Nice L-shaped switching plan - Robert Beaty

[steinjr]

Here is a nice 9x11 foot 2 feet deep switching plan heavily inspired by (but a little modified from) a track plan posted by Robert J Beaty (Arjay1969) on the Kalmback model railroad forums a while back - just wanted to share it, since I know there are always people looking for track plan ideas:



Today it seems to not be raining out there, so I hope to be able to do some painting on my own shelf layout (which is quite a bit smaller than this one) this afternoon :-)

Smile,
Stein

[Catt]

Stein,
Nice track plan,thanks for posting it as I am always looking for layout ideas. :mrgreen:

[Brakie]

That's a nice looking ISL you designed.

[lajry]

Stein
Reversed the Xover on the left end of the siding but can't post the image. By turing it into a left hand Xover there's no switchback moves reqiured on the left end.

[steinjr]

That's a nice looking ISL you designed.

Actually - the design is by Robert J Beaty (Arjay1969 - R J 1969, eh?) - it was posted over in the Kalmbach model railroader magazine forums a couple of years ago. I just happened upon it again, and played a little with the industry tracks in the upper left hand corner.

See what you think of reversing the Xover on the left end of the siding.

Hmmm - not sure I get your point there, Andy. Crossing from yard ladder to to main going clockwise?

Smile,
Stein

[lajry]

Stein read my revised post as couldn't post my drawing.

[steinjr]

Stein read my revised post as couldn't post my drawing.

Sorry - I still don't see why it would be an improvement. You are talking about the crossover that goes across the road down there (the grey rectangle), right?

As it is set up now, a train arriving on the main can pull into the siding/yard lead (if I make it a couple of cars shorter), or leave some cars and pull the rest clockwise and the back it into the yard. Or pull leave some cars on the main curve, and then go back via the siding/yard lead to get cars. To switch the industries along the aisle on the right, one can use either part of the yard or part of the main as a switching lead.

If you reverse the crossover, what do you gain? You get a shorter runaround, which is not good. You will have to do movements into industries along the aisle on the right by pulling into a yard track, and then backing up - which cuts yard capacity. You do gain the ability to hold a slightly longer train on the main below the crossover while using the runaround, but that is of limited utility, since a train only will be occupying the main at the start and at the end of an operating session.

What is it that I am not seeing here?

Smile,
Stein

[lajry]

Finally got the revised plan uploaded - hopefully. LOL

[Mike Kieran]

Andy,
By changing the crossover, you now have to use one of the yard tracks as a switching lead.

If I were to change it to suit my tastes, I would make the main track in the upper right the transload track and the transload track a pier track. Maybe even convert the yard to another industry. Like I said, for my taste.

Otherwise, It's a very well thought out track plan with infinite possibilities. I really like it.

Stein, you've shown what an asset you are to this hobby.

[lajry]

There's room to add a track for a switching lead between the main & the yard if really needed.

[Mike Kieran]

My bad Andy, I went to my desktop screen in order to see your plan. I suppose that you could use the short yard track next to the engine house as a drill track. I'm just not following how it would necessarily improve the layout. Could you elaborate?

I see Stein's plan as is to be designed more as a town along a mainline or as an ISL with 2 interchanges. His runaround design is also of a more prototypical length. It has more of a flow to its design.

I probably would put in an industry instead of a yard. The Hannolds who own the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad say that cars sitting in a yard don't make money. It can come in very handy to sort cars.

Otherwise, like I said, it's a flawless design.