My first layout...suggestions?

[gcodori]

Well, I'm a newbie to the gauge, and wanted to say hello to everyone!

I am working on my first layout, and my first design. Let me give some background...

HO/HOn30 Dual Gauge railroad - not yet named
2x8 feet (2 modules of 2x4) - built to HOn30 module standards
Era - early to mid steam
Locale - West coast somewhere - will have SPNG influence, plus some south of the border motive power
Theme - Heavy urban - back side of town. Slums. Dock area. Engine maint and industry.

The turntable will be dual gauge and one stall of the engine house will be standard gauge.
The track from the turntable to the dock and the two dock sidings will be HO standard gauge operated by a small switcher.
The rest of the trackage is strictly HOn30.

Right now i am just playing around with operating possibilities of this design. I will modify the plan slightly to make the majority of the HOn30 trackage a timesaver (I'm missing a spur on the mainline). The HO gauge trackage to the dock is already an inglenook. So I will have two switching layouts in one!

Let me know what can be improved, I have learned so much from this group.

GregC

 

[TrainClown]

Hi, and Welcome.

I like your track plan. I also like the combination of HO and HOn30. I plan to do the same on my layout. My HOn30 line will be a mine train amidst the HO logging operation and main line through track.

Ya got to love those dual gauge layouts

TrainClown

 

[gcodori]

My goal is two fold...

First, I want to showcase the size difference between the two gauges. Always loved the look of the narrow gauge locos parked next to the standard gauge locos!

Second, the concept of the layout is that the standard gauge line operates the freight from the docks (like the Harlem Transfer RR or State Belt RR), while the narrow gauge serves the passenger and freight for the rest of the city.

Each RR is independant of each other, and must transfer their goods from standard to narrow gauge and vice versa (hense the two seperate switching puzzles).

GregC

 

[TrainClown]

My old track plan (the one I had before I went logging crazy) was a transfer type layout too. Only me transfering was done from sternwheeler to waggon, then up the hill to the train transfer station. There was a plan to put an HOn30 mine line on that layout as well. I like the narrow gauge engines, especialy the little ones. As long as it's Steam.

TrainClown

 

[MasonJar]

Hi Greg,

I have two questions -

I can't see your track plan - is your server/provider down?

And what do you mean by early to mid-steam in terms of actual years? I am interested beacuse I model 1920s and 1930s (although in eastern/southern Ontario, Canada).

Thanks.

Andrew

 

[gcodori]

Yes, my server is down. I will get it back up soon.

I am going for a pre WWII time period, but will not fix on one date, as I am going to use this module with a HOn30 group. Don't want everything to look odd if the occasional piece of rolling stock doesn't fit the period.

My influence is pre-1906 earthquake San Francisco water front narrow gauge/standard gauge, but with a "what-if" style of moving it all forward in time (long after the narrow gauge was torn up).

Also modelling narrow gauge lets you model up to the late 50's/60's, while still maintaining prewar (and even pre-wwI) motive power.

GregC