Union Pacific N Scale Layout

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Trucklover

Trucklover

BNSF SD70MAC's
Continuing where I left off in the "I think" thread, I am going to do a N scale layout just for fun. Ive tried to do an HO scale layout a while ago in the same space, and it just wasnt working out, so i tore it down.... I got a sudden urge to do an N scale switching layout today, and well what do you know, after some measurements I have started a plan. I have all the lumber I need for the layout, so i wont have to buy anything for the benchwork (at least i dont think i will at the moment lol). The layout will be at eye level (for me) so working on the layout on a step-ladder will be a must, but i like to see things at eye level so this is how it will have to be done :D

Layout will have a small/medium sized yard, complete loop for continuous running as well as lots of switching for some fun, 17-1/2" minimum radius with #7 minimum turnouts. The mainline is shown in red, and I will go from there...
 
Intermodal Yard

Ive always wanted to have an intermodal yard, but never had the space for one! Well it should be a little easier in N scale, so that is the first thing i added to this plan (white tracks). BLMA is coming out with the new 53' Spine Cars, so ill get all 4 sets and have a nice Spine Train loaded down with some trailers, and I saw a few sets of Wells that I would also like to get. It looks like a decent variety of nicely detailed containers and trailers are available, so modeling the intermodal yard should be pretty neat. The long tracks will allow 2 separate trains to be loaded/unloaded at the same time. Walthers makes the MI-Jack Intermodal Crane kits, so ill have to get a few of those for the yard. The only thing I havnt seen is container chassis in N scale, which poses somewhat of a problem. because what Intermodal yard doesnt have chassis for all the containers being offloaded? :eek:
 
Yard

Here is the yard I just came up with (yellow tracks). I want to be able to run a train on the mainline and then have it pull into a stagging (for a lack of better words) track to dis-assemble or assemble. I made sure to not make any reverse loops (at least i think i did that), and the train can come in where smaller yard engines can either assemble or dis-assemble a new train, and pull cars from the 7 storage tracks. You will notice a large open space next to the 7 tracks, I plan to do a small engine servicing facility in this space... Here is the plan as it is now. Questions, comments, suggestions....
 


pcarrell said:
Ah, a convert! You've discovered the best thing about N scale!
Click to expand...

LOL nahhh, ill always be an HO guy, but ive always had an urge to model N scale too, money has never permitted me to do that before, and now that I have my own shop i figure why not? LOL
 
Engine Servicing

I added in the following structures:

Car Shop
Sanding Towers & Drying House
Machine Shop
Service Track Structures

These 4 kits should make a nice little compact servicing facility. I would like to have a diesel engine house, but that would take up ALOT of room... lol
 
Paper Mill

I added the Superior Paper Mill to the plan (Light Blue Tracks). Ill use 2 kits, and kitbash the main mill to make a larger mill with 8 truck docks instead of 4. Im sure I will alter the structures in some other way as well, but the plan shows the gerneal idea I have. There will be a pulp track (the track that runs around the mill) for spotting and unloading pulp flats
 
I like! I like! I have some ideas as I just spent the day doing a intermodal yard for a module layout group I'm a member of. It's going to be 16 over 4 modules. You need to remember to leave a lot of room for all the containers and the trailer chassis that need to be parked nearby. For the track going into the yard I would work it to be longer on the left of the yard like you have on the right side (yellow tracks) so you have more room to push cars into the yard since there is no way for a loco to escape from the end of the yard. Why not have the blue line to the left come all the way to the other blue line switch and than only have 2 switches for the blue line and have a longer siding. I would almost have the blue line run past the switch to give more room for operations. I guess I could be getting carried away and adding track all over the place. But it is N scale and you can do that.

What else do you have planned?


Dave
 
Thanks Dave!!

railBuilderDhd said:
You need to remember to leave a lot of room for all the containers and the trailer chassis that need to be parked nearby. For the track going into the yard I would work it to be longer on the left of the yard like you have on the right side (yellow tracks) so you have more room to push cars into the yard since there is no way for a loco to escape from the end of the yard.
Click to expand...

I did forget to leave some room to the right of the white tracks that run next to the mainline, so i changed the mainline and added a gap between the red and white tracks. I think there will be plenty of room for a nice sized intermodal yard in that space, plus i can expand the yard down into the large open space right above the Machine Shop, and have that as container and trailer storage.... I also extended the white line on the far left side to make it a little longer, these tracks will be plenty long to accept a train and unload/load it if it enters the white lines from the top of the plan

Im not sure what your saying about the yellow lines.... I made the yard to be stub-ended on purpose, and all trains will have to be backed in. The yard will mostly be used as a switching yard, pulling cars out of the yard and assembling trains on the main yellow line


railBuilderDhd said:
Why not have the blue line to the left come all the way to the other blue line switch and than only have 2 switches for the blue line and have a longer siding. I would almost have the blue line run past the switch to give more room for operations.
Click to expand...

Well i took your advise and extended the long blue line and connected it with the first switch into the main mill, so now there is only 2 switches coming off the mainline for the plant instead of 3 and everything is connected now. I think i like it better that way

BTW, I changed the color of the engine facility tracks from yellow to purple to make them stand out more from the yard
 
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Josh,
the blue line is much better that way. I like that you changed the color for the engine facility. Now I see clearly you have a lot of lead to the yard. Now, why not have a crossover to the purple line from the yard so you can get to the facilities without going all the way around the loop outside the facilities. Can't wait to see what else you add to the layout.
Dave
 


Dave, once again I took your advise and made a crossover from the yard lol

I just finished laying out the Grain Structures for the layout. The elevator is a beast, and I estimate it will take 7-8 of the ADM kits to build. I have also added in 2 of the Red Wing Flour Mill kits below the elevator to the left. I may add one more Red Wing kit to the right of the 2, not sure yet I will have to see what else I can work into the layout, as I still want to get some Lumber and Oil industries in there.... Grain Tracks/Yard are shown in dark blue
 
Josh,
Nice addition my friend. I like the yard connecting to the facility area. I think that will add fun to operations for you. The new area is nice looking and as you would expect I have comments :D Please let me know if you are tired of my comments and I'll keep them to myself.
I would move the flour mills to the right, maybe just to the right of where the loop starts and to the right of the new yard. I would move it so you can add scenery between the mainlines like a mountain that will divide your areas. May look better having something natural between the new yard and the business in the light blue track area. This would also give you a backdrop for taking photos of your areas of interest.

I like what you have going and can't wait to see it after you start building it.
Dave
 
railBuilderDhd said:
Josh,
Nice addition my friend. I like the yard connecting to the facility area. I think that will add fun to operations for you. The new area is nice looking and as you would expect I have comments :D Please let me know if you are tired of my comments and I'll keep them to myself.
I would move the flour mills to the right, maybe just to the right of where the loop starts and to the right of the new yard. I would move it so you can add scenery between the mainlines like a mountain that will divide your areas. May look better having something natural between the new yard and the business in the light blue track area. This would also give you a backdrop for taking photos of your areas of interest.
Click to expand...

Hey Dave, dont worry, I appreciate all the comments and suggestions, they are always welcome from anyone :D

While I see what you are talking about with moving the red wing plant and putting a mountain or hill to divide the mainlines, I think im going to leave it the way it is until I get more of the structures/industries I want to model layed out in the plan. I may move the red wing plant down directly below the elevator and do some scenery like you mentioned where the red wing plant is now, but that will be decided once I get the Oil and Lumber Industries layed out on the plan....
 
Pink Tracks

The Pink tracks that have been added service 3 structures. The top 3 are a Cold Storage Facility using 2 of the Walthers RJ Frost kits and a Heljan Cold Storage Facility Kit. The larger structure below the Heljan kit is the DMP Woods Furniture kit. Each structure has its own siding for spotting cars (the Cold Storage Facility having 2 tracks) Below the Woods Furniture structure is the DMP Goodnight Mattress Company and the DMP Gripp's Luggage Manufacturing kits. Both of these will have no rail access and be serviced by truck only.
 
Josh were you in my computer? Looks like one of my plans I did a while back! but my yard is a hiden staging and more of a mainline kinda thing focusing on getting trains through a malfunction junction type o thing!
 
vato loco said:
Josh were you in my computer? Looks like one of my plans I did a while back! but my yard is a hiden staging and more of a mainline kinda thing focusing on getting trains through a malfunction junction type o thing!
Click to expand...

LOL Nope, i cant say I was in your computer... A hidden staging yard is something that I had thought about but decided not to do, if I had more space I think I would do a hidden yard and put it further down the 8' wall, but i dont wanna push it and have this take over my room LOL
 
Lumber

I layed out the Mountain Lumber Company Sawmill and the Walton & Sons Lumber Warehouse on the plan. I separated them, and made the Sawmill (Large Structure with the 3 black tracks) a desitnation for a small string of loaded spine log cars (lower Black Track) and empty 72' Centerbeam Lumber Flats (Upper Black Tracks). Once the Centerbeams are loaded, they can be brought down to the Walton & Sons Lumber Warehouse (structures in the lower right of the layout). The Walton & Sons Lumber Warehouse will be constructed of 2 kits, one built closed, and one built as half and connected to the closed to make it a long complex and able to accept a few Centerbeams at a time.

The Dark Green Tracks (above Walton & Sons) will be the industrial complex down in the lower right of the layout....
 


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