SSW Shelf Layout - You comments

[SSWUPinSA]

Or before that I will probably start with this...

[P5se Camelback]

That looks good, right there! There are lots of operating possibilities there!

Go for it!

[SSWUPinSA]

Well here it is...was unhappy about a few of the areas at the top... Going to order rail and start with the selving soon...

[Gary S]

Will you be doing manual uncoupling? One thing for sure, you'll have plenty of switching to do!

[SSWUPinSA]

Hey Gary,

I suppose I will...not sure what other options I have(Uncoupling).

I have thought about ALL that switching and may simplify things a bit once I get the track down and can see how much area each industry has...I feel that I may have not left enough area for each industry to be represented properly. I definitely don't want a layout FULL of industries and it looks unrealistic... Rather use the less is more approach and what industries I do have will only be representations of a far bigger site off the layout... Will have a better idea on this once the surface and track is down... Busy with Pelle S's Daneville to Donner book and it is all about minamilsm.

[Gary S]

RE: uncoupling methods

I suppose I will...not sure what other options I have(Uncoupling).

With Kadee couplers and some others too, a magnet under the track can be used for uncoupling. Check the Kadee website for further info. On my "mainlines" I am using electromagnets which is documented here - http://www.the-gauge.net/forum/viewtopic...c&start=15. The system works well, the drawback is expense and extra work with the wiring of the layout. Of course, some may say that all the extra electrical stuff is half the fun!

[tetters]

..or you could just have a bag of bamboo skewers handy.

[SSWUPinSA]

Hi Guys,

Well I am finally reviving this thread. I have had a few delays in this project as well as enough time to be honesy about how big a project this should be. With a new baby ib the house I do not have as much time as I would have thought so I feel this design needs to be kept simple... As before I would like your comments and assistance.

Here we go:



This was where I was before as I see the images disapeared.... NOTE: These two drawing are not orientated the same way! The New layout is is actually turned 180 degrees, just looked better to look at with it at the top of the page.



This design was using the "shorter" wall(east) and I felt I would do better having the main layout in the south against the 12ft section in front of my window with the staging in the east.

[faraway]

The lower layout looks like it requires some coupling/uncoupling in curves. That might be an issue during operation sessions.
What time period do you plan? The upper layout fits better this days while the lower (with the curves) reminds me to the transition period.
However, both plans will lead to a nice layout.

[FCIN]

This is the plan I'd go with and fine tune it some. Very nice and interesting track plan and not overly complicated like the other plan. A lot of switches and spurs doesn't necessarily equate to more interesting operation. Jack Hill's New Castle Industrial Railroad, being a darn good example of what I mean.

My main concern with the plan as drawn would be do you have enough room to work the food processing plant? My thinking being that if for some reason you had 4 - 50ft cars spotted at the food processor and your crew had 4 to spot in their place, you'd need about 6ft (1.83m?) to clear the switch if you had hold of all 8 cars at one time, which at some point you would. Doesn't look like you'd have room to put either the inbound or outbound cars in the runaround track and be able to clear the switch on the right side of the runaround, unless you made a lot of extra moves to set over a couple of cars at a time. That would get very old very fast and I sure wouldn't want to have work that spur! Hope you understand what I'm saying

Although many folks think that putting a runaround track on the layout adds interest, and would almost be required when you have spurs in both directions, it really isn't necessary and very rare on short industrial spurs (think of the layout in terms of its scale length). It is interesting to have the one industry spur in the opposite direction and I like the crossing that is required on the food processor and warehouse tracks. Have seen many locations on prototype railroads where that is done, but I'd give a lot of thought to whether or not you have enough room to work that spur. You might want to take some rolling stock and that good looking GP-40 and see how much length you'd need to work that spur.

If worse comes to worse, you might have to loose the industry in the upper right corner and arrange the two larger industries to switch from the same direction. You could possibly move the small industry that is currently in the upper right corner over to the upper left corner where you currently have a non rail served industry. That would still give you a reason to have the runaround track (which could also be used for car storage), but give you ample room to work all the industry tracks.

Another thought I have would be to place a small industry in the area labeled "Optional Space" with the track angled in to it (no curve or very broad curve), but that would require moving your team track to say the left end of the runaround track, still switched from the same direction. In other words, the team track could be placed where the non rail served building is now.

As for a location for your SSW industrial spur, it could be located in any number of places: Memphis, TN, West Memphis, Little Rock, Pine Bluff, AR, Dallas, Fort Worth, TX, to name a few SSW locations. An industrial spur like this could be found in any mid-size to large city area. Good industry choices for a good variety of freight cars too.

Just my thoughts.

[SSWUPinSA]

or this...

[Justinmiller171]

or this...

That's nice, but you would need a run-around track in order to switch the Food processor, I would suggest making all spurs face the same direction.

[SSWUPinSA]

Ed: Tried a few of your ideas....think it'll work?



The other option would be to change the Main to an Interchange and add a runaround on my staging area....The only question is would that be prototypical?? I have space to put a runaround or even a few tracks almost like a small yard.

Justin thanks, want to try get one reserse in but if it messes up the whloe opperation it's not worth it...

[Justinmiller171]

Here is what I would do:

[SSWUPinSA]

I fiddled a bit more... Looks like by shifting the trailing spur(think thats right) as far to the left as I can, I get 1,85m from the trailing spur turnout to the end, this could be enough to drag everything out and park it on the interchange I take it?