Here is my variation of the Sugar Creek Southern published in one of the Kalmbach books. It is 60" x 37.5" on a 1" blue foam base and a ladder frame made from poplar. I opted out from using a HCD because I wanted something very lightweight and portable. I am planning on building hills on the north end of the layout, hence the dip. I am not too much into operation and basically want to watch trains run. I added some turnouts to give me a little switching action and a staging area on the southeast end to store trains. Therefore, I am not a "purist" in modeling a particular prototype. I have positioned some track to give me an idea on how it would look. Any recommendation on making this newbie layout more interesting?
It puts a lot of track in a small space. If watching trains run is your main interest then it should work pretty well. There's no return loop, so wiring it should be rather straightforward. That's good. You might want to take the stub ended siding that parallels the dip and turn it into a passing siding. It doesn't need much more than an added turnout to make it one. I think that would increase the operating possibilities quite a bit.
I agree with Alcoman about the passing track. I'd also pull the siding that parallels the main line down and left to give room for small industries on both sides of the spur.
Hey guys, good call on the passing track and removing the siding. Since I already purchased the turnouts, I could just take the turnout for the siding and make a passing track where the "dip" is. BTW- left of the diagonal track cutting through the layout is "downtown" and right of the diagonal and in the smaller loop is for industries. Thanks for the feedback.
I just weighed the frame and foamboard and it comes it at a very mangaeable 14 lbs. Much lighter than a HCD.
You mean like this: I just may add DCC to make running two trains at the same time a challenge to not have them collide.
I'd stretch the passing track all the way to the right of the little loop. The way it's placed now the passing track is too short to allow access to the spur when a train is holding on the passing track. Depending on the length of the train being held, longer gives you both options simultaneously. If you straighten the spur to parallel the main as you had it originally there's more room for a second industry along the passing track as well.
Based on everyone's feedback, here is what I came up with: Thanks for all of your input. I am quite satisfied with it. All rail joints have been soldered (in sections) and now I need to install the roadbed.
Hi Sinner, you are working very fast, so this response will be to late. To much spaghetti indeed, but that would not be very important to me. The lack of a railroady feeling is worry-ing me. Beside some running around i do not see an operating (model) railroad. It might be not important to you, you will need access to 3, maybe even 4 sides of your empire. Which is making your plan a huge space-hog. I would try to change the footprint more into a U-shape. Probably you are way ahead and already laying track. I would surely go for a different plate of spaghetti. Paul
This plate of spaghetti is almost done. Sauce mixed-in and getting ready to put cheese on top. I'm not into operations, but this is probably something I will regret later on. I love structures and this allows me to place many models and let the trains run-around without too much intervention by me. The layout has moved into another room, sitting in a corner. The layout is not is not screwed onto the benchwork so I can slide it around if I need to access the side where it is laying against the wall.
hi Sinner, on your plan is a cross-over, just where the old part meets the new part, which creates a second route onto the loop on the addiition. Maybe you are still able to change the direction, then you have another possiblity to leave the oval on the extension. Thus creating another passing siding, which might be handy when running two trains at a time. Paul
Nice! I love spaghetti layouts. Any chance you'll post pictures of the whole thing? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpu122179sY
I like it, to be honest not sure why, but I like. I wish I could nail down a track idea/plan and move forward.
