Givens:
HO scale, DCC Sound, Continous loop, 2 train operation, one on loop, one switching.
Druthers:
longest loop possible (twice around), early transition era, longest train 4 40’ cars and caboose, longest engines would be 2-8-0 and RS-1, roadname NH, NYC, or Pennsy. would like a 3 or 4 60’ passenger car train as well.
On a 4x8 to a 4.5x9 (approx) table with a possible 2x7 extension, what do you think of a G&D type twice around (18’ curves) with the crossover bridge in front? hopefully with a more interesting yard and probably skip the turntable.
and please no pro and con discussions about the merits or lack thereof about 4x8 tables, this would have to be on wheels and pushed back up against a wall most of the time.
I think you could have some fun with it. I would suggest you redo the yard to have a lead and maybe add some industries for interest. If you add to the branch, you could switch there also.
Enjoy
Paul
One thing I always liked about the original G&D plan was that it allowed for expansion (and expand it did). I would definately 86 the turntable as on a 4x8ish layout, they are a waste of valueble real estate in that situation.
Have fun and show us some photos when you get under way.
Here’s the original G&D plan, via the www.carendt.com scrapbook page.
Original dimensions are 3’7"x6’8". And yeah, the inner loop was more like 14" radius. An RS-1 might be okay if you can eke the curves out to 15" but a 2-8-0 will have problems–consider an aged Ten-Wheeler, that might make the grade, so to speak, and some of those cute li’l shorty wooden passenger cars. 60’ cars in those tight-curve tunnels will have problems.
I would have 18" min curves. If i go with more than 4’ deep it would be to make a 3 track ladder, run around, and lead that won’t foul the main on the front edge of the table.
First motive power on John Allen’s G&D was a Varney dockside. Somebody once got one around a circle of track laid with one rail and a silver dollar, so 14 inch radius was no challenge.
I believe, but cannot prove, that those tight curves drove John’s choice of era - 36 foot box cars and nothing much longer.
Even after all these years, the track plan has possibilities!
The G&D was set fairly close to the “modern era” for its day–1950s to 1960s–as seen by the modern cars and equipment on the layout. I’m sure that there were plenty of later G&D locomotives that couldn’t run on the original layout–but the second and third G&D had much more generous curves.
40’ boxcars will make it around 14" curves, as long as you have good trackwork even 50’ isn’t too much of a problem–they just won’t do it quickly.
elec_tron: Putting the bridge in front would mean that all the foreground stuff, that is, the items at the lowest elevation, would be in the back. You could put that 2x7 yard on a separate table and join them together via the foreground spur–that would provide lots of yard lead that wouldn’t foul the main. That assumes of course that you have 15 feet of space to set them both end to end.
i built my first layout as a copy of john allens first G&D layout, except that I stretched it out to a 5x9 foot layout, added a couple of extra industries, and had no problems with my 2-8-0’s running on it. i was very happy with that layout until i had to tear it down when i graduated high school.
