03-24-2014, 01:29 PM
John, thanks for taking the time.
I could not develop a track plan that is close enough to the prototype to be worth to totally redo my layout.
I agree with your suggestions. I am still searching for a prototype transforming into a track plan that
1. maintains the conceptual operation in that area
2. has some of the typical aspects (crossings, sidewalks in Vernon ...)
3. supports three to four prototypical industries that can be shrunk and cut into the available space. The geometry of the layout asks for long narrow industries.
Just got your second posting.
The transfer jobs are a great conceptional feature and an awful pain. I am very uncomfortable running transfer jobs with 4 cars only. That is the reason why I concentrate on industry serving jobs only.
The other side of the room is "off limits" for the next time. I have to remove all the furniture to access it. The entire area was used as a street running harbor area. All tracks are buried in plaster. It will be areal mess to clean it up. That must wait until I am retired.
The Genset (combined with GP15, GP38 and GP60M) are my favorite but they are an example only. UP and BNSF/LAJ runs today almost all jobs with two engines.
A very interesting outcome of this discussion is the approach not to select one area with industries and tracks to model but select suitable industries and locations all over the area and mix and blend them together. e.g. Fiber is a nice industry but it was dropped because there is nothing around to build a layout. With the new approach I may pick Fiber and put it next to e.g. a micro version of A yard.
jab Wrote:...This is conceptual, there isn't a whole lot you can do to try to duplicate the trackage.That is my first key problems with the Vernon area. It looks so full of tracks but when ever I tried to boil it down to make my track plan following the prototype in a specific area I failed. I was so brave and called my yard some time ago the A yard but I dropped that when I got information about the prototype tracks and their usage. No change to be even close to the prototype.
I could not develop a track plan that is close enough to the prototype to be worth to totally redo my layout.
jab Wrote:My overall approach wouldn't be too different from what you have now -- there aren't too many magic options for the track plan,...That is the second key problem. There are a lot of very nice and unique locations around Vernon. Like the crossings you show. My problem is to select industries still served by rail and suitable for the space. Fibers is for sure a good candidate. I had the building left to the box car on an earlier layout but it is not rail served anymore.
I agree with your suggestions. I am still searching for a prototype transforming into a track plan that
1. maintains the conceptual operation in that area
2. has some of the typical aspects (crossings, sidewalks in Vernon ...)
3. supports three to four prototypical industries that can be shrunk and cut into the available space. The geometry of the layout asks for long narrow industries.
Just got your second posting.
The transfer jobs are a great conceptional feature and an awful pain. I am very uncomfortable running transfer jobs with 4 cars only. That is the reason why I concentrate on industry serving jobs only.
The other side of the room is "off limits" for the next time. I have to remove all the furniture to access it. The entire area was used as a street running harbor area. All tracks are buried in plaster. It will be areal mess to clean it up. That must wait until I am retired.
The Genset (combined with GP15, GP38 and GP60M) are my favorite but they are an example only. UP and BNSF/LAJ runs today almost all jobs with two engines.
A very interesting outcome of this discussion is the approach not to select one area with industries and tracks to model but select suitable industries and locations all over the area and mix and blend them together. e.g. Fiber is a nice industry but it was dropped because there is nothing around to build a layout. With the new approach I may pick Fiber and put it next to e.g. a micro version of A yard.
Reinhard