Working on my layout design. I have a 9’-4" square are in my basement available for my use. I am planning on doing a double decker, with a helix connecting them. I am going to do HO scale, set in northern new england, or in the pacific northwest.
I like a lot of variety, so, I want to model 1950’s, where I can do a motive power mix of steam and diesel. I work at a paper mill, so that is an industry I am familiar with that also has a fantastic mix of rolling stock and equipment demands.
I have attached two pdfs of the levels. The paper mill will dominate the bulk of the lower level, but, there will also be a service station and turntable for the motive power in the lower corner. In the other corner there will be a mine. the wagon wheel looking thing is the spiral staircase up to the next level of the house. In the corner by the staircase there will be a dammed up river with a powerhouse providing power and water to the paper mill, and the tracks will run over the top of the dam. The areas shaded dark in the drawing are water.
The utility room is next door to where I am going to build the, so that is where the helix will go, and also gives me some room to construct a staging yard.
the upper layer has a good mix of industry. The left side and lower corner will be a steep mountainous logging switchback. the lower right is a car float barge, with a tug servicing it. The area around the staircase will be a town, with some general industries like a hardware maker and a freight office being served. the area up in the corner by the staircase will be a sawmill with a log float pond, and a car dump trestle. the peninsula sticking out in the middle will be a warf area, with a few moored boats, and a island at the end, with a lighthouse on it that is coal powered and served by the railroad.
I used walthers turnout templates printed to scale.
Not every one on this planet has access to “filedropper” nor want to become member of one more file/pic-host again.
When using its image option you could post your pictures or drawings on here; wether with a clickable link or an automated one. Then you might get more responses.
I cannot read/see the files but this sound like a whole lot of stuff to fit in a 9’ square. I know of a layout That has a small log float pond/car dump/mill and takes up about 6’x4’ all by itself.
I would avoid true #4 turnouts and #2 wyes at all costs. Even the short loco’s you describe will work much better with the #5.
An 18 inch radius is very small in a helix. The extra drag due to the radius is about 32/18= 1,8%.
With 5,3 percent to battle, while the whole train is on a curve, it will easily cause string-lining. Especially longer trains with rather long cars will be prone to derailing. For reliable operation, radii in a helix could better be 27" or more. Since extra space is needed for construction and clearance (you can’t do with centre-lines) the space requirement will be about 5x5 square feet. Quite an area on a rather small footprint.
I had activated those links but found that I as many others wouldn’t have access.
To activate a link, highlight it, click on the symbol that looks like linked chain (eyeglass shaped). box opens and rt click insert. You will see it change to active.
JAARTRIP83, everyone here is here to help, they are a bunch of great guys who will point out the negatives and positives. The only feathers I see being ruffled here are yours. I wish you success.
I agree, we all are here to help and share. Just for the record, I had no problem opening the OP’s pictures by copy and paste into my browser, and following the prompts in File Dropper. It opens in Adobe reader.
I realize that the OP may have withdrawn from the forum, but for what it’s worth, I would like to note that the Walthers/Shinohara #4s he proposed to use will accommodate bigger locos than he plans. My 2-8-2 and 6-axle diesels negotiate them with ease. I believe that is because they have curved points that are 26" radius.
I don’t think he quit because of criticism of his proposed layout. He quit because some members commented that they could not open the drawing.
I had never heard of File Droper and so hesitated trying to open the files when directed to that site.
Opening the files turned out to be safe and not very difficult. They open in Acrobat reader, but although Acrobat is is a very common format which has been around for a long time, there are probably still a lot of people who are not familar with it.
They were not critizing him, just requesting that he re-post the drawings in a way they were familar with. Preferably opening in the Post. When one is requesting information/input/help one should not get angry with those trying to help, even if they are mistaken.
I think he expected to receive all kinds of praise from everyone and didn’t get it. I have to doubt that he was serious in asking for advice. He has every opportunity to come back on here and clear up any issues.