After month's and month's of trackplanning I came up with this: Track is Unitrack. Scale is N. Grades are max. 2.5 %. All curves are eased with R718-15 (28 1/4"-15) followed by R481-15 (19"-15). All turnouts are #6. Minimum radius is 348 mm ( 13.7") Numbers next to track are heights in cm (5cm=2"). It looks like fun. Paul,
The only concern I see at this point is that to serve the Kaolin plant you must have your train in the tunnel backing through a curve the whole way up until the switch. I don't see a way around this in your plan, but that isn't what I'd like to have to do. Do you plan to actively use the CSX interchage track for moving cars on and off the layout? If so, will 5 cm of height allow you to pick up and place cars?
I like your plan, although I have to agree with Mark that the real railroads would avoid having to back out of a tunnel on a switching move. If possible, put in a passing siding off the mainline and the idustry siding of the passing siding. Might be too tight in the curves for that. I'll let you decide. The only change I would definitely recommend is to extend the passing siding almost to the tunnel entrance on the bottom right side. This allows one track to be used for working the yard without fouling the mainline. As you have it drawn, a locomotive working the yard would be using the mainline constantly. I like the looks o what you plan. Should be fun to operate! Darrell, quiet...for now
Thanks for your critics. Mark, I know the only way to switch the Kaolin plant is when the train is running ccw on the loop.I can live with that.The interchange to CSX will not be used to fiddle rolling stock, it is just a connection to the outside world, no more no less. Darrel, Your remark about extending the passing siding at the yard makes sence. In version 2 I changed that. I also changed the grade to 3% for more vertical clearance (1 cm heigher to 6 cm) Paul
Paul: Nice plan. I have some thoughts on scenery for your layout. You raised the elevation to 6 cm to get better clearance and maybe improve the appearance of the 2 tracks running so close to the tunnel entrance, but I wonder if it would be easier to get a more realistic scenery appearance if you had the 2 tracks pass over the lower track by bridges and start the tunnel immediately after the overpass rather than before. in addition to not requiring a steeper grade, this arrangement would also let you put a cut in front of the tunnel rather than putting down track so it is just charging straight into an almost vertical cliff-face. The upper tracks might also look a little more realistic if they seem to be nestled on a notch carved out of the side of the mountain. Someone described this to me as "putting the trains in the scenery" rather than "on the scenery". Depending on where people will be standing when viewing the layout, it might be possible to have the track disappear behind trees and hills rather than into a tunnel portal. It could still reappear at the lower left from a tunnel, if you wish. The curve in the center of the layout by the kaolin plant is there for some geological reason, probably going around a hill or something. You may have already considered this, but--FWIW--if you decide you'd like that reason to be a hillside, be sure to leave your turnout visible. As with the other track disappearing to the upper left, the track that disappears into the tunnel portal above the Kaolin plant could disappear behind trees along a cut before the tunnel rather than--all of a sudden--having a mountain so tall that it requires the actual portal to the tunnel.
Paul: I was just looking some more at your plan and drew up this topographic map. The view blocks at the top of the plan can be trees alone...they don't need to be actual mountainsides. If you find a way to put a stream in, it would be possible to have a gorgeous view looking through the bowl of layout from the lower right corner to the upper left corner. There would be numerous points of interest at multiple levels: The stream at -1 cm, a flat and low rail bridge or culverts at 0 elevation, maybe rock cuts on either side of the stream where the lower track passes through, a higher bridge at 5 cm elevation, view block trees at 6 to 10 cm by Chambers Containers and some bushes and trees at 6 to 10 cm on the other side of the bridges/stream, and then backdrop trees and a mountainside blended into the backdrop.
Thanks Dave for the tips. I have to study a bit on those, but the bridge idea should give a better look, I agree with that. Paul
