I'm seeking your input on an N-Scale track layout. One that has been redesigned utilizing feedback received from those who commented on my initial design. To view the plan, simply follow this link http://www.members.home.net/rcblackwell/ , to my Home Page then select the Track Plan of your choice (Latest Large or Latest Small) from the left windowpane. For comparison purposes, my initial track plan remains on the site. Your feedback can be given through this newsgroup or by utilizing the feedback button located on the left Window Pane. With Thanks Bob URL=http://www.members.home.net/rcblackwell/ ]My Home Page[/URL]
Welcome aboard! I like the yard design, using the curve/corner. I would ask whether the track in the upper left corner will be partially hidden, as it looks like an awful lot, and this could be visually distracting. Is the bridge-like section at the top removable? From the look of things, the right side of the layout will be very nice for open running, like in much of the west. Thoughts complete - back to you.
Bob, very impressive design. And your completed room pics look great too. You've done an awful lot of work in such a short time. Congrats! Just wondering.....have you decided on a specific theme, or location, or a particular railroad to model? I saw the industrial siding and was wondering what the industry is going to be. Keep up the great work! Bill
Excellent - I'm a little worried about the hidden crossing, but as long as you are careful when you lay it you should be right. It looks like you have two separate continuos run loops. Great for railfanning you trains. The 3' operator circles are a great idea too. This ensures you have room for people in your train room.
It doesn't look like there is much to add to your plan. You have put a lot of work and thought, and research into it. I too like the way you have finished your room. You stub ended track on the far right part of the layout to what I'm not sure. If it is a station for passengers, you might want to make it a through track, if it is industry or an engine service area, ignore my comments. A job well done. What program did you use to draw it up? Please stay and help critique and help others as you have experience which can help others in their layout asperations.
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Eagle2: Welcome aboard! I like the yard design, using the curve/corner. I would ask whether the track in the upper left corner will be partially hidden, as it looks like an awful lot, and this could be visually distracting. Is the bridge-like section at the top removable? From the look of things, the right side of the layout will be very nice for open running, like in much of the west. Thoughts complete - back to you.<hr></blockquote> [ 09 July 2001: Message edited by: original_black_bart ]</p> I hadn't planned on hidding any track, but as you point out, the area in the top left may need a little "visual tuning." The Dual Rail bridge will be situated just below the opening of a swing up door that hides my electrical panel. It's unlikely it will ever be removed, but it's been designed as removable just in case. As an added bonus, one of the fellows at work has volunteered to design and build a gorge and paint a river on the floor just under the bridge. Neat eh! Bob [ 09 July 2001: Message edited by: original_black_bart ]</p>
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by wabash_one: Bob, very impressive design. And your completed room pics look great too. You've done an awful lot of work in such a short time. Congrats! Just wondering.....have you decided on a specific theme, or location, or a particular railroad to model? I saw the industrial siding and was wondering what the industry is going to be. Keep up the great work! Bill<hr></blockquote> Bill, I haven't determined a specific theme yet, however I'm leaning toward lumber, oil and electricity. With this in mind, the industrial areas have been designed with a lumber yard, furniture factory and an oil refinery. The commercial areas have an oil ditribution centre and an electrical generation plant. I've yet to desing a City or town for use by the passenger train. My present stock is BN passanger train with A+A CB&Q E8's. Frieght is limited at this time, however I've acquired an SD60 and a GP7. Both are BN's. Bob
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by yankinoz: Excellent - I'm a little worried about the hidden crossing, but as long as you are careful when you lay it you should be right. It looks like you have two separate continuos run loops. Great for railfanning you trains. The 3' operator circles are a great idea too. This ensures you have room for people in your train room.<hr></blockquote> I'm also worried about the hidden crossing. I'd like to eliminate it but haven't figured out how to do so while maintaining operation itegrity. Namely, reversing direction of the freight so the loop over the farm land can be utilized to provide access to the right side track area. Any ideas? You're correct. There are two two separate continuous run loops. The outer loop was designed with passenger service in mind, while the inner will support freight service. Bob
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by rsn48: It doesn't look like there is much to add to your plan. You have put a lot of work and thought, and research into it. I too like the way you have finished your room. You stub ended track on the far right part of the layout to what I'm not sure. If it is a station for passengers, you might want to make it a through track, if it is industry or an engine service area, ignore my comments. A job well done. What program did you use to draw it up? Please stay and help critique and help others as you have experience which can help others in their layout asperations.<hr></blockquote> The stub end track on the right side of the layout provides access to a freight terminal. I thought of continuing the track through to the mailine but resisted as I didn't think it would add much value. I've been using XTrkCad from Sillub Technology ( http://www.sillub.com/index.html ). I've found it reasonably easy to learn and use. It comes with an assortment of component libraries for brands such as Atlas (very limited components but I've got an updated file if you decide to try it, let me know), Peco, Walthers and many many more. Bob [ 09 July 2001: Message edited by: original_black_bart ]</p>
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by original_black_bart: I'm also worried about the hidden crossing. I'd like to eliminate it but haven't figured out how to do so while maintaining operation itegrity. Namely, reversing direction of the freight so the loop over the farm land can be utilized to provide access to the right side track area. Any ideas?<hr></blockquote> Ok Bob - now ya got me thinking...
OK - I printed out your plan for the train ride home - it's raining and whenever it rains in Sydney the trains run late (never figured out why, it's the same schedule as when it's not raining) but this gave me an extra 20 minutes to look things over Anyway, I had a couple of ideas The first was to move the yard on the East Side to the front of the benchwork. Although the tracks are all within your 2 and a half-foot reach the ladder tracks on the bottom will be difficult to reach. It's always a good idea to keep the ladder tracks close by. There could be an added bonus to this - with the yard in the foreground the main line that loops around the background could 'fly over' a 'branch line' that could hide a short train that could come out and drop of and pick up interchange cars once in a while. Just a thought. OK - now dealing with the hidden crossing: Basically the way I am viewing your whole plan is as either a folded dog-bone or two separate loops, one a figure-8. I really dig the flexibility of this arrangement. Due north of the "Western Commercial Area" is a Junction I am calling "Murphy Junction." (It sits just outside of your comfortable reach lines - my tongue is in my cheek while I type this as I think this junction will provide great operational interest and is important to the plan, but alas, Murphy will pay the occasional visit.) Anyway, follow a train crossing Dual Rail Bridge heading West on the outside track -Westbound Main (I assume right hand running.) Through Murphy Junction the first time, the train has only one possible route that takes it around the left side of the layout bringing back to the curve around Western Commercial Area - it will be on the outside track (still Westbound Main) heading counter clockwise into Murphy Junction. This train has three possible routes. 1) right side, this takes the train back to the Westbound Main heading west - if the turnouts are kept in this position the train will run one of the two loops. 2) left side, this takes the train through the hidden crossing to end up back on the main, this time heading East back to Dual Rail Bridge on the Eastbound Main - leaving the switches in this position sets up the dog-bone. 3) the center route, at first I thought this ballon track was a return loop, but if you look at it carefully it is simply a shortcut to the route taken by the left hand route. The train ends up back on the Eastbound Main heading for Dual Rail Bridge. I think you can remove this ballon track route. It solves three problems; daylights the crossing, reduces the three track main line to two and removes some of the complexity at Murphy Crossing. The only thing IMO that you lose is the shortcut. Now you have some options for the "figure 8" loop. You could spread it out a bit, add a grade and introduce an over/under. The crossing could be eliminated altogether (making the figure-8 a simple loop) with a crossover between the inside track and the center track at the north side of "Western Industrial Area" to preserve the dog-bone arrangement. You could also introduce a short tunnel with a siding (staging again) where you can hide a train for a while. This will help disguise the 'loop.' If this is at all confusing; let me know and I can sketch out what I am thinking. [ 10 July 2001: Message edited by: yankinoz ]</p>
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by yankinoz: < Trimmed for Clarity > If this is at all confusing; let me know and I can sketch out what I am thinking. [ 10 July 2001: Message edited by: yankinoz ]</p><hr></blockquote> Yankinoz, I found it hard to read your message while following the diagram so I had to read it twice! Your explanation however was far from confusing. As a matter of fact, I found it precise and to the point - thanks. Removal of the balloon loop is a reasonable suggestion. I do however see a slight problem with its removal. How is it possible to operate the inner and outer loops as (continuously running) independent lines without user intervention at the switch located at the north end of the crossover (at 8.5' up x 2' right) and the one located in the return line to the Eastern track (at 6" up x 6' right)? Unless I'm missing something, I see a need to constantly change the direction of these switches as trains configured for continuous running, travel around both the inner and outer loop. The constant switching would keep someone extremely busy - maybe this isn't a bad idea! I like the idea of the elevated crossover. It would certainly remove my concerns about traffic at this junction. Bob
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by original_black_bart: Removal of the balloon loop is a reasonable suggestion. I do however see a slight problem with its removal. How is it possible to operate the inner and outer loops as (continuously running) independent lines without user intervention at the switch located at the north end of the crossover (at 8.5' up x 2' right) and the one located in the return line to the Eastern track (at 6" up x 6' right)?<hr></blockquote> There's a third loop! I didn't see the one using the ballon loop. By shortcutting the dogbone that loop does avoide the turnouts you mention, allowing the figure-8 to run idependent. The two loops I was talking about are both contained on the left side of the layout, and inner (the figure-8) and the outer loop that uses the West Main all around via the right hand route through Murphy Junction that can be set to run idependent of each other. Looking at it again with a morning cup of coffee you can replace the crossing with a crossover at 3' x 3' (between the middle and inner tracks at Western Industrial's north switch) changing the inner loop from a figure-8 to a loop and leave everything else the same (with tunnels under the ballon track to hide a staging track or two.) The only other think I can think of is to rearrange the the baloon loop with lots of hidden track under the layout. Not really an elegant solution. [ 10 July 2001: Message edited by: yankinoz ]</p>
