Comments please - LSRN Trackplan


L

LSRN

New Member
Here is a dogbone track plan I've devised based on comments from forum members. The plan is drawn using Atlas RTS 8.0. All I've done so far is the mainline and major yard/staging area. I still have spurs and what-not to add once I get the mainline nailed down.

Here is the space I have.

LayoutSpace.jpg


Here is the upper level

DOGBONEUPPER.jpg


The yard in the upper left corner is actually (2) Walthers Ore Docks. The height from the switch to the dock is 5.5 inches. The rest of this level is flat for now. The red track to the right is leading down to the lower level. The two yard tracks are for the ore dock.

Here is the aforementioned lower level.

DOGBONELOWER.jpg


The circle to the left is a 4 level helix, 24 inch radius. The levels are 18 inches apart. The yard tracks are for staging.

Thoughts on the plan so far?
 
Looks like you've got about 10 feet of run to rise 5.5 inches. That's 5.5 divided by 120, which equals a 4.6% grade. That's pretty steep. If you can move that switch about three feet to the right, you'd have about a 3% grade, still steep but within a more normal range. I know the tracks headed up to ore docks tend to be graded fairly steeply but 4.6% is a lot, especially if you're going to be pushing cars up the grade. It looks like you'd have to since there's no escape track on top of the ore dock and the engines will be trapped behind the ore cars. On the real ore docks I've seen in Duluth, cars were pulled up and spotted of ore boat loading and the engines came back down for more cars.
 
LSRN Trackplan

spacemouse: Good point, forgot the part on who, what, when, etc.

RR is a late 90's to today regional bridge route, hauling gen freight, iron ore and forestry products. Independent road, previously owned and/or influenced by the Great Northern and C&NW. Primary motive power will be 4 axle units, with a couple of 6 axles to work the ore dock.

Will also have a rail-water interface located to the right, not included on the trackplan yet.

up2csx: I must have misplaced the turnout a bit, good catch on the grade. I should be able to move it back. Not all roads had an escape for the motive power and to save space, I won't worry about it. Although, your comment made me realize I will need to put in a pocket track for the dock engines.

Right now I'm most concerned about the mainline alignment. The yard tracks are just in to take space, I'll nail down their spacing and alignment later.
 
Len, the rest of the layout looks fine but are you just going to haul ore cars from staging upto the yard, and then spot them on the ore dock? I can't tell from what you have so far if you intend to include even a background open pit mine with a few inbound and outbound tracks but it would make operations more interesting for me if I was delivering the material from mine to dock.
 
If you are still contemplating a nasty grade, Len, don't forget the easements into and out of the grade. If you are running steamers, it is especially critical to have easements of about 6" vertical curve for each percent of grade. Diesels about half that.

Problem is, as the grades get eased on each end, they also get shorter in between...resulting in less of a rise, about 20% less than you wanted.

-Crandell
 
Updated Trackplans

Here are updated plans where I've put in some comments as to what may go where.

Upper Level
DOGBONEUPPER-1.jpg


Lower Level
DOGBONELOWER-1.jpg


After reviewing these, I'm thinking I may move the car float connection from the upper level (off to the right, not shown) and move that to the bottom to the right of the helix, under the mainline.

selector: good point on grade transitions, I forgot that point. yet another reason to slide that turnout to the right some more.

up2csx: i was thinking of an ore crusher (may not have room) or an out of sight track to store the cars between "boats." maybe off to the right on the lower level.
 
Len, I think having some ore related industry other than the ore docks would make operations more interesting since you'd have to pick up the cars to deliver to the ore dock and back to the processor. How about an ore crusher as a backdrop industry on the lower level and devote two tracks of staging to processed ore cars? It would make a logical place to put those ore cars between boats.
 
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