Hi Folks
I’m lookin for input for switching operation connect the industries sort of
thing.
my plan is an around the wall in HO scale with an under bench 2.5% decline to staging yard.
I will soon need to work on the main bench plan I have the plan 90% complete it was done in xtrkcad I pretty much have my diarammas where they have to go on the plan and all other rail related foot prints in place. The issue I’m having is
although all the main line works fine for me its the switching operation that I’m
having brain aches with basicly I just need to connect the industries
with rail and I’m wandering what makes a good switching operation ?
As I said this plan is done in xtrkcad sw if anyone would like to attempt to or
have ideas to make this into a good busy industrial switching operation. Or do
some doodleing as a jpg plan file.
I’m posting all the structures that i have avail just so you can get the feel for which rail has to go in which direction hopefully this isn’t too confusing
Lynn
here is a more animated pic with structures labeled\numbered
Nice work so far. I use spurs mostly to connect industies to the main line and sometimes have them connect to a branch line which then connects to the main. This can get interesting. Also I hav ebeen known to run a siding to run off into several spurs and sometimes a multople spur or two. That’ll keep you awake nights! Try some of these. If you find something you like, go for it.
It may be that they are just place-holders, but you seem to have some tracks too close to one another to actually fit and to be using a number of switchback spurs. I personally think it’s easy to overuse switchbacks, as they are quite rare on the prototype for a reason.
Typically, the real railroad sets things up so that industries may be switched efficiently, not as a puzzle. You may find a few useful ideas in some of the designs on my site: http://www.modelrail.us/gallery/index.html
In particular, one design was intended to incorporate a number of existing craftsman kit dioramas, as you would like to do. http://www.modelrail.us/gallery/id21.html
Thanks Byron
I do like the idea of a bit of a puzzle and personally I don’t think it would do me any good to buy more layout plan books but I will , its more of the question of someone who understands model railroad plan designing what do they try to achieve when doing the switching operation. I can easily just run a track to each industry but would it run smoothly and interact with each other ? There are some very good modelers who truely have a grip on what is needed
Well, I’m not selling any books, but it’s hard to go wrong with John Armstrong’s Track Planning for Realistic Operation.
One way forward might be to think about whcih trains will work each part of the layout and what their interactions might be. It may be too basic for you, but this clinic on the website seems to have helped some people: http://www.modelrail.us/id39.html
Once you sort out whether a particluar area will be served by a local crew stationed there, by a way freight, or by through trains, it may start to suggest how the real railroad would lay things out and how different trains might interact.
well this is what I’ve come up with so far I’m going to try to consentrate on one are of the plan at a time and run a train thru each area I want to make sure I have an area to drop off cars as well as an area to load and unload all in the same area of industries
Any and all suggestions are more than welcome even from the guys that don’t think they can help [:)]
Trying to make it real interesting [:D]
oh ok now I know what a switch back is I always thought a switch back was something used in logging to get up a steep incline [:)]
thanks for the info I spent alot of time in those links today and I will again tomorrow [8D]
ok Byron my head aches from reading through your spectacular site and I’m more confused now then I ever was. I understand what your saying with the switch backs and yes there’s got to be a way to organize this plan in such a way that it will be a challenge yet fun for carcards sessions. I’m not sure if I had mentioned this was a dcc layout.
So after reading and reading and reading thru your site in your honest opinion what would you do with this plan ?Is there any chance that if I remove everything other than the main structures ( leaving the rails that must be there) and the main lines that you can possibly do some doodling and email me or pm me a sketch so I can get a feel for what you see that I don’t? I’m not asking for a total plan just some direction pls.
This is the mountain that the mine will sit on its off my last layout but will go in the same place on this layout corresponding to the plan but more into the corner as this is an around the waal compared to the last layout which was an island type (yuck) I just have to cut an opening for the tunnel going in from the left side
I’m sorry I’m not able to take the time to really help rework the layout. One of the challenges you may be having is that you could be trying to fit six-and-a-half pounds of sugar in a five-pound sack. Especially since the completed dioramas must be worked-in, there are some potential space challenges over being able to do the track first and add industires to fit.
This does takes some time to do right and there may be someone on this forum or the Layout Design SIG YahooGroup where you also posted who will be able to take the time to help.
Just generally speaking, bear in mind that the real railroad typically serves industries with spurs coming off sidings or main lines. Not through a back-and forth movement in a switchback.
what a lot of people find helpful is taking a step back from the CAD drawings and thinking about how the traffic will flow. Is there a through train that will enter from staging setting out cars for a local to spot later? Or are there locals working out of staging from each direction that will swap cars on the visible layout? From this, it might be easier to see how the trackage must be laid out to support these trains … where are runarounds needed, for example?
I know that you’re anxious to get going, but I still think some time spent reading Armstrong’s Track Planning for Realistic Operation would be helpful if you want to gain a foundation in layout design ideas.
But if you just want to get it done, I guess one approach would be to copy industry trackage configurations from well-done designs. Most of John Armstrong’s designs fall in this category, along with many of Don Mitchell’s and Gorden Odegard’s. Maybe even some of the designs on the Gallery page of my site could be helpful. The S
this is far as I’ve gotten since last post I got rid of the double slip for now as I’m having a hard time working it into the left lower end and actually I’m having a bit of a time working those spurs to the sidings.But the new sidings in the left lower leg do work out much better I can now do car switching without interfering with the main line. I made the sidings long enuff to hold 12 cars so a whole train can pass each other if need be. And as you can see in the left upper corner the freight depot now has a yard to store and shuffle cars around not sure if the can be referred to as a team track or not. On the right side off the siding I gave stuffy’s brewery a spur.
I do have a brand new double slip if any one has any suggestions where it can be utilized. As well as I sure would appreciate any suggestions.
Lynn
Does this look better I added a 3 way turnout and removed one siding I’m sure it only has the one reverse loop now in the left leg at least I think there’s only one and it still has the main line free
