hopefully this will show up ok, otherwise i’ll link it
Its is a plan of my Hometown, and sized to 9x8.
There are 3 industrial spurs, to industries of which only one I am sure ever recieved rail service, and 1 I am sure didn’t. None are served anymore. The only present day use for this line is MBTA commuter trains. I included the station to serve both through trains and terminating trains from the MBTA and the B&M trains from decades past. Therefore, on the layout, I hope to run both MBTA and B&M commuter trains, as well as various freights alongside with a locoal switcher. Cars will be dropped at the short run-around at the bottom of the layout near the staging lead. There will be reefers for Idyllwilde Farms, (really a fresh foods store-very big now and prospering), covered hoppers for erickson grains (It seems to me the only stuff they carry anymore is pet stuff), and autoracks for the Auto shop (not really a dealership, but would like some industry accpeting autoracks).
Looking for reccdomendations as to how I could improve it. Thanks
hmm, really came out to small to use, I was hoping it would end up so that you could click and it would open a bigger window. well, Idyllwilde farmsa is the industry on the right, Erickson Grains is the spur that comes out to the right of the run around on the track to staging. The station is on the left side while the Auto shop is in the upper right hand corner. Staging occupies half of the right side’s straight section
E- mail it to yourself, keep it the same size, and it’s plenty big.
For a 9X8, not much there.
If that’s what you want, then it’s fine.
Not even a full passing siding, which I would use.
The one on the bottom won’t work without a backing move.
Is this “0” scale?
I mean, you’re talking bigger than two 4X8’s here, and most 4X8’s can get a lot of operation in.
HighIron, I tried to plan the radius to be 21 in minimum to accomodate autoracks and passenger cars. They are still pretty sharp. Thnx for the compliments. I like your idea as to how to plan the trains.
Curmudgeon, thnx for the input. I tried to include some of the town’s keep features. The line is single tracked mostly, and it is nowhere as busy as it was in B&M days when it was part of the fitchburg division’s mainline. Perhaps I could install a long passing siding next to the station.
Spacemouse, thats the best way. Thnx, i’ll move that link up
The switches you have drawn in staging are too sharp, they will take up more room that that, but otherwise it looks good. I keep wanting to sneak another spur into the city behind the red building in the upper left.
The backdrop hiding the staging can be relatively short (8-10") if you have the layout height up in the 45-48" range. standing on a short step will let you see and reach over it.
I agree dehusman.
The turnouts did seem a bit sharp
Also, I agree on the backdrop, I was planning to put one in exactly as you mentioned, just forgot to draw it in.
Seams like you could add another spur into that area in the upper left corner, seams a little wasted just using only buildings, but never seeing the real place its hard to say otherwise. Also your passing siding looks very short. Maybe better to place it longways next to the station. Keep the lower left as is but extend that second inside line up past the station to a switch just before the grade crossing?
I would also add a double mainline. I’m in the planning stages of my new RR and it’s the one thing I am sure it has to have, but it’s yours and thats what I would do.
I only see one thing that I don’t like. The right hand tail of the run-around and the lead for the lower most industry spur is also the lead to the staging area. It would be better both visually and operationally if the tail track could be rerouted up toward the other two industries. Especially since the other two industries have both a facing and tailing track. With this configuration that might require a curved turnout or two.
It looks like you want to have a relaxed layout with trains running through the town with a little switching occaisionally. This is a good concept. I would suggest that rather than a single ended staging yard you wrap the yard around the corner and make it double ended so you can run trains in and out without having to back either in or out. If you make it 4 tracks you can have a passenger and a freight train set up to go in either direction.
Enjoy
Paul
thnx for the help everybody!
I decided not to add more spurs or a second maine because that wouldn’t fit in the real world. Actually, the line does become double tracked below the station(south/east on the real line) I use that to my advantge for the split ofr staging
vsmith, I was thinking about extending up there. I thought it’d be cool having it that short because it’d create a puzzle, but I am seeing it may only create a bottleneck.
Actually, I’m thinking of only extending it to just before the station. This is because on the prototype, the double main ends just before the station. I assume they have that set up nowadays because all trains stop at this station, so there is no need for a track to pass the station. What is needed is area at one end of the station for a train to wait incase one is occupying the station.
Zephyr, so essentially you are saying reversing the right hand crossover would be better. Ok, thnx. I was thinking about that, as to which would be better. Thank you, you are most likely right
Ironrooster, another thing I was thinking about as to how to make it work. It would mean changing the auto shop’s spur. Do you think I could fit it coming out of the new line to staging as a spur to the left? I want to put 86 foot autoracks there.
I will assume that you are doing a fine job of capturing what is found and seen at this location. However, so that all the work it will take, and the resulting layout, will have what I term “legs” (longevity), you will have to design some variety and flexibility into the plan now. A passing track somewhere north of the “Equator” of the layout, as you have depicted it, will be a must. Plan for turnouts of a length and radius that will match your curves; if not, each one will present a bottleneck.
Your devotion to your town is admirable. As I said, you have doubtlessly put in a lot of thought, observation, and planning. I am just wondering if you couldn’t give yourself some license, some slack, to add some other operational variety because the roundy-round that you will be doing much of the time is likely to get stale before very long. it would be a shame to do all that work only to find that you had not adopted the best approach. Don’t box yourself in.
Crandell, thanks!
I’m really not devoted to my town, especially not the school system (yuck-too much athletics, not enough academics)
I much agree that going roundy roundy can get stale, so my operating sessions will have basis with scheduled trains etc… Many will go back and forth between staging without even going around once. Turnouts, thank you for reminding me. I just hope #6’s will do. When you say North of the equator, are you saying I should put a passing siding near the upper 2 grades? Since I am modeling the area right around me, I am trying to limit using my modeler’s license, but point well taken. I really hope I am not getting myself stuck in a box.
