My first layout...operations possible


Dacostasr

HO Operator
New guy here...with my first layout attempt. Curious if this would be good for a basic "operations" layout. There is a picture of the coal mine I built but couldn't fit it to the layout...so I'm going to add another 4x4 piece. One side will be 4x6 the other side will be 4x8, the 2 joined by a 2x4 piece. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Nothing is fastened down yet...

Thanks,

Dennis
 

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In your last picture you've got that funky double curve. What's that for? It seems unnecessary to be honest. You could definitely add more industries if you want to do switching. The insides of the curves would be good places for something like that. Overall it's a nice start
 
I agree with A2T, its a nice start. Regarding your question as to 'would it be good for basic operations;' I'm not sure what you mean by 'basic operations.' Do you mean prototypical operations? Maybe, or maybe not. Or what do you mean by 'basic?' Operations usually involve someone trying to simulate what happens on a real railroad, in terms of work or functions the trains perform, like: high priorty train, from point A to point B, that should be held up for no reason, daily local train that switches all the industries between A and B, then continues on to another terminal, or returns to its point of origin, + trains that do some of both.

Or by basic operations mean, running the trains in a circle, stopping ocassionally to pick up or drop off a car or engine?

Oh, and welcome to the forums! There aren't any stupid questions.
 
New guy here...with my first layout attempt. Curious if this would be good for a basic "operations" layout.
I guess that all depends on your definition of operations. Are you meaning running on a schedule type operations, multi-train interaction, building and breaking trains, and/or industrial switching, prototypical operations???
 
Your layout looks to be a basic roundy round type meant to just run trains. Doesn't look like you've "cast in concrete" the tracks w/ glue & ballast so you can salvage them easily. Take a look at the many track plans on this & other forums to find one that you like. Also there's a gazillion plans already on Google. Do a search for plans using whatever parameters you want.
 
I guess that all depends on your definition of operations. Are you meaning running on a schedule type operations, multi-train interaction, building and breaking trains, and/or industrial switching, prototypical operations???

Yep...this is what I want to do.

The funky double turn was just something I saw in some of the layout plans...I can definitely use those turnouts somewhere else...thanks.

I do have a couple of train layout books and a couple of the free layout software packages-(trying to figure those out :D ).

I guess the use of the word basic was just meant to mean a simple layout that I can use for operation...I don't have a lot of track yet.

Thanks for all the responses!

Dennis
 
Looks like you have the room to add a grade up to a second level. That would add a branch line for op's and you could use that coal mine up there.
It would also give you a little hidden track for the illusion of getting somewhere.
 
Nice start with lots of potential.

I'd also get rid of the double curve. You could double track by joining that "curve" to your inner line then run a side track of that for your industry, switching yard or whatever.

And, welcome to the forums ... you'll get a lot of very good advice and help here.
 
From experience, if you want a layout that works good for operations, it must be planed from the outset.
I spend almost 6 months on this.
Do cars come in from staging and go to a yard then to a industry? Do they need to be shoved long distance?
Are sidings or runaround tracks in the correct location or the long enough?
Are the small industrial yard tracks in the correct location for easy access for pushing or pulling cars?
How many tracks and what length will you need?

Railroads do not just throw track down and hope it works. Unlike I had done with some of my trackage when I first started this layout.
I got smart fast enough that I stopped and reworked the plan for those 6 months. Even then over the next few years there were parts that needed redoing, upgrading or moved.
Now I am pretty happy with it for operations.
 
Are you meaning running on a schedule type operations, multi-train interaction, building and breaking trains, and/or industrial switching, prototypical operations???
Yep...this is what I want to do.
I think you missed my point. Each of those operational things would dictate a bit different layout design.
If operations is dispatching or schedule keeping where their are a lot of trains moving and meeting each other, you need a long main line with lots of sidings, branches, and junctions. A multi-loop and/or alternate route twice around layout design works very well for this sort of operation.

Operations of building and breaking trains would dictate a design with a nice sized classification yard. An out-and-back layout design works great for this.

Industrial switching and way freight operations would have a layout design with many and diverse and often complicated industrial areas for switching cars at. A single loop layout with multiple switching areas serves this purpose best.
 
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Ah...industrial and way freight is what I want to do....this would be picking up empties and delivering full cars?

Thanks for explaining those to me.

Dennis
 
If you want an industrial switching layout then definitely check out some YouTube videos or google the topic. You can get a lot of industries onto a layout that size but you don't wanna overdo it. And like Ken P said, do lots of planning because you don't wanna build something then hate it because the track plan sucks.
 
Check Lance Mindheim's pages for industrial / switching track plans. Many are shelf layouts without a continuous (roundy-round) run but they could be adapted without too much trouble to have a continuous run provision.

I started with a U-shaped shelf switcher, but now it's a doughnut b/c I decided I might occasionally want to just let a train orbit or run a through freight while I think deep thoughts. :p ;)

Current plans call for disguising the connection so I can mainly run it as an industrial spur.
 
Ah...industrial and way freight is what I want to do....this would be picking up empties and delivering full cars?

The short answer is the layout could be better designed for those purposes.

First is to nail down the concept of "operations". Over what area. Lance Mindhiem has published a lot of articles on switching industrial leads. One job, working on a couple miles of track that doesn't have any overhead traffic. Other people model an industrial area (a "town") and have a switch engine that works all the industries, then have through trains that set out and pick up cars for the switcher to spot. Other layouts model an entire branch or subdivision.

Reality rears its ugly head. You have a small area, you aren't going to get an entire subdivision on your footprint. I would suggest something along the lines of Mindheim's concept or the "town switcher" concept.

A critical concept for operations is "staging". Real trains and cars come from locations hundreds of miles away and go to locations hundreds of miles away. Many layouts have tracks that represent the "rest of the world". They hold a train or cars until its time for the trains or cars are ready to come onto the layout. Those tracks are "staging tracks".

My suggestion would be to design a loop of track and have 2 sidings on the side of the loop against the wall. They are your staging tracks. Then put a siding on the front side of the loop and various industries on the front side of the layout. Put a low backdrop in front of the staging tracks. It can be a row of tress, a low hill, a row of buildings. It only needs to be high enough that you can't see a train behind it from a normal viewing position. then if you stand on a low stool you can easily see over it. The way to operate the layout is to put an eastbound train on one staging track and a westbound train on the other staging track. The first train leaves staging, runs around the loop as many times as you wish, then stops at the town and sets out cars for the town and picks up cars going in that direction. The train runs around the loop as many times as you want and then goes back into a staging track. Later the other train runs out of staging, orbits as required, stops at the town, sets out cars for the town and picks up cars in the other direction. Sometime in the middle of all this the switcher at the town switches all the industries, spotting the cars that were set out, pulling the cars released from industry and switches the outbound cars between eastbound and westbound for the through trains to pick up.
 
WOW...so much to consider! Thanks Dave. I had no idea. I just expanded both sides, so now I have two 4 x 8 tables joined by a 2 x 4. I just ordered the Tracks for Realistic Operations book to help me also. I took all the track off.

Thanks to all for the input

Dennis
 
If this is your first layout, consider this. Just temporarily attach your track and don't ballast it. Put out some industries and buildings and see if what you planned will work for you. I don't know of any model railroader that was happy with their first layout no matter how much planning went into it. You have a good start and plenty of room so don't tie yourself into something that might not be satisfying in the future. It will also give you some running time to determine what type of "operations" you really want. Dave H has plenty of good thoughts for you to consider. Another observation I have is to watch those back corners...they will be very hard to reach!
Willie
 
I am a newbie also.
I have 14' x 8' I can use.
I tried to design a layout with all the things I thought I wanted.
I soon ran out of room and some major problems.
Examples, I could not turn a train around, I could get into a switch yard and could not get out.
My switch yard fouled my main lines, etc.
After 4-6 months of banging my head against the computer screen and a few sleepless nights.
I bought a book of track work.
101 Track Plans for Model Railroads by Lynn Westcott.
Found one that looked good and I am building it.
I plan to run it awhile then keep changing it until I get something that works for me.

I have found that a beginner usually does not know enough to design a good working layout.
Using some of the suggestion from above, design or get a layout from a book and get started.
Expect to change it some until you get some experience and knowledge of model railroads.
 
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One planning method I use is to photocopy switches and then cutout the photocopies to use in planning. You can buy brown wrapping paper, lay the paper out on the benchwork and draw the plan full scale on the brown paper.
 
If this is your first layout, consider this. Just temporarily attach your track and don't ballast it. Put out some industries and buildings and see if what you planned will work for you. I don't know of any model railroader that was happy with their first layout no matter how much planning went into it.
I totally agree with this. Until a layout gets some actual run time, it is difficult to know how well it really fits the desired situation.

I always keep a flat area available (at least 4'x8') and a pile of sectional track that I can throw together in various configurations to see if something will work or not. I can set up a design and play with it for a couple weeks or months. Consider the good and bad points, tear it out and do something else. Many times things that look good on paper don't end up being that way when put down in real track. I also keep a notebook of interesting track arrangements that I encounter at other people's layouts, so I can incorporate those into future layout plans.
 



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