NOVAHILL ...... U.S.A

[upnick]

Hi All,

Here is my new venture into HO ........ The Milwakee Road beer line plan from MR ........ differing only in scale from Morganth ..... i intend to alter some of the areas in the middle the water may go but the bridges stop to add a second level aspect, as to a second level for the tracks i am undecided as yet dependant on the buildings i choose to include, the locos having room to turn around allowing switching operations inside the circuit.

As the plan is now it measures 12ft X 4ft ........ but will be 13ft X 40'' when finished.

Built in 4 modules making it easy to transport in the future one section hinged to allow access to the window which should provide good light over it especially in the summer evenings Code 83 peco track with an NCE powercab should provide good control.

The silos could move to the rear of the layout along the back track to add more interest there one of my first thoughts of adaptations.

The wood came today and i made a start, off to look at track tomorrow

Any thought for buildings on it or other ideas welcome





The plan will turn around like this.

[LynnB]

Looks like a very good choice to start with.Any idea what the radius on the two end curves are? Taking 8" away from the width is probably going to lessen the radius on the end curves.

[upnick]

Looks like a very good choice to start with.Any idea what the radius on the two end curves are? Taking 8" away from the width is probably going to lessen the radius on the end curves.

Hi Lynn,

i'm not sure of the radius on the end curves by lessening it 8'' i tried a 3ft wide board last night with some track and a loco and it was too tight the extra 4'' making it 40'' will allow me to run six axle locos ..... where he grounded boxcar plan may go to make room for the track but everything else should work ok ........ got one board ready to put up i might have see how some flexi track i have looks later tonight, and try to tell you the radius of the curve.

[Bigsteel]

good track plan to start with,and its modular to boot.that should make getting parts totally done much easier and less strenous than doing an entire layout at one time.--josh

[Bob C]

Stated width of the plan is 4 ft.(48 inches), minus the 6" setback (as noted on the end modules), equals 36" diameter/18" radius on the end curves...if my brain is "ON" today,and I read the question correctly (Disclaimer). The desired 40" width will mean smaller end curve radius, or rearrangement and maybe loss of some tracks, I guess.

[Russ Bellinis]

I think the minimum radius is 18 inches on that plan. They designed it to operate with a Milwaukee Road 4 axle F-M switcher and 40'-50' boxcars. If you want to run 6 axle diesels, it would work much better with 22"-24" radius. Looking at the plan, the only place where you are restricted to the minimum radius is at the 2 ends. Could you squeeze in a little more real estate? I'm thinking a 6 inch wide "kick out" at each corner would allow a bit more radius. If you narrow it down to 40", I think you can forget running anything bigger than 4 axle power and 50' cars. Narrowed to 40", you could probably still fit an 18" radius on the #2 end, but the other end would be restricted to 15", maybe even 12" radius.

[upnick]

Hi Russ.

I agree entirely with you about the kick outs but i dont have the space, i have tried six axle locos on a the board 40'' wide but the track is 1'' inside the edge of the board spoling the look of the plan really, in the article for the plan 4 axle power is shown though most of my stock is 6, i have two other options #1 leave the turnarounds out and make the plan a switching layout or #2 choose another plan ?

Helpppppppp

[Russ Bellinis]

If you make the outside spur adjacent to the arrow with # 1 into the main line and end the existing main near where the #1 is and then make the outside spur on the opposite side into the mainline on that side, you would then be able to keep an 18 inch minimum radius. Short 6 axle locomotives will work like Sd9's Sd35, etc. Put the switch labeled "Atlas code 83 Snap Switch" that ends in a spur 6 inches in over to the outside. Make the inside track in that corner that is now the main into a spur with a crossing. You are still going to need to bring the main lines out to within 2-3 inches of the edge of the table with an 18 inch radius. If you use an easement into the curves you might be able to put a short section of 15" radius in the center of each curve in the ends to tighten things up a bit, but I don't know how well 6 axle power will handle that tight a radius. I used to have a couple of Athearn blue box Sdp40 units and a layout that had one industrial siding with a 15 inch radius curve leading into it. I worked that siding with Gp7's, but for an experiment I tried pushing a 40 foot boxcar with the Sdp40 through the 15 inch radius curve. As the locomotive started into the curve pushing the boxcar, the inside wheels of the boxcar lifted off the track and the boxcar tilted up. As it came out the other side of the curve, the boxcar dropped back onto the track. When I pulled the boxcar out of the spur with the same locomotive the boxcar again lifted the inside wheels. If you only have a 40 inch width to work with, I think you will need to choose between a switching layout without a continuous running option or get rid of the 6 axle units in favor of 4 axle units.

[upnick]

If you make the outside spur adjacent to the arrow with # 1 into the main line and end the existing main near where the #1 is and then make the outside spur on the opposite side into the mainline on that side, you would then be able to keep an 18 inch minimum radius. Short 6 axle locomotives will work like Sd9's Sd35, etc. Put the switch labeled "Atlas code 83 Snap Switch" that ends in a spur 6 inches in over to the outside. Make the inside track in that corner that is now the main into a spur with a crossing. You are still going to need to bring the main lines out to within 2-3 inches of the edge of the table with an 18 inch radius. If you use an easement into the curves you might be able to put a short section of 15" radius in the center of each curve in the ends to tighten things up a bit, but I don't know how well 6 axle power will handle that tight a radius. I used to have a couple of Athearn blue box Sdp40 units and a layout that had one industrial siding with a 15 inch radius curve leading into it. I worked that siding with Gp7's, but for an experiment I tried pushing a 40 foot boxcar with the Sdp40 through the 15 inch radius curve. As the locomotive started into the curve pushing the boxcar, the inside wheels of the boxcar lifted off the track and the boxcar tilted up. As it came out the other side of the curve, the boxcar dropped back onto the track. When I pulled the boxcar out of the spur with the same locomotive the boxcar again lifted the inside wheels. If you only have a 40 inch width to work with, I think you will need to choose between a switching layout without a continuous running option or get rid of the 6 axle units in favor of 4 axle units.

Hi Russ,

Many thanks for the input the movement of the track ends makes sense and will smooth out the curves better allowing me to shuffle the track until its settled correctly .

[LynnB]

It's one of those problems where you have to trial and error and come out with a happy medium. The 6 axle units are nice but personally I think they look better on a large long run club layout.

[Russ Bellinis]

One other thing to consider is if you must run the track close to the edge in order to get enough radius, install some clear plexiglass along the edge to keep trains from taking the big dive, and then kind of pinch the sides in like the original track plan.

[Bigsteel]

why didnt you just use one of the other plans that MR had for this table? isnt this the one that has 3 different configurations?--josh

[upnick]

Hi All,

After wrestling with the tape measure for two days to fit in the plan to my room mixed with a combination of keeping it a useable room the width isnt going to work out ......and so out with the Jigsaw and now the boards measure 40'' long X 2ft wide 5 modules will make up a switching layout ....... a short L shape yard with warehouse.




..... the bottom left hand roads will bend around the corner to add interest with a warehouse.

[Bigsteel]

i think youll like your switching layout much better,the 6-axles will look so much nicer on a large radius.nice website too.cant wait to see your progress --josh

[upnick]

i think youll like your switching layout much better,the 6-axles will look so much nicer on a large radius.nice website too.cant wait to see your progress --josh

Hi Josh ,

Your right I will like my switching layout better ... i met a guy at my Hobby store this afternoon who has a switching layout ...he gave me loads of ideas i can use.

While i was at the store i got all the track for it ..... Peco code 83 some more cars and background buildings so i'm going to be busy