Well here is the new design for the benchwork, but there are a few options with track layout. We are looking for a decent amount of swithing and siding work on point to point runs. In addition there will be a lift out “bridge” to fit across the aisle ways to create a continous loop run. The minimum aisle witdth is 30" We are also looking to have small to medium size yard as well. And of course we need to work some natural scenery areas with no industry… Attached are the benchwork plan, the prototype system map, and an old layout from a 96’ issure of MR. I like how condenced the plan is and hope to transpose some of it to ours. The dotted line on our layout represnts a view block or 2 sided backdrop. So if anyone has some layout ideas, or see potential issues, We would love to hear them. Thanks,
No input at all? I have a feeling there will end up being a few hidden problems in the design, I was just hoping with all the experts here and people who have decades of experience may have been able to spot something or bring up an unthought of point that may have been over looked… Well I guess we’ll see what happens. Thanks, -pat
Are you asking: : “could someone please (and quickly) design a room sized layout plan for me, based on a drawing of my room, a prototype system map, a track plan from MR that has nothing to do with your desired prototype and some vague design goals like ‘we should work in some scenery’” ?
or
Are you asking “what operational problems are there with the Cat Mountain and Santa Fe in a bedroom plan” ?
The Cat Mountain and Santa Fe is set in the desert southwest. The track arrangements are going to be very different from a New England coastal railroad. In Texas the land is big and flat. I would think one would be better off trying to find examples from NE railroads to copy from.
Even the small prototype railroad shown in the map is a massive amount of railroad to try to condense. The model needs to focus on one tiny portion of that whole map. It will take some research to find out which tiny portion contains the things mentioned such as “small yard, switching and siding work”. Since this looks like a current map & railroad, I might suggest going to a satelite view and start going up and down the railroad until some locations containing the desired industries are found. After they are found then start compressing them into the available space.
Your drawing for the space shows that double side lobe as only 3’ 3" in width - far too small for HO(maybe a 18" radius loop can fit in there). What minumum radius are you looking at?
We are always glad to offer a critique of proposed layout plans, but start with a track plan and design your benchwork to fit it. Get the book of 101 track plans, or go to the Atlas website to get a choice of layout plans that are attractive to you. As pointed out the Lubbock Texas track plan is “point to point”,with no possible turnaround, or continuous run. First of all,“What is the scale of the layout that you propose? O, HO, N, or Z ? A “Prototype model railroad” is usually a small section of a branch line. I happen to be at our Summer home in Falmouth, Mass. Do you plan to include a harbor, or estuaries for cranberry bogs? I happen to have built a small version of the Cape Cod Canal bridge, which spans a deep ravine above a cascading river. It appears that your layout room is about 14ft.x20ft. Starting with your proposed benchwork, I would leave the 4’6” peninsula, and place an opposing 4’6" peninsula to the right of it,(rather than the 3’3" elbow). This will give you two possible adequate 20" radius loops. The lift out across the doorway will give you a continuous mainline. Include train length “run arounds” and make the industrial spurs long enough.Enclosed, is a drawing of an Island type of railroad, with a “wye” to allow for reversal of direction. On my own 24’x24’ HO garage loft freelance, (lumber and steel industries), layout, with an inside stairway, built the layout top as undulating curves (rather than rigid rectangles). This allows for greater radius loops, and is more pleasant to the eye. Do you plan on a DC or DCC llayout. With the size of your layout, you would go for Digitrax Super Chief DCC Command center and divide the layout into, at least, four Power Districts
Is your bridge going to represent the Canal bridge? Wouldn’t have to have it removeable, just raise it when you (ships) wanted to go through. Actually I have never seen it down as there are more ships than trains even back in the 60’s when I was around there
Trash train used to go by my father-in-laws on the other side of the street, I only knew it to go by at night so never got much of a look at it.
Should be able to do bogs fairly easily, certainly no big hills. Would a Falmouth connection to the island ferries be a possibility or of use?
Well thanks for the info so far, some is very helpfull. It’s in the process of being redesigned and I’ll post the updated drawings to see what other problems you guys may spot in it. I apologize for my vague explanaton in the original post. The layout is a mix of both the prototype system and some freelancing. I would say it will be more prototype indusrty, and freelanced design and scenery. The layout is in HO, it’s based 1990-present. We will have at the very least 1 waterfront scene(fishing pier serviced by rail) if not 1 more to represent another part of the cape. The idea of the canal bridge is certainly one I had, but to scale I think it will just take up too much space, I wish it could work though! We are planning, cranberry bogs, salt marshes, water scences, trash transfer stations, aggregate/ready mix plants, lumber yards and possibly parts of otis airforce base. All of which are cape industries. Thanks again for all your opinions, and look foward to hearing and learning more! -Pat
