after decideing too rip up my current layout due to issue and the amoutn a space im starting to design a larger layout based western PA, its going to be a freelance line owned by Norfolk Southern.
PS please post all concerns ideas you have for it , this is my first layout design i did with this software and this is a rough rough version of my track design
Seems fine to me. You’re not trying to cram too much into the layout, leaving room for scenery. Good. Two minor suggestions. You’ll want a yard lead for your yard so you can have a yard switcher work without fouling the main lines. It seems your track is awful close to the edge in several spots. That doesn’t leave room for any scenery between the track and the back drop or table front.
P.S. You may want to make your image smaller. I have a cable modem and it took forever to download.
About the yard lead i might haft to start it off on the one side becuase im short on space at the top and i dont want my yard to be too short that it cant hold much. ill work on that,and with some of the edges im might give the track some curves here and there that bend in or out or something like that to take it into the middel of the board but with the 22" radius curves i need to be close too the edge to make someturns, ill try to keep about 2 inches, im going to make a revised version tomarow once everyone posts there thoughts
im still learning some of the buttons in the software
The yard not only has no drill track as ericboone pointed out, but neither does it have a run around. How are locomotives going to get around their train and back to the loco tracks?
Where you modeling?
Im modeling An Area Based on Western PA modern Era , Norfolk Southern
heres an updated version of the layout
I live in Western PA. I know you live here too. NS is all over the place here. I asked where you are modeling.
you mean where i live or what place am i modeling, im not realy modeling any pacific place realy just a place i made up. and too answer that other question i live near altoona johnstown. sry if im confusing you or myself or…
Still looking for opions on the design
Okay, comments, first another question. What is the purpose of the layout? A railroad always has a purpose whether prototype, freelance or NS branch line. Without purpose you’ll have a bigger version of the one you just ripped up.
purpose as in personal perpose? well for enjoyment of running trains on longer mainlines with the capabilty of some switching here and there and for it too have some nice stretches of the mainline with just wooded area and scenary.
No, the purpose of your model railroad. IF you want to maximize your enjoyment you have to know your railroad’s purpose. What is there for? What does it service? How does it make money? And how does it serve your personal preferences.
If you want to switch cars, how many times will you make the same moves before you burn out on them like you did your last layout. The larger layout will take longer to build. You can either build a layout that will grow with you, or you will ru***o build one that suits you now and outgrow it before you can finish it. Take the time and plan for your future needs. How? Start with Armstrong’s Track Planning for Realistic Operations. Then research to see how NS does things. Then research real towns and branch lines to see what NS does on these branch lines. Then when you freelance, you know what you are doing. Sounds like a lot of work, but what you come away with is a model railroad that works like a railroad, not a toy train that runs laps.
ok thnx for ur advice ill look into that book you mentioned