ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
So I've attached a layout table size that I have to work with. Obviously the window is blue and I don't want to extend past it (nor do I think my wife would approve) Immediately on the right side would be the entrance, I've left a few inches between the end and the door (double doors opening outward)
Ideas for layout? I'm thinking left side would be good for a mountain, the main is level throughout. I'm thinking of kicking off a siding from the main that follows the loop as an increasing grade leading to a mine or something on the mountain while the main goes through a tunnel....so the grade to the mine could be steeper than 3-4% as necessary as it'll only be a loco and a few cars travelling it at any given time. The rest will be yards/industry with various scenery and a river crossing of sorts somewhere.
Obviously the ends are for loops, and while they won't be of too generous a radius, I think an 18" radius for N scale is plenty for the locomotives and rolling stock I plan to run, also the fact that it'll be 12' long allows for a nice long intermodal train like I've wanted
I've been messing around in Xtrkcad but haven't come up with anything I really like just yet.
It's okay to start with a shape, but keep it flexible. Now list out your givens and druthers. What are the thing you want and what are the things you can't change. List everything.
You need to refine your vision to a time place and roadname. Intermodal means fairly modern. What else do you see?
What is hard to see, is the right side inner 'loop' to a 3 track yard, is a grade of between 3-4% beginning just after the switch up until a bit before the yard begins, the yard will likely be an ore mine or coal mine, I'm not sure which yet.
I've not really decided if specifically modern or not. I think I'm going to just make general scenery, and be kinda lame (i.e. pick out just the running gear and stuff that I think is cool, not really stick with a time period per se) on the rest.
Of course you can see the main goes through a tunnel and emerges about halfway through the back, where a passing siding is located.
I'm sure I could fit more switching in there if I wanted!
consider the xtrkcad file a "flipped" version of the table I drew above.
The first suggestion is to bring the turnout out of the tunnel or cut the tunnel back so it's daylighted at the turnout. Having a turnout in a tunnel is asking for trouble.
Have you actually calculated the grade you'll need to reach the upper area? Assuming the upper area is four inches above that turnout and you want a 4% grade, you need a little over 8 feet of run. Even being generous with the loop going up, it looks like you've got about five feet of run. If the four inch rise is correct, you'll have a grade of just over 7%, which is getting near the limits of steel adhesion. If the upper level is lower, the grade would be reduced. If the plan is to have the upper level higher than four inches, you need to rethink how to get to the upper level because you can't do it with the way the grade runs now.
fortunately, the upper level is under 2.5" higher than the main table, and I used the xtrkcad for changing elevation to calculate the grade, and it's no more than 4% at any given point. I can swing pulling the tunnel exit back, or I can just make it a dual main along that portion, for a dual tunnel entrance/exit.
How does it look otherwise? Are there some other things I should add in for better ops?
Good deal, it sounds like your grade will be fine then. This often gets people when they build a second level and realize when it's done they need a cog railroad to get up there.
Double tracking the main from the top of the layout through the tunnel makes the most sense. It looks like it would be easy to do with that switch that shows the small stub just after that crossover.
I hate stub end yard (even though I have one since it's the only space I have) since it means you have to make a lot of moves to make up or break up a train. Your engine will also need to get turned before it leaves the yard. Is there any chance you could flip that "Y" section so the bottom of the wye came off the yard lead? If you can, that would leave you with a long tail track that you can use for either storing interchange cars while you spot them in the yard or a place to spot cars while you're making up a train from the yard. You can then turn the engine at the bottom of the wye. It will make operation in a stub end yard both easier and more interesting.
Otherwise, I think it's a great plan. Plenty of runaround tracks and passing sidings and enough industry spurs to give you a lot to do. Since my layout is also a dogbone style, I'm a big fan of the dogbone for both scenery and ease of operation.
I agree about the turnout in the tunnel. Common wisdom put grades above 2% as being steep. A lot of people get away with more. I had a 3.1 and 3.&% on my lat layout and they were too much for my small steam.
There are two switchbacks that are awkward. The one just right of center near the top is too short to be workable. Either drop that connection or move the crossover next to it up into the loop to the right. The switch back on the left is not as bad, but probably can be smoother.
As far as first attempts go this is not bad. However, I would submit that you are making track work and not really thinking about the purpose of your railroad and how it will serve your industries.
Think of your railroad as scenes in which the track passes through. Each scene is complete unto itself and the railroad has a purpose there--even if it is just a scenic drive through and looks good.
How can you make these scenes? Unfortunately, I think i means narrowing your scope and committing to an Era, Location, and Road-name. It will make a better design if you can focus in on what you are creating/what you want/ what your vision is.
I went through and added a couple of things, the elevated yard on the right side bottom, I added a switch at the left end of the top spur so that the switcher can "pull in" the unloaded cars, and come around to "pull out" the loaded, and place on the center spur, then pull the unloaded back out and to the bottom spur for loading.
I also made a 2nd main on the large right loop and removed the switch from the tunnel section as well as a couple of other awkward things.
I'll probably look at it and tweak it some more for possible operational issues too. I think I'll make that elevated yard an ore mine, so it'll allow use of the smaller ore cars and allow more ore cars in the area than it would, say, coal.
I'll try to integrate a staging yard on the right side so that my "yard" on the left side is a sort yard, and the middle yard will be where my switchers place trains and pull trains into the sorting yard.
I'll probably have that an area where a couple different protos come together, say my BNSF brings in coal strings, and the coal strings are sorted by my switchers and sent back out on the UP, and the UP services the ore mine and that of course gets brought back to the yards for sorting and dispatching on BNSF.
Locals will be run mostly by UP, sorting done in the left yard.
