Layout Design Challenge – Not for the faint of heart

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Only a few rules:

  1. The layout must provide for two trains running continuously and independently on two separate mainlines which must be loop-to-loop type.
  2. Scale is On30.
  3. The maximum size is 4’ x 9’ rectangle.
  4. Minimum radius is 15 inches.
  5. Maximum grade is 4%.
  6. Rules 3, 4, & 5 are not absolutes – they can be fudged a bit it need be.

Granted this is a challenge, but there are some great “out of the box” thinkers on this board. Should produce some interesting concepts.

  • Harry
2

Anybody?

3

Two circles of track should do it. Problem solved!

Mark

4

Two loop-to-loops in a 4x9 space in On30. It is hard enough to fit a single loop-to-loop in HO in that much space. Now if you had a 5x10 there are some options that would open up (see 101 Trackplans #34).

The only thing I can think of would be to stack the four loops in a helix type fashion on one side of the board and use the other side for two “U” shape tracks connecting the loops. You could make one “U” extend to the edge of the board and the other put further back so they aren’t direcly over one another. The other think you could do is connect the two "U"s with an opposite grade so that one is going up and the other down.

The final option I can think of is instead of a 4 deep helixish arragement is to put one of the loops totally hidden under the "U"s I mentioned above. that doesn’t really buy one much since almost all the track to get there would have to be hidden.

5

Sorry. Space Mouse is our official layout contest organizer.

Now if you are wanting to build a layout with the track plan that you have described, post what you have so far and ask for help.[2c]

6

Good ideas. Thanks.

7

That’s what I did.

8

Sorry. Sounded like a layout design contest to me.

9

Can you post some your early concept drawings/track plans for this as a starting point?

10

Sorry, I don’t have anything “on paper”, just a mental concept. Are there any drawing tools (easy to learn) that come w/Windows and/or office? Or free downloads? I just need something simple to sketch with. I don’t need (or have the time to learn) a cad program at this point.

11

http://www.inkscape.org/

Inkscape is an excellent free drawing program if you don’t want a Cad program like Atlas RTS.
I do all my building signs and printed details with it. If you like On30, try some of these links. There’s some great sites and ideas there.
http://www.freerails.com/view_topic.php?id=239&forum_id=3

12

Hmmm, how about one circle of track with a train continuously- um, circling. And then another circle of track that bisects the first circle of track except that the circle is broken at that point and one edge of the second circle is lifted up. Then you could run the second train really fast and jump the first train, Evil Kinevil style. The challenge of course would ge in getting your approach speed just right along with the angle of the ramp track…

(tongue firmly planted in cheek)

13

**jwhitten-**It’s been done…(Tyco Turbo Train)[;)]

14

That’s so absurd it’s funny!

15

Midnight,

Hopefully the layout in this link (hope it works) will give people some idea what I’m thinking. Of course, it only has One loop-to-loop track, but it illustrates the concept. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I’ll be darned if I can figure out how to work in another track.

I realize this is a different scale, etc., but the pictures are probably far better than I could do witha drawing tool. BTW, I’m planning for this to be a serious model railroad even though it sounds like a novelty or something a kid would build. More later if anyone’s interested.

Link:

EDIT: BTW, I was planning on one less “straight away” than shown in the link. IOW, the upper loop would generally be above the lower loop.

16

Thanks for the links loathar. I’ll check them out.