Hypothetical design problem
#1
I like to dream of havign the space for 'the big one' so I'm kicking around how to do what I envision as the ultimate layout for me.

The basic concept is a two track main with two branchlines. For those who want the details, I want to model from Reading to East Penn Junction, and have branchign off, well,a ctually 3 branches - the Allentown RR to Kutztown, the C&F to West Catty, and a portion of the Perk branch. Reading end would include the yard, and the Outer Station (goal to shoot for - be good enough at structure building to build a model of the Outer Station). Main line and Lebenon Valley sides would loop around on each other as staging - number of tracks needed for staging not determined at this point. There would be double track here to the other end except the Blandon Low Grade line - but in the mid 50's when it opened the old Hill track was still used as well. At TOpton we have the branch to Kutztown. At Alburtis we come off for the C&F. Emaus Junction for the Perk, and the end of visible track would be East Penn Junction (no Allentown yard). Past East Penn it would loop around to the Perk, like at the other end, with a staging yard connecting the ends. If possible, even connect the staging yards but that wouldn;t be a requirement of the design. I can draw up a schematic if the words don;t get the idea across.

Problem is - I can't think of how I can have someone follow a train along the 'main' AND have those various branch lines come out without having the mainline engineers have to duck under the branches, OR walk all the way around a pennisula to get to the other side to continue on with their train. Or, of they stay on the opposite side (works for all but the Perk), then the branch engineers have to duck under the main to get to the branch as their train heads off. I'm not a fan of duckunders, and not really a fan of a liftout that would have to be opened int he middle of an operating session.

ALl this is, natually, hypothetical as I don;t even have an idea of how much space I might need to get a reasonable representation of all this in, let alone if I will ever have such a space. But I like drawing and designing plans liek this.

--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad of the 1950's in HO

Visit my web site to see layout progress and other information:
http://www.readingeastpenn.com
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#2
As long as you're dreaming, one solution to this problem I saw somewhere was to build the layout on a false floor, maybe 12-18" off the real floor. This allows you to build a ramp or stairs down to the "real" floor where it is necessary to cross the layout. If the layout's height is set at eye level, you effectively turn duckunder into a walkunder. Quite a bit more structural engineering is required, though.

EDIT: another approach.Here's a diagram I drew up when I was trying to help a guy over on the MRR forums.

[Image: Layouttemp2.jpg]

There is no backdrop down the center of the benchwork from Middleboro to Buzzard's Bay.

The operator for the North Falmouth Branch starts out at Middleboro staging standing on the left side of the benchwork.
The operator for the main line train to Hyannis starts out at Middleboro staging standing on the right side of the benchwork.

The North Falmouth operator runs along the main and takes the left-hand wye to North Falmouth, does his work, then returns to Middleboro, always staying on the left side of the main benchwork.

Same deal on the right side with the main line operator.

This approach has some restrictions, as in it wouldn't work if the North Falmouth train also had to go on to Hyannis. The branch train must go back to the yard it came from. You may also have to play fast and loose with real world geography (i.e. turn west to east, etc) to make it work out. Not sure how to pull something off like this for two branches, either.

I don't think the guy took this approach, since he started asking about a different track plan and setting.

Food for thought, anyway Smile
--O'Dave
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#3
Actually the way you really want to work this is not to have balloon loop staging on each end. Doesn't fit the traffic patterns. What you really want is huge loops. You didn't specifiy an era, that makes a difference.

At Reading you basically have 5 routes out:
To the NW on the Main Line to St Clair
To the NE on the East Penn branch
To the SE on the Main Line to Phillie
To the SE on the Belt Line to Phillie
To the SW on the Lebanon Valley Branch

If you are doing steam era, the BIG traffic will be from St Clair to the Phillie Main and East Penn, if you are doing diesel era the big traffic will be from the Lebanon Valley to the Phillie Main and East Penn. The Belt Line runs mostly eastward, the Main Line from Phillie mostly westward.
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#4
O'Dave - that works excepto for one fly in the ointment - two of my planned branches go off in the direction of Middleboro but one would go off the opposite side. The raised floor stuff might end up being the way to go - this is a 'dream' design anyway. Or I could possibly eliminate modeling that one.

Dave - I do the mid 50's. I'm not too worried about the loops not fitting traffic patterns in the respect of restaging or reusing trains during a given session. I don;t see myself changing - in that I run trains ALL the time, so there's no way any layout I build will remain in a set status from one formal operating session to another. If a formal session with guests is scheduled, I will be spending time ahead of time configuring staged trains, so for example looping the Perk around ot East Penn, I will have one train set to come up the Perk adn 5 or 6 set to come through East Penn. Likewise the south end, I envision basically stopping at the river, so I have 3 directions to manage - looping two of them allows me to stage trains as if they are comign up the mian from philly, off the R&C, or off the crossline from Harrisburg. Yes I am somewhat ignoring the Belt Line - I had once considered having the main north from Belt Line Junction just go into staging but that would end up being used for a traint hat comes in off the south end, runs through Reading, and then into staging. Sort of a waste and I don't knwo who would want to even mark up for such a short run. Now if I end up with a barn to build in and can actual model some of the main line north.... My aim is indeed a 'dream' plan but also something manageable, with the focus being on the East Penn Branch and the rest mostly providing the supporting cast. As an alternative to putting bits of the entire Reading system in with each segment more condensed.

--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad of the 1950's in HO

Visit my web site to see layout progress and other information:
http://www.readingeastpenn.com
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#5
Are you trying to fit your hypothetical layout into a finite space? I'm curious about this because of my own hypothetical designs.
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#6
Well that's all part of the exercise. I was figuring to draw up some of the critical elements, particualrly the Readign end, and seeing how much space it took up. Nice thing about doing it in CAD software, I can take an entire section and group it and spin it around to fit it into various spaces. It all depends on where I end up, I havbe no need of a mansion, but I figure a 900-1000 sq ft ranch home with a full basement would be nice. Maybe not enough to fit this entire dream plan though. Or I could end out in the western part of this state where it would be inexpensive to build a larger external structure.

--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad of the 1950's in HO

Visit my web site to see layout progress and other information:
http://www.readingeastpenn.com
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