07-26-2011, 12:42 PM
Here are the final two proposed versions of my ISL. Overall size: 18in by 20ft with an 8in by 6ft staging track. Sorry that you must scroll the plans to see them, but if I made them any smaller, you couldn't make out much about the plan.
This is the track plan as I've currently been operating:
Industries, from right (East) to left (West) are: Lowes Lumber (2 spots), Midwest Distribution Warehouse (4 spots), Durkee Foods (4 spots), Superior Meats (1 spot) and, Munsons Chocolates (4 spots).
Here's a view of the revised structure mock up for Munsons Chocolates:
Been operating this version for a while now and rather like it, but have to admit that it does still bother me that you can't see the cars on spot at Munsons Chocolates. It hasn't been a problem to spot and uncouple the cars behind this structure with my uncoupling tool, but it has occurred to me that when I add some of the piping and other roof details, the risk of damaging something could be a problem.
With that in mind, here is an alternate version of the plan:
On this version the industries from East to West are: Peerless Confections (2 spots), Midwest Distribution Warehouse (4 spots), Durkee Foods (4 spots), Superior Meats (1 spot), a covered hopper trans-load (2 spots) and, a team track area (2 spots). The track arrangement is unchanged from the current version, but I've gone back to having Peerless Confections at the East End and replaced Munsons Chocolates with a covered hopper trans-load and a team track area. In effect, adding another car spot location (5 industries instead of 4 as on version one).
Even though I still have an industry (Peerless) with cars spotted behind the structure, you can easily see the cars when you stand at the East end and the structure will not be but about 25 scale feet high where the cars spot. The spur could also be angled if desired. I've sort have been trying to avoid having a team track as such on the layout, as IMHO it seems a little out of place on an industrial spur like this, but of course you can find such situations here and there on various prototype industrial spurs. It does make it easier to spot the cars at Durkee and Superior and of course you can easily see what's spotted on the team track/trans-load. The covered unloading shed helps to make an otherwise completely open area a little more interesting. Either plan supports all my freight equipment.
Any way, I'm making a mock up today for the Peerless structure which will allow me to try out this variation without having to make any modifications to the track arrangement. And I'm open to your opinions as to which plan you fellows might prefer. Operating the second version will hopefully help me make a final decision too, and once I get the health issues out of the way; then I can actually begin construction of the layout and structures.
For those interested, in operation, the train is staged on what represents the main line coming from a nearby yard. Train (with caboose) shoves to the industrial spur switch, lines the switch and opens the derail, then shoves on to the spur, places switch back and derail back to normal position and reports clear of the main line to the dispatcher or yard master. You then shove the train to the end of the spur and work your way back toward the main line. Once you're ready to depart from the spur, you get permission from the DI or YM to occupy the main, line the derail and switch, pull back on the main and after lining the switch and derail back to normal, report clear of the spur and head back toward the yard. Current operations are averaging an hour, when you have at least one car to place/pull at each industry.
When I start actual construction on my ISL, I may add a second track to the staging area, so that two trains could be staged at one time if I wanted to have two different crews on different shifts work the spur.
This is the track plan as I've currently been operating:
Here's a view of the revised structure mock up for Munsons Chocolates:
With that in mind, here is an alternate version of the plan:
Even though I still have an industry (Peerless) with cars spotted behind the structure, you can easily see the cars when you stand at the East end and the structure will not be but about 25 scale feet high where the cars spot. The spur could also be angled if desired. I've sort have been trying to avoid having a team track as such on the layout, as IMHO it seems a little out of place on an industrial spur like this, but of course you can find such situations here and there on various prototype industrial spurs. It does make it easier to spot the cars at Durkee and Superior and of course you can easily see what's spotted on the team track/trans-load. The covered unloading shed helps to make an otherwise completely open area a little more interesting. Either plan supports all my freight equipment.
Any way, I'm making a mock up today for the Peerless structure which will allow me to try out this variation without having to make any modifications to the track arrangement. And I'm open to your opinions as to which plan you fellows might prefer. Operating the second version will hopefully help me make a final decision too, and once I get the health issues out of the way; then I can actually begin construction of the layout and structures.
For those interested, in operation, the train is staged on what represents the main line coming from a nearby yard. Train (with caboose) shoves to the industrial spur switch, lines the switch and opens the derail, then shoves on to the spur, places switch back and derail back to normal position and reports clear of the main line to the dispatcher or yard master. You then shove the train to the end of the spur and work your way back toward the main line. Once you're ready to depart from the spur, you get permission from the DI or YM to occupy the main, line the derail and switch, pull back on the main and after lining the switch and derail back to normal, report clear of the spur and head back toward the yard. Current operations are averaging an hour, when you have at least one car to place/pull at each industry.
When I start actual construction on my ISL, I may add a second track to the staging area, so that two trains could be staged at one time if I wanted to have two different crews on different shifts work the spur.
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"