So I’ve decided on my layout. I’ll post a picture below. I need some help deciding what Indusies will fit and work. Im wanting to do something in the 70s, since my main loco will be a Burlington Northern RS1, or a SW1500.
I don’t particularly have any Indusies in mind, but I did look through a quick lineup of what Walthers offered. I know i want a team track, and would like an oil dealer and gravel thing of some kind. Pretty much if i can run box cars, tankers, and hoppers, im a happy boy
Many of your tracks are much closer to the edge than would be recommended for reliability (which is one of the downsides of the HO 4X8 with broader radii, of course). I also wonder about your track-center-to-track-center spacing for curved tracks close to one another.
What part of the country are you modeling, might make a difference on industries people will suggest. Also, are you thinking of rural or urban industries?
I’m going to add a border walls to the outside of the layout. And probably extend it out an inch or so to space those right side curves a bit more. I think too I’m going to add a cassette to each side of the interchange. Just have them slide into a shelf under the table when not in use. But for all intents and purposes im calling it a 4x8 since im not going way outside that. Once I get the table here and end up having more room, might add 6" both ways, 4.5x8.5
I’m not too picky there. Would just like my locos to fit. My best ones are both Burlington Northern locos, a sw1500 and an RS1. I don’t want to do too much scenery work, so I’d imagine an urban setup would be best for that. I’m keeping it simple at first with just painting the table and putting the track on cork. Thrn placing the Buildings and adding some trees. I’ll paint on roads too, but nothing fancy for now.
How’s that going to work? I mean your track is running at every which angle. Blocks and lots are going to be wierd shaped. An industrial area with businesses and wholesale suppiers could line these streets. But you really should plan them. For instance:
You could bend the lower branch of the wye in the upper right hand quadrant to run parallel with the upper branch.
The branch in the lower right could be tweeked to be in parallel those above.
The branch in the center could be bent a little to run perpendicular to the other three.
Now you have a square from which you can design city blocks.
As for which industries to serve with your railroad, you need to pick a location like the gentleman above suggested, and do some googling. You should be able to get a Sanborn Map for the area and year you choose, and it will show what was there. But you can determine what was likely there without the map, then ask us whether or not the industries are plausible.
The more you think about how everything will look together, and draw it out, the more satisfied you’ll be with what you’ve created.
I came up with a few that I’d like, but without actually having buildings to compare them to, or having dealt with any buildings, I’m not sure what would fit where.
some minor modifications. I think this fixes most of the issues with everything except being too close to the edge. I will add border walls to it so that wont be an issue (probably add an inch out then up like 4 inches, or maybe 45 degrees out
still not sure what I’m doing wrong there for the images. not sure why it doesn’t show up. i’m even on my pc now and it doesn’t work for me. I’m using the add image button.
I’m not sure how or if it will work. would Rural be better for the layout? I just don’t want to have to dive in deep with the scenery to make hills and such. pretty much some buildings, so
Wdodge0912
I don’t want to do too much scenery work, so I’d imagine an urban setup would be best for that. I’m keeping it simple at first with just painting the table and putting the track on cork. Thrn placing the Buildings and adding some trees. I’ll paint on roads too, but nothing fancy for now.
How’s that going to work? I mean your track is running at every which angle. Blocks and lots are going to be wierd shaped. An industrial area with businesses and wholesale suppiers could line these streets. But you really should plan them. For instance:
You could bend the lower branch of the wye in the upper right hand quadrant to run parallel with the upper branch.
The branch in the lower right could be tweeked to be in parallel those above.
The branch in the center could be bent a little to run perpendicular to the other three.
Now you have a square from which you can design city blocks.
As for which industries to serve with your railroad, you need to pick a location like the gentleman above suggested, and do some googling. You should be able to get a Sanborn Map for the area and year you choose, and it will show what was there. But you can determine what was likely there without the map, then ask us whether or not the industries are plausible.
The more you think about how everything will look together, and draw it out, the more satisfied you’ll be with what you’ve created.
If you go online to the Walthers website, you will find that many structures have the dimensions included with the description. I had already bought a number of kits so I had some in hand, but I found it very helpful to cut out floor templates for buildings from cardstock when planning structure placement. I did the same for roadways and even a thin canal. Later in my modeling, I upgraded the flat floor plans to simple paper 3D models, to get an idea of how the trains would look moving between the buildings.
Consider your roadways as part of your structure planning.
You might also think about using building flats around the outside of the layout, particularly if you have an edge which is normally against a wall.
A simpler method (for me) that also seems to work fine is to right-click on your image in Imgur, select “Copy image address”, then come back to the forum, click on Insert/Edit Image, paste, and then click “Ok”. That’s what I did for the above.
With tigher radii, one could keep a similar design confortably on a “sacred sheet”, such as this HO 4X8. Or better still, expand the benchwork a bit, but you seem not to be able to do that. Good luck with your layout.
The problem is you are using sectional track. I don’t know the specific names, but if you were to take the curve coming off the almost vertical spur, and put it on the lower branch of the wye in the upper right, that should do the trick.
Also, put a second curve on the one the almost vertical one and that should bring it into perpendicular.
Listen, whether you choose rural or urban industrial should not be a matter of which one you are least afraid to tackle. Choose what you want to see. YouTube University will teach you all you need to know.
So the Software I am using (Atlas RTS 8.0) does have some buildings available to place on the layout. So I added some
I think it’ll work? the industires fit the spurs. not exactly sure. I think the oil co is actualyl doubled, like there is a whole building, or all the buildings apart of the kit seperate. Not sure though, so idk. I have thought about just dropping one of the spurs off and going with 1 box, 1 hopper and 1 tanker industry, well to where each industry takes at least one, might have one take 2 or maybe 3.
I have both Walthers Interstate Oil and their tanker loading platform. Interstate Oil is a good kit, because it has a bunch of tanks, a quonset hut and a truck loading platform, all of which are separately assembled and sited. The loading platform is a single long-strip model. I use mine by the tanning factory, for the acid deliveries they would need, plus some fuel oil for heating.
My layout is set earlier than yours, so my tanning factory is a big industry. My fuel company brings in both coal hoppers and oil tankers. If you’re still looking at open topped, bottom-drop hoppers, a gravel facility is not much different.
A freight house can take the place of a team track if that fits your plans better. A freight house can be a flat background model, or a team track can be a narrow platform. I have a small freight house (DPM?) that I opened the large door on so I could detail and illuminate the interior.
Remember, though, that most models can easily be “re-badged” with signs, so don’t assume that a kit must be the name on the box. My main train station downtown was the YMCA in the box.
You are seriously limiting what you can do, and multiplying the track problems you can have, by using sectional track. You can use the Altas software and use flex track. Just leave the turnouts where they are and delete all the straights and curves. Now just connect the flex track between the turnouts. Should just be a matter of selecting flex track and clicking on the two turnouts you want to join.
Then move your turnouts to where you want them. You’ll have a lot more freedom.
Try it. You can save your track plan above by doing a save as.
BTW There are better layout design software programs out there. Xtrack is freeware, and very good, but it might be hard to learn. Atlas is okay though. You are pretty much limited to Atlas products.
You can chose any building kit manufacturer. Maybe stroll through Walther’s online catalog. Just get the dimentions of it’s footprint and you can draw a box to represent it on your plan.
I have way more sectional track than any one person should own, so I’m sticking with it, instead of having a huge collection just to toss it and spend more money to go with flex track.
As for the software, I know how to use the Atlas, and it works out well for me, so I will stick with it.
