Hey guys… I finally figured out how to get images onto the forum. Heres one of the dimensions of my benchwork. HO scale… If anyone has any track ideas? That would be awesome!! I want a logging RR. Using 3 truck shays and small 2-4-0 and 2-4-2. I’ll go as small as 18 degree curves but 20-24 would be better. Plan on having one or two mills and lumber yard. At least one tressel would be a bonus. Any help would be great. Thanks guys.
Mike
Mike, back to the drawing board, or should I say photo suite. Need to make the PIC bigger. Resizes please. If you need help we will.
Cuda Ken
Ken, I think I might need help… I thought I resized it, but it looks like the same size on the thread. How small does it look to you?? 'Cuz when I click on pic, it comes up bigger.
Mike
A little clarification is needed…
Is your sketch representing the benchwork you already have or benchwork you’re planning?
Are you wanting us to make you a track plan to fit said benchwork?
Is the diagonal line on the left representing a scenery divider?
What era/locale are you interested in?
Is it narrow or standard gauge?
Do you want elevation changes?
Is logging all you want or are you planning on other types of rolling stock?
Do you want point to point or continous running?
Railfan or operations?
provide a bit more detail if possible
-G-
BTW…it’s “trestle”…[;)]
Looks great now. In the lower right of the picture it shows a rather large section of the layout. How big is this section and can you reach the middle of it for all sides? In other words if I were to set a 20 dollar bill there dead center would you be able to reach it with one hand? If not this area is too large or needs some kind of access hatch. You must be able to reach all areas of your layout because if not the problem is going to happen in the one spot you can’t reach.there.
The benchwork is already built… I can access every inch of the layout. The grid in the picture are one foot squares… that makes 17’ x 10’. The long 17’ section is the only part against a wall. The middle penninsula that is 2’ x 4’ is not built yet… Don’t know if I need it yet… And I’m not worried about 2 foot aisle clearance. Era will be anywhere from turn of century to 1920’s. HO standard guage… Mostly all logging with some rolling stock including box cars, flats, a crane car, caboose… A small town with a furniture store, resteraunt, residences, etc… That is a scenery divider (backdrop) on left. 3% grades are ok…
And finally yes… if anyone has any track plan, ideas… that would be great… I have one hand drawn on paper that I’m workin on. And Im very slow with the CAD program… So it may be a while, if I even get it. Im open for any help with plans… Thanks Trestle it is… I knew that 
Mike
Ya 2ft aisles are ok a little tight but ok I may end up with aisles that tight. And if you go with shays even 5% should be freezable.
I would make the mountain with the logging ops on the left part on both sides of the divider. Then add the peninsula in the center with a divider down the center of that, making each side one foot wide.
The RR would run down from the mountain, snaking along the hills and valleys, over bridges and trestles on the way to the mill and shipping point, which I would put in the large area on the right. In that area you could have the mill, a small yard, engine service facilities, a car float operation for staging purposes, and a town.
On your down hill run from the woods, you could pass through a couple of small towns with a few industries that need supplies of all types. Maybe one of them could be a livestock area or ranch that ships beef. If you have room for a small processing plant or slaughtering operation near the mill area, the beef feeds the loggers and the hides make all sorts of leather items for the loggers and the logging industry. The surplus can be shipped off on the car float. The car float also can bring in things that are needed but not produced on the layout.
Hi, Mike and welcome. You’ll get a lot of help here if you can be even more specific. BTW, I’m only about an hour north of you betwen Rice Lake and Spooner. The Omaha branch to Mondovi might be an option if you don’t want mountain logging, it was more "northwoods white pine logging.I believe it started in Chip Falls. Good luck and keep the questions comin’!
Terry
Gandydancer19… Thats exactly how I was thinking… There is plenty of room on the left penninsula for hills, grades, and all the logging I want… As for the penninsula in the middle, is the wide enough to get a line down one side of divider and up the other… I guess at 2 feet wide that could give me a 20" radius, with a little room to spare… Or should I make each side of the divider two seperate scenes, with no connection to eachother except back up main part…
With a logging line and little to no main line… is it necessary to have staging… Most of my freight will come from in town on layout… so do I really need a destination like a staging?
Thanks for all your input… You’ve been very helpful!!! Hopefully if I can get my plan figured out on the XtrkCad. I’ll post updates.
Mike
Mike, the track sketch on the drawing is just rough and will need to be refined, but it gives you an idea of what I had in mind.
I was thinking that the grade would start down on the left main layout section as shown. The center divider of the peninsula can be one of two things: 1- a really tall steep mountain right in the center, like a ridge, that the tracks would snake around and then curve 180 degrees to the other side, or 2- just be a hardboard divider down the center that the track may have to go into a tunnel on its way to the other side. It could be a loop as I have shown on the drawing, which would make for a longer run. (If I was building it, I would go for the mountain with the track looping as shown.) The whole logging main is on a grade. The logging camp and most of the logging spurs should be level. The main town should also be level.
OK I get it, that the town supplies the loggers etc., but who supplies the town? That would be the main reason for some staging operations. Outside trains could come in from a few staging tracks as shown in red, do some switching, then return to staging. Also, with a car float, you have more options for more traffic and switching.
One of my previous layouts started as strictly logging, and you can model that nicely, but as far as actually operating it, there is not much more than taking logs down and bringing empties up. A few supplies now and then, but that’s it.
But adding some amount of operations to supply the town(s), however limited, will improve overall operations greatly and give you variety on your layout. If you could add one small town with at least one siding on the logging line about equal distance between the main town and the logging camp, that would also add more interest. As a matter of fact, a passing siding at that location for the logging trains to pass each other would be prototypical as well.
Unfortunately this is HO scale. That 180 won’t fit in 2 feet of width. Maybe some sort of switchback.
Yep. Your right. The only way to get it in is to remove a foot of the bench work on the right and add it to the peninsula, on the right side. That way the isle way is maintained at 2 foot. That will give him a tight 18R that will be very close to the edges. He could also take 18 inches off and move it over. That still leaves plenty of room for the main mill and town area.
Mmmm - how about if he just drops the small central peninsula, and let the line from town up towards the logging area go through two switchbacks instead ? Maybe something roughly along these lines:
Switchbacks are arranged so you have the engine on the front heading up from town to the logging camps. Two of the engine camp sidings can be switched that way. The third one requires the use of the runaround on the leftmost peninsula.
There is room for a trestle across the “mainline” going off towards staging - that line can run along the river in a gap in the mountains, with the track to staging going into a tunnell beyond the trestle and disappearing under the mountain.
Btw - dropping that small center peninsula allows him to extend the town area in the lower right two feet to the left (still leaving a 4 feet opening to get into the pit) - he can a
I like what you have here… Except the fact that the benchwork is already built… I built it over a year ago… Then the wife and I moved and things have been on a stand still… Now I’ve got it all put back together but I’m changing my plans from my original… That is why I have a bench with no track plan…
The center penninsula doesn’t exist right now… I just put it in to see my possibilities… I think I just may leave it out and extend right penninsula a little like you have… I would also like to try and avoid hidden staging under mountains… I want access… So I’m thinking of having the staging come around back side of layout to the left penninsula, and then down. That way I can have my camps and whatnot above and the staging below… I will leave lower level with staging open so I have access… Thanks steinjr for your input…
Mike
I haven’t been on the forums all that long, but have been a model RR’er for years. So far, the track plan ideas and plans that Stein comes up with are first rate. I have seen his replies to others asking for track plan help, and he always seems to come up with the right mix of things. And it looks like his advice for your space is excellent as well.
I also like your idea of putting your staging tracks below the logging areas on the left so you can have access. I would just curve the existing staging track to the left and add a curved turnout to give you two staging tracks under the mountain.
One of the things that I do when planning a layout track plan is look through all of the old mags and books I have for switching modules that will fit into a larger plan. So that may be something to look at for your mill and town area.
Thank you for your kind comments! Just as long as people are aware of the fact that the proof of the pudding is in the eating - whether it will fit (and look good) in real life - not just on the plan.
Btw - I was just reminded in a different thread that I probably ought to state every time what track I use in sketches - since turnouts from different manufactureres have slightly different geometries. Unless I say anything else, it is Peco Code 75 streamline turnouts.
That makes a lot of sense.
Has anything been said yet about desired prototype location and era ? Are we talking Appalachians, Rocky Mountains or somewhere else altogether here ?
Smile,
Stein
I did say before, I think in a different thread, what my intentions are… Now that was well over a week ago… So I’ll give an update…
Time period is 1900-1930’s… Haven’t exactly narrowed it down beyond that.
Location is upper New England… Probably the New Hampshire, Vermont area. Moose River, or East Branch & Lincoln, or Woodstock. Maybe a little of each. 
Mostly all logging with shays and small steamers… 2-6-0 & 2-8-0
Will allow 18"r on logging lines in mts. But 22"r most everywhere else. I think #4 turnouts would be ok… Help me on this though… Not sure when to use other sizes…
I do want river scenes and atleast 1 trestle.
Small facility to house engines.
Lumber Mill on river
Debating on scenic hills dominating and little town work, or balancing the two and having a couple small towns. Probably that.
So there ya have it guys. Now that the weekend is upon us, I should hopefully get a rivised plan for you all to pick apart. [(-D] But thats why I put them here… Thanks again fellow forumers
Mike
Here we go… Updated Plan… The track in yellow is under logging line on left. The switchbacks are all up grade from town to camps as stein had showed… I’m intrigued by this… I haven’t finished the town/mill area… Not sure yet on trackage for the area. The tracks leading to staging will be hidden behind small hill and trees… And not submerge until near divider… I haven’t added structures yet either… Time to check footprints of some to see what will fit… And whether I need to modify them…
Mike