A table has become available to me (72" X 30"). I have been playing around with the track-planning software again, although I don't claim to be a layout designer. This is a first draft so people can tell me where I am going wrong. Advice is appreciated and this is with Micro-Track.
Looks pretty good to me. You might want to consider adding feed tracks to the inner oval and the at the head of the yard. If you isolate the turnouts on the upper tracks, you could run the inner oval as a separate throttle. I personally don't like to run from a curve directly into a turnout: there just seem to be fewer problems running through the turnouts. Mark
Building any layout irregardless of the scale presents and assortment of different challenges and difficulties. A shelf layout is one of the easiest to work with and allows you all kinds of access to the layout. A roundy round is boreing. Two times around the layout and you will be screaming for more. They are great teaching layouts and in case you were wondering, that's how John Allen got started. Do what you have to do to get comfortable with the track and train equipment. Don't be afraid to dig in even if you are inexperienced. That will change the deeper you get into building your layout. I promise.
I like simple designs, but would not run tracks parallel to shelf edges. I would build curves with a transition section of greater radius. If you like a little bit more switching, let be the outer circle your mainline, the inner circle your switching district. Added some ideas: You have two scenes separated by backdrop. Upper half is town scene with general freight house / team track plus service area for your switcher. I turned the 4 linking switches between circles. Lower half is some special industry plus ready track if you built up a local freight.... A fast freight brings / takes some cars to / from upper siding. Solid trains can run through to / from the coal tipple. Too much switches? Steffen
A shelf layout is a good place for a dog bone type of layout. It will look like a double track main. Does run around in a circle but it isn't as obvious. Whatever you do it will be right for you. So, don't be afraid to get started. Remember you are building your layout to please you. Not me or anyone else. This will be an adventure of self discovery. Wish I was closer I'd come over and "Tell" you how to build it. Grin! Nope, I won't even help the locals here in town. They are on their own. The way I prefer to be when working on mine. True!
Charlie, just a few suggestions... Avoid turnouts turning another direction than the curve that proceeds it (like you now have planned for the siding of the inner circle). Because it is also followed by a 13 degree curve, your train will (coming from the east on your design) turn right, then left, then right again. Slalomming is good for skiers, not for trains (unless you plan to run only two axle cars). Plan for a swipe track in your yards, it will make switching more fun. Try a slight diagonal instead of a parallel for the track nearest to the frontside, it will make it more fun to watch the trains. Alternatively, choose the option of BarstowRick, the dogbone. Plan a little space between table edge and track, you can watch your trains ride in the landscape instead just on the edge of it. To illustrate, a picture I took at Altenbeken z scale convention this year: You don't have this much room, maybe, but you get the idea. Even an edge of say 4 inches will allow for scenery between train and edge of layout: Btw, I am planning my new layout currently and not necessarily sticking to these suggestions myself , but in general they are worth considering, I think. Good luck and have fun planning!
What's a swipe track? "Plan a little space between table edge and track, you can watch your trains ride in the landscape instead just on the edge of it." This is great advice and I've never seen it put this well.
Hi RJ, thanks. With a swipe track I refer to a track that is opposite to a yard and allows for a locomotiv to pull into, then reverse direction and distribute cars to one or more tracks e.g. to local industry or to 'park' one or more cars there. The locomotive can then leave again and isn't "locked" at the dead end of the track. This is what I tried to make of the basic plan of FriscoCharlie and the ideas of Steffen. Not (too) many slalom curves, mostly R220 radius, no flex rail needed, 4-5 inches from table edge to track, nice switching options. Just my 5cents... Matt
We call that an 'Escape' track. Basically, a 'run around', allowing the loco to pull the train off the main, decouple and get back out to somewhere else. Similar to a siding. Yards typically have one that spans the entire switch/turnout ladder. On your original plan drawing, the 3rd track down has that equivalent. However, I would move that 2 switch/turnout crossover (in the middle of the track section), more to the right. Leave about 1 loco length at the end (switch/turnout) essentially between the freight houses. This leaves enough room for you to pull a longer train into, then sneak the loco back out. In you later plan, I see you have 'rotatated' the plan a bit. Very good. Anything to stay away from many parallel lines and edges.
