I guess I have to admit that I am sucker for feedback from my peers, so here goes. Pastoolio helped me with a new layout design after I abandoned the build out of version 2. I am quick to abandon a layout and rebuild when I realize it is just not turning out to be what I want. Many people think I am too quick to make this decision. Maybe I am just destined to just do bench work for the rest of my life. laugh: I don't take myself or my hobby too seriously, it is all about enjoyment and fun. I do enjoy building bench work and I hope you will enjoy viewing the images. I have about 50 of them on my blog if you are interested. Here is one image of the basic bench work plan. It is a dual level design. The room size is 18 x 25 and is somewhat limited due to ingress and egress. Only one level shown on the basic diagram below. There aren't any trains to look at or weathered rolling stock. In fact, the track plan is not even finalized yet. But, if you are still interested, there are a whole slew of bench work pictures here as I progress.
Chris: Good luck with the revised plan for the Appalachian Southern Layout. I'm surprised that you're going back to an upper level with a helix design. Have fun....
Chris, I was wondering when you were gonna start a thread on this Now comes the real feedback. Get ready for the helix comments... And man, you need to calm down with the benchwork! I think you assemble that stuff out in your sleep.... that must explain why it goes up so fast -Mike
I made a little progress today and have the pictures posted at The Appalachian Southern. Here is the final picture of the day.
I think you have completed three versions of your benchwork in the time it has taken me to learn how to solder a wire to a piece of flextrack without melting the 47 nearest ties. Good work! Jamie
The new design looks great, I hope this plan works out for ya. Keep up the great work. I asked for an update on your old thread on the n forum and then found this. JSL
Thanks for the comments guys. So far this is working out to be the layout I have always dreamed of having. I have not found one negative to its design and I am always hyper-critical of my work. I do know that when the track design is completed, I will work on laying track and running trains and enjoy that aspect some before moving on.
I don't know Chris, I'd just have the tracks follow around the benchwork. Put some towns here and there, but keep each sincere by having the tracks come and go only once through the scene. But it's totally up to you, it's your layout -Mike
Chris, I like the overall track plan a lot, especially since it is very similar to the one I am doing (and Mike's as well). One thing that I would change is how the tracks croosover at the foot of the peninsula. I have to admit, I was very tempted to do this myself and some of my original concept plans had that crossover sketched in. However, I realized that it would make it very difficult for an operator to follow his/her train as it crossed over to the other side of the peninsula. In this case, the operator would have to go over to the other side of the peninsula, and by that time the train would probably already be coming around the end so they would have missed the whole run along the other side. If staying with your train is important to you, I would strongly reconsider the criss-croos on the peninsula. Also, the train will be going left-to-right enetering the peninsula then would navigate the peninsula in the opposite direction. On my layout I have a hard rule that left = north and right = south at all times, but again this is just an operating feature that was a must-have for me. Jamie
Here is version 13 of the plan. More info at my website... Click here for more info. I would like your critique on this please.
