Still plugging away at it….

Jim Spaulding

New Member
This is now revision 528 to the layout. I have split up the staging yards so that one may back a train to the other and re-use it without having to use your hands. Idea came from one of the articles that I liked.

I have spaced out some passing sidings, which should add to running more than one train.

I still don’t have a bypass for the industrial district nor do I have a way to turn around any trains on the mainline nor the switcher in the district. I would like to be able to turn the switcher though.



This version of the plan should be good for a few comments.

Thanks for your help.

Jim
 

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MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
Hi Jim,

That plan is really coming along! Two comments that I hope help you -

1) I would not worry about turning a switcher. As long as there is a run around somewhere nearby, that should be good enough. Switchers spend lots of time going "backwards" so I would not bother to try to turn it.

2) As for turning other locos - how much space is there at the "east" end of the area labelled "Town Station"? Could you run the siding straight onto a turntable, and put the associated structure to the "south"? I am not sure of the scale of your plan, so I don't know exactly how much room you have there. A 90' turntable has about a 13" diameter.

Ok, three comments - if I haven't said it before, take a look for articles by Art Curren in MR - he had lots of ideas about kit bashing, "structures as scenery", and how to make industrial districts appear bigger using "double sided" buildings.

That looks like it will be a lot of fun to operate, or just to sit and watch the trains run.

Andrew
 

Jim Spaulding

New Member
Hi Andrew,

Thanks for the comments. Plan scale is for HO and is 23’ X 23’. The real boss let me have the entire garage. Lower and east ends of the layout are 2.5’ deep. Where the staging yards are is now 3’ deep. I already know about the access and have a step stool to use should I have to, in order to reach behind the6’ - 8” or so backdrop that will cover the yards.

Mistake on the image is that the west and eastbound staging labels need to be swapped. My fault.

The idea of turning the switcher in the district: I’ll go with your idea and forget about it. I just need to place a run around in there for it to use.

Swing Gate: Got that article from another post (yours) in a different thread. It’s a great one. I was thinking of using a lift up for the access and placing lever switches under to break the current to the track when it was in the up position. Still working on that since I need a little space before to kill the power. Might do that in the curves.

Turning other locos: Didn’t think about a turntable in that area. Let me kick that around and see what I come up with. Might work out.

I also have several copies of different articles from Art. Have to re-read them and try to figure something out on that one. Might have to do that if I remove some industries to allow for some run around track (s).

I did remove the intermodel yard that I had placed in one of my other plans. Made more room for scenery and additional switching.

I’ll keep at it.

Jim
 

Jim Spaulding

New Member
Okay, I go again.

I have made some significant changes. They are as follows:

1. Added a bypass track so trains do not have to enter the town and industrial district.

2. Added a run around in the industrial district.

3. Added three short staging tracks for cars behind the town just above the district.

4. Added a storage track to the staging tracks to park the switcher (s)

I was going to play around with the idea of the turntable but been unable to locate an object in RTS for that. Might have to go out and purchase a full-blown program in order that will allow me to use current buildings and stuff. Although RTS seems to allow me to do (up to this point), everything I really need.

Here’s the revised plan.
 

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cidchase

Active Member
Hi Jim,
You really have something there!!! :thumb: :thumb:
If you load the Code 100 library there's a 9" turntable there. (#303)
which is really a #305, I guess??

If you load the HO structures there's a well-disguised roundhouse
that shows as a rectangle :D :D :D (#709)

If you load the Cornerstone lib there's a roundhouse but it doesnt
seem to fit the Atlas turntable very well. I think it's for 10 degree
stalls instead of 15 degree. :) :)
 

Pitchwife

Dreamer
cidchase said:
If you load the Cornerstone lib there's a roundhouse but it doesnt
seem to fit the Atlas turntable very well. I think it's for 10 degree
stalls instead of 15 degree. :) :)
What I did was to place the roundhouse as best I could on one end stall then used the photo program magic to correct the other end.
 

Jim Spaulding

New Member
Hi Cid & Clark,

Found it. I totally missed the turntable located in the track library. I was looking for it in all the structure libraries.

I also see what you mean by the round house not fitting the turntable. I don’t think that will be a big thing if I leave some extra room around the area so that when it comes time to build I’ll make things fit and have the room to do so.

Thanks for the help.

Jim
 

Pitchwife

Dreamer
Maybe this before and after picture will show better than I can describe. It was done using PSP.
 

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Jim Spaulding

New Member
Hi Clark,

That just might work out for my situation. Thanks a bunch.

Andrew,

Were you thinking of placing the roundhouse in the open section just east and a little south of the Marysville? Or were you thinking of replacing the single industry directly east near edge of the lift out section with the turntable?

Is there anything wrong with using instead of a true roundhouse say a rectangular engine house which I think would fit better? I’ve kinda been playing with both ideas and while it may not look great the rectangular building seems to fit a little nicer.

Just some additional thoughts that I would run by everyone.

Jim
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
Jim Spaulding said:
Hi Clark,

That just might work out for my situation. Thanks a bunch.

Andrew,

Were you thinking of placing the roundhouse in the open section just east and a little south of the Marysville? Or were you thinking of replacing the single industry directly east near edge of the lift out section with the turntable?

Is there anything wrong with using instead of a true roundhouse say a rectangular engine house which I think would fit better? I’ve kinda been playing with both ideas and while it may not look great the rectangular building seems to fit a little nicer.

Just some additional thoughts that I would run by everyone.

Jim

Hi Jim,

Neither - I was thinking of putting the turntable at the end of the line that you "straightened" directly east of the town in the middle of the layout. See the attached. I don't know how you'd want to reconcile this placement with the "yard" you have directly south of the town though... I don't know if there is a way to squeeze it in there.

As for a single stall, rectangular "roundhouse" - there is a prototype for everything. I wouldn't be too worried. I have seen pictures of a roundhouse with no turntable (just a ton of turnouts in front) and turntables with no roundhouses, or rectangular engine houses with parallel stalls coming off a turntable. Do what works with the space you have.

One thought I have for a steam servicing module I am building (only 2' by 4') is to have the roundhouse go off the edge of the module, and put a plexiglas "wall" up so people can see the interior... Don't know if it'll work, but it sounds like an interesting challenge :rolleyes: :D

Andrew
 

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Jim Spaulding

New Member
Got it. Thanks for the visual.

I’m not quite sure I have the room there for the turntable and building (of some kind). I do think that I can place it on the opposite side or remove the hill just south west of Marysville, which would place it in front of the Refinery.

Still, I’m not sure. Just playing around with ideas. Making tons of very minor changes etc… Trying to get the plan ready so when I have time to bolt up north to the new house I can work on it.

I might even submit my plan to the contest in a week or so.


Jim
 
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