Planning

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I have been reading books on R.R. planning. Still am a little confused. I have been on the database looking at some Multilevel plans. nothing has appealed to me yet. What am I doing wrong. What kinda questions do you ask yourself. Here is what I have so far.

The setting and era is 1950-1960 Midwest Illinois . Main commodities are Ore, Lumber, Gravel and Dairy. Layout size is 12 x 16 . Any " And I mean ANY" Suggestions on how I go about planning my main line. I would like to use a double main. But, I read you loose advantages to a double main. I have never been very good at M.R.R. planning… Help. If I have left any info out let me know. PLEASE.

I guess I should say that 10 years ago I had a major stroke and my brain aint as good as it used to be.

Thanks Guys.

Schematic for clarity and ref only

2

Hi Nicky and welcome to the forum.

Planning starts with “givens” and “druthers”. Givens are things like room size and layout, scale, industries, skill level. Druthers are things like double track, two levels, continuous run vs. point to point or combination, DCC vs. DC.

It would help everyone here if you can provide a schematic or floor plan of the room and the scale you are using (N or HO?). Also if operation is the primary focus or not.

Alan

PS Strongly suggest reading Armstrong’s Track Planning for Realistic Operation

3

You have already said “1950-1960 Midwest Illinois . Main commodities are Ore, Lumber, Gravel and Dairy”.

Some follow up questions:

What scale do you want to model in?

Do you like to mainly watch the trains run, or to do switching?

Just you running trains, or more than one operator?

Point to point or continuous run ?

How long trains do you want to run?

Do you want to model the end of the journey where the stuff is loaded, or where it is unloaded?

Rural, small town, big city?

Do you want to model interchanging cars with another railroad, or a part of the RR journey which is all on your railroad?

Passenger traffic or not?

Do you want any staging (where train can wait before making their run, and where they can be parked after having made their run) ?

I am sure there are more questions that could be asked. But the main ones are “How would you like to run trains on your layout”, “what scale do you want to model in” and “what does your layout room look like”.

As for single versus double track. If you want to model a real railroad that had double track, just use double track. If you want two trains running continuously independent of each other, two tracks is good.

On the other hand, if your goal is to slow things down and making several operators interact with each other (or to run a sequence schedule), then single track with passing sidings may be better - it naturally slows things down and creates interaction.

It all depends on what you want to be able to do on the layout.

Good luck with your design!

Smile,
Stein

4

The first thing to do is define the space that you have. How much of the room can you use? Do you need to have a workbench in the same room? You will get more running track if your layout is along the walls with a peninsula or two sticking out toward the center. The longest that you can reach things is about 24 inches. Thus quite a few folks make their bench work 24 inches wide and along the walls. Any peninsulas that stick out can be wider because you will have access from both sides and the end.

What I do for layout design (have done so far) is define my area and bench work first. Next I decide on a theme. (Mainline running, with a branch line(?) or other special interests.) Then I put in a mainline. I am fond of single track mainlines that run twice around the room types, divided by scenery and grades.

Since I have gotten into operations, I also have a staging area of some sort, whether it is a lay-over for entire trains, or a yard that simulates an interchange yard. One track in staging can be a through track for continuous running. If I put cars on it, the layout becomes point to point for operations.

Next I try and determine how many small towns I can have, and possibility one city with a yard and loco facilities, without them crowding one another. Usually small yards and facilities unless I have the room for larger ones. I will try to fit in a way-side industry or two just for variation as long as

5

What kind of ore are you mining in Illinois?

6

The main commodities in central Illinois would be grain (corn, wheat, soybeans carried in covered hoppers) and coal; not ore or lumber except imported lumber destined for a lumber yard. Primarily covered hoppers, coal hoppers, boxcars, and a few oil tankers mixed in.

The the questions of layout design, I’ll leave that up to others.

7

Nicky,

I think so much depends on what you like. I enjoy watching trains run and operation, so my past layouts have been around the walls. Double track is nice for watching trains run, single track is nice for operations. On my current design, layout, I am going with single track and long passing sidings. I will also incorporate several industries to satisfy my interest in operations.

The hobby is supposed to be fun, and it is your layout so run whatever industries you like, and whatever track plan suites you.

I am sure many “serious” modelers would not approve of my layout, but who cares. I am having fun doing what I like to do.

Paul

8

Nicky,

If I may add to Cacole, who covered it quite well… in the Peoria, Illinois area yellow earth moving equipment coming from Caterpillar and Le Tourneau, (later WABCO , now Komatsu) would be leaving the area. Steel would be coming in. Grain and refrigerated box cars for Pabst brewery. Coal was south and west of Peoria. Hiram Walker also used a lot of grain and wood for barrels, and right next to it was the Peoria Stock yards. Interesting smells on hot summer nights. Scrap iron, another distillery and Keystone Steel and Wire, and Wayne Feeds were on the far south side. Any ore mining would be lead up in the northwest Illinois town of Galena. This is only a small sample of the larger Peoria industries. Many smaller places used rail service also, like Bemis Bag, Champion Furnace, and a multitude of warehouses.

In your era the Peoria area had multiple rail lines serving it including Rock Island, 2 lines( 1 from Rock Island and 1 coming from Chicago Via Bureau), M&StL, GM&O, CB&Q, C&NW, P&E (NYC), PRR, TP&W, Nickel Plate, Illinois Terminal. Illinois Central, Santa Fe (mainline and Ancona-Pekin branch) were both nearby. Santa Fe had a round house and large gravel pits at North Chillicothe (in that era) 20 miles north of Peoria and still had a connection to the Rock Island.

Much of the Peoria area is in the Illinois River valley and can be quite hilly in what is considered a prairie state.

I suggest joining the Peoria rails yahoo group if you should choose that area.

Good luck and let me know if I can help more with central Illinois,

Bob

9

.

10

Thank you I just now ordered it.

11

See I was told ore not coal. Growing up in northern Illinois around Priviso yard I saw alot of box, hoppers, covered hoppers and tank cars. I am going to do some freelance also.

Thank you

12

Bob Growing up in northern Illinois “Woodstock to be exact” I had an Uncle that worked at the Priviso Yard and I loved getting lost watching the consists coming through . I really hadn’t set in stone the commodities yet still researching this part. Great info Bob and thank you very much.

14

Hi Nicky,

SteinJr and Elmer, among others, have been asking you a lot of questions. You gave many very short responses, non were answering the questions asked.

Planning goes before building benchwork, it seems to me stepping back and starting all over is what you should do.

Dreaming, planning and building is the right order. Dreaming about how you envision your layout to be and sharing those dreams is what I would like to see.

Do you dream about quite a crew, with engineers for the wayfreight and for the main, a dispatcher and friegt agents, like on Tony Koester’s layout or do you dream about you and one friend leisurely running some trains? Passenger trains or not, the latter might become important since the minimum radius and turnout size is involved. Many more issues should be covered by you before even thinking about building the benchwork.

Some one else wrote about the consequences of a double track main versus a single track main; what it could mean for staging.

In the 600+ plans there must be some that you like. Maybe not right out of the box, maybe with a couple of “if’s”. Maybe way to big, but they could give an idea about your taste.

Wish you luck

Paul

15

Look at the plans and take ideas you like from them and design your own to fit your space.