Do you have a preference for a minimum isle width. From this description as long as a 3’ isle was left infront of the “riser” we should be good. That would basically leave a 16x17 space totally free to use…right?
Ok after the description of your space, and knowing you want to see your SuperChief run, I came up with this general shape for a single deck layout that fits in 17x16 and does not have a duck under. That leaves a three feet wide isle on two sides to get to the washer dryer, work bench, window, and door.
It only has six “scenes” instead of eight. If you like the overall concept then you can start figuring out which scenes would be just scenery and which would have towns or industries.
The real stinger here is that except for the track from Glorieta to Albuquerque all the Santa Fe track along your choosen route would be double track. Double tracking this plan might make it look too crowded. I’ll work on a generic dog-bone to simulate the double track and see if you like that better.
As usual let me know if this is the direction you want to head or if you were totally thinking of something else.
Coyote…
Sorry for the delay in the reply. If you haven’t found a definintion yet, I would sum up a twice (or three-times) around as a layout with multiple loops on the same level. They will be separated perhaps by different heights, but not completely separated on different decks. The loops are kept apart by slight differences in elevation, or by running through tunnels, or behind landscape features like hills or city scenery. The track will have to cross itself at least once (for a twice around). This can be done as a diamond, a bridge or what-have-you.
eriemer found Don Janes layout in Great Model Railroads 2001. (Thanks!). Take a look and you will immediately understand (despite my “definition”… 
)
This is a nice layout, also featured in GMR (2004) and MRP (2001):
http://www.ovar.ca/Mike%20Hamer/Hamer.htm
You can see that the track is all on one level. Mike has elected to make the crossing hidden (a 60* diamond in the upper right of the plan). Even though Mike’s plan goes twice around, you can see that the majority of one loop is taken up as staging.
Hope that helps.
Andrew
Just one comment. Slow down, it took 2 years of planning for my layout and I love it.
Texas Zepher;
Yes Sir that is 100% correct…
Coyote
rfross,
Excellant advice and comments, yes it was becoming a bit daunting… thanks for the encouragement though.
The OL may just start on a small piece and get our feet wet. shrugs
Thanks for the last idea on joining trackplans… going to think on that one -hard-.
Peace.
Coyote
Texas,
I like the rough plan you came out with. Very efficient use of space.
Andrew,
Mike Hamer’s layout is very interesting. What captured my eye was his use of the “outside staging.” While I don’t know if he was the first, the use of such staging is definately a great idea for a room of that size. The avoidance of a multi-deck design can also be seen as a plus.
T Z,
Holy [censored]!
Sir, I am without words. In all honesty right now I’m shocked by the depth of kindness and friendship you have shown a total stranger by producing this. I can not express my thanks enough. The Trackplan issue has been one that has left me so lost and frustrated that outside of stealing others work… something I was loathe to do… I had considered putting off my venture into the hobby. At this moment though I am touched and awed. [bow]
Yes Sir that is a wonderful design, although I will admit to you truthfully that I do not completly understand it all, I think I see a bridge there perhaps?
I was considering having to limit myself to only 5 ‘scenes’, the OL and I had come up with that in the last few days, so 6 would be incredible, Sir! [:O][wow]
As to double track, yes I was aware of that fact and had thought about simply laying d
This hobby is filled to the brim with folks that are not selfish with their time, knowledge and abilities. We are indeed a lucky group! Maybe that’s why so many of us have been involved for so many years.
Ok. I’ll try some words to help explain it. BTW - before I get started I did go back and double track this and it doesn’t looks as crowded as I thought it would. …
As you have probably figured out the isle is sort of a mirror image “G” shape that goes from the lower left and loops around counter clockwise between the tracks. I tried to keep it 3 feet wide but I think it will pinch tighter in a couple spots.
There would be a divider between the tracks at least from the center loop around the curves on the upper left.
Starting at the very bottom straight track. This is hidden and would be expanded for the staging area (three or four tracks) where the SuperChief would, rest out of sight waiting for her grand apperance.
The loop in the lower left would be a grade up so that the next straight track after it would be high enough to clear the trains in the staging area below. This second track after the loop would be one “scene” and could have a spur off to utilize the inside of the loop for an industry or two.
Along the entire right side is a second “scene” here the track from the staging area emerges at a lower level than the track from scene #1 above. This allows some canyon scenry, possibly a river, with trains in both the bottom and bridging over the top.
As it approches the top (what I’ve been thinking of as the front) it ducks into another tunnel and turns the corner emerging to become the long straight track at the very top. As shown this would be rather boaring (straight track along a straight edge of the layout, but that can be dealt with later). I envisioned this scene to be a passenger station where the SuperChief would have a scheduled stop, maybe even pick up an RPO (lik
As promised here is the double track version. I threw in a couple of spurs and I didn’t shrink it so small, so one can get a better idea of what I was thinking. I wish I could sketch in some scenery stuff, and I wish I hadn’t tried to add text, but oh well. I’ll continue to work on the dog bone design, but this weekend is pretty booked.
T Z ,
Incredible! It is amazing to see some it take shape in the hands of someone with the skills to make it happen. I am almost giddy [:D] Please sir take care of your weekend bookings, I am still just amazed at your kindness. Wonderful work, it helps me so much to visualize this and helps to start get things rolling around in my mind.
Coyote
P.S. T Z, if you want or need to send me file you are more than welcome to send them to my E-mail address.
Thanks so much again.
this is gonna be a really nice layout [:)]
TZ,
A question for you, if I may…
Did you draw up the trackplan using RTS? I’m not sure if I read that right.
Peace.
Coyote
Yes, and got your e-mail so I’ll be sending them directly. This was RTS version 5.0. I don’t know if there are any difference in the .ral files between it and the current version or not.
Be warned that I used flex track to make the 26.25" radius outside curved tracks. The flextrack makes it difficult to “grab” other sections of track near it.
Here is the dog-bone saga. I did my initial idea (sort of an “E” shape) only to find out there was not enough space to do it maintaining the 24" / 26.25" minimum radius curves. So I just dog-boned the original design (below). I did not find it so interesting. So with a major change in thought I came up with dog-bone two (a most primative version also below). The problem with it is that to get this shape I really had to pinch some of the isles down to two feet. Very crowded, especially if one is trying to show off the trains to a group of people.
Dog Bone 1
The separation of the two tracks at the one point is due to a picture I have where at one point the Santa Fe only had a single track over a river. When they added the second bridge for the second track is was down river about 100 yards and at a slightly different angle, making a quite dramatic scene.
Dog Bone 2
Here the dog bone “loops” (upper right and upper left) would be in tunnels under the other trackage. The boring long straight track along long straight edges of the layout could be replaced by sweeping curves.
And then my final thought. On the original design simply replace the loop in the lower left (just past the staging area) with two loops one on top of each other and Walla dog bone layout. The problem with that is the train would have to pass all the way through the layout twice (once in each direction) to get back to the staging yard. Or if you’re up to the engineering add a helix and have a layout that can operate as a loop or dog bone layout.
TZ,
It looks simply amazing! I’m impressed beyond my ability to express… and a little lost [:I]
Im not sure I followed the discription you gave on the second drawing in terms of where the tunnels would be, however these are amazing designs!
Once again I can not thank you enough.
Coyote
P.S. Have you ever heard of a program called 3rd PlanIt? I just recently got it and looks very intresting, thought you might be intrested.
[quote]
QUOTE: Originally posted by Texas Zepher
Here is the dog-bone saga. I did my initial idea (sort of an “E” shape) only to find out there was not enough space to do it maintaining the 24" / 26.25" minimum radius curves. So I just dog-boned the original design (below). I did not find it so interesting. So with a major change in thought I came up with dog-bone two (a most primative version also below). The problem with it is that to get this shape I really had to pinch some of the isles down to two feet. Very crowded, especially if one is trying to show off the trains to a group of people.
Dog Bone 1
The separation of the two tracks at the one point is due to a picture I have where at one point the Santa Fe only had a single track over a river. When they added the second bridge for the second track is was down river about 100 yards and at a slightly different angle, making a quite dramatic scene.
Dog Bone 2
Here the dog bone “loops” (upper right and upper left) would be in tunnels under the other trackage. The boring long straight track along long straight edges of the layout could be replaced by sweeping curves.
And then my final thought. On the original design simply replace the loop in the lower left (just past the staging area) with two loops one on top of each other and Wa
Did you know if you click on the picture it gets bigger? When you do that you can see a couple of places where there is a single loop of track that overlaps the double track. It is those two single track loops that would be hidden.
coughs [:I] Umm sure yes of course I knew the pic would get bigger coughs yeah that’s it… I knew… that looks side to side
Thank you TZ, that helps a lot… sorry about the now silly question
[:)]
Coyote,
one thing I’ve not seen mentioned is the height of the layout. Usually wiring and other items are located underneath. And being over the hill myself I know it’s difficult to work underneath sometimes. Try to make it high enough so you can sat on a short seat and work at a comfortable level for you.
This is from past experience on a large club layout and a home layout also. Also keep main wire runs near the front with feeders back to the track.
I know this is past the track design stage, but needs to be kept in mind as you design. If you can’t wire a beautiful section of track or service it, it becomes a static layout.
Good Luck.
Larry NMRA