Out of the blue, my wife told me I could use the part of the garage that she used as part of her art studio. What this means is I get to build a layout after not having anything for the last 5 years. Luckily I still have all my stuff. So here are some preliminary plans.
Some of you might remember that I model 1890’s steam in the Northern California Redwoods. This layout will allow me to have a train running east and west, with geared steam climbing to a silver mine and a logging camp. In other words, I’m modeling the Old West the way it should have been.
The lower level is just your basic staging and yard, with the upper right of the image being a lumber mill. (the actual mill will be a scratched facia of the building) The turn radius’s are just under 20"). The staging is in a tunnel. I should have 8" clearance if I need to fiddle.
The upper section is comes off of staging and climbs the hill. The grade is 4% and the smallest radius is about 16.9. I’ll test my engines before I build, but only the geared engines will make the climb. The right area is the mine. The left area is a logging camp. There will be a lot of rocky ridges and big trees.
Nothing is set in stone. I’m still in the process of rearrangin the stuff in the garage.
Operationally, I understand taking the logs from the camp down to the mill, but what about the ore cars from the mine, do they have a destination? Maybe the mill area could have an interchange where you can swap out loaded ore cars for empties to take back up to the mine.
Also, the turntable and roundhouse area could be swapped with the mainline, putting the TT inside the curve rather than outside. This would give you a broader curve and longer lead into the mill, and could make the mill tracks and interchange longer, not to mention making it easier to access the locos since you wont have to reach over the main.
Actually, that track in front of the Lumber ladder is supposed to go to the refinery. I haven’t finalized how it will work, because I haven’t figured out what the refinery will look like, but it will probably go somewhere in front of mill on the right side.
Good points. I’ll have to play with it. I finally dug my models and kits out of their storage area so I can play with structures. I have enough to create a small city–as well as, things like yard tower, sand house, Icing platform, etc. Somewhere I want a livestock pen, just because I want one and want to model the cowboys.
Okay, I spent most of the night on this and this is what I came up with. Most of it I like better. What I don’t like is how a lot of it is parallel with the walls. Anyway, I’ve placed the mill, the refinery, the cattle pens, the icing platform (far left), the service facilities, and the passenger station. I decided to put the station on the main line, and I eliminated a siding. This will give me more space for creative scenery. The problem for me–maybe others won’t notice–is no way for me to build a road to get the arriving passengers into town. They have to wade across the yard.
By the way, out the mainline to the left is Eureka, and to the right is San Francisco.
Plus some staircases on each end that were removed by the time of these photos, taken not long before some worthless delinquents burned that wonderful station.
LOL! Howard Ridge is sending a post to England as we speak. He figures if he gets HG Well’s time machine, the Roebling Brothers might come back in time do the job for $150 (de-adjusting for inflation.)
I’m just going to have to put a wood between the rails across the two turnouts, and hope the residents don’t get their feetsies caught in the points. Luckily it will be a few years before the Law Offices of Bendover and Schwheel really refine the tort business.
No need to time travel, you are modeling the 1890’s and the Swinging Bridge in Reading was built in 1874, even before the Brooklyn Bridge was finished. So John A Roebling & Sons was definitely a going concern in 1890.
If I’m looking at your plan right, there is a tunnel to the left and right of the station, with hidden track. Couldn’t a road meander from either the left or right, out of the scenery, to either side of the station, or the back of the station?
You might even be able to work in a small frieght house.
We are talking horses, buggies and wagons right? Just a thought, as I have no idea what the scenery area is going to look like behind the station.
I solved the problem by switching the ice platform with the station house complex. The frieght house/crane is on the stub below the station. It seems to be coming together. Now, I need to stop planning and start ripping the boards for the benchwork. Tomorrow I start building.
I think the turnouts around the center yard area could be rearranged to be more elegant.
There are nasty S curves on both ends as you enter the yard. You can replace the stright turnouts with RH turnouts a bit further back and use the diverging leg as part of the curves. A Walthers #6RH curved turnout could replace the TT lead straight turnout and it would give you a few more inches. You dont need a long lead into the TT.
As you build, you might find that you can add a few more inches to the spurs at the mine and camp. Even in the 1890s, longer industrial tracks work better than short ones, and they look better.
If you want to put it back, you could always have a pedestrian tunnel under the yard. Maybe charge people to walk through - the William J. LePetomaine Memorial Subway.
Yeah, they’ve been bothering me. I’ve just been working on sorting out the other issues. I haven’t even thought about the camps yet. I have to pull out the structures and see what I need.
I like this idea. I’ll play with it tonight.
The long lead to the TT is more about sand, water, and firewood. I have no budget for curved turnouts, so if I go thaat route it will have to be handlayed.
