06-13-2009, 01:52 PM
Okay, here's the latest working sketch. What you see is the basic mainline, passing sidings, and grade check. The yard portion over on the right is not filled in and so the length has been chopped off to cut down on file size...it's still 10'3", just not shown.
Follow a train over the route. Beginning in the yard, take the curved leg of the wye along the aisle. Staying close to the aisle head down a slight grade (more on why in a sec) into the first passing siding. Take the track closest to the aisle and continue around into the tunnel. As you exit the tunnel, stop at station A before heading up the hill.
Leaving the station continue on the inner track up past the wye below and around into the next passing siding. Station B is a flag stop and the main reason for being is the small mining community (mostly represented on the backdrop) serving the mine reached by the long spur coming off the passing track. The passing track is located on a 2% grade so uphill trains have priority over downhill trains in order to avoid having to stop and start again on the grade. Plenty of sand on the tracks there.
Leaving the flagstop, continue to the top of the grade just before the bridge over the lower tracks down at Station A. Round the bend and we arrive in town at Station C. Here there is an interchange with some other Appalachian carrier OR a branchline connection represented by the wye track curving around to the backdrop.
This is the sneakback track for continuous running and is a 3% grade downhill the length of the hidden trackage - not too steep that trains can't circle the layout heading up this track, but more often than not trains will begin at the Yard, travel the length of the line, turn on the wye and head back home the way they came. The slight grade out of the yard toward A is to allow a lesser grade on that hidden track.
Min. Radius is 22", with some of the tracks along the aisle a bit more than 24" radius. Again, longer trains can run on the layout, they just may not fit well into the story-line.
Galen
Follow a train over the route. Beginning in the yard, take the curved leg of the wye along the aisle. Staying close to the aisle head down a slight grade (more on why in a sec) into the first passing siding. Take the track closest to the aisle and continue around into the tunnel. As you exit the tunnel, stop at station A before heading up the hill.
Leaving the station continue on the inner track up past the wye below and around into the next passing siding. Station B is a flag stop and the main reason for being is the small mining community (mostly represented on the backdrop) serving the mine reached by the long spur coming off the passing track. The passing track is located on a 2% grade so uphill trains have priority over downhill trains in order to avoid having to stop and start again on the grade. Plenty of sand on the tracks there.
Leaving the flagstop, continue to the top of the grade just before the bridge over the lower tracks down at Station A. Round the bend and we arrive in town at Station C. Here there is an interchange with some other Appalachian carrier OR a branchline connection represented by the wye track curving around to the backdrop.
This is the sneakback track for continuous running and is a 3% grade downhill the length of the hidden trackage - not too steep that trains can't circle the layout heading up this track, but more often than not trains will begin at the Yard, travel the length of the line, turn on the wye and head back home the way they came. The slight grade out of the yard toward A is to allow a lesser grade on that hidden track.
Min. Radius is 22", with some of the tracks along the aisle a bit more than 24" radius. Again, longer trains can run on the layout, they just may not fit well into the story-line.
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!