Layout plan beginnings, opinions needed


Secondhandmodeler

Secondhandmodeler

All new now!
Hey folks, I'm working on a plan to model a small portion of my hometown in the 1950's. Knowing that I enjoy building kits and doing scenery, I'm not overly concerned about prototypical operations. The most important things I want to model are:

1. The depot on the left hand side of overhead picture.
2. Front Street, the main road going through town at the time.
3. A somewhat reasonable track plan if I want to operate in the future.
4. Hubbad Milling on the Left hand side.
This first 2x8 foot section will be the first to be built. I plan to build the left hand section second. Then I still have to come up with a plan for the rest of the room. Some where in the 'rest' will need to have a trestle I'd like to build.

Does my first attempt seem totally unrealistic?

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MankatoDepotandTrestle3-29-08052.png


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"Does my first attempt seem totally unrealistic?"
Try totally do-able! This would be a great project I think, especially if you're into buildings and scenery. That station looks like a Walthers kit almost. It would make a great start to a layout, even just loops on either end to stage trains to run thru it.
Off to ye olde lumber yard with thee!!
 
You mean this Walthers kit? :D

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I have one and another on the way. I am going to try to combine the two to form a two story version.

I also tried to tweak the plan a little.

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I think we talked about this before. The Walthers station kit would be a dead ringer for that station with the two round gables and the second story bay windows added. Even thought the model is not two stories, there would be enough of the look to make it convincing to most people who know that station.

This was obviously not a small town, even in the 50's. It's kind of interesting that almost all the buildings over three stories are on the track side of Front St. and all the lower one and two story buildings are on the other side of the street. It seems like that's a pretty important element of the look of Front St. so I'd stay with that although it's not ideal since the larger buildings will tend to obscure the smaller buildings that look like they will be fronts.

You also show quite a few gaps between the trackside buildings on Front St. Except for the streets, the building blocks look pretty solid in the aerial view. Since you like building structures anyway, I'd plan on making Front St. solid with buildings on both sides except for the few cross streets that are shown.

Looks like a good plan to me also. I'd run with it and modify how you want the look to be as you go along.
 
Jim, you are correct about the building spacing. I haven't figured out what to fill it in with. There will be buildings though. The only place I may deviate is on the right side of the plan. There may be a small store front with a coal dealership/lumber company.

The second kit is on the way. I also figured out how to model the hotel across the street form the depot. It's the building with the interior courtyard. Thanks for the freedback.
 
I changed it a bit to make room for a passenger train. I also moved the mill down to allow Front street to disappear behind it. Any other thoughts form anyone?

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I like the changes. I think you may have to move the passenger station slightly to the left for clearance at that switch but, other than that, I'd be ready to start on it.
 
I was just looking at your prototype. You could get a good representation of that yard across from your station if you wanted it.
 
Do you mean if I only modeled the backs of the east side of front street? Did you have any other ideas on how to do this? The street is more important for modeling purposes, but a yard may be more fun in the future.
 
Okay, let me try it in a few words. You come off at about the 5' mark and you would have to reverse the ladder. You don't need all the tracks.

The street would run at the angle of the ladder track and you would only lose a few buildings on one end, but you would gain some on the other. And it would look way cooler at an angle.

The grain tower would rotate with the rest of the layout.
 
You would rotating just the street counter-clockwise about 10-15 degrees. The yard goes the same direction as the proto, just the ladder is away from the main not paralleling it.
 
I think I may lose too much of my street. I tried rotating the buildings and starting the yard midway past the depot. I may need to think about what you are saying. I suppose the street would look better at an angle. I guess I'm picturing it while looking from across the river. As you can tell, the version I came up with cut out most of the railroad itself. I'll see what I can come up with.
 
How you figure? The street is at an angle to the river consitent to the proto.

Your street will continue somewhat around your bend to the left.
 
I think Chip is saying that Front St. does angle away from both the river and the yard. You can angle the yard in from the 5' marker and have the ladder track connect to the industrial spurs. There's no reason you can't angle those spurs to give you more room for a few yard tracks and not lose more than a few buildings on Front St. Since you're trying to capture the look of a prototype, some kind of yard trackage is almost mandatory for a city that size.
 
Right, and the partial building you lose on the right you will pick back up on the left with a full building.

BTW: I'm thinking the grain elevator will move around the corner.
 
I'm trying to figure out how to do what you guys are suggesting. To me, it feels like it's only possible if I increase the depth. Otherwise, angling the street will cut off half of the buildings on the top of the track plan. Geometry is not my best subject.
 
Do I send you the jpeg or the bitmap? How do you attach things with the forum email? Sorry for the questions, I feel like a two year old!:eek:
 
Secondhandmodeler said:
Do I send you the jpeg or the bitmap? How do you attach things with the forum email? Sorry for the questions, I feel like a two year old!:eek:
Click to expand...

It will work better for both of us if you send the XtrkCAD file. You have to send it to my private email.
 
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