I know you’re all sick of seeing my track plan. Not too many more times, it’s almost done now, then you can just visit my site on a periodic basis to see if anything changed. Once I get the plan finialized, maybe I can ctart buildign again which means CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS! I just realized it’s been a LONG time again since I updated the construction progress. And I have a bunch of DCC installation photos that need cleaning up and posting, too.
Nice. Now I think you need to rework the yard a little.
If the double-ended tracks of the yard are A/D tracks, there’s no easy way for the engine to get to the roundhouse–espeially if the train is heading in a counter clockwise direction. Likewise getting engine service is going to be tight. It is solvable, but it is going to take some brain-steam.
Unless of course, I don’t understand what you have in mind.
Glad to hear it. I think some folks recommended on your earlier thread to dump the roundhouse and turntable, but it seems that these are have to haves. Is there anything more cool than a turntable?
Hmm, back down the other A/D track, use the switch lead as a tail track, and run up the thoroughfare track and back down to the turntable. Or maybe I could add a switch off the lead directly, as shown in figure 2-9 in my second edition of TPfRO.
Looks great, I am dying to see and how you are going to DCC that!
Oh, by the way, you will never be done with the track plan as long as there is CADD! My “finished, never will change it” track plan is on revision “M”.
Also starting construction I found that even plotted 1:1 you still find a better way in real space to do it!
Glad you are getting there, thanks for you help in the past.
George P.
It’s really just two big giant ovals. Plus the branch line.
After printing out the 8x12 as a 1:1 and tracing it on the foam - I will NOT do that again. The CAd drawing is more of a plan to work from instead of a perfect to the millimeter representation of where each track will go.
AGAIN? [:D][:D] I’ve flipped the yard so many times it must be dizzy. The problem with the ladder at the other end is the tight clearance where the branch line comes off the blob. I’ll see what I can come up with - I’m after the mentioned figure 2-9 from Armstrong, except I have 4 tracks instead of 2 in the yard.
That might be a while [:D] The staging tracks are 11" below the top deck, with 2" foam and 1x3 framing that gives me 6 1/2" clearance under joist, 9" clearance in the clear spaces. I mocked it up with some cardboard - I can reach in to that, barely, although I will have to move any trains in front out of the way to reach a stuck one in the back. The staging tracks will have plenty of rerailers, since it’s hidden it doesn’t matter if they look goofy. Plus most of the fascia in front will be removeable, I won’t have to reach up from underneath. I figured on gaining an extra half inch of clearance by using the 1 1/2" foam for the staging base instead of the 2" - I can’t have the lower edge of the bottom level benchwork be below 37" from the floor becauseof storage requirements.
You certainly acheived 2-9. I thought it strange that Armstrong did not allow for engine service. Then I back trackled through the chapter and found that none did. I guess he didn’t want to complicate his presentation.
I dunno, I think there’s plenty of space along the straightaway heading for the table to put a water column, ash pit, and coal tower. I can definitely fiddle enough to get another track in to bring in coal and haul away ashes.
Yeah, the long wall is 53’. It’s that 8’ width that kills me. That IS a 130’ table that circle is representing. And 6 stall’s worth of Walther’s roundhouse, lined up as best as I could get it.
So True, I spent $54.00 to get 3 1:1 plots one for each stage. Laid them on the top of the Joists and guess what, to many errors to work with. SO I picked a complex turnout area at the lowest elevation and will start their. The AutoCadd plot was closer then the 3rd planet. Problem was in the transitions, for some reasom they where not as clean as I thought they would be. I used a SPLINE to draw them, fine now.
I bought some Atlas SUPER SWITCHES #6, they are 100% different in appearence than the Custom line turnouts. They look better. At $11.95 my cost compared to $10.95 for the Custom Line.
Wife says I can work on the layout all weekend!! (Just got back from Florida)
Take Care
I printed it myself, one 8.5x11 sheet at a time - 3PI makes those nice index marks so you can tape it all together. I even had drawn the framing underneath, and it all lined up. But for all the time and effort, I could have simply taken a stick of wood and marked holes in and used it as a trammel to plot the curves.
Gee, i just made a trammel with all the radius marks i need. I think that the plotter (old HP draft pro) was out of sync. I should have ran a plotter check before I had them plotted. I am changing the design as I am lating track due to access or just looks better. (no track just roadbed at this point). Hope to have some real trak down by Monday, IF no honey dew problems LOL.
Yours looks like it will be great to operate with all the room!
Take Care
George P.