60 x 12 inch ISL

[Mike Kieran]

Drawing up track plans for getloose got me thinking that I could design an ISL for a 60 x 12 inch board that I have laying around.

[getloose]

He'll yeah! That's what im talkin about. It's possible, were both gonna do it BIG with SMALL layouts. Lol. This is a cool twist to the plan.

[kamerad47]

It looks good !!! I assume where the 3 cars are parked is the branch line where the cars would come in from ??

[Mike Kieran]

It looks good !!! I assume where the 3 cars are parked is the branch line where the cars would come in from ??

Yes, that's the interchange.

[eje]

Hi Mike - I really like this little switcher you have drawn for us! The track layout reminds me of a really beat up handful of spurs in North Chicago, IL that was served by the EJ&E Waukegan local. The track at the right-front would need to connect to a short cassette, though. The nearest runaround was a short siding on the main line roughly a quarter-mile away, and there was very little room to work the spurs. The locomotive would leave cars to be spotted on the siding then go in and pull all the cars on the facing-point spurs to make working room for the trailing-point spur. After parking those cars on the main, the locomotive would return with cars and work the trailing-point spur, shoving the empties back to the siding. Then the locomotive would return with loads and any respots and work the facing-point spurs. It usually took the local crew around forty-five minutes to do this work which typically involved pulling and placing three or four cars!

That's a very nice 1' x 6' plan. Ric

[Mike Kieran]

Thanks! I'm using Atlas turnouts, so maybe Peco turnouts might give some more room. I figure that the layout could be self contained if used as an industrial layout with 40 foot cars, but a cassette or even adding it to an existing layout wouldn't be a bad thing either. The drill track alone could handle 2 freight cars and a switcher.

[eje]

I agree the track plan would be a great stand-alone layout. In that case, the engine track might not be required since the locomotive, when not in use, would likely be "parked' under the overpass that crosses the drill track to keep it somewhat out of the weather. This was pretty common practice. That's a really neat little plan. Ric

[Mike Kieran]

I could use the overpass for shelter. I just put the engine storage track so that the drill track could also be used for a connection to the rest of the world.

[shortliner]

Mike - not knocking your design, but a possible problem, in that the overpass seems to be at the same level as the grey area which appears to be truck parking for the Distributor - could be quickly solved by making the overpass seperate, and taking access to the distributor by road under it, alonside the track

[Mike Kieran]

Sorry, I didn't mark the parking lot / loading area as raised. The freight car is loaded on the basement level, trucks on the first floor, and several floors above for industrial use.

[shortliner]

ah ha, all is now clear and makes sense p thank you!

[eje]

Oh, it's only 5' X 1'! Great! I especially like the way you have composed the general scenery; the visual interest of the overpass but with no need to disguise a street bumping into the back scene. With everything up front operation would be very straightforward and realistic. I really do not see how better to use that space. Elegant.

[Mike Kieran]

Thank You. You're too kind Sir!

[Mike Kieran]

I even made a plan for a 4x1 foot layout. I figure that if 40 foot cars are used, 3 can be set out on the interchange track which is the lowest track on the plan (a mini Inglenook plan).