Building the North Texas Railroad

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.


IMG_3405.jpeg

Well layout 1.0 is torn down. Prepping house to put on the market in the next 2-3 weeks and we need all the storage space that we can get for boxes etc. Already have a few loaded on the train table (see how useful the train table is!). While I'm sad to see it go, I knew that my first layout would be for learning. But most importantly it got me into the model train hobby. I'd recommend to anyone thinking about building a layout to build something. Building is better than just dreaming. Looking forward to North Texas Railroad 2.0! 🚂
 
NorthTexasRailroad said:
View attachment 219474
Well layout 1.0 is torn down. Prepping house to put on the market in the next 2-3 weeks and we need all the storage space that we can get for boxes etc. Already have a few loaded on the train table (see how useful the train table is!). While I'm sad to see it go, I knew that my first layout would be for learning. But most importantly it got me into the model train hobby. I'd recommend to anyone thinking about building a layout to build something. Building is better than just dreaming. Looking forward to North Texas Railroad 2.0! 🚂
Click to expand...
Can't agree more with that ending statement. Took me too long to finally build something. I wish I had done so sooner!
 


We're making progress on the house hunting and have found a place. Still waiting to sell our house. In anticipation of the new house, I've been designing something that will fit in the upstairs bonus room space. I'm looking to do freestanding benchwork in the room with a liftout bridge for access. I got Lance Mindheim's book "How to Design a Model Railroad" and had Thomas Klimoski's "Building the Right Size-Layout". I've been using both for design work...both excellent reads if you're planning for a layout.

Planning for an around the room style benchwork with a peninsula with 26" radius curves. This would allow for 3 industries, two bridge scenes, and an interchange with a crossing. This is for a 10x12 foot space although may have a bit of wiggle room on size.

I wanted to get some thoughts from everyone.

1754747883309.png
 
NorthTexasRailroad said:
Second option moves things around a bit to have less alternation in scenery versus industry, but it does allow for a longer spur for the food distributor warehouse

View attachment 234805
Click to expand...

I like it! Funny, I'm building an around the room with a peninsula (duck under) too.

Just my personal taste (may not suite you). Looks like you have room for a two or three track yard though you might have to sacrifice an industry. The other thing that I put in mine which you may or may not like is to put a siding for a run-a-round track and reconfigure one industry to be a facing point switch. Just for operating interest.

Good luck with the house :)
 
NorthTexasRailroad said:
Second option moves things around a bit to have less alternation in scenery versus industry, but it does allow for a longer spur for the food distributor warehouse

View attachment 234805
Click to expand...
James: Just my humble opinion and only mine. All your spur's are facing one direction. I am pretty sure that I would get tired of it after a short period of time. You might think about adding runarounds so you can run either direction if the whim gets you. To me it would make the track a tad more complicated, although operation would be better. Maybe another thing you could do is to shorten those spurs and add more short spurs for additional industries for more switching opportunities. IE the Lumber Co spur looks to be 60+ inches. Some of your benchwork looks to be ~18" wide, some greater. I can 'reach in' about 28 inches and that is as long as I don't have to work on something at the very end of reach. As long as you keep you isle ways at a reasonable distance, more can fit. It is your MRR and maybe exactly what you want; so if that is the case - ignore what I suggested.

L8r

Edit: PWM beat me to the runarounds....
 
PMW said:
I like it! Funny, I'm building an around the room with a peninsula (duck under) too.

Just my personal taste (may not suite you). Looks like you have room for a two or three track yard though you might have to sacrifice an industry. The other thing that I put in mine which you may or may not like is to put a siding for a run-a-round track and reconfigure one industry to be a facing point switch. Just for operating interest.

Good luck with the house :)
Click to expand...
Paul,
Thank you for offering feedback. I had an earlier iteration that would have a passing siding as a commuter rail station, but I decided against it since I think another industry was more important. I've thought about a small yard on the peninsula, but again another spot for an industry. But...until I have final dimensions I don't have a finalized design. The peninsula is 24" wide, so I might be able to squeeze one in.
 
ctclibby said:
James: Just my humble opinion and only mine. All your spur's are facing one direction. I am pretty sure that I would get tired of it after a short period of time. You might think about adding runarounds so you can run either direction if the whim gets you. To me it would make the track a tad more complicated, although operation would be better. Maybe another thing you could do is to shorten those spurs and add more short spurs for additional industries for more switching opportunities. IE the Lumber Co spur looks to be 60+ inches. Some of your benchwork looks to be ~18" wide, some greater. I can 'reach in' about 28 inches and that is as long as I don't have to work on something at the very end of reach. As long as you keep you isle ways at a reasonable distance, more can fit. It is your MRR and maybe exactly what you want; so if that is the case - ignore what I suggested.

L8r

Edit: PWM beat me to the runarounds....
Click to expand...
Todd,
Thank you for the feedback. I did try and do the spurs the same direction since I don't have a runaround currently. Good suggestion for mixing things up. All benchwork is 18" or 24" inches as currently planned so reaching in should be OK. Nothing is final until the actual space is measured. My wife said I could have "most" of the room, so I'm gonna try and push the limits on that.
 


James, have you thought of where your cars will come from or go to after being set out at the industry? My current layout is also very simple, an oval with a siding and few spurs on one side. I added a small staging yard to originate and terminate trains. It has been expanded over the years but started out as a run around track with a long tail. The switcher would return from the industries, go into the runaround, couple to the cars there and continue to the tail track. It would drop its cars on the runaround and depart with the cars that had previously been "off line".

My operations now start with a short train leaving the staging yard, I do a few laps around the oval and then pull into the siding by the industries. I switch the cars out and return the way I came, again doing a few laps before going into the staging yard and dropping the cars. Then I pick up the cars already there and the cycle repeats.
 
kjd said:
James, have you thought of where your cars will come from or go to after being set out at the industry? My current layout is also very simple, an oval with a siding and few spurs on one side. I added a small staging yard to originate and terminate trains. It has been expanded over the years but started out as a run around track with a long tail. The switcher would return from the industries, go into the runaround, couple to the cars there and continue to the tail track. It would drop its cars on the runaround and depart with the cars that had previously been "off line".

My operations now start with a short train leaving the staging yard, I do a few laps around the oval and then pull into the siding by the industries. I switch the cars out and return the way I came, again doing a few laps before going into the staging yard and dropping the cars. Then I pick up the cars already there and the cycle repeats.
Click to expand...
Paul,
I'd love to have a small staging yard, but I'm not sure where I'd put one without sacrificing space. Do you have drawing/photo of your layout that you'd mind sharing? Trying to imagine your description.
 
migalyto said:
Id make that lumber company peninsula a little longer (since it appears all open) and a tad bit wider (looks like you have access to both sides) and put it there.

Only would need 2-3 tracks,
Click to expand...
Agree with Mike. You could also wye that connection to the small yard. Now, you can approach any siding no matter what the point frog direction. Might also be room there for more industries or small town.

L8r
 
Here is my little layout, not to scale and a little simplified, not all tracks shown. The part with all the switching is 26 inches by 9 feet. The train comes from the runaround on the left side traveling clockwise. It switches all the spurs and comes back to that runaround traveling counter clockwise. It takes the switch in the upper left and drops its cars on the outside track while simultaneously picking up the cars already there. It pushes the new cars onto the long tail track and renters the oval from the lower switch on the left going clockwise. If needed, it can stop and pick up its caboose from the end of the string of cars it just dropped.

layout.png
 
Last edited:


1761621431995.png

Latest iteration (after several other ones). This will go into a 10x13' space with 26" radius curves. 4 planned industries (food distribution warehouse, Dr. Pepper bottling plant, lumber yard, and interchange) with commuter rail station. Two bridges with one over an interstate and the short one over a creek/river. Liftout bridge for interior access to freestanding benchwork.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.




Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top