Here's my finished (I think) layout plan. I'm ready to build. Please be brutal!!!!!

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

OK, after mucking around with planning a layout for the past several years [:I] I think I finally have it. Please be as picky as you want. (And from what I’ve seen, some of you can be darn picky! [:D]) Any suggestions and criticisms are welcome! Let me give you some background. This is HO, and the layout size is 9 x 22.5 in my attic. Total attic space is 9 by about 40, but hey, I have to put the Christmas decorations somewhere, and I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew! This will be built on 2.5 x 8 tables, plus the two 4x4 tables so I can move it some day. (It’s a rental house.) I’ll be constructing with my nine year old son (although I think he plans to mainly wait until he can run a train). I will mostly be operating by myself, along with my son on weekends and perhaps a friend or two of his.

As you can see, it is essentially a folded dogbone with the end loops stacked. The yard is in the middle of the dogbone, with the upper portion (about 6" elevation) running up a long grade behind the yard. Those are 2 hidden staging tracks under the grade. There will be a couple of more on the other side, but they cluttered the plan. The greenish area is the upper loop, and the sandy color is the base level. Gray track lower loop, green track upper. I also put in a short, steep branch to a couple of small mines or logging areas. Setting is Eastern US, with coal action and a port. I know that might be the king of compression, but it’s what I want! OK, enough about this spaghetti bowl, tell me what you think. Oh yeah, my modeling skills range from beginner to not very much better!

Thank you for any assistance.

David

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Loooks good to me, very interesting …go for it…John

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Hi,

I have four suggestions and a question.

Suggestion one. Logging is space intensive. Stick with the mining theme and make a grand show piece industry of it.

Suggestion 2: You might want to put a runaround so that you can put out cars on the lower most pier without tying up your port yard.

Suggestion 3: Same thing with the city. If you use the yard lead for switching (runaround) you will be tying up both the yard lead and the main.

Suggestion 4: Instead of folded dogbone, why not do a loop to loop and have a siding in the connecting area. Then when you operate with your son, you will have to yield to the siding for each other, and thereby increasing your operations, and the same time teach your some a little more about the railroad. If either of you are running by yourself, you still will have continuous running and be a little more prototypical.

Question? Why are there two stacked siding in the mining area?

I’m kinda rushed now. I’ll look at it again when I get home.

4

Chip,

Thanks for your comments. (You, too, John!)

You are absolutely right about logging - I was just thinking about a real small unmodeled operation that sends a couple of cars down the mountain every couple of days. Mining makes more sense, plus I have a boatload of hoppers to use!

I agree about the runaround at the port, I just haven’t figured out where to put it. I will probably make the lead double-ended “across the bay”.

At the main yard, there is a short runaround parrelel to the ladder, plus I can use the turntable as a runaround. Both A/D tracks are double-ended, too, so I can always use that. I just wish I could have squeezed a roundhouse in, too!

With the folded dogbone, I can get twice as much mainline. Actually, I guess it is more technically a loop to loop, now that I look at it! I “borrowed” the idea from Armstrong’s Realistic Guide to Operations. The layout he did in the back as a case study is cool - I debated trying to make that work for me. The lower route will be east, and the upper west. He suggests using the hidden loops as layover tracks for trains that went somewhere else. Part of the upper loop is hidden (yellow track), but it doesn’t show up that way.

The 2 sidings at the mine town are my attempt at a small coal marshalling “yard”. I use the term yard very generously here! I’ll park an engine up here (somewhere) to gather from the various mines, then a road switcher will bring empties and trade for loads. I wish I could do a double industry for that, but I don’t know where!

Again, thanks for your ideas! To paraphrase a great general, I know my layout plan will only survive the laying of the first piece of track. Then it’s time to improvise!

David

5

Actually the track plan looks pretty darn good, in my opinion! Lots of potential for operation, curves could be broader but not bad as-is, and some big scenic areas with potential for both operation and continuous running. I think you’ve got a winner there!

6

Looks great to me. What size loco are you planning on running? Curves could be a smidge tight, but other than that it looks great.
James[C):-)]

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But logging equipment is so interesting. I think you should go with the tracks you have as being mines, and do the “couple of small mines” as logging. You can get to them with a switchback from the “mining town”.

No that would ruin the uniquness of that industry move. How about two curved turnouts joining the main lead partway through the “across the bay”. OR since the track is sort of wasted because of the run around anyway, Make the port only three tracks to give it some breathing room and use that part of the ladder to make the run around turnout going the other direction.

You could just as easily marshal on a single ended siding. In fact if you think about it the wye is also a “run around” too. The loco just changes direction while it is doing it. You don’t even need either of the tracks in the “mining town” to be double ended.

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You also could lose a yard track and make it an industry track, you really don’t need to ‘switch’ there, it can be more industry oriented.

Dave H.

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No need to be brutal, I really like it too!! Well done get started on the build and have fun with your son.

Ken.

10

Be careful with your reach distance to the back. Behind the “Beach” area looks like it’s over 3 feet to the rear-most track, and that’s a very long stretch. Typically, maximum reach should be 2 and a half feet, and even that is a stretch for some. You can get away with more reach if you layout is lower, but at typical layout heights, you shouldn’t go much less than that.

Also, think about where you are going to put roads. They are an important scenic detail. You have lots of track, and probably not much room for streets, which you need to connect up your buildings. You don’t want to end up with grade crossings at turnouts or on tight curves.

I really like the port idea. That has a lot of nice possibilities for both scenery and operations. I wish I had your kind of space.

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If it’s in an attic consider what will happen if a new roof is pounded on or other construction needs. My yard will be hinged so I can flip it up to work on switch machines (or get it out of the way). Yards don’t have as many structures & none will be glued down. Yard is the most cost and labor for me.
You might also want to paint the benchwork (or ta least prime the wood) to prevent excess expansion or warpage.

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Mining town does not need double ending. You already have a wye to turn your engine and a passing siding on the bottom right to get to if needed.

Lose the left side of mining town’s switches. I think you will have enough to worry about grade transitions without those left switches needing TLC. Grades and switches dont get along especially at the transitions in the tops or bottoms of grades.

Move the entire mining town halfway into the loop and further away from the small connection between your wye and rear track.

That area between the wye and mining town looks like a crunch of track fighting to get into the same area yuck.

Your port switcher is going to hate having to get into the left bottom corner then all the way back across the water to the lone industry on the river bank at the right bottom of port.

Why not simply connect the right hand industry to the port access track? and use the extra space in the middle for “Mo stuff”
Otherwise I think you have a decent plan. I like it.

13

Nice plan. Looks like you and your son are going to have alot of fun with it.

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Thanks everyone for the great input!

Curves are a little tight. In terms of locos, since I am not a real particular person, I’ll be running anything that catches my fancy! Generally, 4-6 axle diesels, and (hopefully) a 2-unit lash-up of something. I did attempt to use 22" sections as an easement when I went into 18" curves, so that will help.

I agree with single-ended sidings for the coal yard. It makes sense and saves some space.

I don’t actually have room for the wye, but I really wanted one! Plus, I have a doodlebug that I see as a run from the city to the 2 upper towns, and I want to turn it “prototypically”. (This is likely one of the few prototypical things that will happen!) Along those lines, yes there is a lot of track which will hamper some scenic opportunities. As I build, I may simplify some of the track to open it up. It just depends on what fits.

The port actually is 3 tracks. The upper-most track is really the main (yes, I know I put a bumper there, but when I can figure out something in RightTrack I tend to over do it). It is likely that will continue to 2 or 3 staging tracks off the layout when (if) I get that far.

The reach may be an issue. I started with a 24" width, and figured that I could get to the back of the 48" part. Now that I changed to 30" width, it may be more problematic. The good news is that, aside from a turnout, there isn’t much back there. It didn’t show up on the plan, but the yellow track on the upper loop will be in a tunnel, and there will be some form of viewblock (trees, building, etc.) separating the right-hand start of the loop from the coal yard. This will let me use the tunnel to hide a train that went towards one of two different off-site locations. (Right at the junction to head to say Cleveland, and left to head to Louisville.) Later, the “return” leg exits the tunnel and heads back downhill. I intend to cram a layover track in the tunnel, too. (Maybe!)

Attic ceiling (and walls) finished

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Based on your last comments, I’d say you were well on your way to lots of fun. Have at it!!!

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Looks more builable than mine, go for it! I am doing a 100% redraw due to “BIG BUTT” problems!
Remember this is a HOBBY, have fun!!!

17

The plan looks great!
And you put a lot of thought and planning went into it, give it a shot. The great thing about having a plan is that you can always make tweeks here and there, you have the plan in place and that is a great start!

Go for it!

Ryan

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Ah yes, you said that before somewhere, but I forgot. But then, If nothing else reverse the direction of the crossover so that the tail of the run around goes onto the main not on a spur.

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Looks like a good mix between running and switching. Should be fun!! Of course I’m sure that as you move along you’ll see tweaks that can be made to make it more enjoyable. That, of course, is half the fun of this hobby!

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If you are running bifg engines (2-8-8-2’s, etc.) The curves might be a bit tight but Other than that it looks great get started!