The layout is a "L" shapped 5' x 12' x 5' design. The main line minimum radius is 28". The area where the main line crosses over itself will have the lower main line in a tunnel.
Peace,
Sean, sean@twinimaging.com
Monday, July 31, 2006
Layout design block - I need some help. . .
I have the basic design of the layout down but I wanted to add some areas for switching and I can't seem to come up with ideas. If any of you have any ideas for the layout, please let me know.
The layout is a "L" shapped 5' x 12' x 5' design. The main line minimum radius is 28". The area where the main line crosses over itself will have the lower main line in a tunnel.
Peace,
Sean, sean@twinimaging.com
The layout is a "L" shapped 5' x 12' x 5' design. The main line minimum radius is 28". The area where the main line crosses over itself will have the lower main line in a tunnel.
Peace,
Sean, sean@twinimaging.com
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2 comments:
Sean,
Several questions about your layout.
What era are you planning to model, i.e. steam or Diesel? Based on your shopping list it appears you are building a hilly area, are there to be destinations along the way?
After reading the section on Layout 6, I answered the question about accessibility. So a suggestion might be to orient sidings to associated industries. This provides some switching opportunity. Build a major yard with a bunch of small industries off the main. Set up an interchange track, so that you can interchange cars with another railroad.
Are you running mostly freight or passenger trains? Will you be running block control or DCC? These questions will make a difference in how do your wiring.
In one of your Blogs you mentioned leveling. There is some hardware that is easily adaptable to the legs you have put on your layout. A garage floor slopes about 1/8" to a foot of run to provide drainage. So you could have a pretty good grade either up or down given the size of your layout. The hardware that I am thinking about is available at Rockler and other hardware stores. http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=382
These can be screwed to the side of the legs and allow you to make micro adjustments, which are necessary at the joints if you want smooth operation. With a family and this large a layout, once it is fully senicked it would be a real bear to relevel if it were moved just a little.
Just some thoughts for an early Monday morning.
Steve Tibbetts
Anaheim
Hi Sean,
It looks like you have a nice start here. I saw your inquiry note regarding switching so I thought I would visit your site. I have couple of thoughts that might be of some help in your planning efforts. A couple of considerations here include the capability to do a run-around to work facing point spurs, enough flat trackage so your train doesn't roll away when you uncouple a cut of cars and sufficient tangent (straight) track in key spots (usually about two car lengths) to potentially permit magnetic / delayed uncoupling and automatic recoupling. The straight portion of the siding (left hand side of the track plan drawing) appears to be a promising spot to jump off to a number of industries and spurs in all these respects. The tracks for switching and their associated industries could fit nicely into the open area on the "vertical" part of the "L" in your track drawing. As Steve has already pointed out the specifics will need to follow from the type of operations you wish to have on your RR, the era, geographical area you are modeling, whether it is to be rural short line feeder, a pre-war urban city scene with tracks in the streets, logging through the woods at the turn of the century, a modern class I RR main line, etc. You certainly don't have to follow any particular prototype or real world locale but most people seem to gain the most pleasure if they stick to a general theme (at least for the most part). I would also suggest that once you have a draft track and industry plan on paper that appears to fit your need that you should conduct mock "operating sessions" where you imagine operating trains over the planned routes complete with switching operation details. This can really help identify problem areas in need of adjustment before tracks have been laid and avoid future frustrations. Of course the number one rule that superceeds all else is to have fun and enjoy!
Best of Luck,
Lee Christopher
McCloud Railway (HO)
El Segundo
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