Georgetown Sub

[Matthyro]

Here is the track plan I have come up with which is in "gasp"HO. It is to satisfy the challenge I have been given by Val(spitfire) and Johnathan(Catt!) to try my hand at HO. It is L shaped and made up with one 4ft. by 2ft. module and one 5ft. by 2ft. module which gives me an L that is 4ft. on one side and 7ft. on the other.
Not much room for HO but then I just want to have a small switching layout. The double track CN main line runs through from one edge to the other. There are 5 industries and a small yard area. My plan is to have a number of box cars dotted around and two card sytems, one with the various car ids, one card per box car. The next set would be five cards, one for each industry. I would then shuffle the cards and draw one from each pile. I would then switch the car identified to the industry chosen. This should provide me with some switching fun, especially trying to keep the main line as free as possible for through trains.
The era will be the early 40s. I plan to have an 0-6-0 steam switcher and will model CNs #7395.

 

[Catt]

Looks good to me buddy.

Ok Val,let's see your N scale plan.

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Robin I don't think you will be able to get anywhere near that amount of track and turnouts in that space, but best of luck!

 

[Matthyro]

I know what you mean Tyson, that's an N gauger for you EH!!
I will see what fits when I get started on this.

 

[spitfire]

Wow Robin - that's 20 turnouts you have there!!!! You must have won the lottery!!!!

Anyway, I think it's totally cool that you are doing an HO diorama. I will get to work on my N-scale trackplan ASAP!! Stay tuned.

Val

 

[Will_annand]

That is a lot track and switches there Robin.

I hope it will all fit, remember HO is twice as big as N so you only get 1/2 the trackage.

4x7 HO, think 2x3.5 N.

 

[60103]

Robin:
I have a box of HO sectional track that I don't see a use for. May also have some old Peco turnouts. Can you use ? or are you going to handlay?

 

[Matthyro]

No handlaying for this project David. I will be interested in the sectional track and any switches you have. Just e-mail me here:
matthyro@hotmail.com
Thanks
Robin

 

[Drew1125]

Hey, good luck to you with your challenge!
As an N scaler who's switched to a larger scale, I still find myself "thinking" in N scale...The challenge is to get myself "thinking big", so to speak...
By the same token, in some ways, you have to think smaller...in the sense that you can't get as much HO RR in the same space that you could in N scale...A four car train in HO is probably the length of 10 or 12 car train in N...and then there is the width dimention to consider...
I'm off on an attempt at modeling in O scale now, & I've been thinking in terms of a scene being 12" deep...in N scale, you can model a scene with quite a bit of depth...at least 2 or 3 tracks, & still room for scenery, structures, etc...
Tghe same depth in O scale is going to limit me to a single track, & some very shallow scenery...

 

[Matthyro]

Good luck with your O gauge effort Drew. I would like to get into O but space and cost are both prohibitive.

 

[sumpter250]

Val,
You will find, as I did with the N module, N scale isn't as small as you think it is!

For those who have stayed in one scale "forever", modeling in a different scale is an adventure! Doing some N scale work, after modeling in HO for so long, forced me to work to finer tolerances. The experience improved my HO scale modeling. Things that I thought were not worth the effort to build, became much easier.

Robin,
Do they make cardboard boxes "big" enough for HO scale?

If the two of you post some pics now and again, this could be an interesting thread to watch! :thumb: :thumb:
Pete

 

[Drew1125]

....If the two of you post some pics now and again, this could be an interesting thread to watch! :thumb: :thumb:
Pete

You can say that again! :thumb:

 

[Matthyro]

As this is the track planning forum, I was thinking I should post any further photos in the HO forum or the photography forum. What do you guys think?

 

[MasonJar]

Robin...

Neat challenge! I think it belongs here in the planning forum. Maybe we could have a sticky in General (or something) directing spectators to the action!

Looking at your small yard, I think that you will be hard pressed to make it work as such. At the modular club, we deal in the "2x4" all the time, and there is not as much room as you think! You might be better off with another industry (plus you'd save on all those turnout$... ).

Which 0-6-0 are you thinking about? I have a P2K, and it is a gem. I put a sound decoder in it a while ago, and I love it... The only drawback is despite all Life-Like's research, it is not exactly a "typical" CN switcher, so if you are up for more of a challenge try to find the undec model. That will give you all the options for the tender and other details like the headlight.

Andrew

 

[Matthyro]

Andrew. I am sure the track plan will go through radical changes as they often do when we make them. Who makes the P2K. I have been looking at a Bachmann Spectrum 0-6-0 but I would have to make huge changes to get it looking close to a CN one.

 

[MasonJar]

Hi Robin,

The "P2K" is the Proto2000 Heritage Line, from Life-like. It is a great runner. I got mine from Dave Cool of Canadian Express Lines a while back. I think his price is now down around CAN$150; you can do better from US mail order, but don't forget to factor exchange and shipping...

Andrew

 

[Matthyro]

Thanks Andrew and another cost for US mail order is "CUSTOMS" I just got dinged today $27 in customs duties for a $140 order.
I plan to go to my LHS on the weekend to see what they have.

 

[Matthyro]

I know many of us talk about the radical changes we make from the original paper plan we create. The same is true with the Georgetown Sub. I finished laying track today and instead of re-drawing the plan I took three photos to show how the track actually turned out. There are 20 switches, 2 long radius and 18 medium radiius Peco switches. It has taken 16 sections of flextrack. I know the whole thing is over crowded with tack but my objective in all this is for a switching puzzle. There will be 6 industries and six box cars. I will use a dice. The first roll to determine the industry, the next roll to determine which box car will have to go to that industry. After a given time there will be a requirement to set up a train on either the east bound main or the westbound main. I have an 0-6-0 and an 0-8-0 switchers to do the work.
There is a run around on the north side of the mainline and another on the south side.
This first photo is of the east side

 

[Matthyro]

The second photo shows the centre of the layout

 

[Matthyro]

The third photo shows the west end