Made a slight change in my track plan...

[rrinker]

Needed to allow room in my room for a workbench, and wanted to simplify the layout a bit, so I did away with the quirky arrangement in the alcove in the upper left of the plan and made it simply curve around and skip the alcove., The alcove now holds my workbench. Hopefulyl since it's easier it will get 'finished' quicker.
Old plan and other stuff is on my web site. Here's the new plan:


Plan covers the C&F branch of the Reading from Alburtis to Chapmans, including the Lehigh Cement plant (I model the 50's) in Fogelsville.

--Randy

[Gary S]

Randy, I'm assuming those are 1 foot squares?

[rrinker]

Randy, I'm assuming those are 1 foot squares?

Yes.

--Randy

[mountaingoatgreg]

Randy

Looks like you have a very unique space to work in, I am glad my walls are not like yours.
I have poked around your website a little and I am impressed with how organized your electronics are, not a rat nest in sight.

I do have a few questions...

1.) are you dead set on having continous running? If so why?
2.) What is the size of train you plan on running?
3.) What method of operations are you planning on simulating (CTC, TO, Yard limits)

I look forward to seeing some updates, both here and on your website!

[rrinker]

Randy

Looks like you have a very unique space to work in, I am glad my walls are not like yours.
I have poked around your website a little and I am impressed with how organized your electronics are, not a rat nest in sight.

I do have a few questions...

1.) are you dead set on having continous running? If so why?
2.) What is the size of train you plan on running?
3.) What method of operations are you planning on simulating (CTC, TO, Yard limits)

I look forward to seeing some updates, both here and on your website!

1. Yes, I defintiely want a continuous run option. I am not what you'd call a "die hard" operator - sometimes I like to just let'em roll, or just run around and drop and pick up cars without being under a set schedule. Also I will be runnign this by myself most of the time. I am also not one of those types who rusn trains only twice a month - once to stage the layotu before an operating session and then at the operating session. This contributes to my slow building - once I have enough track down to do something I end up running trains as much as building when I walk into the room.
2. Train lengths are short - about 10 cars tops. Unless I just want to see something roll.
3. That's something I haven't found out yet - although the line was unsignaled so it probably was TO. That doesn't mean I might not go back and install a CTC system just because I like doing it. Trains servicing the branch in Reading days came out of Reading and went East to Alburtis and then up the branch, although there is also reference material with a train sent west from Allentown as well. Power was almost always an AS16 but that isn't goign to stop me from running RS3's and GP7's. Or my T-1's which almost certainly wouldn;t have been able to traverse the actual branch, and as far as I know never actually did.


--Randy

[mountaingoatgreg]

Randy,

Thank you answering my questions...helps me to visualize "The Plan" and be able possibly add some ideas.

#1 The Blue line I figure is the Backdrop? If so would it be feasable to have the m/l sneak behind the backdrop and then re join the track from Reading? (Upper left hand corner) sort of diguise the loop.

#2 Have you considered adding a set of crossovers in Chapman to facilitate switching and access to the cement plant. If you are following a prototype and their isn't one I get it.

#3 How high off the ground is the layout, looks to be in the 50" range?

#4 Have you figured out how you will enter the layout room? duck unders, swing bridges?

#5 Sure you cant put a wye in the uppper lefthand corner and run a track over the the workbench??

Keep us posted on the progress!!!

[rrinker]

Randy,

Thank you answering my questions...helps me to visualize "The Plan" and be able possibly add some ideas.

#1 The Blue line I figure is the Backdrop? If so would it be feasable to have the m/l sneak behind the backdrop and then re join the track from Reading? (Upper left hand corner) sort of diguise the loop.

#2 Have you considered adding a set of crossovers in Chapman to facilitate switching and access to the cement plant. If you are following a prototype and their isn't one I get it.

#3 How high off the ground is the layout, looks to be in the 50" range?

#4 Have you figured out how you will enter the layout room? duck unders, swing bridges?

#5 Sure you cant put a wye in the uppper lefthand corner and run a track over the the workbench??

Keep us posted on the progress!!!

1. Yes, the blue line is the backdrop. I supposr I could double-end the staging tracks, but the location a train moving left to right woudl enter the modeled portion would then be completely unrealistic. It's a thought though. I'd also probably have to cut a track out of the visible yard to fit it all.

2. It's built liek the prototype, as far as I can tell. On old maps that I have found it shows the only way to get to the cement plant was to pull into the yard and switch back. Unless you mean a crossover that gets you to the cement plant without goign to the yard first - even today it's not like that, the location of the cement plant is no an industrial park with tracks all over the place, and to get in there the train has to first pull into Chapmans and then switch back into the industrial park. The arrangement is almost identical to what's actually there - a siding splits off the main, then near the yard proper is a turnout that leads back into the industrial park.

3. However you figured the height, that's almost exactly it. 46" legs plus 2x 2" foam on top.

4. I was planning a liftout by the door. Nothign crazy, probably not even hinged. Although being only 2 tracks, allowign for reasoanble centers and space on the sides to clean raised side to prevent the great fall, I may just duck under - I'm thinking the width will be less than 6" for that section.

5. I did think about doing a wye there, but it started getting complicated again. There's also a closet on the wall tot he W side of the workbench, which I don;t really use and was planning to block, but now with the workbench there I cna still open one side of it - so maybe I shouldn't block it after all.

Today I finally got things properly organized - I bought a couple 7 drawer origanizers at WalMart and labeled the drawers and put stuff away logically, finally the top of the benchwork, not to mention my desk, is clear. And I have all my unbuilt kits on shelves over the workbench, stuff that's compelte is now in the sotrgae totes I have a mix of completed items and kits in. I have a LOT to build, but I want to try and focus on getting the benchwork done and at least the main down.

--Randy

[mountaingoatgreg]

Randy,

I was thinking for the backdrop have the mainline sneak behind the backdrop in the upper left hand corner near the corner of the "off limits" section. Train could work into town and have enough head room to pull down clear the switch and head back to start the runaround to head to the cement plant. The hole in the backdrop could easily be disguised with trees or buildings. Also you could stage a train from up the line just behind the backdrop and bring into into town then work the other way towards the staging yard. Just a thought!!!

Good move on getting organized, I still need to figure out how to do that

Post some pictures of your progress when you get a chance!!

[rrinker]

I think I get what you mean now - not sure how that would actually benefit though. Of course I am making the assumption that you know the area, which you probably don't. For 'realistic' operation with no roundy-rounds, the piece that would be removed is the upper left. In the 'real world' Alburtis is one and and the other end (modern day) is just past Chapmans. I think I was able to link the Bing maps views but not the vintage USGS topo maps of the area when I posted it on the Reading Modeler forum. Sometimes I post pictures on forums, but I'm on so many different ones I loose track, so I just keep a link to my site in my sig. There are updates since I started this thread - in fact I updated twice in the same week! A new record Tonight is train night, perhaps I will actually get somethign done for a change. No new stuff until after the new year so I have to work with what supplies i have on hand. Not really a bad thing - I have a shelf stacked to the falling down point with unbuilt kits of all types, most of which can be finished with the supplies i have on hand, and I have enough track to at least finish the main on the three sides I have built, enough cork to finish the whole thing, and enough wood to finish a few small tasks like my DCC shelf. In short - I have more than enough to keep busy through the winter without purchasing so much as another coupler or wheelset or paint.

--Randy

[ocalicreek]

Tonight is train night, perhaps I will actually get somethign done for a change. No new stuff until after the new year so I have to work with what supplies i have on hand. Not really a bad thing - I have a shelf stacked to the falling down point with unbuilt kits of all types, most of which can be finished with the supplies i have on hand, and I have enough track to at least finish the main on the three sides I have built, enough cork to finish the whole thing, and enough wood to finish a few small tasks like my DCC shelf. In short - I have more than enough to keep busy through the winter without purchasing so much as another coupler or wheelset or paint.

Although I share the same sentiment, I will probably purchase a few materials for the layout, and the big train show is coming up soon...hard to resist purchasing a treasure or two. But if you stick to it it's a very rewarding feeling, as you may well know, to do just what you're suggesting and chip away at that pile of kits. Once a person gets to the layout building stage where you can place a few structures and run a few trains, those old unbuilt kits can find a home!

thanks for sharing your progress!

Galen

[rrinker]

Yes, train show season... I'm probably only hittign 2 shows between now and the end of the year, perhaps just one. I will be at the Timonium MD show at the end of the month since I will be there with the RCT&HS modular layout, and I may or may not go to the First Frost meet at the Allentown Fairgrounds. I've been disappointed in the last two as it is almost nothing but hi-rail and an awful lot of just plain junk. My Christmas list always specifies a few train items, I put down specific part numbers for things like decoders I might need. I think this year I will fill up a shopping cart at Modeltrainstuff.com and print it out - any or all of these items will do for a great present!

--Randy