Beginning Layout

[RavenKnight21]

New to forum, getting back into model railroad.
What do you think, i'll be doing a 1/4inch plywood
with 1x4 frames, 2x4 legs, and using 1inch foam
board as a base and a couple more sheets of foam
for mountains ect.

4x8 Layout, 3 loop system (insulators at each turnout),
3 rail power 1100 controllers (still running DC, it works
for me and my son) and a total of 60 feet of track for non stop action.

Outside loop freight and passenger, Helix system climbing
with a 2.9% Grade, leveling out at 5 inch's tall to a triple
atlas 18inch bridge set and a 2.69% downgrade (i know
its steep but will not be running at full speed on the outer loop.

First inside loop, passenger set and small switch trains.
Tunnel system and will be the lowest track at 0 inchs to give
depth to the layout (1.0% grade down after turnouts.

Inner loop system, switcher engines only, moving around freight
cars. Future layout will incorporate a turntable and multiple turnouts.
this track will be at the base level of the layout at .5-1 inch including
a station, warehouse ect...

Then a couple photos of some of the items i will be using.

 

[Cjcrescent]

Welcome to the forums Raven! Nice plan for a first timer! I'm sure you and your son will have a lot of fun building this. There are a lot of real good people on this forum that will help you as best they can with any question you may have.

After seeing the photos of your equipment, might I recommend that you convert your equipment to knuckle type couplers. Just about everything new nowadays, comes with this type of coupler.

If you know the brand of the equipment you have, one company, Kadee metal products, (makes the best coupler IMHO), has a conversion chart that will tell you what coupler to use on what equipment. Here is the link:

http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/coupler.htm

At the top of the page, in the gray toolbar, you'll see a tab called "Conversions". Click on that and it will show a list of what you'll need for each make of car or locomotive. I would highly recommend that you look into this, as those old Horn-hook couplers, except for a few companies who make them separately, aren't made much anymore, and they're getting harder and harder to find.

 

[RavenKnight21]

Welcome to the forums Raven! Nice plan for a first timer! I'm sure you and your son will have a lot of fun building this. There are a lot of real good people on this forum that will help you as best they can with any question you may have.

After seeing the photos of your equipment, might I recommend that you convert your equipment to knuckle type couplers. Just about everything new nowadays, comes with this type of coupler.

If you know the brand of the equipment you have, one company, Kadee metal products, (makes the best coupler IMHO), has a conversion chart that will tell you what coupler to use on what equipment. Here is the link:

http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/coupler.htm

At the top of the page, in the gray toolbar, you'll see a tab called "Conversions". Click on that and it will show a list of what you'll need for each make of car or locomotive. I would highly recommend that you look into this, as those old Horn-hook couplers, except for a few companies who make them separately, aren't made much anymore, and they're getting harder and harder to find.

Hi Cj, yes I still run the old horn hook, most of my equipement is from the late 70's up to early 90's. The Kadee couplers are a great option and will be looking into them once i get the layout set and some trains rolling around. I have alot of cars and engines to do, more that what is pictured.

 

[Cjcrescent]

Hi Cj,... I have alot of cars and engines to do, more that what is pictured.

That's just like 99.9% of us on here! More stuff than ya know what to do with!

 

[Joe Daddy]

An observation or two I am assuming HO Scale??

A 3% grade on a curve will be difficult to navigate with passenger cars at any speed. I'm thinking you will have some real challenges if the trains longer than 2-3 cars. Then I wonder how old the engines and trains are, do they have old cookie cutter wheels, if so you are going to want to be using code 100 track which will undoubtedly be objectionable to almost anyone who reads my comment.

I guess I am being dense here but I also don't understand your comment "3 rail power 1100 controllers " as your drawings are two rail.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Doing a little math here and your climb to 5" over about 140" is over 3.5% grade and when you factor in the length of track for transition into the climb and back out of it, you're approaching 4%. Now factor in the two 22" radius curves and you have a very difficult grade.
Poor diesels.

 

[Cjcrescent]

...

I guess I am being dense here but I also don't understand your comment "3 rail power 1100 controllers " as your drawings are two rail.

Probably an older MRC power pack. IIRC, it was along the lines of the Ampack, Throttlepack, etc. The 3 means he has 3 of them.

I personally would recommend that they be replaced with newer MRC Tech 4 packs.

 

[RavenKnight21]

To clarify, Yes i am running HO scale.

The helix grade curve should be only 3%, my base layout starts at 1 inch and the initial climb goes to 4.3 inch's as seen in the picture

and yes i am running 3 older MRC RailPower 1100 power packs, each pack will connect to each individual loop for 3 trains to run all the time at different speeds.

Its older, but for now, id rather have money go into a nice clean layout and upgrade electronics, couplers, wheels ect later....

And yes, testing will need to be done on how many cars can run up the helix without derailment or cars being pulled off from being to heavy.

And yes, all of my track is currently code 100

 

[GenSet]

You have less than 3" clearance for long stretches of track-over-track and over 2.5% grade _plus_ the drag of the 18" turns. I hope you are ready to extract your derailments with a pool cue.

 

[Iron Horseman]

4x8 Layout, 3 loop system (insulators at each turnout), 3 rail power 1100 controllers

If you are going to run it that way, why do you have the crossovers between the loops? Eliminate the turnouts and save the money, or use them to get to your turntable and other industries you were talking about.

 

[RavenKnight21]

If you are going to run it that way, why do you have the crossovers between the loops? Eliminate the turnouts and save the money, or use them to get to your turntable and other industries you were talking about.

turnouts complete the look, and i can still transfer trains from one rail to another by matching speeds on the controller. Also easier to make the layout with switches now for when or if i switch to DCC

You have less than 3" clearance for long stretches of track-over-track and over 2.5% grade _plus_ the drag of the 18" turns. I hope you are ready to extract your derailments with a pool cue.

and yes, i am still working on all the numbers to get a full 3 inch of clearance. my tallest car i have now is exactly 3 inchs including track and roadbed.

All preliminary stages right now, just trying to get a good concept on paper and maybe get some advice along the way, see what worked for people and what doesn't.

 

[Iron Horseman]

i can still transfer trains from one rail to another by matching speeds on the controller.

Just be careful because that means while the loco is spanning the block it can get power from both power controllers simultaneously that can seriously burn out some motor windings.

You also realize that with the given configuration a train could go from one track to another, but to get back it would have to back up through the crossover.

 

[RavenKnight21]

Update on layout

 

[RavenKnight21]

track laid out, marking for roadbed, then will be going up for the helix and mountains.