Ok! I am still trying to finalise my design for my N scale layout on a 4x8 plywood. I will be using Tomix fine track due to the lack of switch/crossing designs Kato uni track has. I've been trying to complex an running continuous loop and now two switching platforms. What I mean about continuous loop, the train will never pass on the same track twice. Until it is diverted back to the outside section by the way of an 15 degree electric double slip switch/crossing. I am planning to split the layout with a backboard in the layout, with 2/4ths of it will be yard/roundhouse platform. The top 1/4th being downtown/industrial switching. The remaining 1/4th is the loop with a double track interchange with two double (the program didn't have it listed I inserted a set of two switches connect the loop) crossovers. I've mention about my design when I first joined. Now I am trying to decide either choose the triple or quadruple loop. Yes I made it complex because I plan to have at least three or four trains running at one time. Yes my goal is to use DCC. Since the majority of my locomotives have DCC. I want a lot of action on a sizeable layout. Yes main scenery will be at the minimum unless I can cram some extra buildings and maybe a tree or two? So any thoughts?
You want to run three or four trains, but you're designing one big spiral. Are you planning on having them all follow each other the same direction through the spiral, and keep them all at the exact same speed? Or do you have a plan for them to use the string of double slip switches to stay in their lanes, without two trains on adjacent tracks trying to use the same double slip at the same time?
my viewpoint ... is that it looks much too busy ... no room for scenery ..... 1 would cut the loops to two, storage to three or four, same with the part on top ... just my viewpoint however, lol, it's yours to do as you choose ...
One train on the spiral. One in the yard working, multiple in the engine facility/round house. One in the industrial area. You will be able to run a second train to the west out of the yard directly to the industrial area, while running a full train in either direction at the same time. This is why I mentioned that DCC will make this more enjoyable. Yes you could also run two trains in the same directions also. There is only one double slip. The first one connecting the yard tracks. the other two or three are regular 15 degree crossovers.
Yes ,this is the point its supposed to be busy. Even being split. I plan to make the yard side more out in the boonies. I will add trees and foliage to make it look well aged though busy. Maybe a farm house or two. Then disappearing into the forest. The industrial side of the divider will have an highway overpass to help block the sight where the train will pass through the other side, with business down below. It should be high enough to block the view of the other side. Though low enough to to keep an eye on the other side. without strain.
Three double slips would allow you to run two trains continuously, should you ever want to. As long as you're laying that much track, might as well have the option. Only thing is, that's three switches to throw each time the train runs the spiral instead of just one.
Great looking plan, any idea when you will start building it? And man I have trouble with like 4-5 switches on my small layout. Will it be automated or all thrown by the operator? Can't wait to see it being built! Best of luck!
On a lesser note, three of the spoke tracks to the right of the turntable are quite lengthy and one multiplies into three more tracks. If you wish to run units buried deep at the end of the two topmost tracks, you'll face quite the dance running unit after unit onto the table to be spun and moved off to another track before you unearth what you want. Making matters even more inconvenient, you have perhaps a 6-1/2" bridge (??) which won't handle mu'd units. Not a huge deal, but it may be worth thinking through.
Thanks! As of now, I am still currently in France. Due to this LLOONNGG visa process for my wife. We might be able to return to the USA by February(fingers crossed). Once we arrive and get settled into our new home. As of now we are waiting for a final approval from the US Embassy in France. Once done and once we decide which place to live. I will start the build process. Yes I will do my best to keep posted of my progress. Right now I have plenty of rolling stock and a nice fleet of locomotives. Yes it will be Missouri Pacific theme, though using the MP initials. I was thinking of calling it the Mississippi and Pascagoula. Maybe something sillier depending on where we actually rest our heads.
Yes! This is in still under review. My initial plan at least for the lower three off the triple switch will be a storage track fro the rest of my locomotives that are not in the round house or the engine facility which I plan to use a two stall building for. The straight one out of the round house will hold my cabooses. Yes the length will be determined on the room for my engines. More than likely the top two maybe shorter and the straight will also be determine the storage area for all of my SBW and other red MoPac's crummies. The only bridges I will have on this layout, more than likely will be the overpass on the industrial side. Maybe a short bridge for an creek on one of the sides near the yard?
I am trying to avoid the run of the mill double track. I want something different. Plus the length of time it takes to complete one complete return. I can be occupied doing switching from the industrial tracks to the yard. without any delay. Because I will be running them in either direction.
Another thought is that all of my yard switches I might operate them in manual mode. They have slide levers on the opposite side of the dummy throws to do this.
The front side looks useful. On the back side of the scene block, all that crisscross business in the industrial area looks neat. But it makes the one siding useless for anything but a switching lead, because pulling in there and backing is the only way to get at two of the spurs on the right. Also, there are a lot of reverse curves in there, and pushing cars through ess curves is asking for derailments. Getting into the middle spur on the right involves pushing cars through a double ess curve. It's a complete W. Believe me, W is for Woe. At the very back of the layout (top of the diagram) you have sidings pointed both ways. You'll wish you had a couple of crossovers on the main line there, forming a runaround track.
I might have made the switching complex a little difficult. I might have to redesign it. Though what I believe you are mentioning in the last question where the double track interchange meets with the loop. I mentioned in the first post that these two are double crossovers connecting the loop. Because the program doesn't have the double crossover on file.
Went back and cleaned up the industrial area with 15 degree switches vs 30 degrees. Plus I had to extend the sides by 2 centimetres to allow for the backboard. Now you should be able to get a SD40-2 in there with ease.
That one siding on the left is still strictly a switching lead to access the spur on the right. But that's OK. And switching the area should go much more smoothly this way. I'd run both the switches out to and across the double track the same way. I'd also consider using that as a single track and an interchange track (an interchange track is a storage track like a yard track at a junction).
I thought I forgot something. Plus the double track interchange will eventually become a wall layout with end loops.
