I am trying to build my current railroad by the process of evolution - laying down snap track and rearranging or adding elements as I see fit. So far, the plan I have come up with is simple, but quite fun to operate:
The reason for the snap-switches (which are brass!) and snap track (which is mostly NS, but includes some old brass and Tyco steel in spots) is that I had it on hand. I do have a bunch of flextrack, with which I will most likely replace the snap-track once I settle on a finished plan.
The layout runs quite well, however, despite the questionable and second-hand materials used.
I may also install Custom-Line switches with powered frogs at some point (I’ve got a bunch of those, too) but actually the plastic frogs don’t give any trouble, even with my 0-4-0, if I pay close attention to the cleanliness of the rail immediately adjacent to the frog. All things considered, I have been pretty much getting away with murder here.
Operations up to now have been basic and largely construction-related. Empty boxcars are exchanged for loads at Shaw’s (presumably full of supplies that were barged up some river or other) and delivered to the V & E stockpiles at Wattsburg and Johnson Furnace. Boxcars are also delivered to one revenue customer, a feed mill. Some model construction equipment is shuffled around on a flatcar, dropped off at whatever area of the railroad I am currently working on.
I am using the route Wattsburg → Shaw’s → Johnson and back, adding distance by running a lap between each station. Sometimes I run more, if I want a longer operating session.
All spurs are trailing-point at this moment, which is fortunate, as the only engine I am using is my Lifelike Teakettle (which is remotored with a tape-player motor and runs obnoxiously well) and it doesn’t yet have a front coupler.
Bringing the siding at Shaw’s landing around and connecting it to the main would create a passing track and might add operational interest. A siding could be added to the passing track to service one or more industries. However that would require some modification in the Wattsburg area and things may not fit. Maybe something could be worked out to have a passing track around the larger radius curve on the right hand side of the layout
I see two things. First I would move the “wye” turnout going to the station and feedmill back one section of track. Move that 9" track up to make the station track longer.
Second, eventually you will want to do facing point switching. I would find a place to put in a run around track. Of course, it isn’t necessary since you can use the the whole loop to “run around” with. I do not like floridaflyer’s idea of making the passing/run around track on the left. That configuration has always looked silly and toy like to me.
I presume you like scenery as you have lots of room for it.
I’m not sure about a runaround track yet, although I laid the JF curve at 22" R, in part, to allow for one. Mainly, I’m not sure where I want to put it, though I probably will eventually want one. TZ is exactly right; I do like scenery, and I hate to take up too much space with track, but I’ll do it if it makes operation more fun.
I’ll extend the spur and add the extra track right next to it to make that little yard. ( I think I’ll let the townsfolk use it as a team track, too) I will of course report on the results once Ph IV is done.
I would bite the bullet and buy enough nickel silver track and turnouts to eliminate the brass and steel. In the long run you will have to tear those areas up to do it so why not solve that problem up front. If not both I would get rid of the steel first. Over time disimilar metals will corrode when in contact with each other. It may be years but it will happen.
Possible, especially if the track gets wet. Fortunately, the steel being the least noble, it will be the one attacked. Tyco’s sacrifice will save us all.
I’ve bitten my share of bullets now and again, and I will certainly do so here, but I’m trying to keep the caliber down. Lots of brass and steel track was already on hand, as “train show dross” floating on top of a lot containing other stuff that I actually wanted, so I cleaned it and used it, so far with very good results. I actually have a lot of flextrack stockpiled, much more than enough for this layout, as well as NS switches, all leftover from previous projects, but I’m using these materials as an “analog trackplan computer” to work out the bugs. In the meantime, I am also using the opportunity to experiment with these materials, to determine just how bad they actually are, and how they can be made to work. Once I get the plan worked out, however, the roadbed and flextrack will probably go down.
At the moment, though, everything is running well, so I’m in no huge hurry.
