My N Scale Track Plan


Yes, that's the only way that you could yard trains if your lead is a stub. I'm not ta;lking about those two short tracks next to your engine house.
The track in blue (your longest) how can you get to it?
 
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videobruce said:
The track in blue (your longest) how can you get to it?
Click to expand...

The same as all the other yard tracks, by pulling and pushing with the switcher?

Pulling from the string left on the a/d track and pushing cars into the yard tracks. To build a train I would pull cars from the yard tracks and push them onto the a/d track.
 
To that question, yes.

Picture a conventional "train" with caboose. Depending on direction and if it is a one or doubled ended yard, how would it "yard"? Either by pulling in, or backing in.
As the plan stands, how can that be done allowing the power to "escape" from the other end?

You could also consider "yarding" a train by cutting the power off on that siding and letting the yard engine 'yard' the train, but that isn't the way it's done prototypically. But, that doesn't mean you couldn't operate that way, after all there is poetic license allowed here. :)

Now if you are talking about making up a "local" that is just doing the industries, the caboose could go next to the power if you wish, so things are more flexible. Looking at the plan, travel would have to be counterclockwise to service the industries since all the turnouts for the spurs would be "trailing", allowing backing into each industry without running around the cars.

BTW; the term "consist" usually refers to the 'power' (locomotives), not the entire train. ;)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
videobruce said:
To that question, yes.

Picture a conventional "train" with caboose. Depending on direction and if it is a one or doubled ended yard, how would it "yard"? Either by pulling in, or backing in.
As the plan stands, how can that be done allowing the power to "escape" from the other end?

You could also consider "yarding" a train by cutting the power off on that siding and letting the yard engine 'yard' the train, but that isn't the way it's done prototypically. But, that doesn't mean you couldn't operate that way, after all there is poetic license allowed here. :

Now if you are talking about making up a "local" that is just doing the industries, the caboose could go next to the power if you wish, so things are more flexible. Looking at the plan, travel would have to be counterclockwise to service the industries since all the turnouts for the spurs would be "trailing", allowing backing into each industry without running around the cars.

BTW; the term "consist" usually refers to the 'power' (locomotives), not the entire train. ;)
Click to expand...

I'm learning a lot here, and I'm really appreciating it.

Been staring at my plan....... The green siding came into the plan as mainly an arrival/departure track. It can also be used as a siding obviously. The original plan always had trains running counter clockwise.

But the A/D idea was suggested as a way of 'yarding' a train so the power would not have to back up so much. If I were to figure out a way to extend the yellow (what I've been calling the 'yard lead') so it connects to the main somewhere, a train's power would then be able to cut off a train much further into the yard area, and move away.

It could also back it's cars onto a yard track, disconnect and move away, but it can already do that. It would have to come in counter clockwise, and then back up after cutting it's cars loose to get back up onto the main with my current plan.

Still staring at my plan........ :)
 
Something else, there is no real lead for the cluster of industries to allow switching clear of the main track.
Can you move the turnouts further away from the main so you have some room to work without fouling the main?
 
Okay - I'm working on some changes which will include your ideas. It may be a while before I get a chance to post a new plan, as I'm very busy over the next day or two.....

Stay tuned......
 
I'm not a graphic artist by any means, but take a look here.

The green arrows for moving the locations of those two industries,
The red (poorly drawn) lines are trackage moved to allow more switching room off the main, same goes for that additional lead to the right.
 
Bruce,

My daughter would say you have ESPN - very similar to what I'm working on!

I should be able to post a new plan sometime on Thursday........

Thank you........
 
We do have ESPN on cable TV, but I don't watch sports.
You didn't mean ESP did you? ;)

One question that I didn't see mentioned other than the reference to "snap track"; what brand track and code are you planning to use? Can I assume Atlas? Both choices dictate what you have for turnout selection.
 
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videobruce said:
We do have ESPN on cable TV, but I don't watch sports.
You didn't mean ESP did you? ;)

One question that I didn't see mentioned other than the reference to "snap track"; what brand track and code are you planning to use? Can I assume Atlas? Both choices dictate what you have for turnout selection.
Click to expand...

That was the joke - she always says ESPN instead of ESP...... :p

I'm using Atlas code 55 and Scarm for the design. Because of the way Scarm works I'm using 'snap' track while designing, but I will actually use flex when I build it. Doing it this way shows me what the radius of each curve is while designing. Scarm does not yet show you the radius of flex drawn free-hand. All turnouts except for the curved ones are #5's.

The smallest radius I have is in the lower half of that new yard lead - 10". Everything else varies from 11.25" to 13.75".

Here is the latest:

Plan-02-28-13.png
 
I would not connect the yard lead with those industries.
The zig zag needed for your lumber mill will be a problem.
You lost most of the usefulness of that passing siding by cutting it in half.

Stick with before.
 
Okay - One more stab at it..........

I'll 'clean up' the look of those tracks on the left when laying the flex....

I'll post a 3D image when done. (You really get a better feel of the look with it.)

Plan-03-01-13.png
 
Can you move that turnout above the lake more to the left, rotating those two industries further counter clockwise (so to speak) to give you a longer lead?
 
Athlon, I've liked all the plans you've done.
The technical aspect I leave to others.

I have one off topic question/comment ....
I'm using the SCARM program as well, was just wondering how you have been able to show your layout?
All I have been able to do is take the snapshots in 3D mode.

Thanks
 
Gac66610 said:
Athlon, I've liked all the plans you've done.
The technical aspect I leave to others.

I have one off topic question/comment ....
I'm using the SCARM program as well, was just wondering how you have been able to show your layout?
All I have been able to do is take the snapshots in 3D mode.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I use a "screen shot". Here's how:

1) Press and hold your 'Shift' key, and while holding down it tap your 'PRT-SC' key. This will put an image of whatever is on your screen into memory. (My 'PRT-SC' key is the left one in the little cluster of keys above my INS, HOME and PAGE-UP keys. Yours may be labeled slightly differently.)

2) Open the Windows Paint program

3) Press 'CTRL V' to paste the screenshot in memory into Paint

4) Crop the image to show just the track plan

5) Save the image

Sometimes in order to see the whole screenshot I have to 'zoom out' in Paint before I can crop it. The other thing I do is cut the size of the image to 80% of the original so it's not too big on the web site. Your mileage may vary.......
 
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