension". Just think of all the fun if the ACME Factory was 3% bigger Re: Time for a new railroad! - ScrewySqrl - 09-27-2014 here's a first draft: minimum radius is 11" except a few 9-3/4 in the switching area. should be good for passenger and steam setups I don't like the switching area, not enough sidings to hold interest. I want something that a bit of a challenge to switch, without being a tymesaver -- suggestions/mods welcome Yard is also a storage area (idea was to hold a passenger and 2 freights in the yard, although only one train at a time can run the actual mainline the 2% grade will be its own scene block, dividing the mainline, switching area, and yard the bend in the yard lead is to make room for the power pack. Re: Time for a new railroad! - faraway - 09-28-2014 I was tempted to call it a very crowded track plan but your explanation defines it as intentionally designed this way. You have a challenge to build a scenery/landscape to integrate all the tracks in a prototypical manner. I am exited to watch your layout developing. Re: Time for a new railroad! - ScrewySqrl - 09-28-2014 faraway Wrote:I was tempted to call it a very crowded track plan but your explanation defines it as intentionally designed this way. You have a challenge to build a scenery/landscape to integrate all the tracks in a prototypical manner. I am exited to watch your layout developing. well, it is a first draft. please offer suggestions for improvement! Re: Time for a new railroad! - ScrewySqrl - 09-30-2014 here is my second draft: I like the switching a lot better with 5 sidings to switch and a decent-sized runaround. I eliminated the yard lead as it was useless, the 'yard' is now just storage tracks for freights and passenger consists. colors are the same as before, just with a benchwork now. thoughts, suggestions? Re: Time for a new railroad! - faraway - 09-30-2014 It is amazing to see you planning industry, yard and passenger traffic on such small layout. I would go with much less but that is not a question of track planning but what you and me expect to use a layout for. You need much more operation with real (passenger and freight) trains than I do. I think you track plan is fine in that light. You get a lot of action Re: Time for a new railroad! - ScrewySqrl - 09-30-2014 Well, I do like to watch trains roll...Its relaxing. But at the same time I like having something to do. Re: Time for a new railroad! - ScrewySqrl - 10-03-2014 a third draft: this stretches the mainline run a little bit and eliminated the storage yards for a mostly self-contained switchig layout with an inglenook sidings yard. Re: Time for a new railroad! - ScrewySqrl - 10-24-2014 while I also have the two-door layout plan, I have this as a fallback if the other is looking too expensive min radius 9.75" Prototype: Original Norfolk Southern fictionalized Central North Carolina 1955-1960 Grey: base elevation (1 inch foam) White: tunnel (effective 1.75" ceiling under a 1/4 inch foam) Green: 3%% grade from base to 2" (if stretched back to the tunnel entrace a 2% grade can be managed Red: 2" elevatio (on 1/4" foam base) Orange: industry trackage Brown: yard Dark Green: Interchange with Southern (base elevation) Purple: Interchange with Seaboard Air Line (2" elevation) Blue: river (-1" eevation..on base board Re: Time for a new railroad! - ScrewySqrl - 10-30-2014 |