Angelo here,I finally settled on combining two layouts from M.R database. “The Red Branch & Union” & “The Virginia & Southern RR” but the V&S has 5" or 2" inside a boxes along the diagram of the layout. Does that mean the rise to the mountain or the overall height or will it have the flavor of a butte? This will be my first foray into mountain building so any help will be greatly appreciated. So far eveyone here has be so helpful, this community rocks [8D]
Angelo:
Those boxes are giving the height above the “BASE LEVEL” of the layout, which would be the zero mark.
In some cases there may be a dip, and would be shown as a negative number.
So in your example while the track moves from 2" to 5" there will be a slope, and the distance will give you the rise.
Dave
That is the elevation of the track. The surrounding scenery may be higher or lower at any particular point and is up to the builder.
Note that the grades on the Virginia and Southern would likely be steeper than indicated if built exactly as drawn. This is because one needs to avoid changing grade within a turnout and also to allow for a transition from level-to-grade and back. In addition, there appears to be a potentially troublesome minimum-radius s-curve on the steep grade descending to staging.
On the Red Branch and Union, note that the main line takes the diverging leg of an 18" radius Atlas Snap-Switch. That’s not necessarily unusual for HO layouts constrained to a 4X8, but it is effectively a little tighter than 18" radius owing to the sharp frog of the Snap-Switch.
If you have room for two HO 4X8s and their aisles plus a connection between, you probably have room for something that will work better, allow a broader minimum radius, and offer better access.
Good luck with your layout.
Byron
Hi Byron,
Right now I have a 4 x 8 left hand a 27"x 6’ center and another 4 x 8 - I have been playing with different track plans as I try to freelance a section of the Michigan Central/NYC through north east Michigan. I can’t seem to get the feel I want and research has been scant and hard to come by. I though that by putting the two 4 x 8 sections together to get a 4 x 16 with a fiddle yard being the 27" x 6’ off the left hand side. I spent most of my youth in the NYC/NJ/Penn area and have walked many a track side exploring. It’s a hard choice I must make. So suggestions are more than welcome.
Thanks Angelo [8D]
By the time one allows for the yard ladder, a 6-foot-long yard will limit most trains to fairly short lengths.
And as noted in another thread, placing at least part of the layout against a wall is often extremely space-efficient.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/255917.aspx
What is the overall space that you have available? A dimensioned sketch might help others help you with suggestions. If you have enough space, widening portions of the 4X8s to allow broader turnback curves and joining them in a “U” shape with the 6-foot section might be a good approach.
This assumes that the benchwork is already built. If it’s not, then a wide variety of benchwork footprints might be possible.
With as much space as you seem to have, it would be a shame to limit yourself to the 18" radius of many published HO 4X8 plans.
My over-all space is roughly 20’ (L) x 15 (W) I have the U shape layout mostly in the middle. Also bench work is up enough so I can tweek it I am useing 2’ foam board with 15 PSI rateing I have 2x3 box frame with 2x2 ribs for additional support all my legs are 2x3 at 48" with adjustable leveling pads. I am planing to put a lower level storage/fiddle yard I am hoping to use my “flat hockey stick” design to achieve this it will depend on final layout. I am not opposed to adding another foot to make it 5x8?
M.R. gave you a 4-8-2? Cool. [bday]
HUH???
“Four-eight-two” is the Whyte notation for a Mountain Class steamer (4-8-2). Your thread title… H’es funnin’ ya.
Great, I ask for help and I get the unknown comics!
BTW Title after a Frankie Laine song " (this time Lord,) you gave me a mountain"
With that much space and your interest in a specific prototype, I’d personally take the 4X8 tables apart and design from scratch to take best advantage of the room and match up with some of your prototype interests. But if you’d like to make use of what you have built, something like this might be a way to go. This was sketched very quickly, so it’s certainly not optimized. But I think it’s potentially more interesting to build and run than two HO 4X8s end-to-end with 18" minimum radius curves.
Note that this sketch requires aisles all around and benchwork additions to your existing sections are shown with dotted lines.
Good luck with your layout.
Byron
Hi Byron,
Thanks, that was very kind of you and it looks verygood! this is how my bench work is laid out right now. I was going to add a 1x8 panel to both 4x8 and 2’x6 to the center. I have these industires, Pickels, Ice house, coal mine, limestone quarry, General store with R.E.A and a small “town” Not to forget a 3 stall loco shed, coaling station, sanding station and ash pit.
Once again your input is GREATLY appreciated [bow]