Ballantyne Division's Closure

Herc Driver

Active Member
Due to unanticipated locational requirements, the right of way was removed from the current layout area and permission granted to relocate the existing layout to land occupied by much younger but no less interested train enthusiasts within the managing family. The Ballantyne Division will continue to operate until the construction phase of a new layout starts. A new layout is now formally in the planning stage that will occupy a very different area with certain design limitations.

The total layout must rest on top of a 2' x 16' shelving unit. I would like one mainline that loops around the entire shelf layout with a main yard for passenger and freight cars, and one siding as a passing track off the mainline. Right now, a simple dog-bone design is in the planning stages with the overall shelf length divided up to represent an industrial area, passenger station area, and small rural city area. There will be minor grade changes along the back of the shelf track with the possibility of bridgework incorporated into the design. Since the width of the layout is tight, I must accept using 9.75 or 10" radius track for the mainline curves - which is completely not prototypical for passenger and larger diesel operations, but necessary due to room limitations and might possibly be hidden by removable mountains at each end of the layout to cover the glaring track problem. The goal of this layout will be the ability to run long 6 to 8 car passenger trains continuously while a 15 to 20 car freight train waits on the passing track for its turn to run. Cars will be spotted and trains built up in the yard and car deliveries will occur at a couple of turnouts servicing various industries.

Flex track will be used to minimize track joints, and snap track used for the curves. A turnout provider has not yet been selected. (All currrent railroad equipment runs well with no derailing on the 9.75 snap track radius curves now, so I expect they will run well on the new layout.)

Construction will begin this winter commencing with the permanent attachment of the shelving units to the wall. After that...one or two inch foam board will be affixed on top the shelves and the layout will be built on that.

All suggestions/ideas for this tight layout design are welcomed.
 

csxnscale

Member
Just one suggestion, use a 19" snap track curve to enter the 10" or 9.75" curves, it will work like an easement.
Paul
 

baldwinjl

Member
Just one suggestion, use a 19" snap track curve to enter the 10" or 9.75" curves, it will work like an easement.
Paul
I'd use flex on the curves to get an actual easement and reduce the joints. You might grab some of the shorter (Athearn Overland) passenger cars, the longer ones can make it, I think, but will take up a lot of space. That would give you an excuse to get a steamer!

Jeff
 

jesso

Member
Oh no! Another great layout going down?! Oh well, at least 16' will allow for some of your great scenery. I like the mountain idea over the curves. When I first got back into trains, one of the members let me borrow his old layout and he had a curve covered and it was really neat to watch the train go in straight and come out straight, to me it made the layout "seem" even bigger (just remember to leave yourself a way to get into the tunnel in case of problem/cleaning).
 
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