Hello, I’m looking for help. I’m trying to jump start my layout project but can’t seem to get a clear direction for my track design. My son is a passenger train fanatic. We have a small fleet of Amtrak 85 ft Superliner passenger cars, 85 ft MBTA Commuter Cars and another set of Amtrak Phase IV b passenger cars. We also have a small fleet of various freight cars. Here are my parameters:
I have a large area in my basement to work with, 10 ft x approx. 24 ft
HO scale
Have you concidered putting your station on a penninlula? With a 10’ wide room and 2’ wide shelves you would have a 2’ wide asile each side ot a 2’ wide peninnsula. You could trim one or both shelves a little or not go full 2’ on the penninsula and gain more asile space. A wye leading to the penninsula would mean trains could continue to another location or return to their original destination without complex manuvers.
You could have a fairly long station, industries, maybe a small freight yard on the penninsula leading to it, including a baggage/express office near the station. Other industries could be spread along the main or in a small town away from the station.
Have fun,
Richard
You could have the station in the backdrop and have the platforms in front of the building. Then place the main line close to the edge just like Toronto Union Station if you want through tracks.
The Lone Geep
I like the idea of putting the passenger terminal on a peninsula down the long center, as was suggested by Richard. For other towns along the line, look at small switching layouts. They are usually compact and have the track arrangements worked out.
You also need to determine if you want a double track mainline or single track. With a single track main line, you could go around the room twice before getting back to the same place. You will need an over-under somewhere to do it but will make for an interesting run. Some of the track can be a a different elevation to add interest.
You can work on the passenger terminal first, but lay some temporary track around the room to get trains running. Once you decide what to build where, come back and rebuild the temporary trackage to what you want.
I actually had thought about doing a small peninsula down the middle. If I were to do that, does it make sense to build it on L-Girder bench work that is narrow enough to accommodate something about 1 ½ feet wide? I have already settled on the L-Girder design. I have four 8x2’ sections completed already. I may rebuild them to something a little more or less than a standard 2 ft width, all depending on the final track configuration I can work out.
Thanks for the input so far, Mark
Does anyone have an opinion on attempting the “Junction Bay” switching yard? Would this be too much to tackle all at once? I really like how both main lines converge into that yard design. How about constructing a wye at the beginning of the peninsula?
Here is an idea on what you can do with your space. This is just to start get the juices flowing, I tried to make sure that it had a passenger terminal and a yard and a few industries.
Min Rad 30"
Turnouts #6
Benchwork 1.5’
Peninsula 2’
The next step would be for you to draw up the room with all obstructions and we can go from there.
V/R
Chris
Warner Robins, GA
No reason not to use L-girder or anyother type of construction that I can think of. I would suggest that if you ever plan to have more than one operator, that on each side of the penninsula you pear your surface down, whether all from the shelf, all from the penninsula or some off each, to have a wider place that two people can pass. It is possible for some folks in 24", but cozy, probably not possible for others…
The only thing with the wye going onto the penninsula is to be sure your main line is set far enough back from the front of the surface so that you can maintain your wide radius without coming too close to the edge as it swings in…
As for the yard, wait until you get your benchwork roughed in. Then you can do a mock up to see if you have space enough to put in a similar yard that satisfies you.
By the way, they didn’t know what to call their new project layout for several of the first videos that they did on the project. It’s Bay Junction.
Have fun,
Richard
Like COWMAN said, a peninsula is Great Concept; can add big possibilities to a layout. With use of full-length scenic divider, it multiplies length of total mainline run, reinforcing the idea of a much larger RR empire. Industries, stations, sidings can be added wherever desired and one could have two completely different scenic themes on opposing sides of the divider [like: a big river area and vast, arid prarie, just around the bend [with, maybe, high wood trestle on that bend, like Malcom Furlow was famous for!] Food for thought …papasmurf
How is the station accessed? would he have to back in or out?
Sure, he has some MBTA, so push-pull ops it prototypical.
Chris
Warner Robins, GA
Mark,
I built this passenger station “annex” at one end of my layout on a 4’ x 12’ module.
Rich
hi Mark
some remarks so far:
i think Stilson made it pretty clear, a simple wye before the peninsula is impossible, your layout is not wide enough. In Stilson’s design it is not clear at all how he envisions the yard…it could be used as staging. Trains running from the terminal to staging and back, which is pretty easy with push-pull units if your track-work is immaculate.
If the yard is a separate freight yard, passenger trains run clock-wise only and have to back in to the terminal again; a highly prototypical procedure.
Before you are trying something on the drawing board i do not understand at all, it could be wise to write down first a bit more about how you envision operation on your layout. Passenger trains from the terminal, along a suburban area sounds nice, where are they going to? Do you have experience with backing long trains over rather tight radii?
And do not forget what you were asked: a drawing of your space with all obstacles clearly indicated.
smile
Paul
Mark,
This was done with 3rd plan-it
Your issue with the peninsula is walkway space, what I drew is with about the min space for long walkway of 30" wide. The math you need to keep in mind is that a 30" radius is a 5’ diameter circle center of track, not counting the space needed for clearances.
If you can make that center peninsula a wye with just and passenger terminal.
Chris
Peninsula Passenger terminal on a wye idea:
Once again, all #6s 30" radius, 12" of tangent track before a curve or turnout. All tracks are 2" spacing except the large gaps at the passenger terminal are 4" for platforms.
Chris