Only thing is with this program it don't give the true dimensions of the building and plus the triple turnout on the program I believe is not true dimensions. It will be a play by sight with this. Plus if you look closely at the yard one would think everything on the right will be the same as on the left. I had to over compensate for a lot on the left. I tried to duplicate the same pattern on the left. I think it has something to do with the triple turnout.
I finally stepped up and bought a software that will work for my MacBook. Plus not leaving me searching for odd pieces due to uneven matching. Plus I am having fun with new pieces of track that I didn't have access before.
Yes, I know I am getting annoying with my design change ups. Here is another setup. By the way, does anyone that is using the Tomix fine track can give me information on their double track? I was looking at their straight sections. I noticed cement slabs the sides and a barrier on the other. Is this removable with ease, without making modifications? Because I might redesign this using the double track in order to save a little cash and using less pieces.
A couple things to consider and I'm new to this also so take this with a grain of salt . I'm wondering about the 3-way turnout coming off the turntable? To get to the two bottom tracks you have to go onto the turntable limiting the length of a loco and/or a loco and a car. Seems not to workable. Also why no tracks to what could be industries in the center of the layout? I've taken the liberty to present a few suggestions .... Now there is a run around track going to the turntable and a spur off of it to park locos/cars. Also some other tracks were added that would provide some interesting switching possibilities to industries located in the center. These are just suggestions without a whole lot of time/thought going into them so take them for what they are and ideas that could possibly be built upon. When does construction begin? Have fun, Sumner
Hello Sumner. I really like the design you did with my layout. What program did you use to do this with? I am still trying to learn the Railmodler Pro. The industrial track extensions at the bottom look really interesting, seriously. Very interesting touch. The triple switch off the turntable to the other two tracks are for my locomotive extra storage and refuelling and sanding operations maybe a car repair too will happen here? Plus I plan to keep the industrial area serpent from the yard area. If I need to do car repair there too. I do have a British class 04 that I will turn to DCC for this aspect it is tiny. I have about twenty MoPac's in Jenks Blue that will be on the layout at any give time. The track adjacent from the switch with the turnable still in the same place should be long enough to hold two GP38-2's to clear the switch then reverse to the service area. I might plan to add more tracks on the stalls of the turntable. Plus add a roundhouse three, six, or more stalls. Just south of the in line stall from the triple switch. As for as the top I was planing to put old farm houses and maybe a general store. Don't plan to do a small town setup. But seriously like the lower half on what you did plus maybe realign the inside a little more. Do you know anything about Tomix double track? As for as construction, I am currently waiting for my wife visa(Long 18 months so far) to be approved so we can reenter the USA. Once this happens and we move into out new house I will start construction since I have a lot of free time on my hands now. Clayton
Above I also added the two sets of turnouts on the right side of the track plan. The turnouts at the bottom allow a train traveling right to left there to enter the inner loops but there is no way to enter the inner loops going the other way except to back in. The ones I added on the right could be put on the bottom or the left side also and would allow a train running in the opposite direction to enter the inner loops. I don't know the true scale but the two sets of turnouts will probably have to go on the bottom to fit. I'm not that familiar with real RR operations but would they want to have to go on and off the turntable twice to service the engines with fuel, water and sand? The track I added off the run around track to the turntable could be used for that and a second one added if needed. Just a thought. Sumner
I used paint.net, which is free, to do the quick changes/suggestions. I've been using the free version of SketchUp to do my actual track plans for my layout as it is much more precise and I'll have a better idea if my ideas are actually viable or not..... http://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/UP Canyon Division/UP Canyon Division-Index.html You use to be able to download it and I think you still can do that with the older version but I believe you use the new version online. It is not a railroad specific program but a generic CAD program. I like it as it has been of use designing other things like the frame for the camper I'm building along with the rest of the camper, Sumner
The top crossover going into the industrial area is also a double slip so the train will continuously travel around the tracks. No extra switches will be needed. You can run the train in either direction without stoping. So going in either direction will not cause chaos. Here is an updated photo with your addition.
I wasn't liking the switching operation in the inside of the loop since I change up the bottom. It looked too crowded. So I tried this.
Still in a play of design. I came up with this with the Tomix roundhouses added. The second track below the engine fuel and sand track is what I would have leftover from the layout except for a couple of the bigger curves. I might not keep this and just use them as spares. Plus I added a bypass for the industrial area. so the train on the mainline can continue on without interference of the local switching the industrial area.
Well, I've been going back in forth with this design. First I started out with quadruple and triple loops. Now I have exited the quadruple loop all together and added the double continuous loop. From my last post I noticed I would have a lot (I was over $900 on tracks) of leftover tracks. To me this is a waste of money. After learning about how some people have redesign their layouts to cut leftover tracks. Well I went through the Tomix website and one of their sellers online, and I made count of each package. The majority of the track packages come in fours. So with a little of dividing and relocation to make pieces fit and no extra pieces on the curves and straights. I managed refit the layout and add to the industrial area. With an estimated cost before shipping and discount from the seller for the triple loop is $885 and $854 for the double. SO lets see how long I will stay with this design.
The more and more I look at this I see other issues. For one later on I plan to add to this layout. To put it against the wall and have a wall layout connect to it. Yes, I know baby steps first. Though I will need a feasible connecting track. Plus I saw an layout recently that carried a split yard. I scratched my head. Keeping in mind that I will need to keep my curves and straight track in a divisible of four due to these come in sets of four and I want to use every bit of my tracks with NO waste. With the two connecting interchange tracks to the north and only one possible connecter to a future layout. With this in mind I will not be able to access the long north end by hand. Though this is not totally practical. So I decided after my last post to move the future connecting track and start point for all cars and locomotives to the westside of the layout. Then I added another yard to the Northside of the layout. While slightly changing up the industrial area with the extra track and the leftover tracks went to the turntable of course. Here's the results so far.
Once again I see another issue. The westside bullhorns! OMG! What was I thinking? Seriously! I have all of this wasted space for that? Anyway I went back and redesigned the westside by just using the double crossover for the connecter. Yes, I will need to add a temporary board to the westside to support the double crossover if I attach it right away. I can/will use two of the 1021's from the double loop and one 1022 that I could use from the roundhouse extra track to the west of the roundhouse in the meantime. Whilst just wait to use the double crossover later on. Then return these three pieces to the roundhouse area. I will still need to purchase the double crossover to use it as an measuring tool to properly lay the track the correct distance from the western edge of the loop. So I don't have to go back and cut and redo a lot of stuff later on. This might be the way to go. So yes I am still able to use every single piece of my track still without any leftovers. Please any feedback will be appreciated.
I added to my design. Man this designing phase and be downright nitpicky. For example the 1248 & 1249 curved switches, could land two trains sideswiping each other. Now I am thinking about abandoning the triple and quadruple loops all together. The double loop using the same crossover concept allows me to have a twelve track yard without going to the extremes. The triple will land me with only eleven sidings for the yard. Though this will still allow me to use the same setup as planned. But with this I should be able to add a second running train in the opposite direction for the double by using DCC and computer set up for the two trains to use approach and signalling. With the trains waiting either at the crossover or in the yard. Because I am thinking of designating the centre track in the yard on the double crossover as the sole main for the double crossover. Where I can utilise the whole yard. Plus the cost has went up on it since I changed up the switching posts by using the triple switches. Using a standard switch I will have less yard tracks and more switches. For about the same cost I an have more tracks in the yard for my cars. Yes I will still have a roundhouse and locomotive sanding/fueling track and caboose track retrospectively. Since the straight and curved tracks are the only ones that come in sets of four. I will have one 354mm 45 degree curved piece left, plus I will be using the 280mm straight from the locomotive refuel/sanding track in place of the double crossover until I expand the layout. I might use this big curve for a test track. Here is the redesign again.
Like I've mentioned before I have completely abandoned the idea of a quadruple continuous loop and I set aside the triple continuous loop due to the smaller yard versus the double continuous loop. Well, so far I am really satisfied with this design of my layout. The curves and the straight sections of the tracks comes in fours now. I cleaned it up, by eliminating the extra tracks and making everything look like it belongs. Without having leftovers! With this I even cut the amount of different sizes of curved and straight section sets. I will only need six different set/sizes in the straight sections. Whilst having seven different sets of curved pieces. The most sets of one size of track I will need is the 280mm 1022's, I will need eight sets of them. With the next bulk would be the 1143 curves, I will only need four set of them. Two other curve sets I will need three. So yes I turned this into a tedious project, since I still have some time before I move. With this change up the price has gone up some, according with the CFO I should have all of the track pieces in about six months. The up and running stage might be a little bit longer. When putting this together, I kept changing this and changing that! Also I had to keep in mind with spacing from passing trains on the tracks in parallel with the others. So there will be no close calls and weird looking design. I saw many problems with the right and left curved switches, between possible rubbing other trains and evenly connecting to the yard. I wanted an interchange. I first added one at the top of the layout, this would have looked good until I was to connect the 4x8 to another future layout. I saw that I was either would have to turn into plastic man or lengthen my arms a few more feet. Then I decided in a good but not so smooth looking move I put the double crossover at the left side of the layout, beside the bullhorn look I was heading in the right direction. So with a little math and centring the track where it can be expanded at a later time. I shifted the double crossover closer to the edge to the right. So in the two photos you can see the double crossover is used as the interchange for future use and it being used as an extra part of the yard tracks and or change the running of the regular train whilst the local tackles the industrial sidings. Speaking of the sidings the little hangover of the bumper rail at the bottom, will more than likely be cushioned by an 2x12 corner all the way around the layout. I am planing to use the thickest 4x8 sheet of plywood so it will be more sturdy to screw the 2x12's into it. Plus the thicker the foam top the better. So I can carve into it for creeks and ditches. Also the edge of the foam will be protected by the top portion of the 2x12. So in theory the layout will be an overall of 4'4" x 8'4" when done. I am planing to use 4 or 6 inch plexiglass especially in the portions where the track is hugging the edge of the layout. I will need to find a way to make this easily removable if I am needed to transport the layout. The legs I saw and idea from another N scaler on a different site. He did this table with folding legs so it will be great for portability. I seen a folding table on Lowest website it was 96x30 this would put me with 9 inches to spare on either side of the frame. Well, Now for the hard part I will have to wait for at least a few more months until I am able to move. Please if you have any questions feel free to ask.
