P&LE layout first rough sketch

[P&LE]

Gentlemen,

As I posted elsewhere on the forum, I'll be moving into a different house within the next few weeks and I'll have a decent area in the basement to build an HO layout depicting the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie RR in 1952. The area will be roughly (haven't measured it yet) 12X15ish or so, with 2 doors coming into it. Things that I really want in my trackplan are staging (very important to me) and a continuous run option. I did a little doodling in xtrkcad last night and came up with this rough draft that I think will be adaptable to my space and seems to give me what I'm looking for. It features a double track mainline (correct for the P&LE) that allows continuous running, a town with switching locations on the main and an isolated branchline. Mainline radius will be 30"+ to allow good operation of passenger equipment, and the branch line will feature 24" radius and a turntable at the end. A duckunder is required to reach the branchline, but I'm willing to live with that to keep the branch isolated from the rest of the railroad (and I'll normally be the only operator anyway).

Please look at my rough sketch and give me your critiques. I haven't added any spurs yet (still learning xtrkcad), but you'll get the idea. The blue line is a backdrop, the top and left sides of the layout will be against the wall, the bottom and right sides will be accessable for operation. The staging area will be reachable over the (short) backdrop inside the branchline area from a small stepstool, should any repairs be required (I might even make that section of backdrop removable).

Thanks for any input.

PLE

 

[Railrunner130]

I'd add some variation and spurs to your double loop. Please don't take this the wrong way, but it looks boring. Maximize the space by using tunnels and bridges to cross the tracks. Seperate your double loop in spots. Make it look like there is no double loop. Rework some of the 90' curves so that they don't look like 90' curves. I'm not a fan of the branch line you have here, but I have no suggestions to replace it. Perhaps someone has a better suggestion.

Keep it up. You'll get what you're looking for. Personally, I sorta ditched the CAD program idea and am just going to wing it. I'm building dioramas that I plan on connecting in the alotted space.

Good luck. Hope that helps!

 

[P&LE]

railrunner,

Thanks for your input.

I plan to add lots of spurs and sidings in the town area and on the branch line, I'm just still learning the xtrkcad software.

The mainline is supposed to be double tracked, as the prototype is, but a large part of it will be hidden (the staging area) and not seen from the operating side, so it will not look like a loop during operations.

There will be tunnels, especially where the mainline goes through the backdrop, and the mainline will probably cross at least 3 bridges. Like I said, this is just a rough first sketch, I'll be filling in the details as I learn the software.

PLE

 

[Beachbum]

Looks like an interesting plan. I'll be curious to see how you flesh it out.

There was plan published several years ago in MR called the Wildcat Central that was similar except the branch was a shorter switching district. If you can Google-find it, it might give you some additional ideas.

 

[Selector]

You are doing well, and should probably continue to experiment with ideas and get really familiar with the software. So far, so good.

It seems you are interested in a central operating pit...at the moment. I really appreciated mine, my last layout. It is nice to just have to pivot in place, mostly, to appreciate what is happening. At the same time, you seem to be most fixated on having wide curves and a closed loop. I doubled my main line by making the loop twice as large, but pinching it in the middle and folding it over on itself...making one track cross over the other. The trick is to place the overpass someplace where it makes sense and doesn't present problems with either grades to and from the overpass, or clearances overhead. But that configuration doubles the run and time it takes between passenger station stops...if that is important at all, or something you might like to work on for a bit.

This is what my last layout looked like.

The diagonal bridge across the operating pit was an obstacle to free running, but it afforded me a reversing loop. Takes special wiring, but I could run trains in any direction without resorting to lifting items off the rails. Also, it was hinged at the left side and held up on the far side with brass barrel locks which doubled as the power connection. Pretty spiffy, and very reliable. It did get old stooping under it, though, and so did the access to the operating pit from outside the layout. Make sure you build it so that the lowest edges under which you have to scoot are about 48" off the floor, and a couple of inches higher would be ideal.

 

[P&LE]

Sketch 2 different shape

Gents,

I finally measured the room where the layout will go, and I've decided to revise my plan. I went with a dogbone(?) type walk-in design for this version. I can fit this revised plan into the room with only the left side against a wall, and have access to the other three sides. This plan will represent 3 towns along the P&LE mainline, the one in the middle is based on an actual town in PA with a coal tipple. I haven't really fleshed out the track arrangement in the other 2 towns yet.

In this plan;

To make things fit, I've reduced the minimum radius on the mainlines to 24" & 26".

The hidden staging yard will be only one of 2 and will represent the northern part of the line. The other (south staging) will be in an adjoining room on a narrow shelf. It will connect to the layout in the lower left corner, I just haven't drawn that part yet. Both mainlines in this area will go around the wall into the other room and I'll just use a single connection from the north staging to allow continuous running.

The yellow lines represent backdrops.

Input?

PLE

 

[railfan]

I like it....looks like a good use of the space. Might be good to break up the perfect symmetry of both legs just a bit.





Mike

 

[Beachbum]

You have a 3-ft reach to staging over tracks, structures, trains, whatever, unless the left side is open. Personally, I don't like reaching over *anything* on a regular basis because Mr Murphy has taught me that I will knock, snag, or crush something by accident.

 

[P&LE]

Beachbum,

I know the staging set up isn't ideal, so I'm thinking of running those tracks down a grade and around a curve to put them below the fascia on the bottom side of the layout (under the town) where they would be accessible. What do you think of that idea?

Thanks for all the input gents, I'm spending quite a bit of time trying to flesh this plan out.

PLE

 

[Beachbum]

Beachbum,

I know the staging set up isn't ideal, so I'm thinking of running those tracks down a grade and around a curve to put them below the fascia on the bottom side of the layout (under the town) where they would be accessible. What do you think of that idea?

That's certainly a well-accepted method of staging. However, you need to consider the grade(s) required, curve radii, benchwork clearances, and mechanicals like turnout controls.

Personally, I like open staging like David Barrow had on the CM&SF - minimal engineering required - but not everybody has room for it or likes the appearance.