GG: I would add two more tracks to the ladder yard. Put your engine house at the end of the two track spur on the right. You could also extending that two track spur on the lower left by wrapping it around the curve and then extending it straight at right angles to the two track spur where you could put the engine house. Stay cool and run steam....
Bob you bring out the genius in me. Um, er, I mean even as I was staring at Temp II trying to figure out what you meant and explain why it would not work I realized I had grown so used to trying to fit what I wanted into the space that I had forgotten: To keep it simple while learning how to do things. The original intent of the short line switchback / yard feeding a main line. All about the Phase II space that could be used while working on Phase II. I can’t tell you how relieved I am.
By this time tomorrow I will have spoken with my carpenter. I have decided to have him build all 3 phases of table at the same time. Here is the final table space. Some what smaller on the right, (phase 3), because I had mis calculated the room space. It came out 2 feet smaller when actually measured due to door and closet arrangement. (go figured). I will have the carpenter change the door from swinging in to swinging out. That might allow for staging area below Phase 3. With a 3 food deep area to play with I envision the Class 1 road wending its way through the mountains with easy continuous running. There will be some spurs. I see the Grey and Grandure serving spurs along the closest 1 foot of the space at "base level". [ April 04, 2005, 11:04 AM: Message edited by: Grey One ]
geeky, heres an idea of what it will look like: [ April 04, 2005, 08:40 PM: Message edited by: Grey One ]
I guarantee you'll regret not running the main line through all three parts, if you like running trains that is. I'd hook all tables together and redesign the whole thing around that space, but I'm crazy and would try such an undertaking for the fun of it.
Bob, Thaks! FD - Yes, the Main will go through all 3 tables and probably right away. I just want to get some track down and run trains. Hmm, now where have I heard that before. "hook all the tables together" Do you mean physicaly? If so what would be the advantage? And yes, you are an egineering student.
Not being able to draw anything right now I will try to make one suggestion, and of course it won't make any sense at all. The middle part where your mains is just a half oval... why not make it cross over itself at a 90 degree angle. You can have a crossing or a bridge. I crossing could work as a fake interchange if you added a return loop type cut over. hope this makes sense. Or simply have a bridge. You could put a big valley through there and have one track hugging the side of a river while the other comes out and crosses over the lower track and the river at a right angle. It could be a very dramatic scenic effect. The last table seems wasted without extending the mainline onto it. ( I just reread a reply you posted and it seems you plan to do this after all) With the above crossing concept it would be easy to extend the mains all the way onto this section. Option C, is to ignore all of my advice.
Geeky, Anything not on Table 1 is temporary while I work on Table 1. I feel I want to get Table 1 Phase 1 wired, tested, and scenery started before proceeding to develop the other two tables. Once I have my skills in place I can plan how to proceed. Maybe by late spring I can make some local friends who might want to get involved. Here is a "concept" of how I might eventualy use the space. Best viewed at 1024 x 768 [ April 05, 2005, 08:14 PM: Message edited by: Grey One ]
Steve Looks like you've come a long way from those first thoughts of doing everything on one 30" door. The Phase I layout is still recognizable from the sketches you were working with last fall. I'm glad to see you've been able to expand. Your current space should give you plenty of room to have a great layout. So when is the carpenter supposed to do his stuff? Regards
Ed, thanks and don't forget your contribution. You did it up in an accurate scale track plan that gave me a realistic idea of space. Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise it should be by late April / early May, (or I'll do it myself).
Well that looks pretty cool too. Just think... now that you have all that extra space you're gonna have an even harder time deciding on a layout plan.
Geeky on the surface you are correct. For the most part planning is one of my favorite aspects of model railroading, (or anything else for that matter).. To be honest for Table 1 Phase 1 I did lots and lots of drawings and then the final layout was done by snapping and unsnapping and snapping and uns… the Kato Unitrak. I could never have done it any other way. I expect I’ll follow a similar system for Tables 2 and 3 except that: 1) The GandG portion may be laid, by “feel” (snap / unsnap). a. The intent is to have it wend its way along the closest 1 foot of boards 2 and 3 b. With at least one siding per Table with a few spurs off of each. c. I don’t even know if I will put a return loop on it but probably will 2) Main line will be designed to provide long continuous running. a. It will have a long 28” curve on at Table 2 and maybe Table 3 b. A 15” curve on Table 3 at the end approximately where they are labeled in the plan. c. Both curves will be high visibility and at least 6 inches off the table. d. There will be a few passing sidings and spurs along the main But First and foremost, I will get my skills up to snuff on Table One first. Please keep the comments coming. You never know when you will push a button that will generate yet another redesign. J
I just have one door panel to fill and i'm still pondering all kinds of crazy things. But I think I'm very close to settling on a layout plan. Keep the drawings coming. It's fun helping you design your layout.
Geeky, There was an MR artical about a guy who did a GN layout which was not much more than a double track oval with a small yard engine facitly and several spurs. It looked real do a ble
I saw that layout. It was pretty nice looking. I believe it was a 2.5x5 space. My door panel is 7x2.5 so I have a slightly longer run to contend with. Definately much longer spurs and yard area. It sure feels good to have finally broken the 2 foot wide limitation. No more 2x4's for me.
The original from 101 Track Plans from Kalmbach by Lin Wescott My additions are in black.: One more yard track, One, (maybe 2), Engine tracks to the left off the new yard track The "Main Line" around the outside. The plan was 3x6 in HO. I reduced it to 2x4 in N. [ April 06, 2005, 04:47 PM: Message edited by: Grey One ]
