Give this a wack:

[Rusted]

My plan is to have a turn around for my HO layout in a separate room from the rest of the track. The notched out portion of the design is the rock wall I must cut around to get into the other room.

To put the space to work, and to show off the layout, as this will be the first thing viewed by visitors, I've planned a quarry on a local site. It will be a quarry that processes and ships ground calcium carbonate. They ship out about 10 covered hoppers a day and up to 3 boxcars a day.

I would love your opinion on the location and length of the siding and spur that comes off it. Also, what are your thoughts on the storage track extended from the siding?

Will it switch easily, is there enough room to drop off and pick up on the same trip? Etc.?

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Looks good to me. Don't see why you would need the storage track for the quarry. I would keep it though cause you can never have too many storage tracks.

 

[kettlestack]

It looks prototypical to me Rusted. It has everything a quary needs and nice radii for the turnaround.
The runround track makes switching a cakewalk.
Nice planning!!

Errol

 

[Rusted]

I put the storage track in b/c the prototype near me always has a bunch of cars stacked up on a nearby siding. I didn't want a double loop around the back b/c of the hassle of getting to it. (Advice I picked up on the Gauge

Thanks for the encouragement, this is the first time I've tried not too cram 3 lbs. of boloney in a 1 lbs. package on my layout.

Is anyone else using this much space for so little purpose? If so, how satisfied were you when it went into operation?

 

[shamus]

Hi Rusted,
The plan looks good, I myself don't like cramped trackwork, always just enough track to do the job. Many people cram as much trackwork as they can onto their baseboards and leave nothing for scenery and structures. I know, we have all done it in the past. (I have also) but not any more.
Keep going the way you are, and your layout will look and work very well indeed.
Shamus

 

[Lighthorseman]

Thumbs Up!

I think that looks excellent, Rusted! Please be sure to show us your progress.

 

[60103]

Rusted: I like it. Is this going up against a wall?
I don't know if you'll be able to get 13 cars a day out of that quarry. You will be blocking the main line when you shift cars from the loader to the spur, unless all the switching is done by the way freight. How much can you see around the corner? Is that the end of the rock wall, or are you just cutting a tunnel through it?

 

[Rusted]

The back will be up against a wall. The left side will have access. The notch along the top right before the curves go to the top is the 20" thick rock wall of the basement.

I should cut out some scale sized cars and push them around on a print out, shouldn't I? (or reduce the daily put outs/pick ups as need once built)

I hope to start making progress soon. I need to purchase the materials/kits to bash for the plant and conveyor so I have the final footprint before hammering anything together. That could be a couple of months or a couple of years