I am finally narrowing down my design. I have 3 finalists.
I am limited in my space so all Three of these are in a 4’x7’ area and are HO.
All of them have the same theme, and will have the same trains running on them and here it is:
The Catamount MT. RR. or the CMRR, a small Vermont town with a scenic passenger train doing fall foliage tours. One small town with center green and one farmstead. only industry is a logging mill and camp. A shay will service the logging, and a 0-6-0 or my 4-4-2 will service the passenger train.
Due to the space resrictions, I will be using a lot of 15" radi turns with, if possible, 18"radi lead-ins. I have already tested out the 15" with the trains and they run fine, infact, i was able to run a Bachmann spectrum 4-6-2 on the 15" radi as well, so on occasion, that will visit from Canada.
Ok, so the stage is set, and now the three layout possibilities:
I just noticed that on layout 2, there is a gap just to the right of the passenger station. just after the right hand switch heading from the 90 crossing. Dont worry about that as a deciding factor, when the layout is actually done, i will tend to it so it works.
I don’t understand what you are trying to do with the spur in the upper left-hand corner of #2. Is it supposed to be above the main track, or crossing it?
I would take #3, put a right hand switch just before the curve in the upper right hand corner, run a line around on an elevated grade up behind the passenger station, around teh left and and terminate at a small town with a run around about 3-4 in above the main level. I would proably put a passing track on the grade behind the station.
The passenger train would make one lap around the oval and then on the second lap head up the mountain to the 2nd town.
The logging trains would run between the upper town and the lower town.
Occaisionally when business was heavy the two trains would meet at the siding.
I would be tempted to take out the yellow switch on the left hand side of #3 and then extend the bright blue track around the corner stubbing it under the upper town (maybe using the yellow switch to make two tracks under there.) I would use those as interchange tracks. The logs would go on those two tracks and empty cars would be pulled off the tracks.
It has occurred to me that the plan I have suggested is reminicient of Paul Dolkos’ layout he had many years ago when he was running the ex-Wabash 2-6-0 and had a freelance road.
I asked a good friend of mine what one he liked and he picked #3 as well. Seems like no one likes #2.
Whats wrong with #2? is it too complex? too busy? I like #2 because the passenger train will have a much longer travel time before it comes back to the station and is still in the same amount of space.
I’d definitely go with option 3, but I have to ask:
Is there absolutely no way you could not build a shelf-type layout? Given your interests, I think you would be a lot happier, if the space would allow it.
A wise man once said “Friends don’t let friends build 4x8 (or in this case 4x7) railroads”.
Go back a few MR issues, and there was a fantastic shelf-type railroad with a Santa Fe theme that had gobs of railroading in not too much space.
Jerry -
I appriciate your concern regarding building a “4x7”, but, I am pretty much limited to a 4x7. i cant do a shelf layout. the wife wants a loop for her passenger train, so even if it was a shelf, at the ends, they would have to be at least 30" deep. Second, I do not have a room where i can sacrifice one entire wall to a layout on a shelf. I have this one place in the porch where i can get a 4x7 for now. when the kids get much older and are gone, i might be able to expand down the wall on a shelf layout, but for now no. I have a small house with two dogs and two kids, every wall is needed, i am lucky to have the 4x7 space.
