I've been playing around with an HO scale switching layout on a hollow core door. Motive power is currently an Alco HH600, but we're bumping up a few generations to a Conrail SW1500 just as soon as Fedex shows up with it. The track plan is pretty simple within the size limits of the door. A lead track and three sidings. The idea is a rail-served brewery in the Northeast at an undetermined time. Problem is, there's a limited amount of action I can get into with this setup. I can play the Inglenook game, I can rotate the order of cars in each siding, but that's about it. Any suggestions on more switching action? I might plunk this down on a 10' long shelf in the far and distant future, in which case an interchange or a yard or something could be added.
An added shelf would open up a world of possibilities. Until such time, I was thinking a runaround track, and maybe a spur leading into that upper left area? A daily barge bringing in and taking away?
If this is supposed to be a US RR there are only "spurs" & no "sidings" on this layout. Also spurs usually don't have a full roadbed, i.e. they are more at ground level. A siding which has switch on both ends, could be put on the long straight track.. Put the industry spurs off one side of the siding. Off the other side there's room for a 2-3 track yard. This would more than double the switch moves.
Cajon, could you sketch an example of what you're talking about? It sounds interesting. I just have Bachmann EZ track right now.
Last one on the bottom is interesting if you do not mind tight curves. Judging by your motive power tight curves might be fun as they would actually look industrial. What size door are you going to use? http://www.thortrains.net/marx/drlayho1.html My advice from doing a door panel is that it's worth laying a base layer down so you can add a creek or swamp or whatever. If it's easy track, I'd say just get the door and lay out the easy track and see what happens. Look at plans and steal ideas then play with what you design.
Found the following plan that looked interesting. Not sure how I can make it fit the HCD, but it looks neat. http://www.huntervalleylines.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=32&fullsize=1
I'm strictly N scale, but I wonder if a HCD would allow enough room for a "Gumpstump" (http://archive.carendt.com/scrapbook/page38a/index.html), or some variation of it, in HO scale?
Well, since the first GS&S was HO on a 1x6 footprint, a HCD version would allow for a more realistic version like adding runaround tracks at the bottom and top and having more room for structures. Peter
Here's a very rough draft showing my suggestions. Hopefully you'll use flextrack so you're not "stuck" w/ the snap track version. Also to get a little more length to the mainline run it from corner to corner diagonally. This track arrangement isn't "cast in concrete". You can moving these tracks anyway you want.
Here's another version of you latest plan. RRs tend to keep spurs of any kind parallel to the main so they don't have to buy any more land than needed. Added extensions to each end of the mainline so there's room to work the yard w/ more than just one loco & car The one on left end is only long enough for just a loco. They can be temporary or permanent depending on available space off the ends. the spur of right end of siding could be the loco/caboose or team track. Moved yard office closer to station because that's usually where RRs put them. Don't know how many cars & locos you have now. But if you stay in the hobby any length of time you will get more. Do a search on this forum or others for "staging trays'. They are a good way to add/remove cars from they layout w/ no handling of each car. .Added a couple more industry spots if &/or when you want them. None of these tracks ar cast in concrete & if you use fles track they can go about anywhere after the switches.
yeah they do look nice, i need to get one. Cajon, I should of said fiddle yard/ staging. The engine would push the cars ahead of it. Or you can push them ahead of the engine with your finger, after sorting in the proper order. Or place a turnout or two there if you have it to run around the cars.
Have you done a search for HO HCD plans? Has to be one so you don't haveto 0-1-0 cars around the layout. LOL
