Rather than re-align the high line to Betterman station, consider making the industry spur that would otherwise be hidden by this tall line (it won’t be fully hidden, but I digress) instead be a spur that originates in Betterman, at the higher elevation. You may be able to fit a much larger industry in that way, and Cooldude siding will just be there to serve the mine. What this would do would be to transform your layout by developing a focus on Betterman as one large town, with the other three destinations as lesser stops. Betterman could have both a yard and an industry or two, as well as the longest siding for mainline meets. Aesthetically, one of my primary gripes with your initial sketch was the lack of focus, but I went ahead and developed a plan based on the way you presented it. But by showcasing one town, you’ll really be able to develop a sense of place, and the layout will ultimately be more satisfying.
WP&P,
What do you mean by “lack of focus”? This is my first time building a layout, so please help me out. I do like the idea of keeping the mainline where you put it. I was thinking that the scenery would include 2 mountain sides with a river running between them. One mountain side would be where the mine is, while the other would be where the logging spur would be.
I think the issue with Cooldude siding is that you will need to reach across the higher-level Betterman main to maintain the track/scenery, clean up any derailments, or couple/uncouple cars in the industry you have back there. The way things usually go, Murphy and his dog named Law will set up a hobo camp back there and cause no end of grief. This is another reason to test the reach and carefully plan the layout height.
As far as a yard at Betterman goes, it’s good to make the yard have a reason for being there. A useful tool for figuring this stuff out is to look at your layout’s schematic, which is what the tracks look like once you unwind them. I think this is how your schematic would look as the layout is currently drawn.
I could see the need for a small yard at Betterman, one that originates a local turn. The local would service industries at Betterman, Cooldude, Donewell, then return to Betterman. That would give you a reason to model a few body tracks and a minimal serivce area for the local’s power. Through freights could make any setouts or pickups for those towns there as well. You could also make Betterman an interchange point with a foreign road, which would give your yard some more traffic.
It’s your call on which is more interesting for you, a yard or a single large industry.
Good luck!
How about this? Small yard at Attaboy Station, small town with 2 spurs at Betterman? Interchange siding at Attaboy?
???
hi Hansel,
How about this:
Before you go any further; check out the grades. Do not trust someone who made a pretty looking design and immedeatly buy all his stuff. WP&P himself told you his design was not yet ready for the built.
If you would do the hard work; measure the length between stations; allow a feet for two vertical easements you will end up with 6 feet length max between the stations for at least a 3" difference in heigth. A nice 4.2% grade; you wanted a 2% grade in the first place.
The shortest distance of them all is between ATT an BETT; my guess was having ATT on a grade, not a nice place for a yard. But not a problem when it is used as a passing siding only as on the schematic.
Paul
Very good point!
I calculated the grades on a piece of paper yesterday. You are right! In order to get to the next elevation I would need at least a 3% grade. Not to mention the helix needed to get down to the hidden staging yard. Once I get some benchwork up, I plan to layout (no pun intended) the track and move things around to see what it looks like, and what works and what doesn’t work.
Thanks.
hi Hansel,
if the grades won’t fit; you will have to reconsider your whole design. May be it means another footprint. So waiting with the woodwork untill you are very sure about the final design may be wise.
I think you are right about the 3% plus grades; was still thinking in HO. You really need vertical easements and switches off the grades.
Woodwork and the subroadbed are thick; they add together an inch to the heigth and if you like to have a high cube in your train you’ll need 1.2 inches more all together. A heigth difference of 2.5 inches between layers would do in N-scale.
Paul.
No turning back now! Got the perimeter of the bench work together tonight. Should at least finish the rest of the base and then go buy some 0.25" plywood for the hidden staging tomorrow.
Now I can claim squatters rights in the family room! [:D]
Well good luck with your new project. I too built my benchwork first, but I had a track plan set. Then I moved, which afforded me a little more space, so now I’ve started over on the track plan. But I still have the bench built, so I’ll be fitting my plan onto this space. It definatly poses a lot of challenges when designing a plan after building the bench. But it can still be done. Especially if you have a simple shelf around the walls with no special peninsulas.
Good luck, keep us updated.
Space I have available.
What I did this weekend. The first level.
So far so good. Probably need to buy some track so that I can start planning the staging area. Then start the dreaded helixes! Who put those light switches behind my layout?
Working on the helixes now. My bandsaw is getting a work out. Probably be 3% grade which equates to 2.5 loops for a 7" rise between the hidden staging yard and the first level. Wont glue it down until I buy a loco and some cars to see how it pulls up the helix.
That is just so beautifully and succinctly stated, it should be made into the guiding principle for layout planning.
Congratulations to a non-native English speaker for such a clever turn of language.
- Gerhard