A Look At Slate Creek.
#61
Larry;

Here's what I'd do with an N Scale version of the Palmetto Spur in your space:     The simple looking track plan is very deceptive and provides quite a bit of prototype operation in a small space. Just a matter of selecting Industries (A - B) that would have car spots for specific commodities. Plenty of ideas can found on The-Gauge.

I also added a third industry on the long lead to the team track area, which could be any number of things - a fenced in tank car unloading facility comes to mind. The team track of course could handle several different commodities for your off-line customers. There is actually enough room between the Industry B and team track turnouts to add a fourth separate track for Industry C if you wanted. And of course we have at least one street crossing to block while switching.

Also put in several non-rail served structures to give it that concrete canyon look and the highway overpass you mentioned. Having tried out an extended version of the Palmetto Spur myself, I can tell you that there is more to it then meets the eye.

Would be nice if you could add a removable staging track on the left side of the plan, if you can find the room and that would allow you to lengthen the tracks for industries A and B a little.
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
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#62
Ed,The Palmetto is basically what I'm looking for..

There's plenty of room at the industries,I can add scenery and maybe squeeze in a service road.
Larry
Engineman

Summerset Ry

Make Safety your first thought, Not your last!  Safety First!
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#63
Here is Lance's Palmetto Spur in N, with the fiddle yard and overpass that Brakie requested.
[Image: PalmettoN2.jpg?t=1319254057]

FCIN's layout's latest track-plan is also based on Lance's Palmetto Spur, you might want to check out his layout discussion for ideas.
Justin Miller
Modeling the Lebanon Industrial Railway (LIRY)
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#64
Guys,I'll use the Palmetto Spur as a guide since the plan is already spoken for but,it will be very similar to Ed's reverse Palmetto Spur plan with some personal tweaks.

As of now I have all the needed Peco switches and half the needed Micro Engineering flex track.The reason I'm behind is because I decided against using C80 (looked to large for industrial track) and I changed mid steam to C55-thankfully I can use the C80 flex that I ordered at the N Scale club.

Here's a plan I did based on my old "Pine Street Industrial" ISL that I built in '95.It was a fun to operate layout that gave me about 3 years of operation enjoyment..I sold this layout in '98.

[Image: SCRV1.jpg]
Larry
Engineman

Summerset Ry

Make Safety your first thought, Not your last!  Safety First!
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#65
Larry;

Mike came up with a very interesting variation of the Palmetto Spur in HO scale for you (posted on another thread). [Image: 6302685041_9b9e25dd0a_b.jpg] Since you're modeling in N scale, you should be able to expand this plan quite a bit and it sure looks to have a lot of operating potential.
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
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#66
Ed, Thanks for the shout out. Thumbsup

I chopped a foot off of the layout to make it 72x15 inches:

[Image: 6305622847_677f4094bd_b.jpg]

The spurs each hold 2 cars. The spur for Industry B can hold an extra 2 cars for switching moves as well as hold the switcher overnight. The drill track will hold the switcher and 2 cars. The interchange track holds up to 4 cars (5 cars if you are running 40 foot cars), so I would use 2-4 cars for an operating session. If you use a 12:1 fast clock ratio (where an 8 hour shift would be 40 minutes), then the switching could be done in about a half hour.

I used Atlas track and snap switches because of their availability and price, so feel free to substitute brands.

There's room for improvement, so feel free to add comments. Track could be added onto the ready mix track for various aisle side industries.
Mike Kieran
Port Able Lines

" If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be " - Yogi Berra.
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#67
Ed and Mike,You guys are giving me new ideas on Slate Creek.. Thumbsup
Larry
Engineman

Summerset Ry

Make Safety your first thought, Not your last!  Safety First!
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#68
Thanks Larry. Here's the dimensions that you gave me once, 84x14 inches:

[Image: 6306882916_82d1bb24aa_b.jpg]
Mike Kieran
Port Able Lines

" If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be " - Yogi Berra.
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#69
Mike,I been doing a lot of mental furniture and tote moving trying to gain more space.I would love to free up one wall but,I jest since that would be almost impossible unless I toss some furniture out Eek

Maybe Slate Creek would be better as one big industry?

I like the idea of a interchange track and maybe getting a 44 or 70 tonner.

We shall see.

I do appreciate the help.
Larry
Engineman

Summerset Ry

Make Safety your first thought, Not your last!  Safety First!
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#70
Brakie Wrote:Mike,I been doing a lot of mental furniture and tote moving trying to gain more space.I would love to free up one wall but,I jest since that would be almost impossible unless I toss some furniture out Eek ....
I had the same problem until I changed the furniture. My older furniture/cabinets blocked half of the wall and I ended up with 18' for my layout. The solution was to use kitchen cabinets from Ikea. I hung them at the wall and freed up the space below for the layout. I admit the old furniture was of no value and the room is a office not a living room. That made it easier. The other chance was the door. It opened to the inside. I changed it and the door opens to the outside now.
[Image: IMGP3728.jpg]
Reinhard
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#71
Reinhard,Nice idea but,there's the problem of finding space in other rooms for the furniture.

Odd how a simple and very basic N Scale ISL turned into Godzilla.
Larry
Engineman

Summerset Ry

Make Safety your first thought, Not your last!  Safety First!
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#72
Brakie Wrote:Odd how a simple and very basic N Scale ISL turned into Godzilla.

I hear that !!!

My ho-scale layout is simple and basic, yet it seems like a Godzilla-sized project, I think it is mainly lack of enthusiasm that keeps layouts from getting built, once you lay track and wire it up it will really boost your enthusiasm. The problem I have is that the scenery seems like a big project(even though it isn't). All I need to do is get some sculptamold, trees, and ground cover. It doesn't seem like much yet I can't get myself excited about working on it.

What really gets me excited about operating is hearing storys of working on the prototype, this makes me want to emulate that on my layout and gets me working on it.

If I were you I would do what Ed is doing, lay down some track is various plans and operate and see what plan works best, I learned the hard way that too much planning will get you no where.

I would go here: http://www.lancemindheim.com/blog.htm and go down to his August 1st, 2011 blog post and answer his questions, this should help alot (it did for me).
Justin Miller
Modeling the Lebanon Industrial Railway (LIRY)
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#73
Brakie Wrote:Maybe Slate Creek would be better as one big industry?

Brakie,

Have you considered doing a brewery? Plenty of different type of cars to be switched;
covered hoppers for grain, malt and cullet
tank cars for sugar and caustic soda(cleaning the brewing equiptment)
airslide or pd covered hoppers for rice
box cars for shipping out the finished product and for paper, cardboard
mechanical reefers for barley

Mine is freelanced and is approx. 19' by 18'' in HO, has spots for 22 cars with additional space for off spots.

Bruce
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#74
A single Industy ISL that uses between 2-4 cars per day is very possible. A manufacturing company would work :

In:
box cars (hardware, parts)
tank cars (paint, sealant)
lpg tank cars (propane)
covered hoppers (foundry sand)
covered hoppers (plastic pellets)
coil cars (sheet steel)
hoppers (coal/coke)

Out:
box cars (manufactured products)
flat cars (large manufactured products)
gondolas (scrap)

Or maybe a jelly plant to compliment Ed's (FCIN) peanut butter plant. There are many lunch rooms that need to be supplied with this staple of American cuisine.
Mike Kieran
Port Able Lines

" If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be " - Yogi Berra.
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#75
Guys,Hold the ideas..My eye test didn't go as well as I hope(a understatement-terrible would be a better word Eek ) and I may find the need to drop N..I'm going to wait and see how my new eyeglass prescription works on the wee scale.

I do appreciate and thank you for all the help and ideas..

Mike,Hold that thought on a single industry layout..
Larry
Engineman

Summerset Ry

Make Safety your first thought, Not your last!  Safety First!
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