The 60/40 Layout And Other Railway Related Things


GuilfordRailman said:
What about placing this kit next to one of the spurs that you placed where the TT used to be?
Click to expand...
The plan was for only two spurs, one each for the silo and machine shop, as they obviously need two with a loco shed and goods shed on the other end, with the stub tracks for the rolling stock, if the reverse loop works, I could just use two TO's and then two wye's to access the stub end, that would give me a minimum of four stub's for that end, If I use another TO between the two stub TO's, so I have two facing down the layout and one facing up, my plan was to use another wye, to give my the two industry lines, the machine shop is 13-5/8 X 8-3/4" .

I think the reverse loop will work, I've laid out some old track just to see how it would look, not entirely happy with the look tbh, needs some more thinking.

The white squares are the Silo and Machine shop footprints, the black is where the 3 way TO would go, the blue is roughly where the 3 TO's. The area marked in yellow is the bit I don't like the look of.

Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can put two TO's one either side , marked in red, and see if they will connect up assuming I put a TO in directly after the 3 way TO, and will still give me enough space to get at least three TO's in, facing opposite directions and have enough space to make the stub ends and the track up to the industry, the problem I see in doing that is non of those tracks coming off the center TO's will be straight.

Re6212.jpg
 
That curve going into the reverse loop seems sharp, but maybe it’s just the photo? I agree tho, the area in the yellow circle does look a little strange…I think it would look better not having the reverse loop but that’s just my opinion.
 
It's a 3rd radius curve, so a six legger will make it, but you could be right, I've looked at using a normal TO, but layouts not long enough for it to work, I could use a small pond I have to "block" the track forcing the curve, I'll see tomorrow see how it looks for real, but I do like the idea of a reverse loop, but if it's not practical I'll drop the idea.
 
Afternoon Gentlepersons.

After a nights cogitation, and thinking about what GuilfordRailman and Logandsawman have said, not to mention spending all night getting out of bed to see if another idea would work, the reverse loop just looks so contrived I'm putting that on indefinite hold.

So onto plan G, or is it H?

So...... this is the new plan.

Top left I'll put in two curved TO's, (in blue) the track that goes off to the right (in yellow) which was supposed to be the reverse loop, will now be a holding section for freight wagons and Loco's waiting to go into the Machine shop/Silo or Factory, this still gives me a third track into a station, (in black) with access into the Industrial area (in white).

OR

Top left I'll put in two curved TO's, (in blue) the track that goes off to the right (in yellow) which was supposed to be the reverse loop, make a slight right turn into the Industrial area.

REV2-1A.jpg



I received one of the two 3 way TO's as you know the geometry is all wrong to match with a Hornby TO, so until the Peco SL TO's arrive I won't know if they will match up to allow all three tracks to merge into two, but I do have contingency plan if that happens.
 
Smudge617 said:
Afternoon Gentlepersons.

After a nights cogitation, and thinking about what GuilfordRailman and Logandsawman have said, not to mention spending all night getting out of bed to see if another idea would work, the reverse loop just looks so contrived I'm putting that on indefinite hold.

So onto plan G, or is it H?

So...... this is the new plan.

Top left I'll put in two curved TO's, (in blue) the track that goes off to the right (in yellow) which was supposed to be the reverse loop, will now be a holding section for freight wagons and Loco's waiting to go into the Machine shop/Silo or Factory, this still gives me a third track into a station, (in black) with access into the Industrial area (in white).

OR

Top left I'll put in two curved TO's, (in blue) the track that goes off to the right (in yellow) which was supposed to be the reverse loop, make a slight right turn into the Industrial area.

View attachment 149026


I received one of the two 3 way TO's as you know the geometry is all wrong to match with a Hornby TO, so until the Peco SL TO's arrive I won't know if they will match up to allow all three tracks to merge into two, but I do have contingency plan if that happens.
Click to expand...
I like the first idea!
 
GuilfordRailman said:
I like the first idea!
Click to expand...
Yeah, I do too, although the second idea would make it simpler, but the first idea would allow me to maybe expand that track up into the Industry if I feel the need, but as it is, gives me some switching duties to do.

I've also bought that lineside warehouse I showed earlier, nearly got the 3 storey version, but I think that would be too big.
So not much to do till all the bits of track arrive, (I've also had to buy a new r/h curved TO, I do have another one, but the HO loco's keep picking the blade on that one). So housekeeping and removal of grass covering for the next few days I think. :)
 
Managed some train room time, didn't get as much done as I was hoping for, cleaned up some more grass area's, removed a stub end and widened another one out, which is where the goods shed will go, got that all pinned down, measured out where I need to cut the track for the double TO. when I get that done, I can add underlay, shim a small section, then I can pin that down.

The Peco TO's won't work with the 3 way TO's I bought, they have the same geometry as Hornby, and I'm not going to buy any more, I did think about getting a bespoke 2 track scissor TO, but at £90 decided I'd just use the TO's I have, need to cut track for them too, if I can get that done and even out the ends of the stub tracks, I'll be happy with that.

Now looking a little better than before, excuse the mess.

20220723_181319.jpg


Oh! and the small silver gun looking thing is a LED light with a movable head, works off mains or batteries, I've found it to be a very useful piece of kit.
 
Last edited:
This is as far as I got today, the geometry for the double curved TO didn't work as expected, so I now have a large kink on the inside track to give me enough space for the station and still get the inside line to go into the middle track, at this end, not happy with this at all, think I need to leave this a few days, see if another better thought comes along.

20220724_182259.jpg
 
Smudge - weren't you also trying to put a reversing loop in? If so, see that track at the bottom of the hammer handle; above? Fix that so it is more parallel to the tracks to the left THEN figure where to align the reverse trackage so that it is smooth and trouble free. Now go and figure where those additional turnouts you want will fit. You are pretty tight and may end up with some sort of 'S' curve on the reverse track although you my be able to minimize that.
 
ctclibby said:
Smudge - weren't you also trying to put a reversing loop in? If so, see that track at the bottom of the hammer handle; above? Fix that so it is more parallel to the tracks to the left THEN figure where to align the reverse trackage so that it is smooth and trouble free. Now go and figure where those additional turnouts you want will fit. You are pretty tight and may end up with some sort of 'S' curve on the reverse track although you my be able to minimize that.
Click to expand...
Yes, I did, I may still be able to get it to fit, I have a couple of options to try, I've added a couple of structures just to see how it will look.

This is how it now looks, you can see more now as I've cleared up quite of bit of rubbish that was laying around, I've straightened out the kink you mentioned, or as much as I dare, I need the kink to go round the back of the station, I still need to connect that section.



20220726_181649.jpg

20220726_181723.jpg


As you can see below if I add another TO to the line for the stubs I get the reverse loop I want, but the issue with that is that as the board needs to be lifted when not in use it means I can't fasten the TO down on both sides.

20220726_181835.jpg


I could lengthen the curve coming off the inner track and take out the TO (the one with the Hornby point motor) that would get me up to the split, and then move the track with all the TO's for the stub ends and use that as the reverse loop track which would shorten most the stub ends, but I'd probably lose the two Loco shed tracks as now the TO's will no longer facing directly down the table but at an angle towards the left of the layout.

20220726_181835copy.jpg
 
Last edited:
My 'thoughts' center around the inability to easily reach trains/tracks near/against walls. I'd suggest to try and come up with a place to cut a [disguisable] access hole in the middle to come up under and into (perhaps right where that lone switch is sitting in the 2nd pic down).
OR, if not too late, pull entire thing 1.5' away from rear wall making an aisle way..Reaching across 4' to rescue/coax/re-rail/uncouple, deal with structures/scenery/wiring can be a nightmare and a hobby killjoy I wouldn't want to see happen to you...
 
Last edited:
PowrCab said:
My 'thoughts' center around the inability to easily reach trains/tracks near/against walls. I'd suggest to try and com up with a place to cut a [disguisable] access hole in the middle to come up under and into (perhaps right where that lone switch is sitting in the 2nd pic down).
OR, if not too late, pull entire thing 1.5' away from rear wall making an aisle way..Reaching across 4' to rescue/coax/re-rail/uncouple, deal with structures/scenery/wiring can be a nightmare and a hobby killjoy I wouldn't want to see happen to you...
Click to expand...
Too late, the layout is stored vertically, or at least half of it is when not in use, is as it blocks the door otherwise, so it's hinged on the wall side, as it's in two sections it's not that difficult to rescue derailed or uncoupled cars, I have a good "hand grabber" which will lift all but the heaviest of loco's. Having a crawl under was never on the cards for me and I wanted to maximise the very limited space that I have, hence I designed it this way, not the best I admit, but works for me.
 
I didn't mean to crawl under ot to run it. Just meant access hole (perhaps filled in with removable lake, say) as an easier way to get to rear track only when there's a mishap there..
But, tzeechhizzown ! Your trains/your rules...
;)
 
OK, so here is where I am today, the main tracks are laid, I need to add point motors and do the wiring for the, and the lighting for the Loco Shed, Silo and Goods Shed, but at the moment this is what I have in mind.

The track with the Silo will be at some point run directly to the other side creating the reverse loop I want, but at the moment I don't have enough TO's to do that, so until I get them it will stay as it is, it's on the other side of the table so not a major problem, when I get round to do it.

I've positioned most of the buildings where I think they will eventually be placed, there's still the Signal box and the second station to go in, the two white pieces of paper represent the Machine shop (the larger of the two), and the two storey goods shed that I still have to build. I have a few other structures I can use, but their very continental in appearance.

I'll have to acquire some more generic looking structures, a factory or two perhaps, not connected to the Railway, but they will likely go in the area between the Machine Shop and the Silo. As soon as I can get that done I can start on the scenery. I intend to just run some trains in the meantime, see if there are any changes I want to make before I start ballasting.

I'm also thinking of building a small berm of some kind to go between the Industrial area and the inner track.

20220730_175903.jpg

20220730_175903.jpg
20220730_175941.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top