N Scale Switching Layout Modern BNSF CSX NS

[stephanh]

Hello Everybody,

it´s been a while since I discussed my last track plan here (Mindheim Track Doubled).
After the railroad room is ready built now and some changes had to be made with the wall, it is a bit smaller then I thought.

So I had to make a new layout plan and would like to know your opinions, suggestions and ideas about it.

The layout room itself is quite small: 400 cm x 280 cm with a shorter wall of 240 cm
Metric measures: 13' - 1 1/2'' x 9' - 2 1/4'' with a shorter wall of 7' - 10 1/2''

As I (like many others I guess...) own quite much rolling stock, I wanted to add some quite large and versatile industries to have a wide variety of car types.

To keep operation interesting, I also added a small sorting yard. The layout will be operated by BNSF, CSX or NS. So the setting should be in the greater Chicago area.

The idea is that a manifest train runs out of the staging and sets out cars for the layout on the siding (left top corner), after he picked up the outbound cars spotted there.
The train will then continue its journey and return to the staging (unfortunately, it has to be put there by pushing back into it or by having the locos run around its train first and then head into the staging).

Then the yard switcher begins its work. The cars are sorted in the small yard and then the local train is built on the siding.
Not every industry receives cars in every session (day) of course. The switching should be relaxed and the local train lengths should be about 10-20 cars.

If the yard switcher and the local jobs are split, two operators would have quite much fun doing their work there, I guess. Maybe even three if through-traffic should be generated.


For the industries again:

Warehouses: Box Cars and Reefers
Lumber Yard: Box Cars and Centerbeam Flat Cars
Scrap Yard: Gondolas and Flat Cars
Car Manufacture: Auto Racks
Tank Car Transload: miscellaneous types of Tank Cars
Hopper Car Transload: miscellaneous types of Hopper Cars
Team Track: almost any type of car
Container Track: Container Cars like Maxi Stacks


So what do you guys think about the plan? Maybe you have any suggestions to improve it?
Please let me know anything that comes into your mind.

I added two versions of the track plan. One with benchwork and lettering, one without.

Hope to hear from you.

[stephanh]

Okay, so nobody in here has a comment or any ideas to improve the plan?

I made a few changes, see pic below.

- The sorting yard and the staging yard have been laid together to increase the capacity.
I know, that gives less room to operation, but as I want to use modern equipment, the trains will be a bit longer then on layouts planned for a 1950s era or so...
So there will be a live-staging yard where the sorting takes place.
Also, the siding has been planned longer to be more flexible in switching.

- The team track moved and shares its place with the hopper transload track now.
That gives space for one more warehouse for the boxcars and reefers I own.
No container loading left, maybe it will be done at the team track, too.

- The scrap yard was removed and the track was mirrowed to form an interchange track.
That ensures a larger variety of cars on the layout.

- Some #7 turnouts have been replaced by #10s.

- I also added some color to make the plan more graphic and significant.


What do you guys think?

[Brakie]

I like the first plan better since it has a small outlaying yard that would be used for assembling the local(s) and holding any overflow cars for the industries.

Now, one observation if I may.. If you are planning to duck under the layout then the staging will be good where its located on the other hand if you're planning a lift section then moving those 68 cars every time you enter of exit the layout area will become a headache.

My thoughts.. Instead of BNSF/CSX I would go with CSX/NS and have the layout to function as a Conrail Shared Access Operation(CSAO).

[stephanh]

OK, I understand.

How about this one?

[Tyson Rayles]

Is there a reason why the upper right-hand corner isn't being used? Does the plan have to be circular?

[stephanh]

The reason why the upper right Corner is not used for the layout is simple: There´s the wall seperating the layout room from the rest of the apartment. So the whole layout room is already used for the layout track plan.

I want it to be circular to make continuous running possible.

The entrance will be a removable duckunter with a height of about 135 cm / 4'5'' (lower board). So it can easily be passed and will be removed for maintanance or moving only.

[stephanh]

Latest version.

All turnouts (except Yard and Staging) have been replaced by #10s.
Looks good to me.