nomad Wrote:Stein Jr, I like your ideas but it looks like I would have to crawl under if there was problems behind the backdrop.
Not necessarily. I suggested "behind a low backdrop.
One could first have a normal height backdrop mounted on the wall, then staging tracks, then low backdrop (consisting e.g. of removable buildings which has a front and a top, but not sides or a back, in effect creating a "tunnel" or a "trench" for the staging tracks) , then regular part of layout.
Staging tracks and trains on staging tracks could be accessed by either using a step to get a little higher so you can reach over the low backdrop, or by lifting out the low backdrop (in sections) or access hatches in the low backdrop. A low backdrop can be fastened to a light framework (or to the real backdrop) with magnets glued to the back of the low backdrop and to the front of whatever it is mounted on.
By all means - not necessarily the best solution - but it is one (of many) possible solution(s).
I didn't see Stein's idea yesterday. Checking the time it looks like his went through a few minutes before my last post. I like his idea, and the back drop is not needed. If you combine his plan with your original plan, you get a very workable solution. You are needing an interchange from a mainline to a branch line rather than hidden staging at each end as you would if you were modeling a class 1 "bridge line." Your staging can thus be in plain sight. What if you start with the original plan in the first post on this thread, and bring your track from the main in above the yard in the upper right corner. Eliminate some of the yard tracks and put in an industry behind the turntable. You would want it to be a low relief, but long say 6-8 feet to hide the end of the interchange track. The front 1/2 of the upper right leg would then be a turntable and an industry (or industries sharing a siding). The back 1/2 of the table would be the interchange track or track coming into the branch off the mainline. At about the 5 foot to 8 foot marks on the top leg there is a pair of sidings with a small ladder. Remove the outside ladder track. In the corner you have a spur coming off the left leg of the layout going through a crossover and ending. Curve that spur around to join the track coming off your unmodeled mainline. Put a long passing siding on that track coming off the main for a locomotive escape. Between sessions you could leave a cut of cars on the track coming in or the passing siding which would simulate the railroad bringing a cut of cars for the industries you model and leaving them on that track, and picking up the cut you left to go off the railroad from the previous night. You send you locomotive out to pick up the cut of cars, and switch out your industries. The empties that were unloaded locally and loads that were loaded by local industries are then assembled into a cut and left on that "interchange track" to be picked up the next night by the regular turn which will take those cars off the layout and leave another set of cars for your busy railroad to sort to the various industries at the next operating session.
Just finished this. I now have two interchanges, east and west. Two staging tracks hid in the interchange, and basically two separate layouts.
I copied the track on the left and rotated And flipped it so it actually looks different. It also retains the part my wife wants me to keep.
Please let me know what you think.
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
Thanks Steinjr. That would make it much better on the old back
Russ and Steinjr, I will try to combine your ideas and see what I come up with. It's great having you guys helping and giving me ideas. People around here are all into rc planes so I have no one to bounce ideas off of :cry:
Thanks again !
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
I am presuming that there is not a wall on the bottom where the left and center legs end. That last track plan looks like it is ready to start laying track as soon as the bench work is built. I like it a lot. I just wish I had that much space for a layout. Oops, I started to post and saw that you had added another drawing. That last drawing is exactly what I was talking about in my previous post. I think both of those last 2 plans would be fun to operate on. You could also take your last plan and add a wye so that you can access the center leg from either direction which then gives you a third option. Now comes the really hard part. Which one are you going to build?
Russ, I don't know. But I feel a few sleepless nights coming on
One question though. If I did wye the island on the last track plan, do you think it would be a true wye and need to wired accordingly? I can't tell.
Oh, and the area on the bottom of the tables is open. There is a man door entering the garage on the left.
Thanks again for all your help.
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
It would not have to be wired as a true wye if there is no connection between the two legs at the top of the wye, so that trains would need to go into the leg from either direction before they could continue on to the other leg of the layout. The problem is that any train going into the island would have to back out of it, and then they would probably have to back the rest of the way to the end of the layout before the locomotive could turn on the turn table.
That would be one way to do it. Fortunately you are planning to run small equipment, so the low buck Atlas will work. If you want a "pit type" rather than the type Atlas makes, you can easily convert an Atlas. What you do is put the Atlas into a pit, and then build a bridge to fit the Atlas. You solder the wires from each track on the Atlas to the corresponding track on the bridge. Leave an open spot under the layout for access to the turn table motor, and you are good to go. The bottom of the pit will rotate with the turntable, which is not prototypical; but if you use a bunch of dirt and ground cover, it won't be particularly noticeable. Besides, who takes the time to try to look into the bottom of a turntable pit when a locomotive is being turn on a turntable? I think Atlas has changed their turntable to have more slots available for tracks in their newest version. Since you are not looking to do more than turn a locomotive around to go back out the way it came in, the old style will work fine for you. You might be able to find older Atlas turntables for a bargain on E-bay or at a local model railroad swap meet. Except for the design that as the island extended to the same length as the left leg of the layout, the island is short enough that it would probably not be a big problem to pull the train in, do your switching and then back out.
Thanks again Russ. I have also seen where the scenery is built up around the turntable and the unused track slots are filled in.
That didn't even look like an Atlas.
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
Quote; Between sessions you could leave a cut of cars on the track coming in or the passing siding which would simulate the railroad bringing a cut of cars for the industries you model and leaving them on that track, and picking up the cut you left to go off the railroad from the previous night. You send you locomotive out to pick up the cut of cars, and switch out your industries. The empties that were unloaded locally and loads that were loaded by local industries are then assembled into a cut and left on that "interchange track" to be picked up the next night by the regular turn which will take those cars off the layout and leave another set of cars for your busy railroad to sort to the various industries at the next operating session.; End quote
Russ, if I am reading this right I would not even need any type of yard, is that correct?
Never mind. I figured out I would need some way to sort the cars for the days run.
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
nomad Wrote:Here it is. The final track plan with a turntable added to the island.
Loren
Looks good Loren. I also have an additional idea to add to this latest iteration of your layout. You could put the interchange track at the top of the layout only bring it off of the the track going out of the island toward the turntable on the right end of the layout through a crossing on the spur that goes right to end on the left. You would put in a track from the interchange to the turntable to reverse the engine. Your classification yard is on the end of the island. Here is how I would visualize a typical operating session.
You take a locomotive and caboose from the classification yard to the interchange track. The caboose is dropped, and the locomotive goes to the turntable to be turned. You now pick up the loads that have been left for delivery. Pick up the caboose, and return to the classification yard where you will build a train of loads to deliver and empties to spot at the industries on the left leg of your layout. You take that train out to the left leg or left side branch. You spot loads to be delivered, empties ready for loading, and pick up previously spotted cars which were either emptied or loaded. You turn the locomotive on the turntable, put the caboose at the rear and bring the train back to the classification yard. Now you build a train for the industries on the right leg of your layout. You turn the locomotive on that turntable, and couple the caboose to the end of the train and head out to work those industries, turn the locomotive on the turn table when that work is completed and bring the train back to the classification yard. I forgot to mention, but you would only work trailing point switches. If you encounter a facing point switch, you catch it on the way back in both cases. Back at the classification yard, you will have loaded cars to go off the layout to far away destinations and empty cars that were previously unloaded at your modeled industries. The empties you leave in the classification yard to be available when an industry calls for an empty to be loaded. The loaded cars you couple behind the engine, hook up a caboose, and take them to the interchange track to be dropped for interchange after the session is over. Turn you locomotive on the turntable, pick up the caboose and return to the yard. With the inclusion of a classification yard, I visualize your railroad as more of a short line than a branch.
What do you think. I'm jealous! I want to operate on that railroad. If you had some local model railroader friends, you could actually keep 2 or possibly 3 operators busy. In fact if you had one person switching the classification yard, one working to and from the interchange track, and one working each leg of the railroad, that would keep 4 people busy. If you add in a dispatcher to keep everything rolling smoothly, you have 5 people working your railroad!
You have some great ideas Russ. I am beginning to think that having two interchanges ( I don't know why, but I keep thinking of interchanges as yards ) on the island is to much, but I definitely need three turn tables. Your latest idea sounds good and adds some extra running, which I like. Let me see what I can do.
I really like your description of the operating session, and if you ever visit this neck of the woods, drop in !
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
