Need some outsider advice.


jbaakko

Diesel Detail Freak
Well it was brought to my attention, by my mother of all people that a 13" turntable & 14" roundhouse WERE NOT going to fit into my dad's layout where we had intended. SO I'm asking for advice, step one, was, add to the width there, again, but thinking this through in my mind, it wasn't going to happen! It would have added WAY to much depth to the layout.

Here's a copy of the previous design:
View attachment 3275

Then upon a call to my dad to discuss this error on my part, he gave a few random ideas including a double decker... So I planned out a double deck layout, the only issue here being that the curves will have to be anywhere from 18" to 20" as 22" might be a little to wide to allow aisle space.
Here's the two decks (peliminary design, I have to get the exact measurments of the room again, and rebuild, this time in another software other then Atlas' RTS):
Lower Deck: View attachment 3276
Upper Deck: View attachment 3277

But I need advice!!! I know 18"s are VERY tight, even on the predominently 4 axle road power, and 50' and shorter cars, that will mostly occupy this layout. The grid is layed out in 12" x 12" squares so you can see why I say we'd need 20" or less.

The yard in the lower deck needs alot of work, the biggest issue being, it needs to be a "wye" yard for train direction switching, not just units, but whole trains (although only 4 cars long). 3 tracks are needed, and 2" centers will prolly be the standard (narrower the better), and the single track in the center of the wye is yard engine storage.

The triple track area in the top center is complex. The closest track to the viewer will be a 2-3% grade upwards towards the left. This track leads to a rock tipple, for the mine rock. The second track on the viaduct is the main, which leads to the triple area. The middle of the tripple track area CAN be modified, as this is the engine facility lead. The Third track becomes the main. This region has some work to go, thus the absence of real drawn switches.

The rest is fairly self explanitory, but I'd like some help in the "development" so that I can make this work, as the old plan sure as heck ain't going to work! The layout will be primarly Atlas & ME Flextrack, and Atlas, ME & Peco switches. I'm going to look at a few curved switches, and if anyone knows of a good "stubby" switch, tell me! All code 83 with brown ties, maybe some code 70 ME in the yards.

Oh hey, upper deck support ideas! There's going to be around 24"-28" of clearance, if I worked out the measurments correctly in my head.

Any help is appreciated (sp?)!!
Josh
 
Well, the upper level blob isn't going to happen. Because you're going to get a derailment in that far corner there, and you won't be able to reach. You could put an access hole there, but that'll also affect the lower level. Not to mention the trackwork inside the upper-level blob.

I'd put the upper level blob where the yard (single/double track) is. That will give you about 2 sides of access for that derailment I know you're going to have, since you're already worried about the 18" R curves.

Kennedy
 
Josh- I don't think you will be happy with 18" curves. Push it to a minimum of 20", and larger, even if you have to curve some sidings.

" Oh hey, upper deck support ideas! There's going to be around 24"-28" of clearance, if I worked out the measurments correctly in my head."
Consider using 1/4" all-thread rod for your supports. You can support your inclines at different heights by adjusting double jamnuts to the necessay height. The thin rods are strong, but not bulky.
 
Josh- I don't think you will be happy with 18" curves. Push it to a minimum of 20", and larger, even if you have to curve some sidings.

" Oh hey, upper deck support ideas! There's going to be around 24"-28" of clearance, if I worked out the measurments correctly in my head."
Consider using 1/4" all-thread rod for your supports. You can support your inclines at different heights by adjusting double jamnuts to the necessay height. The thin rods are strong, but not bulky.
 
Thanks for the ideas guys. We've played with 18" & 22" curves before, and even at 22" the back of the curve will be accessable with a little reaching. I figured if a derailment does happen in the back of either curve you can just pick out the effected cars, they slide upwards easy with the EC87 couplers.

The issue with moving the upper loop to that lower left corner is the door. The whole plan avoids any duck-unders.
 
So I've played with the idea a bit, it seems 20" curves will work out fine. no my BIG question is, signaling. I plan on using searchlight signals but my question is where should I put them, and how should I organize them!? I'm thinking I'll need one at the slip switch in the middle of the layout but from there I'm lost!
 
Yeah a folding portion of the layout could work. I also thought up justing using that stub end yard as the "interchange" and removing the loop, installing a graceful curve with a long runaround, and a small "stoarge track". We'll see how it all turns out as we start construction, the intial plan is to get everything in the "lower deck" plan built, then we'll see how the upper deck idea works. if the upper deck is a bust the grade loop will lead to an interchange deck on the lower side of the left wall space.
 
The general rule for signals is anywhere where there is a switch (both directions), where tracks cross each other (diamond), and operational blocks. The latter kinda depends on your era.

Regarding switches, most stub sidings use a dwarf-type signal; passing sidings and crossovers use the normal sized ones (searchlight, in your case). If you have double-track, and bi-directional, you need to account for directions also.

I can probably mess with your drawings to mark where I think you need signals, if you'd like....

Kennedy
 
jbaakko said:
That would be nice! I'm more then welcome to "messing" with the drawings...

OK, here is what I came up with. For notational purposes, F = Full Sized signal, and D = Dwarf signals.

Full sized signals are on the main line, and dwarfs generally are on sidings (stub sidings, especially), but some sidings get the full-sized ones.

Where I say F & D, I mean Full on the main, Dwarf for coming out of the siding.

I don't know enough about yards and stuff to place signals there, I think they're usually dwarfs. And, I didn't put any signals on the one mine spur, since I suspect there will be only one loco operating there and it'll probably be controlled locally (as in, they're not calling a dispatcher to line switches and change signals).

I think there was one diamond that I didn't put a set of signals on; that's because there were switches all around that area, and those will govern who gets what priority.

:D

Kennedy
 
Ooops, missed one. There should be a Full Sized by the upper left corner diamond by the rock quarry/coal dump. That whole area seems spaghetti-like; I had trouble figuring out what signals are needed, and that there are branch lines criss-crossing the main line. That really shouldn't happen....

Kennedy
 
HaggisKennedy said:
Ooops, missed one. There should be a Full Sized by the upper left corner diamond by the rock quarry/coal dump. That whole area seems spaghetti-like; I had trouble figuring out what signals are needed, and that there are branch lines criss-crossing the main line. That really shouldn't happen....

Kennedy
The criss crossing is because of the cross over of a trestle for the unloading of the mine rock. I'll demonstrate it more later...
 



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