Smaller Layout Plan

[Rigby]

Thank you to everyone who weighed in on my recent post about my Maine Central layout. I've decided that I'm biting off more than I can chew with that project and that it needs to percolate further. In the meantime, I'd like to build a smaller layout in my home. This layout should serve a number of purposes, including taking away the urge to build the big layout too fast, give me a place to play trains at home, allow me to build skills and test ideas, etc.

The railroad should allow for some operating ability and I'd like it to have the ability to run continuously since it will reside in my home office and it would be nice to look up and see trains running.

The setting will still be Maine. Railroads will be Maine Central and Bangor and Aroostook.

The room is shaped like this (ignore the poorly thought out scribblings):

My thought is to do something like this:

The plan is oriented 180 degrees from the room plan - the bulk of the railroad is opposite the door. Conceptually, the line serving the mill is the B&A and the line across the front of the loop is MEC. There's an interchange between them. The back is staging and the line to the right goes off to another scene I haven't devised yet.

There will be a couple of yard tracks in the middle of the loop for the interchange and an industry there as well - haven't decided what. Maybe woodchip facility.

Train time at home comes in 5 and 10 minute blocks, except very occasionally. I see an operating cycle that would take several blocks to complete:

1. MEC train interchanges cars and leaves.
2. B&A train delivers box cars of material to mill, switches mill, delivers laden boxes to interchange, receives empty boxes from interchange, leaves with empties.
3. Local switcher switches loop industry cars to and from interchange.
4. Local switcher switches loop industry
5. etc.

What do you guys think? The plan has miles to go, but overall does this make sense to you? (Using Rightrack to keep me honest - will build with flextrack.)

 

[Rico]

"This layout should serve a number of purposes, including taking away the urge to build the big layout too fast, give me a place to play trains at home, allow me to build skills and test ideas, etc."

Ah grasshopper you are on the right track!
I'm glad I went down that same road, made my mistakes, learned new techniques, honed what skills I may have. Years later every layout I make is getting smaller and smaller!

 

[UP2CSX]

Rigby, remind me, is this N or HO scale? You do realize you create a reverse loop with the wye track that curves off the single main to the right, correct? What is the purpose of the track at the top that curves down off the edge for the layout?

 

[Rigby]

Hi Jim, thanks for reading. This is N-gauge. Yes, thank you - I see the reverse loop. Was planning on using MRC's loop device to power the mill area. (Using MRC Prodigy DCC control).

The track off to the right would run across the that wall to another scene. Don't plan to build that at first. One thing at a time.

At some point you'd be justified to ask whether I have any idea whatsoever what I want to build. The answer remains: I would like to have a large layout to hold operating sessions on. That idea needs serious development, however, so this project is a stepping stone to get there with.

 

[Shazam75]

Tracks seem to be very close to the edge of the table/benchwork - will not be very good! Better to have say about 2 or 3 inches space there and put some scenery - will give the layout some 'depth'. Only a suggestion - not a criticism.

 

[UP2CSX]

OK, now I rememeber our discussions. The mind is the second thing to go.

As long as you realize you have the reverse loop and know how you are going to handle it, no problem. However, the reverse loop electrically appears to start at the cossover switches just beyond the wye. I'm not sure you have enough space to get a train through there without crossing polarities. How about if you used and actual wye switch leading to a single track and had the spurs branch off the single track? That would give you plenty of room on both legs of the wye to clear the reverse loop section without having short circuit problems. You'd also have an easy way to turn trains. It seems like a single track with spurs would also look better than having all the crossovers you show now. You could branch off to a double track for the long siding at the right end of the layout.

Other than that issue, it looks like a nice layout to get started with and easy to expand if you get the room and inclination. I like it.

 

[nephthyr]

Thank you to everyone who weighed in on my recent post about my Maine Central layout. I've decided that I'm biting off more than I can chew with that project and that it needs to percolate further. In the meantime, I'd like to build a smaller layout in my home. This layout should serve a number of purposes, including taking away the urge to build the big layout too fast, give me a place to play trains at home, allow me to build skills and test ideas, etc.

Went down the same road myself, even though my "big" layout is actually quite small and my "small" layout it a 1x4' micro in HO scale. I think building the micro was probably the best thing I could have done, it gave me great amounts of insight into how a layout gets put together and the enormity of the task as well as the investment in time.

I think its a great way to go, good luck and keep us posted with your progress!

 

[DaWolf85]

You do have a way to access the staging, yes?

It looks like you're getting the potential electrical problems out of the way with Jim, so I'll leave you two to that.

What will you do with the large open space on the main layout area? You could have some pretty nice scenery there, maybe a small town could work as well.

In addition, if you want to do anything with that spur off on the right of the plan, a logging operation might be cool.

 

[Rigby]

I guess I thought that the staging would be open, over the ridge. You could look over it and recover trains or whatever. Bad idea?

I haven't decided what I'd so with the large open area - town or industry or something. Lots of ideas, but haven't distilled it down. Logging operation on the other spur is a good idea. Was also thinking about a quarry.

I've been asked why I'd build a layout at home that couldn't be incorporated into a larger layout, or why not build a module for use with the club. Conceptually, what do you guys think about the possibility of "docking" layout - not sure how else to say it. There would be a solid bench with a space for a 6' x 18" module to go. The permanent part of the bench would provide a tail for the module's mainline to run off of, contain staging, and interchange cars.

 

[UP2CSX]

Rigby, the issue with staging is those tracks are just about at your maximum reach potential of 33 inches. Add a ridge in and you'll have a tough time reaching across without breaking some scenery. If you have access from the back, the open staging isn't an issue. If that's going to be against a wall, that's an issue. You'd be better off to flip the plan and have staging on the shelf section and have your industry at the top, where you won't have to reach as often.

The Free-Mo organization has lots of information on portable modules, including the accepted standards for connecting modules together. Check it out at http://www.free-mo.org/.