Layout Critique

[91rioja]

Hi all! Just found this place today. I'm getting back into the hobbie after about 20+ years. I have spent many an hour working on a track plan that a) fits the room I have, and b) works for me until I get a bigger room.

What I have come up with is a 9 x 5 with a a 2 x 3 extension in the bottom right corner. The 2 x 3 has my coal mine, and the 9 x 5 is for running. No hills and valleys yet, just flat. I would appreciate any comments on the plan. It uses #4 and #6 Custom Line Switches and all 22" radius turns.

I'll be running my N&W J, my N&W GP-9, and my N&W GP-35.

Rip it to shreads, ya'll!

Chris

 

[jim currie]

welcome to the gauge Chris looks like it might work you going DCC or DC ?

 

[91rioja]

right now, I am just DC. DCC is in my future, though.

my biggest problem right now is the lack of space, and the last time I checked, the coal fields of WVa weren't on flat land. The size I can work with doesn't lend well to much up and down.

 

[green_elite_cab]

seems liek a lot of complicated back and forth switching. it can get on your nerves after a while. you might want to change some of those idustrial spurrs you have there.

 

[davidstrains]

That 5' width is quite a bit if you should ever have to rerail cars on the far tracks. If you have access on all sides you are okay.

 

[shaygetz]

Welcome to The Gauge, Chris

The maintenance headache you'd be heading for with those switches to the right on the back of the loop make for quite a reach when (not if---when...no optimist here ) derailments occur. The same would be a problem towards the back as well, a 5' reach to those switches might have you heading face first into your countrysideops:

 

[zedob]

Welcome to The Gauge, Chris

The maintenance headache you'd be heading for with those switches to the right on the back of the loop make for quite a reach when (not if---when...no optimist here ) derailments occur. The same would be a problem towards the back as well, a 5' reach to those switches might have you heading face first into your countrysideops:

Was Murphy a model railroader?

 

[91rioja]

I've got a 10 x 11 room, so I should have enough all around.

Anyone got any ideas on height? I'd like to go up and down on this one.

Chris

 

[Triplex]

If you have a 10x11 room, you can go around the walls and use space more efficiently. Where's the door? Or is there something that prevents you from running along the walls?

 

[91rioja]

The room has a window down one of the 10' sides, and the door is at an angle in a corner; it opens inward and is a double French door. The room was designed for a study. Really the only two usable walls are the parallel 11' walls.

 

[MasonJar]

Can you post a diagram of the room? Show windows, doors (and where they swing). I am sure that we can help figure somethign out. Round the walls is a much better use of space, and will allow a more "prototypical" railroad (assuming of course that is what you want - it is yours after all...).

Andrew

 

[91rioja]

Mason and others:

Here is the room I have to work with.

Chris

 

[cidchase]

Hi Chris,
Here's a real rough idea for using the walls without a duck-under. It probably has
some tighter curves, but could have a continuous run double tracked main, and room
for the yard on the left. Just something to ponder/play with. :thumb: :thumb:
I also don't know how agreeable you are to crossing the window.

 

[91rioja]

Crossing the window is not an issue; it has blinds and as long as I keep the track level above the sill, I can still open it if I wish. The only thing I do not want is a duck under at the door. I can't have one anyway since the doors open to the inside.

Chris

 

[pgandw]

An improvement to Cid's plan would be to put a lift bridge or gate between the 2 lobes. this would give a doughnut main shape with the branch down the left wall.

As drawn, the Cid's turnback lobes don't have enough aisle space between them. And to compress them would sacrifice your 22" radius - every 2 inch increase in radius subtracts 8" from your aisle.

The 3 most practical shapes for continuous running I can see are something along the lines of Cid's drawing, the mentioned doughnut with a branch, and something similar to your shape of a table with a branch.

If you don't need a continuous run, the possibilities expand.

Your givens/druthers now come into play as the options get narrowed down.

You mentioned the locomotives you have. What other locos do you anticipate or wish for?

How long a train would do you envision running - the longest practical by my rule of thumb would be 6ft given 22" radius curves. That's equivalent to an engine, 9 40ft cars, and a caboose. Is that acceptable? Are fewer cars acceptable?

Will you be running passenger cars? How important is the 22" radius?

How many operators do you normally anticipate? How many trains to be running simultaneously? DC or DCC?

How important is cost? Do you have time to build an around-the-walls layout? Are you confident you can build a working lift bridge or gate for a doughnut configuration?

yours in planning

 

[91rioja]

The 3 most practical shapes for continuous running I can see are something along the lines of Cid's drawing, the mentioned doughnut with a branch, and something similar to your shape of a table with a branch.

If you don't need a continuous run, the possibilities expand.

I would like to have a continuous run loop for one train to run, and an out and back to run a second train independent of the one on the loop.

You mentioned the locomotives you have. What other locos do you anticipate or wish for?

What I have mentioned will most likely be what I run. I do have the J Series Streamliner and three passenger cars which may see a few rounds on the track, but it is not my main focus. I will more than likely run older 4 axel geeps, but I do not want to limit my trackage; if I find a larger diesel, I would like to have the radius available to run it without issues.

How long a train would do you envision running - the longest practical by my rule of thumb would be 6ft given 22" radius curves. That's equivalent to an engine, 9 40ft cars, and a caboose. Is that acceptable? Are fewer cars acceptable?

I am not looking for long coal drags, so somewhere between 2 and 9 is acceptable.

Will you be running passenger cars? How important is the 22" radius?

Yes I will be running my three passengers, though not the main focus

How many operators do you normally anticipate? How many trains to be running simultaneously? DC or DCC?

Just me. Maybe my wife will watch. DC right now, maybe DCC in future. My J is the only one with DCC built in.

How important is cost? Do you have time to build an around-the-walls layout? Are you confident you can build a working lift bridge or gate for a doughnut configuration?

I don't want to go to the poor house just yet. I see this more as a work in progress, a few pieces at a time. The most important part is the benchwork, of which I already have a 4 x 8 table built at 40" high. So, building things is not an issue.

It is looking like an around the walls is going to be the way to go.