Hi All-
I’ve been trying to plan my layout in RR-Track and have come up with a few different options. They certainly are not final (have more crossovers to add, position of sidings, planning the town, etc) but I wanted to get some opinions before I choose and start fine tuning. I would appreciate any comments/suggestions on which one you prefer, other options, what improvements I can make, etc.
My design goals are:
multiple levels (not necessarily connected)
Double track mainline with 4 track passenger station (could reduce to 3)
O72 on outer passenger loop
small yard/sidings for operating accessories
bridge crossing over tracks below
elevated track for Budd or trolley
Currently I don’t have any large equipment, and don’t plan on spending big $$ to buy any, so I could decrease the radii (keeping O42 min) if it would provide more options. I also need to plan some access hatches. I have the passenger tracks going around the walls behind the furnace with a liftout bridge at the room entrance.
Option 1
black=lower level, blue=middle level (O54 curves), yellow=upper
In this one passenger station and yard/accessories are all on the lower level, small town on mid level. I like this one but the main problem is that the lower level track is mostly hidden in tunnels in the main area
Option 2
blue=lower, black=middle, yellow=upper
This one is better since the entire upper level is completely visible, not hidden in tunnels. I placed the pass station on an angle in the upper corner with town buildings behind it. Yard/accessories are on the lower level. My problem with this one is that I don’t like the location of the bridge.
Option 3
blue=lower, yellow=middle, black=upper
In this one I placed the passenger station at the top, town would
I like the first one best. It offers what appears to be the most interesting operation while not being overcrowded (which can spoil a plan). The upper mainline that passes over the ladder track is skewed to the rest of the plan giving it more realism and feel. Putting girders and trestles under the elevated track in the busy frontal areas would open things up preventing it from burying the scene. Access hatches look do-able. You might want to re-arrange the city scene a bit so one or two of the buildings are attached to the hatch (a John Allen trick)
The second plan subtracts the overhead route which looses much of the drama. Access hatches look trickier as well.
The third plan looks too squarish compared to the first and second. You loose the drama even more and it’s toyish in comparison. At the top of the third plan, is there a wall there? (you say bldg fronts) If that’s the case, you would be reversing the perspective and a lot of track is being buried from the total scene. The third plan offers some staging but you are sending the trains off on more of an XMAS tree loop so you have to ask yourself these kinds of things.
All plans are good. I just like the first way best. The skewed elevated line gives it drama and seals the plan really well. You also mention you don’t want to spend a ton of money on equipment. However, at a glance without counting them, I see a ton of money in switches for the second and third plan. The first appears conservative on switches. Heck you can save enough to buy a Vision 0-8-8-0.
The water heater being in the way is excellent justification for installing an instant hot water heater! [:)]
Also, is that long bridge the MTH Single Track Arch Bridge? If so, and you don’t have one… I’ve got one you can have at a very reasonable price - only been out of the box twice for testing fit, I needed 40" double track for mine and have no use for this one. Email me if interested.
Unfortunately the WH stays where it is - really no other place for it without it being in the way of the furnace.
What you see in the image is the complete space. At the top there is a narrow (18") access aisle so I can get to the water meter and the back side of the layout.
Layout 1 is my first choice also, but I’m still concerned about too much of the lower track being in tunnels. I’d hate to only see my (future) nice passenger cars come out of one tunnel, into the station, and into another tunnel right away. Any ideas on what I can do different? Like I said I don’t need to use the bigger curves, but I figured since I have the space I’d use them. I plan on running mostly traditional size equipment, maybe some RK in the future, max 70’ pass cars.
Brent, what I have in the plan is a Lionel trestle bridge with a plate girder on each end. Plan is not set in stone, but I do already have the bridges. Thanks anyway. How’s your layout coming along? Haven’t seen new pics in a while.
Don,
Haven’t been in the trainroom for nearly 3 weeks now. Been busy at work trying to get a major project wrapped up, I’m hoping to get back in there this weekend. I need to get a curved stone arched bridge built and the mountain behind it sceniced… Then I need to get the base for the coal mine built and then mocked up, then get the mountain surrounding it built… Then it is on to the town portion of the layout. Goal is to have the mountain finished by Mid April, but if I don’t get in there soon all bets are off.
You are attempting to cram a lot of layout in a room that is confined and blocked with a furnace and water heater. No matter how you revise the plan, you’ve maxed it to a point it’s like robbing peter to pay paul. If relocating the water heater is out of the question, the next alternative would be cut the benchwork down and eliminate 1/4 of the trackage. 18" between the water heater and layout is rather tight for practical. 24" mininum is what you want.
If your water heater is gas, I can see why you have heartburn moving it. If it’s electric, you have the option of installing one or two stubby units under the layout if the benchwork is high enough and the air space around the unit meets code (just ask to see a schematic furnished with the unit).
Don - I honestly like the flow of Plan 1. You could reduce the left side from 5 feet to 4 feet (or even 4 1/2) and not give up much. I’d leave the passenger tracks (black) alone, with this alteration: I would put a Union Station above the 2 underground tracks (top right-center), and show the platforms underneath. That block of 6 city buildings could be situated above a lattice work of girders, exposing the platform scne. Thus, this opens up some of your hidden track concerns, and gives you a totally believable city setting. Your platforms on the left-center stretch could be lifted for a marshalling yard for the care and cleaning of your varnish, thus giving you another scene not usually modelled in O. Be thinking Chicago’s Grand Central Station for inspiration.
As to Mr Water Heater. I’m reluctant to move stuff like that as well. However, before I started my layout room, I had my old water heater replaced with a new one, for fear of it bursting one day and causing me much angst. Something to consider if yours is getting up there in age.
