Hey guys, I’m looking for some ideas what to do with this space. I started laying the final trackage for my layout (phase 1) for the coal mine. There are two tracks for load/empties and another track for mine switching lead.
I have this space now between the coal mine tracks and the mainline, and I have no idea what to do with. Maybe since I have the downtown railyard backdrop, a road and some industry buildings?
I don’t know, I need some ideas please.
Space is outlined on the right, it’s about 7" wide by about 5’ long.
It looks like the backdrop to the right is a city scene, and you might consider what would fit in. What era? Passenger depot perhaps. Warehouses, food distributors, fuel oil depot, etc.
Suggest looking at buildings in Walthers catalog for more ideas.
A seven inch wide strip doesn’t give you much to work with for a line of buildings and a road. The road itself should be at least 3 inches, and you need about an inch of separation for a sidewalk or whatever, leaving only 3 inches for building depth. What you might do is take a look at some of the Walthers “Background Buildings” that are only 2 or 3 inches deep. They’re designed to go against a backdrop, so they only have 3 walls, but since you wouldn’t be able to see the back of them, it might work for you.
From my own layout, I like the idea of having the trains “disappear” behind a row of buildings or scenery at the back. It makes the run seem longer, and makes it a lot less obvious that trains are travelling in circles.
On the other hand, a row of buildings at that point won’t add any operational interest to the layout. You might consider a stockyard or scrapyard with sidings off the main at the back of the layout. This would give you another industry to switch.
I was just staring at my backdrop and I just had an idea actually, since my backdrop is of downtown Denver, and there are highway overpasses you can see, how about a highway overpass bridge that goes off into the backdrop?
Could have a station, with a road heading off toward the backdrop.
Was thinking of a freight shed, maybe a long loading dock to off load flats and box car large items onto, The only problem I see with that is that your space is a little narrow to turn TT units around. If you used straight trucks, might be able to get away with it.
If it is a full passing siding, it would be unusual to use it for unloading cars at either a station or industry as that would block its use as a passing siding. A spur off from it would us up a lot of your 7".
Maybe just aa low ridge with some trees to semi screen the trackage and backdrop.
May be a good place for an asphalt plant or gravel company. I know a few years ago I lived in Colorado and on the north side of town there was a small tank farm. I don’t know what the tank farm was for but one tank was used to hold asphalt sealer.{type used for sealcoating driveway’s and parking lots} I know because thats the job I did in the area and was lucky enough to go pick up the sealcoat on occassion.
I would think of putting an abandoned refueling station or similar, say from the 50’s transition era. Tracks can be overgrown and not connected to the current ones. Lots of grass overgrowing the track and very little ballast. If you look at a typical rail yard, there is usually something left over from past that was abandoned and never removed.
After looking at the picture again Micheal couple of things bother me.
Are the tracks heading to the coal mine for loading the coal cars? If not, how are you loading them? I would all so fine some way to hide the transition from mountain range to the rail yard back ground. Might try adding hills on the layout that hook to your current tunnel system. Again, look at the foam from Home Depot, makes a easy lift off section if you need to get to that section of track.
You have to be sick of seeing me post pictures of my mountain in your post by now. But, 85% of my mountain is lift off so I can add details or work on the rails.
Yes the left most track is going to extend to the coal mine. The mine loading switching lead 2-4 cars at a time. The other two tracks are for loads/empties.
I don’t understand where you mean to add hills? Do you mean make a liftout where the access hole is?
I’m looking at the intermodel yard on page 40 of the Julne issue of MRR. I really like that. Do you think I have room for two tracks and the overpass highway.
How wide is the Rix highway overpass kit? How wide is the intermodel loader?
Ok I just been playing with the tracks. Since now that I want two intermodel tracks and the intermodel crane, there’s no room for the highway overpass running parallel to the tracks, but… how about the highway going accross the mainline tracks! Yaaaa I think I got it, it just might work!
unless you really need those tracks , I can only recommend not to plaster every inch with track. How about just a little scenery, with trees and shrubs, and a yard office?
You really think it’s looking like too much track? Now I’m all bent on the intermodel yard, because of the dam magazine article! Page 40 June issue, just got me all excited. Plus I plan on running the container cars.
Some shrubs and greenery, plus a small, yard office like building, would make a nice and subtle view blocker and eye catcher there, IMHO. The place is to small for anything bigger - less is more!
Maybe a station? Or an employee parking lot. A Circus? A factory? Of Vases, or of pasta? It can be anything you want. Perhaps a road could come in from the backdrop and lead to that diner that the railroaders love to eat at.
