Hi folks, I've recently got back into thinking about a layout, and after many false starts in coming up with a suitable plan, I think I may something I can sink my teeth into. My plan is to build in a shop building out behind my house. I had started one before, but it didn't get very far due to the fact that I didn't have a clear idea of what the railroad was supposed to do. I spent many a summer in Valencia with my dad, and can remember the howl of SDs as they climbed up Soledad Canyon, or the sound of dynamics as they eased down past Saugus Speedway. I also have a local buddy who's a big SP fan (N-Scale too), and I'm working on a Beaumont Hill plan for him to build. After toying with the idea of either a Tehachapi, Cajon or Beaumont layout, and thanks to the SPINS scans from Frank Smith, I've finally settled on an area not often modeled, with plenty of operating potential: Southern Pacific Saugus Line in the 1970s N-Scale 20" Minimum Radius Roughly 16' x 24' with Alcove Mainline Turnouts #7; #5 Elsewhere Lower Level: 42" Upper Level: 57~65" Staging Levels: 30" / 77" Entrance to the shop is from the bottom of the plan. I currently have a dutch door there, but will be replacing it with a steel exterior one. There are still a few tweaks to be made, and I haven't yet drawn all track, roads or structures, but I think it's shaping up quite well. A ton of industries should keep operators on their toes, but I'll have to limit the number of operators due to the tight clearances (34~36" pinch points). I could probably add a small section to the shop at the bottom so as to help ease the aisles (essentially extend the alcove toward the left 8'), and perhaps this will allow me to increase the minimum radii. We'll see how that goes, however. I'm still messing with the design of the yard. It would have been nice to keep it along one of the long walls, but that would have eaten into vital aisle space. I may move the Sylmar/Newhall peninsula to the left - maybe 6" to a foot, to free up more area around LA. I'll have to mock everything up and see. Turntable is there just to see if it'll fit, as I have a Diamond Scale kit I purchased 20-years or so ago, but I've been considering putting a diesel fueling area at that spot which would make thing simpler. Also, I still have a small section of the old layout that I'll use to experiment and practice scenery and building techniques on.
I would love to see it. I remember watching Ron Hornaday, Jr. and J Thurkettle racing on the flat third mile "speedway" while a string of Golden Pigs went bye. Please tell me that you're going to model the speedway correctly, the rails are above the track. The Saugus Cafe is also a must.
Here's a couple of revisions, most notably my fixing of the LA typo. One of the things was to tinker with the crossovers at Glendale, but I'm not too crazy how things look...I'll have to carefully check the prototype plats. I also made a slight change in regards to Lang and Revenna - I removed the latter, and placed the former (and Saugus Speedway) further up the line.
My only criticism is in all the switch-back spurs. I doubt a railway would lay track like that if they did not have to. Switch-backs are something model railroaders put in their track plans because they look cool and also because they add difficulty. But if you look at real track work you won't find them as often. Also, you won't find a lot of places where a switch back comes off of another company's track in such a way that cars have to be res-spotted. Look at it purely from a commercial perspective, "I know you guys are loading your box car with goods you need to ship to market, but we're gonna have to take your boxcar away for a bit while we spot someone else's tank car on their spur.' The first time someone tells the president of the box car loading company that a shipment was late by half a day because the railway was spotting a tank car, you can be assured things will change. As an example on your plan, the Glendale welding gasses company. The railway would not have permission to disconnect loading/unloading pipes to move a tanker so they could spot the car at the pottery. The gas company may likely say, sorry this spur is on our land, you can't move someone else's car onto it. NOPE! Ralph's Grocery in the same town would be easier to service if they had their own spur as well. Or , at least there, you have enough empty space to move cars without causing the other shipper any problems. You do see places where people share a spur often enough, but generally not in the model train style of switch back without a lot of empty lead space and the addition of many loco moves.
Thanks for the feedback! This is exactly the kind of stuff that helps me the most, as what I know about RR-ops would fit in a thimbal. I'll admit I guessed on the Glendale area, but points between Sunland and Saugus come from a SPINS map. That said, however, I'll have to carefully go over the SPINS docs to ensure I got things in the right order, especially since some of those switchbacks are supposed to be leads, so I obviously goofed in not making them long enough, or at least I may condensed too much here and there that the plan has gotten muddled. Glendale will no doubt need a lot of work. Finding rail-served industries on the area (for the period modeled) is rather tough, and some of the data I have is pre-WWII. I might need to trim down the number of industries in order to help with the continuity of the layout.
Everywhere else the track looked very realistic to me even though there were other switch back type spurs. Those others made more sense. Then again, anytime there is a rule you're bound to see it broken.
Marc, considering all that space you have, I'd agree with geeky about the switchback spurs. On a smaller layout, those switchback spurs would take more time to switch out, hence making ops last longer. But you have enough switching operation built into your layout that they are not really needed. I also keep going back to your yard leads. They seem a bit short. Drill tracks should be as long as your longest yard track, longer if possible. Which side of the LA yard will you be switching the most? If the left side, you could extent the leads to under the freeway overpass. If the right side, then take them down around the back of the roundhouse. Your plan looks like a ton of fun to operate! I'm envious of all that space you have!
Thanks for the input, Mike. The length of space between clearance points are as follows: No 1 Lead: 60" No 2 Lead: 42" No 3 Lead: 88" A Lead: 56" B Lead: 116" C Lead: 84" A, B and C leads travel through a couple of additional turnouts, but these are limited to RIP and caboose track arteries. The shortest leads are #2 and A, but should be sufficient for a moderate string of 50' cars, no? I've already changed out the switch back sidings in Glendale and LA, but haven't yet uploaded the images.
Marc, how long are your classification tracks? That will give me a better understanding of how long you need to have your leads. How you have your yard now, I'd be inclined to do the majority of the switching on the Roundhouse end of the yard. Going off your A, B, and C leads, I did a little in-my-head switching but was coming up short. There's some track there that could be removed/moved around. The A lead looks great, but there's just something with the B and C lead and how they come together/split apart into the yard tracks. Do you have a higher resolution image of this area: As far as the lower half, I'd move the existing turnout further up and put in a turnout to continue the yard lead around the back of the roundhouse. That way you won't ever foul the main line while pulling a cut of cars. Also, how are you going to use the yard for train arrival and departure? Your plan shows no Arrival/Departure tracks, so I'm guessing you'll be departing on whatever yard track you choose to make up a train on? Same goes for arriving trains, they are just going to choose a yard track to come in on? Also, there is no way for your loco's to get over to the loco service area on the rear yard tracks while arriving facing the roundhouse side of the yard. The 4 closest yard tracks to the isle will have no problems, but to get off the rear tracks, the loco consist will either have to do a reverse move (possibly blocking the yard switcher) or run the entire length of the yard to the other leads and head back to loco service. Sorry to ask so many questions, just tryin' to help you out!
No worries about the questions, Mike, and thanks. It's this kind of help I need before committing the track to the bench work, only to discover later that the thing doesn't work. I'll tinker around and see if I can incorporate your suggestions and improve the plan.
I like that plan...ALOT. Wish I had that room...SOO from Nortn Fond Du Lac to Stevens Point. Did you use 3rd Plan It? See ya Wyatt
I didn't have the patience to learn new software, so I use what I use for work - 3D Studio Max. It works pretty good for approximating my ideas.
This is great! Do you live in the Santa Clarita area? I'd recommend making the edge of the layout along Taylor Yard to resemble a bank of the L.A. River.