Starting over - 1st time track plan, using SCARM software - want some opinions

[hotrodf1]

Hey all,

I've got an old layout that's just not right for me and the boys anymore, and so I'm starting over. I have an interesting basement - it has a nice old wooden bar in the middle that sort of makes things difficult for a railroad. I had some wild ideas, but eventually decided maybe a little too wild, so have backed it down to what I'm sharing here (in regards to size).

It's a basic around the walls kind of concept with a peninsula in the middle with a large mountain scene. Me and the boys also have an avid love for mountain biking so we will likely be including elements from downhill MTB in the mountain scene at some point. I don't think I've seen that before. It's loosely based on the midwest area, with some hilly portion like you might see toward the Smokies. Think we'll run CSX equipment.

I have a 3D printer and so there will be likely many elements on the layout using it. There's quite a bit of potential and also lots of designs already out there on Thingiverse and the like. It's just a FDM so can't get to the detail level of a resin printer (maybe someday).

We will be using Railpro system type of DCC (it's actually radio control). I have it now on the old layout and it works great.

The layout is intended to have enough interest for 2-3 people doing some switching in the yard, various businesses, etc. It's also setup to be able to do some "let em cruise" type railfanning as I plan on a lift out bridge at the one end.

The coal mine is about 4" above everything else in the corner there, with the mainline in a tunnel underneath. There will be access to the tunnel from the other side. The partial town at the one end is in no way final form, I just threw some stuff in there. I have a model of the Walthers ADM grain elevator in there, since we're in the midwest. There will be lots of changes as we go I'm sure.

I guess I'd just like to have some of you more experienced RRs take a look and see what may be missing or is likely to cause problems or just whatever your opinion may be. It's my first time designing a track plan. The view are from the 3D rendering in SCARM. Of course, I haven't included a lot of structures or scenery, but I think you can get the idea. The idea was to have a sort of picturesque layout and not too much density in tracks (as I have now). The aisles pinch down to about 29" in some places. Can't decide if that's OK or what.

The plan will be to have sections of scenery only, then followed by towns/industrial area, then scenery and so on.

Anyhow, see what you think. I'd be grateful to hear about the good and the bad.

 

[hotrodf1]

This area intended to be for diesel sand and refueling

 

[hotrodf1]

Ideas for businesses

 

[BigGRacing]

I think that is coming along very nicely!

 

[santafewillie]

The 29" pinch in some places shouldn't be too problematic. My aisles are all 32" minimum but I have one place with a 24 pinch and it gives me, an overweight individual, no problems. Note that I am also a solo operator with no one else in the train room.

 

[Mixed Freight]

I think your mine tracks and turnouts located close to the wall and going across where the mountain peninsula juts out may end up being somewhat of a pain to physically reach them should maintenance be needed or derailments occur. Relocating them further away from the wall and closer to the aisles, although maybe still not ideal, would be considerably better.

Outside of that, everything else looks pretty decent to me.

 

[hotrodf1]

I think your mine tracks and turnouts located close to the wall and going across where the mountain peninsula juts out may end up being somewhat of a pain to physically reach them should maintenance be needed or derailments occur. Relocating them further away from the wall and closer to the aisles, although maybe still not ideal, would be considerably better.

Outside of that, everything else looks pretty decent to me.

Good call. I'll switch some things up and see what I can do there.

 

[hotrodf1]

The 29" pinch in some places shouldn't be too problematic. My aisles are all 32" minimum but I have one place with a 24 pinch and it gives me, an overweight individual, no problems. Note that I am also a solo operator with no one else in the train room.

Thanks for the input

 

[hotrodf1]

Ok so I moved the mine 3" closer to the aisle. Also slide the other two sidings further down in the picture so I think I can reach from the lower side of the peninsula instead. I also have snapshot there showing 30" reach circles. The blobs are representing an average size adult - roughly.

Think that works better?

Also - you can see that I will have limited access from the other side of the layout too, as the bar is there. So in an "emergency" I could walk outside the layout and do some maint / retrieval I think. The brown rect. are some floor to ceiling cabinets.

 

[Snowman]

Design software aside: "Ess" curves--reverse curves--must never be connected one to the next, but must always have some forms of transition spirals or something similar where the track changes direction.

On a layout this size you won't have the space for spirals, so you will want to use the second option: Insert a section of straight track equal in length or longer than the length of the longest car you plan to run in-between the two curves which turn different directions. It's a convenient number where those cars might be autoracks or full passenger cars in HO scale: 1 foot. So put a footlong straight in between those mailine direction changes.
You have a couple of places in this plan on your mainline which will need adjustment.

I don't know much about SCARM, but I have the idea it's aimed at layout planning using sectional track. IF it it has a feature or checkbox to "automatically insert transitions or spirals" when track-planning...and particularly if using sectional track...I'd suggest you turn it on. Yes, it'll make planning a bit tougher, but you'll come up with better plans too. It'll be a lot more fun running trains when they aren't derailing themselves every time the change direction.

Best of luck with your continued planning and rendering.

 

[Mixed Freight]

Ok so I moved the mine 3" closer to the aisle. Also slide the other two sidings further down in the picture so I think I can reach from the lower side of the peninsula instead. I also have snapshot there showing 30" reach circles. The blobs are representing an average size adult - roughly.

Think that works better?

Also - you can see that I will have limited access from the other side of the layout too, as the bar is there. So in an "emergency" I could walk outside the layout and do some maint / retrieval I think. The brown rect. are some floor to ceiling cabinets.

Yeah, that works better. Especially with your turnouts looking to be much easier reach from the aisles.

 

[hotrodf1]

Design software aside: "Ess" curves--reverse curves--must never be connected one to the next, but must always have some forms of transition spirals or something similar where the track changes direction.

On a layout this size you won't have the space for spirals, so you will want to use the second option: Insert a section of straight track equal in length or longer than the length of the longest car you plan to run in-between the two curves which turn different directions. It's a convenient number where those cars might be autoracks or full passenger cars in HO scale: 1 foot. So put a footlong straight in between those mailine direction changes.
You have a couple of places in this plan on your mainline which will need adjustment.

I don't know much about SCARM, but I have the idea it's aimed at layout planning using sectional track. IF it it has a feature or checkbox to "automatically insert transitions or spirals" when track-planning...and particularly if using sectional track...I'd suggest you turn it on. Yes, it'll make planning a bit tougher, but you'll come up with better plans too. It'll be a lot more fun running trains when they aren't derailing themselves every time the change direction.

Best of luck with your continued planning and rendering.

Good call. Yeah SCARM doesn't really have a feature to add transitions at the beginning of a turn, you'd have to manually add that I believe.

But, taking your advice I was able to add some straight sections in on the peninsula. Not quite 12" but close. I'll run some virtual trains on there and see how it looks. Was able to keep the 24" radius turns too. Good advice, thanks.

 

[hotrodf1]

Ran some trains and the transition looks nice and smooth. Of course it's easier to see that with the trains in motion than just some still shots.