Hello everyone, I don’t think I’ve introduced myself, my name is Charles, and I’m in my mid 40’s. I have a wife and 2 grown children, and an empty basement with a house over it just begging me to build a MRR. (Okay, it’s not exactly empty.) My son is getting married this summer and I would imagine it’d only be a few more years before I’ll have a grandchild that I should introduce to trains.
I have John Armstrong’s Track Planning for Realistic Operation, (IMO the best money I’ve spent on this hobby so far.) and have been reading Model Railroader for years. I’ve also been reading these forums and would like to tap into the wealth of knowledge and experience that you fine people have up here. Layouts like Joe Fugate’s Siskiyou Line and others have inspired me to finally take some action. (Model Railroader can get a little frustrating because the photos are: A. always perfect, and B. virtually never give a view that lets you feel like you’re there. i.e. aisles, fascia’s, valences, etc.)
I’ve been tinkering with Atlas’ RTS for some time now, and was wondering if you guys would be willing to give me some opinions on a layout design I cane up with. It’s a partial mushroom set primarily in a room that’s 11’ x 26’ with only an 81-1/2" ceiling. There is another 9-1/2’ x 11’ area adjacent to the main room that will have to be used as a thorofare to the rest of the basement, that’s where the nod-unders are. Luckily, I’m only 5’6" (never thought I’d be saying that) so I’m hoping it will work out. Here are some highlights…
LAYOUT GOALS:
As long a mainline run as possible in order to handle 25 car, triple headed trains or more.
Point to point operation with continuous cutoff. (For prototype operation & display running.)
Several towns separated by some distance. (Achieved visually or thru hidden layover.)
I’m not familiar with the Atlas program, but I believe you can export to a graphic file. There is a post on the general forum about posting pictures, but in general you have to upload your picture to the web, then refer to the url using the code [img]yourpicturesurl[/img] Leave out the *. If I didn’t put them in you could see my code.
I am modelling the mid 50’s and transition, but you are further along and well into strictly diesel use. I have only one diesel, an FA2-FB2 set that handles my trackage nicely…not by design, it’s just that I made good choices over time.
I can’t help wondering why you insist that #6 turnouts are all that will grace your apparent areas, but that you are willing to consign the most likely troublesome areas of your layout with #4’s …on the main! I sincerely feel that it is ill-advised. If #6’s are desireable for any worthy reason at any point of your trackplan, they should be the minimum everywhere…and sure as aitch placed where the Sun don’t shine…if you get my drift.
Total layout area= 375 sq ft The walls creating the Utility and Worshop areas are fixed, as there’s no chance of relocating any of the obstacles contained therein. The water main and a propane line for the hot water heater is located in the far left upper corner of the Lounge, and run across to the utility area. This leaves all of the proposed layout areas both free of obstacles, and eliminates any chance of damage to the RR should any appliances need repair, or a pipe spring a leak, etc…
I guess this is what is called a Partial Mushroom design. The line is on a continious 2.5% grade right out of the helix bypass at Jennysburg on the lower level, and climbs all around the permiter walls to Chip’s Summit. The line then decends 6" around to Wilson Yard on the upper level of the mushroom. Layout height ranges from 48" at the Staging Yard, to 71" to achieve the “nod-under” at the basement entrance. At Chip’s Summit the apparent view angle is reduced 8" by the raised floor, to 63" and I’m hoping it isn’t too high. The view of the scene here will also be compromised due to an 81-1/2" ceiling height. I’m intending to do “Shadow box” all around, and at this location, with a 2" valance, the view of the scene will be only 8-1/2" tall! (I was thinking of using either clear rope light or C-7 Christmas lights for these areas.) Track decends thru Chip’s Summit and a second “nod-under” at 67" from the floor to access the rest of the basement. Luckily, I’m only 5’6" (Never thought I’d be saying that!) so this should work.
Heres the lower level, gridlines=1.0’
The Lower Level view shows the “Staging Alley” run, to and from the remote staging yard. I hope this will not feel too much like “re-covering” the same ground when operating…
My concerns here are obviously the curved yard. Not having experience I fear this is a poor design and the curved tracks may well be unmanageable. For the inner most track I actually had to break the standards to get everything in; it’s 22" rad. and the tracks are on 2.25" centers. I’m hoping I have enough straight track before and after the curve for this to be workable. (???)
My reasoning for this is in Armstrongs book. He states that an Atlas #4 Customline T.O. actually has a #4-1/2 frog. Which has a 36" substitution radius and is suitable for use with minimum mainline radii up to 30" That sounds like it will more than cover me, no?
My choice of #6 for the visible areas is strictly for appearance. (I will try, if there’s anywhere possible, to fit #8’s in for the same reason. Also, besides the appearance of the rails, the trains have to look smoother going thru a higher #frog.
I am making a couple of assumptions however. (and we all know what that means) I’m planning on using Atlas code 83 flex & customline T.O.'s Again, on the visible area’s, with c100 in the hidden. (i.e. the helix and staging.) Armstrong’s book was published long before c83 and these observations were made with c100 so the question is should I be concerned?
Oh, and the other concern is; does that which looks good on paper actually hold up in the real world?
I suppose my main concerns are spacial relationships. I’m not sure if I’ve left enough room for decent scenery in my quest for mainline trackage. Also I fear I’ve seriously underestimated the area required for industries. With so much of the layout having a shelf that’s only 12"-18" do I have enough to work with?
For instance, the track coming around the wall into Brendaville is only about 1" from the edge.
I see a lot of plexiglass fencing in my future… But how will it look???
Maybe I should just put that whole area of 6" wide and somewhat around the bend in a tunnel.
This is a great start because you got something on paper.
My impressions:
You have a lot of area to watch trains run. If you like to model and watch trains run, you will have years of work.
But you have little else. I all that area, I see two industries. The huge yard you built, as you suspected, probably won’t work well. Cars don’t couple or uncouple well on curves.
So if your idea of model railroading is getting an easy chair setting your train on auto-pilot and popping a beer. You’ve got a good design.
But I suspect you want more, but just don’t know how to get it. You’ve obviously thought about this a lot. Tell us your vision. When you lie in bed thinking about your future layout, what do you see yourself doing with the trains?
