Little Rock & Western - need some advice and suggestions

[MichaelT]

Good evening,

Have been enjoying reading the updates on who is changing to what scales, and after a long, long layoff (and this years first train show) has gotten me out of a rut and interested again into doing some railroading. This led me to pull out a door layout that I started putting together last year and put aside when I took my sabbatical. The door is 80x30.

Track is Atlas code 80 and #6 turnouts (stuff I had laying around, using what I have instead of purchasing much right now).

So here is the current door with track laid out. The door is framed with small baseboard trim painted brown.



And here is an Anyrail depiction that I drew up hopefully to help out with some of you looking at it and possibly giving me some suggestions.



The large black line will be a view block to separate the two sides (scenes).

The outer line curves are approximately 13" radius, and the passing track (inside) is approximately 11 1/2" radius. The railroad (Little Rock and Western) is a shortline that branches from the Jenks yard in North Little Rock and runs west to around Perry, Ar. While the line is relatively flat, there are some hills along the way, however in lieu of hills I'd just as soon use the view block. I've ran a few engines through all of the rails and so far everything runs quite well. It's DC now but can connect to DCC by changing the controllers.

At this time all of the turnouts are hand thrown, but I'm considering installing snap or toggle switches to operate the turnouts. So here are a few questions I'd like some of you to chime in on if you don't mind.

1. Are there any areas that anyone sees first off that would be distracting or problematic for this shortline?
2. The curves are not symmetrical; should I take the time to pull the curves, make them a little better and re-lay the track?
3. I'm not planning on getting terribly detailed with this...with not having much space to run trains, this will be setup at the dining room table to run when the mood strikes.

I have some industries I can put out (and some that need to be built as well), and can setup a "Main Street" in one "town" and maybe a small hamlet on the other side of the view block.

Trains will be small, 5-7 cars behind one or two engines with a caboose. All engines are four axle (GP 40's, GP18, FA/FB, and an RS1).

While not making this very detailed, I'd still like it to look nice and run well, so any thoughts anyone would like to add or questions to ask, I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

[glakedylan]

possible problem with the "S" curve coming out of the 180 degree turn into a turnout.
sincerely
Gary

[eja]

That looks REALLY close to the edges of the door !  Also you might consider giving up some track length to rotate the track plan so the track is not parallel to the door edges.  It has a very positive visual effect.

[MichaelT]

possible problem with the "S" curve coming out of the 180 degree turn into a turnout.
sincerely
Gary

That looks REALLY close to the edges of the door !  Also you might consider giving up some track length to rotate the track plan so the track is not parallel to the door edges.  It has a very positive visual effect.

thanks gents. Reading your posts and considering some other things, I'm wondering if it might not be a better idea to pull everything up and start anew instead of trying to make a number of changes. I've started combing through some door sized layouts (and looking at some HO layouts to resize) to find something I can mimic that will have an established design that will work well. I'm a terrible track planner (obviously) so I need to rely on folks who are much better at it than I am.

I might even consider picking up a 36" door and use this 30" door possibly as an add on yard or staging with an industry or two. I would imagine using a 36" door would give larger curves and a little more space to change from just a short line to a mainline railroad with a short line added to it. I still don't see myself running large trains, probably 7-10 cars max, and maybe a 3-4 car passenger train.

So if this becomes a start from scratch project, what suggestions would be added now?

One thing I do want to add to this layout. Even though it will be easy to hand throw turnouts, I'd like to automate them, either with the Atlas units or maybe picking up a few tortoises or something to throw them?

I'll probably keep the LR&W shortline on the layout, and add either Mopac or SSW (Cotton Belt) as the mainline railroad for the layout.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

A couple considerations:

[MichaelT]

Ok latest config;



I'm trying to get some more curves into the long sides so the track isn't running parallel with the side  but I'm not having much luck, especially on the bottom run.
I also resized it to 36x80 (I can pick up a 36" door from a friend of mine who has surplus doors) for a little more room and larger curves (15" mainline radius).
On the east interchange track I added a holding track for pickups/drop offs and kept the west interchange track.

The blue line is the scene divider, and the grey line a road. I guess I should include a road on the other side also?

[MichaelWinicki]

Here are a couple road ideas...

Wish you had a place for an engine refueling track.

[MichaelT]

Here are a couple road ideas...

Wish you had a place for an engine refueling track.

Would the added bottom track work as a refueling track?

[MichaelWinicki]

Yes, that would function as a refueling track.

[ristooch]

How do you feel about the two switchbacks to service the sidings inside the loop? I realize the shape and size of the layout can be restrictive, as are most ovals mounted on doors. It just seems that if you fill one of the sidings with cars, you may have difficulty working the other.

It seems like less of an issue with the upper sidings, and a bit more of an issue with the lower one.

Not a deal breaker. Just spitballing.

[MichaelT]

How do you feel about the two switchbacks to service the sidings inside the loop? I realize the shape and size of the layout can be restrictive, as are most ovals mounted on doors. It just seems that if you fill one of the sidings with cars, you may have difficulty working the other.

It seems like less of an issue with the upper sidings, and a bit more of an issue with the lower one.

Not a deal breaker. Just spitballing.

Good points. It may be a thing of taking an engine in to pick up the full cars, delivering them to the holding track(s) bottom right, then taking empties back in. Something like that would be repetitive but would lengthen an ops session having to operate in that manner. I know it's not fully prototypical, but that might be a consideration for those two.

What would you have in mind as a work around track wise?

[ristooch]

Good points. It may be a thing of taking an engine in to pick up the full cars, delivering them to the holding track(s) bottom right, then taking empties back in. Something like that would be repetitive but would lengthen an ops session having to operate in that manner. I know it's not fully prototypical, but that might be a consideration for those two.

What would you have in mind as a work around track wise?

Hopefully the image below shows up. First time posting an image in a reply, so please bear with me. What I'm showing is two independent turnouts with a crossover in the middle of each siding. It's not the most elegant setup, but it will allow you to service each siding separately. It's a variation of something I am using on the original part of my layout (36x80 double-track loop-de-loop).

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[ristooch]

Hopefully the image below shows up. First time posting an image in a reply, so please bear with me. What I'm showing is two independent turnouts with a crossover in the middle of each siding. It's not the most elegant setup, but it will allow you to service each siding separately. It's a variation of something I am using on the original part of my layout (36x80 double-track loop-de-loop).

(Attachment Link)

Sorry for the duplicate post, but here's the setup from my 36x80. I'm posting this from work and, well, you know...gotta be careful.

Paul Ristuccia

[MichaelT]

Sorry for the duplicate post, but here's the setup from my 36x80. I'm posting this from work and, well, you know...gotta be careful.

Paul Ristuccia

That looks very nice. Is that on Anyrail? If so, would you consider sharing the file with me? I can PM you my email address...

[ristooch]

That looks very nice. Is that on Anyrail? If so, would you consider sharing the file with me? I can PM you my email address...

You are correct, it is indeed AnyRail and I would be happy to send you the file.

Fire off a PM. And if you are super nice  , I will send you the expansion currently under construction, that integrates a modified version of the 36x80 looper. I figured that, after 7 years in the house, the basement needed more railroad!

Paul Ristuccia