After all kinds og input and looking at the design I concluded it was JUNK and here is the new one. It works better in VR than the first one.
http://www.leatherique.net/images/8-2005-01rev0.jpg
FLAME AWAY!!
More pictures on website
Nice rework! my only objection is about the stubend yard-- there should be an escape crossover for the engines.
There seem to be a couple places where there is track and turnouts that are unreachable. Do you have plans for access panels?
How wide are your walkways?
Chip, I think he has the reach part pretty well covered. The aisles appear to be 2’ minimum.
That is a good idea about adding an escape crossover for your arrival track. I suppose if you didn’t want to do that, you could have your switcher just pull the cars away immeadiately and start breaking the train down, and let your road engine out that way.
The plan looks nice and interesting, but it would help to have a key for all the colors, and some elevation markings.
Wow! Looks great. Reminds me of Don Mitchell’s Omaha and North Western Line, which I’ve always thought was a super layout that I wish I had the room to build.
I agree about the engine escape. Mitchell’s plan shows an escape track between the adjoining station and yard tracks, with a cutoff from both.
Can’t wait to see pictures!
David
The areas marked in red are more than 30" from any table edge.
i agree with spacemouse, i think access holes would be a very good idea
Chip, I use a 4 foot rule. 90% of the plan is OK by that standard.
I am 6’0". I can’t reach across my 4’x8’ layout.
Way, way waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much track.
I can’t tell which tracks go where. Seems somewhat spaghetti-like.
Dave H.
It does seem like a lot of laps at the cost of accessibility and operating opportunites.
Maybe if you tell us a bit about your vision and concept, we would understand better the reason for all the (roughly) parallel lines.
As others have said, the reach as drawn is way too long to build, maintain, or deal with derailments and other problems.
Regards,
Byron
http://www.modelrail.us
I would agree, I am into more space versus track, I try to keep in mind that real estate is pretty $$ to purchase and my small switching railroad is already under money problems [:D] , so unless the stock holders (fiance) will allow more capital investment (I blame Wall Street), I went with smooth and long runs to the industries etc.
I agree with Spacemouse that you’re going to have trouble with access.
I can’t tell what you are trying to do here. From the way the tracks cross, it appears that there different levels and tunnels; but I can’t tell what they are. This looks like a spaghetti layout - lots of tracks with multiple routings and cutoffs. Nothing wrong with that if you like just running trains and want lots of variation in routing.
Enjoy
Paul
Agree, I am looking at the book on freight yeards to see what else I missed, Thank you.
Min walkis 24 most are 36 plus. the turnouts in question along the back run are reachable from the fron with the long reach of 30". the turnouts bay the mine are near a hatch.
Thanks for the input
Give the man cigar, I found a copy of a 1977 MRM and that is the plan with 85% drawn in.
I am just moving the local to the Pennsy area.
Good eyes!
Chip, the hatches are at the point if your triangles, the GREEN track on top is a mine at 14" above the lower tracks. The curve at the mine as drawn is 18" min, opening it up to 24" for the hatch in the middle. The layout is 5 levels with only 1 diamond. 98 % is NOT hidden. The count is 625 ft code 83 with 74 turnouts. #4 on the mine and lodding, everything else is #6 or larger.
Thanks for the input.
the access hatches help a lot , there is still the long 2 foot wide aisle going up by the turntable , someone operating up there is going to have trouble getting out of there if there is someone else operating the mining area .
i agree that it seems like a lot of track , maybe remove one ‘loop’ of track if you can just to see how it looks . other than that it looks great !
http://www.leatherique.net/images/layoutr2.jpg
Revision 1 Look any better? The grey is a return loop and also works as a reverse loop. Total operators for this is 3, me, myself and I. Nobody else cares to run them. the wife is happy I can use this as and escape from our business.