Dilemma HO layout plan

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

Hi Stephen,

If I were you, I would build a much simpler layout in that space

Here is a version of Jack Hill's New Castle Industrial Railroad that I designed to fit into your space:


You can find out more about his layout here: http://oscalewcor.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the plan and link Justin.

I had plans for a larger space but lost that when my daughter moved back in so I ended up in a small bedroom. When she moves I will have access to the larger room and will either move this layout out to the larger room and larger layout or connect the two with a "tunnel" aka hole in the wall. This one is going to be a learning experience since it will be my first with dcc and also my first that will have full scenery. I had a few layouts in various states before but never the time to complete.

[Engfanuk]

That looks very good but I do not fully understand how you will run an operating session.
Where do you start a new operating session with an engine and some cars to be distributed and where ends the session when all car are collected?
The tracks at the top right end would be useful to attach a cassette with a train for that purpose but the mainline is at the very bottom and hardly accessible to add remove cars.

What about running the main closer the the edge of the board along the road, you'd need to rearrange the yard and the cement facility, but it would then allow you to arrange an incoming train close to hand and say the train had just arrived. Return it to the same place on an outgoing train. Maybe you can drop one if the runarounds in that yard giving that area more space. You will still need to be careful with access uncoupling at the industries at the far side of the board.

Just a thought and sorry i haven't the time to draw out what I mean so it either not make sense or make the trackage awkward.

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

That looks very good but I do not fully understand how you will run an operating session.
Where do you start a new operating session with an engine and some cars to be distributed and where ends the session when all car are collected?
The tracks at the top right end would be useful to attach a cassette with a train for that purpose but the mainline is at the very bottom and hardly accessible to add remove cars.

What about running the main closer the the edge of the board along the road, you'd need to rearrange the yard and the cement facility, but it would then allow you to arrange an incoming train close to hand and say the train had just arrived. Return it to the same place on an outgoing train. Maybe you can drop one if the runarounds in that yard giving that area more space. You will still need to be careful with access uncoupling at the industries at the far side of the board.

Just a thought and sorry i haven't the time to draw out what I mean so it either not make sense or make the trackage awkward.

I like the idea of a cassette or I might just stage the train in the yard and runaround. Another option is to drop the rope manufacturer and use that track on the Point Edward side as the "main" and stage over there instead. As for the uncoupling I have long arms and can reach the far side with ease.

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

Another thought on staging came to mind a minute ago. The through freight left the cars on one of the runarounds for the switch crew to distribute. When the session is finished I can leave the pulled cars in the runaround for the regular freight to pick up. Thoughts?

[Brakie]

That looks very good but I do not fully understand how you will run an operating session.
Where do you start a new operating session with an engine and some cars to be distributed and where ends the session when all car are collected?
The tracks at the top right end would be useful to attach a cassette with a train for that purpose but the mainline is at the very bottom and hardly accessible to add remove cars.

Reinhard,I see several ways but,I would chose the Jefferson Terminal Ry or Port Edward RR..A connecting road drops the inbound cars and picks up any outbound cars (0-5--0)..The short line crew will pick up the cars and switch them in industry order and then go about their daily work. A end cab switcher or a road switcher would work..I would probably favor a RS1.

No need for a engine house..The engine would be kept on the bulk transfer track for easy refueling by a fuel contractor.

[faraway]

That looks very good but I do not fully understand how you will run an operating session.
Where do you start a new operating session with an engine and some cars to be distributed and where ends the session when all car are collected?
The tracks at the top right end would be useful to attach a cassette with a train for that purpose but the mainline is at the very bottom and hardly accessible to add remove cars.

I will stage the train at the start of the session. Probably 3-5 cars.

Sorry for expressing myself so poor. That is what I assume but my question is where do you stage those 3-5 cars at the beginning of a session?
The best prototypical track would be the mainline running at the very bottom and hard to reach. The tracks easy to reach with your 0-5-0, e.g. the cement transfer facility, are not the best starting point for an operation session.

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

My designer had some second thoughts as well and I received a revised plan this morning.

"As you had probably guessed, I wasn't totally happy with the design because I thought it was just going to be too hard to operate. I didn't think there was enough car storage and the switching leads were just too short to easily switch the industries along the south wall.

After thinking about it more over the last 2 days, I wanted to solve some of those problems. So I rearrange the track and now the Sydport branch can be used as a swicth lead and now both the passing track and storage track can be fully used to hold cars. I also eliminated the crossover and the switch back. I was also able to lengthen the pulpwood track a bit and give you 2 more industries which now adds gondolas to the mix of cars.

There was a scrap yard at Sydport where ships were cut-up and it did have tracks on the property, but I'm not sure if it ever shipped by rail. I wasn't sure of the name, so I used the Hashem name which is a junk yard in Sydney that used to ship by rail. I called the other industry I added the Ogilive Flour mill, which was once located in Sydney River and served by rail. It receives bulk four and bags it for local distribution."

   

[Brakie]

Stephen,I like the idea of a pier with a car float as staging.

I would kill the industries on switchbacks and replace them with single industry spurs.

I wish that Jurassic age layout design element would fade quietly into the annuals of history..

[lajry]

This latest plan is great! Both RRs (if there are two) can use the yard w/ ease. And really like the variety of the industries meaning a variety of freight cars. Have you given any thought to a team track.Attached are the two that will be on my layout to give you ideas what you might want to do. You could only have two spurs to depict both sides. The Santa Fe side does mostly "shapes" (metal products) in a variety of boxcars, coil cars, flat cars & gondolas. The LAJ side gets airslides (flour) & covered hoppers (grain & pellets). Recently they've been shipping out dirty dirt containers in well cars.

   

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

Stephen,I like the idea of a pier with a car float as staging.

I would kill the industries on switchbacks and replace them with single industry spurs.

I wish that Jurassic age layout design element would fade quietly into the annuals of history..

I started to lay the track today. I will try the plan out as is for now before committing to it. I'll know pretty fast if I won't care for the arrangement. I do have a Walthers car float and dock in sealed packaging if I do like the plan I can stage off of the float.

This latest plan is great! Both RRs (if there are two) can use the yard w/ ease. And really like the variety of the industries meaning a variety of freight cars. Have you given any thought to a team track.Attached are the two that will be on my layout to give you ideas what you might want to do. You could only have two spurs to depict both sides. The Santa Fe side does mostly "shapes" (metal products) in a variety of boxcars, coil cars, flat cars & gondolas. The LAJ side gets airslides (flour) & covered hoppers (grain & pellets). Recently they've been shipping out dirty dirt containers in well cars.

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

The twin Larfarge tracks on the lower right will be for trans-load ops. Looking at cement coming in by covered hoppers and pipe in gondolas. I do like the look of the trans-load dock in the picture on the left. Might have to do some selective compression and put one in there.

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

If this is a Trinity reefer model, they began service in 2003 according to BLMA's website.

Well, something odd happened today. I got my order from the local hobby shop and in the box were two BLMA reefers. I ordered them a few months ago and they completely slipped my mind. Guess I may need to stretch my era a little.

[lajry]

If this is a Trinity reefer model, they began service in 2003 according to BLMA's website.

Well, something odd happened today. I got my order from the local hobby shop and in the box were two BLMA reefers. I ordered them a few months ago and they completely slipped my mind. Guess I may need to stretch my era a little.

Nothing says you can't run multiple eras if you have &or will get some newer era cars.

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

Nothing says you can't run multiple eras if you have &or will get some newer era cars.

Yes, I know I have more than enough to do a ten year stretch on the era. Just funny I had a 41 year old "seniors moment".

[Rscott417]

I was messing around on the exactrail website and I did a search for reefers because they list the era of the cars. They have the big 64' ARMN phase III listed as 1995-present and would just make your timeframe. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.exactrail.com/trinity-trincool-64-reefer-phase-lll-armn">https://www.exactrail.com/trinity-trinc ... e-lll-armn</a><!-- m -->

[Twist]

Hi,

I like your last plan very much.A great variety of industries to switch.....keep on with tracklaying...

Cheers,Chris