About a week ago, a nine year old thread resurfaced. I parused it, not realizing it was old. Dismissed it and moved on, so I thought. I have inadvertantly noticed I’ve been rather enjoying running trains slowly through a continuous loop on my layout when I don’t feel like switching.
Problem. The loop is through a staging track, which will be hidden when the scenery is complete. And, it’s a long hidden track. The thread Tiny Layout - Continuous Run Vs. Switching actually brought me to confront the issue on my layout. Could a VISIBLE loop be integrated into the layout? Parallel to staging, but open… Well, it would take some revising of the operating scheme , and some rebuilding on the layout. Sometimes a guy just wants to watch his trains go around the room (10x20 in this case, not so tiny). The timing is good, as the trackwork on that side of the layout was not complete.
Last night I started contemplating the change, today out came the heavy artillary. After a long day, I ended up with what I can now see will be a scene far more pleasing to the eye, better operation even when doing 'serious" switching, and I improved the structural integrity of that section. PLUS, I can just watch 'em circle when I want! All without adding “spaghetti-bowl” syndrome, I might add. But it was that old thread that catalyzed the idea of making the much needed change.
Track planning, by the way, is NOT one of my stronger skills. This will be my last layout partly for that reason. So this, and some other recent changes allow me to incorporate pretty much all the features I’ve always wanted in model railroad. Just wanted to talk about it. Dan
I have long believed that combining good staging, continious run display loops, and switching that is largely isolated from the mainline is the formula for the most versatile layout, so I think you are going in a good direction.
Obviously Larry is correct, we should all build what pleases us, but if we lack experiance to know what that is, we can take some direction with those who have come before us.
Here are few thoughts in general - they do relate primarily to medium or large layouts that aspire to model Class I railroading in most any era.
Curves should be as large as practical for a given space - 30" radius should be considered a minimum - 36" to 48" most desired.
Through or loop staging is best - both are desirable - it allows trains to be handled less.
Continious operation, mostly or completely visable is very desireable for “non modeler” guests, open houses, test running and just to “let them roll”. Multiple seperate routes, and/or double track is a real plus in this department.
Modeling only one “place” has distict advantages over trying to model both “ends” of a route - unless you have unlimited space, time and money. By modeling one “city” and the fair distance of the trackage to and from it, you can include most all types of trackage and scenery for the locale you choose, but you need only model each element once - one big passenger terminal, one engine terminal, one freight yard, etc. Then, on the “outskirts” you can model more remote type industries, coal mines, etc.
In or near your one “city” you can model an industrial belt line - keeping lots of your switching off the mainline, especially if the belt line connects directly to your freight yard - just like many actually do in most larger cities.
So yes, go for the continious loop, you will be glad you did.
LION has two continious loops about 2 miles each, plus the main lin which is 9 miles long. It too runs as if it were a loop, but what at the north end of the line there is a single two track terminal.
LION sits in tower and disparches the trains from the terminal. It takes 22 minutes for a train to run the main line, making all of the correct stops, and LION can run trains three minutes apart. HIm works like juggler, dispatching one train and catching another. Visitors hardly know what is going on, all they see is trains running, and do not know who or what is running them, since I can hob nob with them wile the trains are running.
Dan, track planning is not my strong suit either. On my layout I knew I wanted to have the ability to have plenty of switching and to be able to let the trains run. On my limited space I have two loops that run behind the backdrop so I can create the illusion of trains going out of sight.
In the foreground I have several industries where I can switch cars, there is also a small stub end yard for interchange.
I mostly prefer working on scenery and details and letting trains just run. Some switching here and there breaks it up. The problem I find is having trains too long for the layout and too many cars on the layout.
I know my layout has seen quite a bit of change over the years as I think of improvements, perhaps a result of my poor planning skills.
If I get to build another layout I think I would consider a switching layout. Maybe one day.
I have a long continuous-loop layout. I, too, am often happy to sit in the comfy chair and just watch trains go around. Sometimes, I hold the throttle and blow the horn/whistle for grade crossings. I have no truly hidden track on the surface (meaning, other than in the subways) but the thing that makes it work is the way the scenery blocks the view of a significant stretch of track, with trains running behind a row of tall buildings and only peeking out through alleys.
I’ve got a 45-degree roofline behind this long run. Rather than fight it, I decided to work with it. I brought the tallest of the buildings almost up to the roof, and ran 4 tracks behind them to use as staging-storage-running tracks. These are City Classics models, which I shortened back-to-front by about an inch so I could better tuck them under the roofline. Even when standing the buildings interrupt the view of the tracks behind them.
