I’m looking for some ideas for a track plan to add on to my current layout.
Here is what I have:
grid is 1 ft.
I want to add on to the left hand side. My max size of the addition is about 11 ft wide by 6 ft deep. I would like to keep 2 main lines: 1 with at least 22 in radius and the other with at least 18in radius, but I am open to suggestions. I run a couple (2) E6’s pulling passenger cars on the out side line, and a GP40, and a GP38-2 pulling various frieght on both lines. I might be able to fit 7 ft of depth on the leftmost edge from the edge to about 4 ft in from the edge.
I’ve been looking and drawing, but can’t get a layout I like, I would like to use mostly sectional track, but will use flex track as needed. Single level or elevation changes : both are ok, I would prefer a little elevation to keep it interesting, I had thought about a coal mine or logging, but I’m not locked in to anything. All suggestions are welcome!
Assuming that you are wanting to add on because you are looking for more variety in what you are doing. Perhaps, rather than adding more of the same it is time to conceptualize what you are looking for in a layout and build on what you have.
For instance, there seems to be a lot you can do with your layout, but there doesn’t seem to be an overriding purpose. What do I mean? Well, I mean you can do a lot, but what you do isn’t like what a railroad would do.
Pretend that your railroad is a part of a bigger line say somewhere between New York and Buffalo. Goods come to your area from both NY and Buf and good go out of your area to both NY and Buf. Plus there are some trains that don’t stop there at all. I can’t see a mechanism for you to have any realistic train movements. It’s not that you have to act like a railroad to have fun, but if you have actions that are railroad like, you can add to your variety.
My suggestion is that when you add to your railroad to the left, you put in staging. That way you can have a steady stream of trains to your layout from the points beyond your layout. Trains can be broken down and sorted to you industries in your yard and outbound trains can be made up. You increase the variety just from what you have at fairly low cost.
You might also consider altering some of the trackage you have. Add industries and eliminate redundant lines. As you already have found out, going around twice is not much more fun than going around once. However, if you a reason fro going around, then things start to get interesting.
Yes, I would like a little more variety, but mainly I want a longer run on the main(s). I run DCC so I’d like more room for continuos operation with 3 or 4 trains running at the same time while I maybe do some switching in the yard.
The area titled frieght yard, should probably be more aptly named “truck terminal” as I have several loading and unloading platforms, a tanker truck fill depot, ect there to service a myriad of semi’s. I also have the capability to build and take apart a train on the inside siding.
So probably as described “staging” would be industries that make the goods that need transferred to truck, or supplies for the industries that need transferred from truck, or vice a versa. Correct? I’m really not interested in making to many heavy mods to the existing layout unless I have a very good reason, I’m pretty happy with it, except for the lenght of the mains, it just doesnt seem long enough for passenger runs especially.
So If you got any ideas for a plan that lets me lengthen my mains, as well as givng my truck terminal a reason to exist [8D] (or any other thoughts such as those already given by Spacemouse , which make alot of sense) please post them!
First you need to decide what interests you (i.e. switching, engine terminal, yardwork, mainline, etc.). Then you need to decide the curve radius you want to use and what kind of scenery you anticipate. Do you want to model a specific prototype, city or area? With that info you can begin to draw in a plan. To say I have this much space and want to fill it is asking for a disaster without the above considerations.
Which is wide and which is deep? Wide being left to right and deep being up and down?
Basically what I see is that you have a sort of double track “L” shape main line. The two tracks have one set of crossovers, plus there is one “cut off” that connects one main to the other. The “yard” is on this cutoff track. To me this looks like one could let two trains orbit while another works the yard, but must time its work with the passing of the train on the inside loop.
What I understand you want is to have more trains orbiting and to be able to work the yard without ducking the inside loop mainline train. You did not specify how much automated control. The more automation the easier it will be to encorporate what you already have to accomplish what you want.
My first thought toward your goal was to recommend making the outside loop into a true double track mainline and make the inside loop a separate thing that doesn’t parallel the outside loop so much. Add a couple of passing tracks to the inside loop and that would be the four simultaniously running trains. That might require more re-work of what you currently have than you want to do.
What you have is a heavy used mainline type railroad. Logging is a completely different theme, and doesn’t match well with what you have. Mining is a possibility. Many big mines sit right on the mainline (one is sunshine coal on the D&RGW).
The layout I have now was my first, and I agree not too well planned, I’d actually like to do the expansion, them so back and modify the current setup. I can run trains now, and don’t want to lose that ability.
When I redo the current layout, I plan on keeping the truck term and yard, and just modifying it.
I really like the idea of a long double mainline, (they actually can even take 2 different routes)
but in the addition I need to give my truck term a reason to exist.
Other than that, I’m not really sure what I want, thats why I posted, I guess the subject is a little ambiguous, should be more aptly titled “I have room, please give me ideas!” [swg]
