First order of bidness: The movement to create a B&P committee has been heard. Popular vote determines if this committee should be created. All in favor? sign1
First Draft of the lower ("branch" line) level can be found below:
(larger image - can be found here:
http://goodman312.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p838543005-5.jpg - 1099x850)
(Abusively large here:
http://goodman312.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p838543005.jpg - 3299x2551)
Some points of interest:
- the loop labeled 40" radius will serve as a small - medium sized town with a yard that can accomodate 12 - 18 car trains - maybe shorter. I haven't figured out details yet, other than the engine servicing facility will be in the area to the left (see the roundhouse). This loop also forms one of the reverse loops.
The big problem here is the reach. Even with an access area in the middle of the loop, the tracks along the wall are going to be a tough reach around the left end of the long bridge.
I may add a larger river between the end of the yard lead and the turnback "junction". I hope to disguise the latter as a branch to "somewhere else"
The second turnback loop starts at the junction just prior to the main going through the wall. The main will start up grade here (1%), the "spur" reconnects via a crossover after looping back through another tunnel at the left end of the wall - this line will remain flat.
After crossing the return loop turnout, the main line's grade will increase from 1 to 1.5%, drop back to 1% after line crosses over itself (+6 inches at this point), and will stay at that grade around the right end of the room and across the long bridge at the top of the image. The line will enter a tunnel / helix shortly after completing the bridge crossing (approx +9"). The grade will increase to 2% through the 30" radius helix.
Some scenic points of interest for me are some good bridging - such as at the junction to turnback loop #2, and the loooong bridge at the top. The latter is inspired by a unusually long ex-B&O viaduct in the Central Ohio area in Orient, OH. The real one is about 1100' long crossing over the Big Darby Creek. (
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...156&spn=0.004534,0.008283&t=h&z=17&iwloc=addr)
The flat "spur" that forms one side of turnback loop #2 has an undetermined finish. It could be staging after the turnback crossover that could loops back through the wall at the right end (in which case it could also fill the roll as the end of the turnback loop), an industrial area with some good switching potential or ? At the very least, there will be one track heading back this way, even if it's stub ended, to service the modeling / reloading table (lower right corner). Perhaps I can call it the car shop...
Now I need to present this to the rest of the committee. Any ideas on any one's part is welcome. Look at one of the larger linked images if possible, there are some "topo" lines that suggest what the terrain will look like that may not show up in the attached image.
Incidentally, as I was drawing this I got curious what the grades were on my current layout. Armed with a laser level and a ruler, the steepest continuous grade I was able to measure was about 2.8% - considerably steeper than the attached design. Cool beans
Again, sorry for the length!
Matt