Well I guess I'm bored, heres an idea I came up with, seems a little scenic ridgeish to me, but its got some roundy round action wich I kinda like, and a little operation thrown in there too. Pretty much I've decided on simple, and since I'll build a bigger separate yard later, I can make more room for a little broader curves where I can, and mess around with scenery. Bascially the blue track is elevated. the ghosted out track is in a tunnel, I added in some not to actual size boxes to give an idea of whats gonna go where, I pretty much tossed out my logging idea because of all the logging stuff I want to include just would not fit with all the other stuff, so I'll save that for the BIG DREAM layout. (ya know when I buy a house and have a giant basement) So I dunno, I'm not quite sure I know what I'm doing yet, let me know what you think, Thanks!
The plan looks pretty good! However I would make these changes to help with operation: If I've learned anything from my 2x4' SD&AE layout it's this: your passing siding length is always a limiting factor, so make them as long as possible. I would make the passing siding at the bottom longer, maybe extend it around the curve on the right side or something, but DO NOT EXTEND IT INTO THE TUNNEL, no matter how convenient that may seem at first. tunnel + switch = access and operating nightmare Also, in the middle where there is the diagonal track with the industries and the mine, I would add a runaround track so an engine from either direction can run around a cut of cars to switch a facing point spur.
This was going to be my suggestion. This is very similar to what I'm working on - discussed in another thread about a hollow core door layout. No need to repeat it here. This is your thread. Best of luck!
Well since I'm using a trial version of track planning software, I lost the above plan when I did a software update, but I took the image and opened it up in photoshop and messed around with it a bit there. so I took some of the suggestions, and moved a few things, maybe this is close to what you guys suggested? also for the passing siding im trying to figure out some ways to extend it, may flip it around to the other side of the track but thats going to really push it up to the edge of the door, but we'll see, heres a revised plan NOTE that the mine will be moved down closer to the tracks, was too lazy to move it in photoshop. Thanks!
yup its more or less one of those smack yourself moments. I've been playing around with the plan using Carstens fix. only thing now is i need to change how the track gets to the mine because the space where its going to be is elevated higher than where the other industries and town is. Not sure I'll be able to do a runaround there since im planning on having a bridge there, but ill probably do a turnout a little further up and just do a double track bridge. I'll try and get a plan with the changes up later. I sorta took a days break from the plan because it was starting to make me go crazy.
Alrighty well, I've got a final plan that I really like, its a little different than what has been posted. What ended up doing was taking out the figure 8 part and opened up the middle to make more room for just about everything. It still loops around itself and I think it looks pretty good, its got a lot of elements that I was looking for and I think I found a happy medium between all of those. I dont have file of the track plan, I was kind of an idiot and forgot to get a screenshot of it before i closed to program, maybe I should have dropped the $35 to buy it? oh well I have a good sketch and can redraw it, and I think I'm heading over to Home Depot this evening to pick up a sheet of pink foam. Then I can get building! Thanks to everyone who gave me ideas and helped out. I hope at some point I can help someone else out.
