I’m looking for some creative ideas here. My layout has two levels – the lower level is a point-to-point, the upper level is a dogbone with a loop at each end. There is a ramp that connects the two levels. The point-to-point portion runs underneath the dogbone in several spots, including the two end loops. It is essentially a dogbone sitting atop a point-to-point.
My dilemma: One end loop has a big city in it. The other end loop has a couple of passing sidings added to it, so the interior space is a bit more cramped. There really isn’t room to squeeze an industry into the center of the loop – at least one that’s rail served. I do have the option of cutting a slice through the foam to expose the lower level tracks that run underneath — making it look like a cut through rock or something like that – then using bridges to get the upper level track over the lower level.
I’m not quite sure what to do with the center space of the loop. Most track plans I look at have either a small yard or a basic industry in it OR have a scenic divider running through the middle (this loop is up against the wall, so that’s unnecessary and won’t work). I can work with the top level or cut away the foam and work with the lower level.
Does anyone have any creative ideas for what to do with this other loop? Do you have any photos or track plans of where someone did something interesting with this space?
I’m having trouble grasping how the inside of an HO loop can be “too small for an industry.” Assuming a minimum of 18-inch radius, you’ve still got close to 3 feet to work with. While this won’t fit a steel mill, there should be plenty of room for smaller industries.
Getting access to the inside of the loop can be a problem, but it’s easier to run a line in from the straight portion of the dogbone than from the inside of the loop itself. If your curves in the loop are 22-inch or more, you could use a curved turnout to get into the loop. But, your options will be greater if you come in from the straightaway.
If you are modeling the steam era, the inside of a loop seems tailor-made for a small roundhouse and turntable.
The access is the problem. The “throat” of the loop is already occupied by turnouts to create the passing sidings, so I don’t really have room to squeeze in another one to get interior access to the loop for rails. I also don’t really need a yard or turntable area.
I’m looking more at scenery solutions than track solutions I guess.
I have a loop on one end of my layout. I placed a ‘scene’ divider down the middle (mountain ridge).
On one side I will have a Campbell’s Silver spur mine. On the other will be an oil facility (Chama oil dock, Banta’s Glenwood no. 2 derrick and some storage tanks).
The access is the problem. The “throat” of the loop is already occupied by turnouts to create the passing sidings, so I don’t really have room to squeeze in another one to get interior access to the loop for rails. I also don’t really need a yard or turntable area.
I’m looking more at scenery solutions than track solutions I guess.
I have a large loop at one end of my layout. Half was filled with a yard, but I found myself at a loss for ideas for the other part. I ended up with a nice laser-cut kit called Weimer’s Mill. It’s not rail-served or even rail-themed, but it provides a nice contrast. I ended up extending the “mill pond” into a tree-lined stream. This bit of nature ended up being one of my favorite spots on the layout.
I have another “empty loop” at the other end of the new section of the layout. I’m thinking of putting in a low mountain. One thing I’ve noticed from other tall scenery is that running a loop behind a hill or in back of a group of tall buildings makes the train “disappear” for a while, which makes the loop less obvious, and makes the mainline run seem longer.
I think you can have a lake or some type of water way,river, pond or something like that where you don’t have to have track going to it. Or maybe a farm scene.
In one of my loops I have planned a very small mining scene with HOn30 track where my ‘critter’ will operate (see my avatar). The narrow guage mine will be about 8" above the mainline loop so part of the scene can overlap the mainline. The mainline will disappear into a tunnel below the mine track for about 1/2 of the loop. There will be a transfer tower so that the mine can drop the ore down to hoppers on a short spur off the mainline. You might be able to do the same thing on one of your passing sidings.
The mainline has a radius of 26" and the mine scene occupies a space about 3’ x 3.5’. The mine scene radii go down to about 10" but since it is narrow guage with very short rolling stock (all 2 axle) and a half dozen gons at most in a train that shouldn’t be a problem. The mine track will also go through a short tunnel in order to allow me to build a mountain face above the mine. There will be access from both sides of the loop including to the tunnels.
At least that’s the theory! We shall see when the time comes when I can actually afford to build the layout!
One more thought came to me about how to access the centre of your loop. Could you use a three way turnout in place of one of your existing turnouts to come up with an additional spur leading into the middle of the loop?
A mirror can make the area inside the loop look bigger and also hide the “loop” itself. U-turns to me should be hidden to avoid the “running-around-in-circles” impression.
I’m putting a mirror behind a harbor with an upper-level bridge hiding the edge of the mirror.
Are you still in the design phase, or have you laid track? There are lots of ways to rework the trackage, including 3 way turnouts, curved turnouts within the dogbone, etc. Much of my industry, including an engine service facility, is inside my dogbone loops.
However, given that you’ve already expressed a preference for a “non-track” solution:
Mountain or large water feature.
City or town
Quarry or open pit mine
Large farm
Those are just some “plunk it down in the middle” ideas.
You might be more rewarded, however, by putting a view block down the center of each loop and building vignettes and flat structures against the sides of the view block. This will also tend to make your layout look bigger, because you won’t be able to see the same train on both sides of the loop. This technique requires a little skill in blending terrain and models into backdrops, but it’s not really that hard. It would allow your, for instance, to put a suggestion of a town (most of which will simply be pictures on the backdrop) on one side and the opening to a mine on the other. Or whatever elements you’d like to put in there.
Thanks for all the ideas. I took sort of a blended approach and added track to the upper level and cut out the loop area and added tracks and eventually an industry to the lower level.
