Watching the progress of Rscott417's NY&A ISL layout
http://bigbluetrains.com/forum/viewtopic...=46&t=7594 and a few other switching layouts, has inspired me to come up with a new track plan for my own layout:
As before, benchwork is 18 inches deep and 20 feet long. The track has been temporarily laid and I can operate the layout to test out the new plan.
You'll quickly notice that this plan contains a runaround track, which sort of crowds the industrial area, but does allow the locomotive to lead the train both entering and leaving the main switching area. This plan would represent the end of a branch off the main line and was more or less inspired by the L&E Spur in Winchester, KY, on the former L&N (Google aerial view - follow the line going off toward the east/southeast:
http://goo.gl/maps/DwLU7). Of course this is freelance, so it's not supposed to be in any particular location and I have yet to think up a good name for the branch.
I only have four industries on this plan, which I've found to be just right for a layout this size and provides for plenty of switching as each industry has specific car spots, and because of the types of industries, usually have all spots occupied, which results in re-spots and re-blocking of inbound cars per industry instructions.
As with all my layout plans, the train is staged on the left side of the plan in a "scenery only" area, rather than a bare staging plank or area, and the street overpass helps to separate the staging from the main part of the layout and give the illusion of the train coming from/going to "someplace".
The industries, which are all based on actual industries served by the L&N and located in various towns in Kentucky (left to right) are:
1) Kern's Bakery: 2 car spots - receives flour in Airslide hoppers
2) Fast Food Merchandisers: 3 car spots - receives box cars of dry food products and refrigerator cars of french fries, meat, and produce.
3) Packaging Unlimited: 4 car spots - receives box cars of cardboard for producing corrugated box product packaging for various businesses.
4) Dixie Transload: 5 car spots - receives general service tank cars of cooking oils (and possibly corn syrup tank cars); covered hoppers of animal/poultry feed or fertilizer; occasional box car loads of beer, lumber, bagged fertilizer, and other miscellaneous products; all for off-line customers.
The current industries also allow for all my equipment types which is a plus and provides for a lot of box car cars too, which is a must for me and correct for my layout era (1977-1984) with the numerous colorful short line and Railbox IPD box cars. Best of all, none of that horrid looking spray paint graffiti on everything and cars that look like they should be going to the scrapper rather than a customer!
First operating session was conducted last night with a 6 car train consisting of 1 car to place/pull at Kern's, 2 cars to place/pull at FFM, 2 cars to place/pull at Packaging Unlimited; and 1 car to place/pull from Dixie Transload. Took almost an hour and a half to complete the session and without any "time killing" other than waiting a couple of seconds between moves and of course operating at scale speeds. Appropriately for my era, the train uses a caboose and that of course adds some extra moves to get the caboose on the rear of the train for the return trip.
Of course not every industry will be switched every session and thus I can vary the length of operating sessions to suit my frame of mind on any given day. Will try out several different operating sessions and see how it goes. Maybe, just maybe, this plan will suit me and I can do some real work on it and start a new layout progress thread.