ho layout plan/ construction

[MitchyG]

View attachment 22327

Final plan idea. I will add a reverse loop on the main 4x9 section, but don't know how. Any Ideas or alternate layouts would be appreciated.

 

[Motley]

LOL you're still redesigning? You should have this thing built by now!

Anyways, why don't you just use one reverse loop, and connect the top loop with the bottom loop, on the lower right of the top loop, the track the comes out of the town on the bottom left. So on the bottom loop you will have a diverging Y the goes left to the top and right to the reversing section. You may have to squeeze a diagonal piece of benchwork in that corner to get the curves connected.

A Y switch would fit perfectly there.

That way you can have a small yard inside the top loop.

 

[Wojo]

just a suggestion as 24" will be kinda tight for long passenger cars...

I have a small shelf layout simmilar to the size you will be building. Its a dog bone shape with 22"max and 18" min radius, modled in the 1945-55 era. because of the tight radius I only run 40' freight cars. I wanted to run a passenger train but there is no way I can run 85' cars on 22R". So I went out and found some roundhouse overton passenger/mail cars to pull behind my small steam engines. these cars are about 35' long and look much better on my tight 22" radius. I know these cars were not found on long haul passenger lines but they look the part for a small layout.

You can see in the pic below that the mail car and passenger cars fit just fine.

Another option for tight radius passenger operations would be the 68' Reading Company prototype cars produced by Bethlehem Car Works, or the PRR MP54 series produced by concor, with an approximate 62' length. These are prototypically correct cars used on main line passenger trains and were owned by many railroads.

 

[West Virginia Midland Man]

Go linear young man.

 

[Espeefan]

The Pennsy had a whole bunch of everything! Your layout plan looks like it may have something tighter than an 18" minimum radius. If so, I would suggest you stick with Consolidations, ten wheelers, or moguls. John Armstrong had a treatise in the steam locomotive wheelbase vs. minimum radius I believe he called the Frustration Index. A Mike may work for you, but the rule of thumb is: small layout, small locos. They'll run better for you. You'll be disappointed and frustrated if you lay out what even an entry level model of an articulated steamer will cost you, and then it habitually derails because your radius is too tight. It's better to double head two smaller locos. Looks better too!

 

[MitchyG]

LOL you're still redesigning? You should have this thing built by now!

Anyways, why don't you just use one reverse loop, and connect the top loop with the bottom loop, on the lower right of the top loop, the track the comes out of the town on the bottom left. So on the bottom loop you will have a diverging Y the goes left to the top and right to the reversing section. You may have to squeeze a diagonal piece of benchwork in that corner to get the curves connected.

A Y switch would fit perfectly there.

That way you can have a small yard inside the top loop.

Like this?View attachment 22370
I will add a yard in the upper loop and maybe a second reverse loop....
I like this plan.

 

[Motley]

Yep, there you go, you got it now!

You don't need another reverse loop, with the Wye, you now have two places to turn trains around.

If you are going DCC, have you decided? You will need an auto-reversion unit on each of the Wye and Reverse Loop. I reccemend the Tony's Trains PSX-AR. They run great and are silent, unlike the one from Digitrax. I have one and it works flawlessly.

 

[MitchyG]

The Pennsy had a whole bunch of everything! Your layout plan looks like it may have something tighter than an 18" minimum radius. If so, I would suggest you stick with Consolidations, ten wheelers, or moguls. John Armstrong had a treatise in the steam locomotive wheelbase vs. minimum radius I believe he called the Frustration Index. A Mike may work for you, but the rule of thumb is: small layout, small locos. They'll run better for you. You'll be disappointed and frustrated if you lay out what even an entry level model of an articulated steamer will cost you, and then it habitually derails because your radius is too tight. It's better to double head two smaller locos. Looks better too!

Nope.My minimun radius is 18". But you're right about the smaller engines.