New MoPac layout -shelf layout end to end

Colonel Jul 31, 2012

  1. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Just an update on progress MC and I have been exchanging ideas and hopefully soon we will have a draft design.

    We don't want to post until we are satisfied with our plan otherwise it will just get too confusing with our ideas.

    On another note today I bought and over of test track to play around with the new loco and my venture into DCC. Once the powercab arrives and I have set up a few tests I will post some video.
     
  2. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    M.C and i have been exchanging ideas and designs for the past 6 weeks and today we are at a point we can share what is looking to be the final design of the layout.

    Here is a description that M.C has documented about the layout

    The plan has the river pushed to the back of the alcove, a ship-to-rail loading dock and crane, some warehouses, a dockside yard and then two tracks of visible staging representing traffic to and from the larger off-layout yards of the MoPac and MKT lines.

    In this scenario the ficticious St. Louis Belt (or you could pick any one of the small industrial belt lines around St. Louis) picks up cuts left from either line, services the industries, and the sets out cars for either line to pick up.
    (There's also a mini-staging area of about 4 cars at the upper left of the layout, as that track cuts through town to link up with the MoPac interchange yard on the north side of town)

    This design has the advantage of having a larger, more realistic port scene (as well as space to model a larger ship) and a more useful yard/storage space that can be used for either the port or for shuffling cars about to be set out for MoPac or MKT pickup.
    Of course, you don't need to "protolance" a St. Louis Belt Line, and could easily have MoPac have trackage rights through the industrial district (or share it with the Brewery's own switcher).

    Other variations include flipping the food distributor one way or the other, depending if you want more facing or trailing point turnouts, and the arrangement of the Industrial Belt yard at the bottom left: one design has 3.5 storage tracks and space for a small engine shed & service facility, while the other has 4 storage tracks of equal length (six 50' cars), leaving the loco to sit in the overflow pocket at the bottom of the runaround.
    You could extend the Belt / Brewery yard one extra car by taking the tracks almost all the way to the end.
    In that case I'd probably put a highway overpass where the road is drawn now to "bookend" the scene.


    [​IMG]

    I think M.C has done a fantastic job taking my ideas and then designing a switching layout with exactly what i require. look forward to hearing your comments about the design.
     
  3. Alan

    Alan Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Looks very good to me. Packs a lot into the available space without looking overcrowded. Should be great to operate and be visually attractive.

    As you have all the dimensions, will you start making sections of it before moving, or wait until you are on site?
     
  4. scopewime

    scopewime TrainBoard Member

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    That looks very well to me. I am personaly not so much a friend of End-to-End designs, because I like to see trains running, but as Alan mentioned this is a very compact but not overloaded design.
    Will be a pleasure to see the layout design getting real.
     
  5. PaulBeinert

    PaulBeinert TrainBoard Supporter

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    Paul,
    M.C. did a nice job for you. Enjoy building it!
     
  6. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Yes i was the same but i got sick of watching trains going round and round and wanted more operational opportunities :)
     
  7. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    No I will start collecting cars etc but no building until the move
     
  8. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    As long as it makes you happy, that is what matters most.

    That water area will be a nice looking scene. I have seen layouts where modelers used colored stained glass for water. It already has ripples and is vey shiny and easy to keep clean. You might explore that material for a quick water effect.
     
  9. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Yes i need to look at whats best for the water affect
     
  10. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I'd say there's more than enough in that plan to keep you plenty busy.
     
  11. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Yes am really looking forward to building it
     
  12. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    I was resisting the urge to criticize the plan, after all it's your layout and you seem happy with the plan. But...

    Since you are looking to increase operation there are some changes that might increase your train movements. The area where the food distributor is located could be made into a very interesting scene unto itself. Instead of just one spur you could create a switch back and add a small runaround so that several car spots could be added there. I'm thinking you could remove that town scene and have much more there. If you plan to have more than one operator, then an additional operator could be assigned the industrial district, it would have all it's own trackage and be clear of the mainline, thus keeping someone busy for quite some time. It might also be a good place to have a local power unit that is captive such as a 44 tonner or some other smaller switcher. Because it is industrial trackage you could use small radius switches to reduce the length of the switches there as well.

    I suppose what I am thinking of would look something like john grants sweet home chicago layout. Lots of tall brick buildings with some tracks angling between the structures and some of the buildings supported on columns over the tracks. Like a hold over from 1920's style of architecture and industry. Considering the time period you are modeling this would not be out of place.

    Additionally, the track work could be as simple as a long switch back with one long double ended siding. It would be a shared track for the various industries. To spot the cars there the local would have to shuffle them so as to spot some back in place for loading.

    Also, It seems your yard tracks can handle a loco and 8 cars or so. Since this is your average train length the Mopac line going under the bridge seems too short. If you have it come off sooner so that that line is longer, you could have visible staging for en entire train waiting to arrive in the yard thus adding a mainline type movement to your operation.
     
  13. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks Geeky will take a look although I have to be careful because that area is also a scenic break. I am planning on a full operational road crossing there that will require special operating instructions when switching the food industry and the scrap metal yard.

    Appreciate your comments it is better to get the design right before I build
     
  14. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    Had a hunch it was already spoken for, but if you turn the structures into flats, there's plenty of space.
     
  15. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    One question I have is would the brewery have its own switcher and crew or would I utilise a local service to switch the brewery?

    Maybe I can have a combination of both possibly a Sw7/9 or a MP15
     
  16. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    It certainly could have one. That would add nicely to operational interest.
     
  17. yankinoz

    yankinoz TrainBoard Member

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    Hey Paul thanks for the link.

    Resist the urge to fill every square foot with track :) There's a lot of room for scenery and stuff here and that's a good thing.

    SNAP switches are really sharp - like an 18" Radius curve without an easement. Consider reworking those into number 4 switches (smother and more reliable.)

    There's a lot of points close to and on both sides of the right side of the lift out section. Consider moving the points away from the edges to make the lift easier and more reliable.

    Otherwise looks good. Can you manage some staging into the next rooms?
     
  18. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks Rob yes will most likely use number 4 switches rather than snap and take your point on the removable section
     
  19. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Does anyone know if a vertical lift bridge is available in HO? I maybe modifying the current design
     
  20. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    A little more tweaking to the design, after playing around with the program switchlist I needed to name industries. I also decided the layout needed a team track to increase operations.

    [​IMG]
     

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