Planning (thinking) out loud

[North Coast Railroad]

The room I have is 15'x 13.5' feet. Two doors, one is a pocket door, the other swings into the room. Both doors will be out of the lay out area. this will cut off 5' of the room on the long side. Leaves me a 10'x13'6" layout area. The other area will be for viewing, maybe a computer or my work bench.

I am hoping to obtain continuous operations. So thinking along the lines of a folded dog bone with either a hump yard in the middle, or going into a wye in the middle of the dog bone and having a stub yard....
Switching is something I really enjoy as well...so having a train or two run around while I create trains is the goal...I may have more than one operator every once in a while. I would like to learn more about operations, so I would like to have a track plan that enables that.
I also would want staging under the layout...My trains would need to 'go somewhere'.
I am modeling the pacific northwest between the 60's-80's...no logs, but lots of lumber. Lumber would be the main industry, with maybe one or two more industries...possibly a pulp mill, gravel. and a few siding dedicated to more than one smaller industry. Maybe a small manufacturing facility, a propane facility, food distribution or cold storage...just enough traffic for a smaller sized town of around 20k.

Passenger operations would be nice, but not too into it, so I could keep my radius under 30".

I hope to post a preliminary track plan soon.

 

[North Coast Railroad]

my previous layout was a 9'x5'6" with a center operating pit. I had fun learning on it...but when I moved and was granted this large room by the wife...I decided it was time to take my experiences and go to the next level.

 

[Beachbum]

After discussions with the CIC, I am going to finish a portion of my basement that will be approx. 12X14. She pitched it as a great opportunity for me to expand my layout, but I suspect she just wants my shelf switcher out of the family room / loft.

Anyway, I'll be doing an around the walls, probably 18-in deep as much as possible, 22-24 radius curves. I'm a big fan of Lance Mindheim's and David Barrow's work and the BNSF (ex-SF) has Argonne Spur not far from me, so...

 

[North Coast Railroad]

I really enjoy their work as well. Seems like we are both on our way to improved layouts.

I am working on learning some track planning software right now. I hope to have a basic design planned.

I think I am going to enjoy the challange of building this new layout. Starting with track plan, then benchwork design...then, into implementation.

 

[North Coast Railroad]

Well, I have been reading, and reading and reading nothing but track plans the last few days...Last night I was up late in the new train room. I put some blue tape down on the floor to at least show the limits of the space I have, but not of the actual layout foot print.

I am still trying to decide on what I want to do. I have enough space for two blobs with excess of 22" radius(I think) on them...Might be able to get 24". Only problem is access across the blob. But, with open girder bench work, I can easily access any tunnel I may put in on the blobs. Also, I am tall, so I can reach 30" easily. So, a folded dog bone seems the route I am taking.

I guess my main concern is the yard. Do I want a stub yard coming off the middle of the dog bone, or a through yard in the middle of the dog bone?

 

[North Coast Railroad]

Here are a few photos of the new train room, and the old layout sitting sadly on the floor awaiting its destruction.

Blue tape marks usable space.

 

[North Coast Railroad]

Well, I have a very limited experience with track planning software...But this is the general idea of where I would like to go with my new layout.

I plan on a yard somewhere...and of course some industrial sidings...I just stink at this track software. I guess practice will have to make perfect. This took me a little while, but work is slow this time of year, so I should hopefully get some more things figured out with the software.

 

[North Coast Railroad]

OK, don't laugh, but I am learning a little at a time here. I dont know how I am going to get a yard in there, or a few more sidings...or, below grade staging...Any feedback is more than appreciated.

 

[North Coast Railroad]

I think I am doing better using the sections of track

 

[Selector]

My current layout is almost exactly the size of space you have. It isn't that large if you would rather have nice curves and a loop, so I made it a central operating pit as shown. The outer curves are in excess of 45" radius which is wondeful for smooth operations. The loop is a folded loop, meaning it is pinched at the middle and then one loop twistes and folded back over the other to leave a crossover. The only chore is creating a slight and long enough grade so that you can cross safely with enough clearance to clear the roadbed above.

 

[North Coast Railroad]

Thanks for the reply Crandell. I really did think about that, but my last layout was a center pit. I know my new space, albeit big for me, is still rather limited. I was hoping on an around the walls type of plan. I do appreciate your help.

 

[psychobeagle12]

?????? IS THAT REALLY WHAT YOUR LAYOUT LOOKS LIKE AS A WHOLE??? For some reason I imagined like an around-the-walls theres-no-more-room-in-my-basement job. Geeze. Such great work though What is the actual size of your layout Selector?

 

[otiscnj]

SP;

I don't understand why you need 5' for door clearence, when most doors into interior spaces are 36" wide or less. Seems to me you are cheating yourself out of some potential layout real estate for your railroad company.

The 'heart' design with the wye in the middle, isn't going to give you much aisle space, once its built. Have you considered a layout in the shape of an 'N' or 'Z'? Using the diagonal of the room will give you a longer run. They maybe a wye at one end of the diagonal, with a stub yard, along one of the walls, and maybe a 'branch' along the other? Will see if I can draw up what I have in mind, and post it.

 

[otiscnj]

Crandell,

I've been admiring your photos the last couple of weeks. Just goes to show that 'bigger isn't necessarily better.' Any more views from the opposite angle possible?

 

[North Coast Railroad]

SP;

I don't understand why you need 5' for door clearence, when most doors into interior spaces are 36" wide or less. Seems to me you are cheating yourself out of some potential layout real estate for your railroad company.

The 'heart' design with the wye in the middle, isn't going to give you much aisle space, once its built. Have you considered a layout in the shape of an 'N' or 'Z'? Using the diagonal of the room will give you a longer run. They maybe a wye at one end of the diagonal, with a stub yard, along one of the walls, and maybe a 'branch' along the other? Will see if I can draw up what I have in mind, and post it.

Actually, the door to the rest of my house is a pocket door, so i need no clearance. There is a door to the exterior that would wind up needing 5' of clearance. I just want to still havethe ability to host, or have a work area. I could go bigger.

I knew when Crandell posted some folks would comment due to the quality of his post photos

 

[kluts]

Recent Model RR mag entries in the room sized arena are worth a serious look. Their website has the plans that are downloadable (pdf I think). Your ideas are good so far (if you have a loop reverser circuit) but do think bigger. You can start a simple main line with sidings and expand as you go.

 

[otiscnj]

SP,

Here are 2 concepts. Done in Abracadata's 3D Concept and Design.

Maybe include a small seaport? Has potential to include a yard with one track up to 8'. Aisle space is a bit tight, though-sometimes that's the trade. Can be OK if you're operating by yourself/ or with 1 other.

Good luck, Happy New Year!

 

[North Coast Railroad]

Otis, I like the both plans, as I could easily add a larger sized stub yard them. The only issue would be aisle width, which does concern me. I am going to continue to work on my plans...

 

[North Coast Railroad]

I have come up with this. Note the yard isnt complete, and the aisle with is obviously unworkable...but this is the best I can currently produce using this software. I like the ability to have a thru yard as opposed to the stub yard, and I came up with some below grade staging at 'A'. Oh, I also didnt add elevations. I found using mostly sectional track in this software helps me.

 

[North Coast Railroad]

thanks all who help