11-28-2014, 07:19 AM
Greetings!
With Cane River having gone as far as it realistically can, it has reached the point where replacing it would be less work than trying to work it into a new layout.
As such, I've been working on a new layout plan that will be developed at as slow a pace as it requires to be done right - benchwork built to requirements in open frame style, hand build track and turnouts, fully wired point blades, controlled by turnout motors and fully capable of computer control.
The idea is to have a "round the walls" layout that is divided into 3 sections - 1) the mainline run and classification yard, 2) upper deck industrial switching area, and 3) lower deck switching area and hidden staging.
I have the basics of the track plan envisioned, and have gone for a much less "British" approach to the layout design and taken as much inspiration from US practice as possible.
The mainline run will be built first, with the switching areas coming later. Handbuilt track will allow me much more realism over using store bought Peco track, and will also allow me to fit the plan to the space available, and not be forced to fit the plan to the track available!
I have the track plans for the upper deck and lower deck switching areas, as well as a basic 3D rendering of the mainline run.
Track level on the two decks will be separated by a height of 10", which should give me plenty of room to work as well as allowing for a lot of mainline run to drop down the distance between the decks. The mainline section will be - in essence, a fully scenic oval style helix, with level sections at various spots to give the locos something of a break from the 2% gradient it will mostly need.
I'm not too worried about train lengths, as those will be limited by what my locos can handle on the grades in question, as well as the storage space in the hidden staging and the classification yard - plus I don't have the money for 50+ car trains!
Anyway, enough waffling from me, here are the initial track plans and 3D rendering.
Top deck industrial switching district:
![[Image: CaneRiverShortlineUpper_zps368e31f5.png]](http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/ag144/shaslakais/CaneRiverShortlineUpper_zps368e31f5.png)
This will connect to the track on the top level of the mainline run. On the 3D rendering the connecting track can be seen in the very bottom right of the plan.
Lower deck staging and switching district, with an interchange with a secondary shortline railroad:
![[Image: CaneRiverShortlineLower_zps0dd98248.png]](http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/ag144/shaslakais/CaneRiverShortlineLower_zps0dd98248.png)
This will connect to the track on the bottom of the mainline run. On the 3D rendering, the switching district will connect to the track exiting the main layout on the bottom right of the plan - it will be the left most of the two tracks. The hidden storage tracks will connect to the right most of the two tracks.
3D rendering of the mainline run - to show this as a SCARM trackplan from above would show nothing but a jumbled mess of tracks, it needs to be seen in 3D to see what it's all about:
![[Image: NampCRRv3_zpsf9f04455.png]](http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/ag144/shaslakais/NampCRRv3_zpsf9f04455.png)
I intend to add more switching areas to the mainline run, including a depot with freight house, a few mills and factories, as well as a coal mine and possibly a logging area with a sawmill. The large expanse of green between the classification yard and the tracks behind it will feature a river separating the two areas, giving an idea of two railroads running on opposite sides of a river gorge, as inspired by one of the layouts in Great Model Railways 2014 - The Virginian and Ohio (particularly the image shown on page 26).
Enough waffling from me - work will commence slowly but surely, and will kick off in earnest at the start of the new year.
Let me know what you guys think.
With Cane River having gone as far as it realistically can, it has reached the point where replacing it would be less work than trying to work it into a new layout.
As such, I've been working on a new layout plan that will be developed at as slow a pace as it requires to be done right - benchwork built to requirements in open frame style, hand build track and turnouts, fully wired point blades, controlled by turnout motors and fully capable of computer control.
The idea is to have a "round the walls" layout that is divided into 3 sections - 1) the mainline run and classification yard, 2) upper deck industrial switching area, and 3) lower deck switching area and hidden staging.
I have the basics of the track plan envisioned, and have gone for a much less "British" approach to the layout design and taken as much inspiration from US practice as possible.
The mainline run will be built first, with the switching areas coming later. Handbuilt track will allow me much more realism over using store bought Peco track, and will also allow me to fit the plan to the space available, and not be forced to fit the plan to the track available!
I have the track plans for the upper deck and lower deck switching areas, as well as a basic 3D rendering of the mainline run.
Track level on the two decks will be separated by a height of 10", which should give me plenty of room to work as well as allowing for a lot of mainline run to drop down the distance between the decks. The mainline section will be - in essence, a fully scenic oval style helix, with level sections at various spots to give the locos something of a break from the 2% gradient it will mostly need.
I'm not too worried about train lengths, as those will be limited by what my locos can handle on the grades in question, as well as the storage space in the hidden staging and the classification yard - plus I don't have the money for 50+ car trains!
Anyway, enough waffling from me, here are the initial track plans and 3D rendering.
Top deck industrial switching district:
This will connect to the track on the top level of the mainline run. On the 3D rendering the connecting track can be seen in the very bottom right of the plan.
Lower deck staging and switching district, with an interchange with a secondary shortline railroad:
This will connect to the track on the bottom of the mainline run. On the 3D rendering, the switching district will connect to the track exiting the main layout on the bottom right of the plan - it will be the left most of the two tracks. The hidden storage tracks will connect to the right most of the two tracks.
3D rendering of the mainline run - to show this as a SCARM trackplan from above would show nothing but a jumbled mess of tracks, it needs to be seen in 3D to see what it's all about:
I intend to add more switching areas to the mainline run, including a depot with freight house, a few mills and factories, as well as a coal mine and possibly a logging area with a sawmill. The large expanse of green between the classification yard and the tracks behind it will feature a river separating the two areas, giving an idea of two railroads running on opposite sides of a river gorge, as inspired by one of the layouts in Great Model Railways 2014 - The Virginian and Ohio (particularly the image shown on page 26).
Enough waffling from me - work will commence slowly but surely, and will kick off in earnest at the start of the new year.
Let me know what you guys think.