Earlier I posted my proposed track plan and you did exactly what I needed - you pointed out all of its flaws. For that I thank you.
I went back to the drawing board and started over trying to take into account all of the advice you so graciously offered. This version satisfies my G&D list entirely and has been drawn in XTrackCAD to verify buildability.
May I ask you to scrutinize what I hope to be the final plan before I begin building?
The problem I see is the 3’ wide benchwork, 3’ is a lot to reach over and I am 6’-3" tall and I have problems with 3’ wide benchwork on one of my layouts. The next one will not have over 30" to reach over to be practical.
The 30" suggestion is primarily for anything you have to reach. However, there are some other considerations. Your height and personal reach. The scenery you will be reaching over (desert/low plants or tall trees/hills and telephone poles, also buildings). My suggestion is decide how high you plan to have your layout. Put a few scenery pieces on it and see how far you can reach without bumping into the scenery.
Unless you do all your coupling and uncoupling on those short tangents at the yard throats, you are going to have difficulties on those curved yard tracks.
Looks like all the yard stuff is within the 30 inch reach… only the mainline bypass for the yard is out of it…
Very interesting layout design! I love the complexity and “realness” of the yard and its functionality.
Remember, when asking for critique on your design- the critiques can include personal preferences and there will always be compromises…
Just an FYI when you do start purchasing track and such- wholesale trains has Atlas code 83 wood track for only $3.85 a flex track section and 3.99 if you want to use concrete ties for the mainline like I did. Looks like youre modelling a steam/diesel transition era so the concrete doesnt come into play.
The peco code 83 turnouts are 23.87. Saved me a huge amount of money… it’s nice to see decent deals in such an expensive hobby.
I’ve bought most of my stuff from them other than some miscellaneous items, and they dont seem to carry the Peco curved turnouts.
I agree. I cringe every time I see curved yards, as coupling can be a problem. If you plan only to have “ready set constisted to go” trains waiting on those tracks to connect only at yard throats I see a major problem trying to get coupling done. I hate doing it on curves.
Also as 80ktsClamp said wholesaletrains.com has atlas track at good cheap prices. FOr the amount you will need unless you have some already, they can save you a bundle and are good company to deal with. Pages and pages of HO code 83 track starts here and is almost all always shipped next day! {with premade sets of trackage then on to individual pieces and package sets of track and flex track}:
They might very well. I suggest that before you commit to a curved yard, lay a short test track at that radius and try your equipment. Better safe than sorry.
Rule of the thumb is that a radius of at least 5 times the length of the longest car in inches should work fine for automatic coupling without assistance from a skewer.
40 foot cars are about 5.5" long in H0 scale. 50 foot cars are about 6.9" long. The 5-times rule says that radiuses above 34" should be okay for 50-foot cars.
54" ought to be good for car lengths up to about 10" (ie 72-foot cars in H0 scale).
As with any rule of the thumb, no guarantees. Feel free to test.
How permanent will the need be to ever reach that extra 4-6 inches?
What will be disturbed/bumped if one reaches into that extra 4-6 inches?
For example, if the extra bench-length is only scenery ← painting a backdrop - puffball trees on a hillside - placing building flats against the backdrop → Then that is only a temporary scenario until construction is completed.
Metiki Mine will be a royal PIA to switch if you run solid unit trains You will have to leave your inbound empty train at Kitzmiller and saw the loads out of the mine into Kitzmiller (which blocks both the main and the siding). Then you will have to saw the empty train in pieces into the mine. When the train Arrives Kitzmiller the railroad comes to a screeching halt for a good portion of the day.
Same operation at Lapeer if you pull or spot the entire facility on the end of the branch. You will have to leave the inbound train down on the main or siding, then pull the facility in pieces. Block the main or siding with the outbounds, then spot the facility iin two spots.
A train switching Akron will also tie things up for a while. there looks to be 15-20 ft of industry spots. Assuming you only switch a third of the spots, thats 5-7 ft of inbound cars and 5-7 ft of outbound cars, total of 10-14 ft of cars being handled and only about 4 feet of room to clear up off the main. When the local starts switching Akron it either has to make multiple trips out there taking only 3-4 ft of cars at a time or the main track will be blocked for the duration of the switching.
If you are only running a couple trains that may not be an issue, but the size of the yard implies you will be running more trains than less.
I have posted on the LK&O site a modified drawing showing maximum reach of 30". Mostly scenery beyond the reach. Additionally, the yard spacing is a bit wide in the drawing. I hope to tighten that up during the paper template mock-up phase. The main behind the yard will still probably be beyond comfortable reach but not as far back as appears currently.
I posted a revised version of Mettiki Mine at LKO railroad. Is it now more workable in your eyes?
Regarding Lapeer, it is reasonably accurate to the prototype. I have watched CN break a train on the siding, grab cars from the spur, reassemble and move on. The prototype usually only shuffles one or two cars. It is done with a little 65 tonner. I plan the same. Knowing this does the plan work?