Hi all, I am to design a switching layout with possibilities for expansion, it must however be fun to operate in the first guise.
The size is 10 feet long by 16" wide to fit in the available space. Built in two sections to facilitate moving it. Urban style with barge (it´s a must! [:D]).
Peco track and turnouts, using a turntable as a sectorplate to save space.
Here is my first design for it, what do you think?
The turntable and staging (very short, for 5-6 cars) is under the city.
The RR-bridge is to hide the joint between the two sections. The Barge works as a cassette to exchange cars on the layout.
One remark however. When the ferry arrives you will have outbound cars waiting about twice the length of the ferry (1 meter). First your switcher will empty the ferry and will need the same length to park the inbound cars. After he finished this job he will start loading the ferry.
IMHO you need two tracks from the ferry-lead both about 1 meter long (track 1 and 2 in my drawing), and of course the lead itself needs to have that length plus space for an engine. So the turntable is also used to lengthen the ferry-lead.
I’d go with a sector plate. (The plate-track swivels from one end and the other end serves several tracks as it is rotated. Since it isn’t rotated 180/360 degrees, the space it needn’t be as wide as it would be long.) It would be much simpler and cheaper and have a bit more capacity compared to a turntable.
If you use a Great Lakes type car ferry with enclosed sides and a superstructure rather than a barge you could just have a staging yard hidden in it by having the tracks go out the back side of the ferry and hide them under the scenery,
Hi again, I have made a partial redraw of my plan as a result of your inputs and a little more pondering on my behalf. I think this one will be better. It has a sector table instead of a turntable and more industries. What do you think?
I like the plan, though it is a bit track heavy to my taste.
The ferry needs an apron, allow a bit more space for it.
BTW it took me some time to realise it was a HO plan.
More important however is the future expansion. You will have to develop an idea how it influences your port-design. Where are trains leaving or arriving? How and where are they handled or made up?
In which direction can the layout be extended? “ndbprr” suggested the use of a Great Lakes car ferry with a super structure. The photo shows my huge Great Lakes car ferry, with four tracks within, that are connected by two double-slip switches, for staging within, and escape for the switcher. The super structure is removable, for access to the tracks. An animated apron is operated by levers in the fascia. The movement of the ferry is, also, operated by slide levers in the fascia. There are two double ended dock tracks for in/out rail traffic.Bob Hahn in chilly Michigan Click on the photo to enlarge it. Then, click on the photo series to the left, to view other parts of my layout.
The turntable and staging (very short, for 5-6 cars) is under the city.
