Help with layout planning, please?

[qantaqa]

I've been attempting to plan a door layout, but I would like some second opinions, suggestions, and critiques, please.

I'm looking for:
13" min. radii
a roundy-round track for break in and showing friends/kids
     -some switching for interest
practice making scenery and weathering
something to run trains on while planning/building an ops-session-able layout


and I have:
big boy and challenger I want to run, and some RDCs, etc.
walthers 130' turntable and roundhouse/extensions
digitrax super chief radio

here's what I have so far:


which became:


and then:




I'm not set on this plan at all, it's just the best I've got so far.

I've also got a 36" by 94" (3'x7'10") hollow-core that I've glued two 1" layers of blue styro onto.


Anyone? Anything?

thanks in advance

John Mann (no relation)

[3rdrail]

Couple of things. It is very rare to see a turntable all alone. If it doesn't accompany an enginehouse, it is at least part of a yard. The LIRR had a number of them at points where commuter trains originated and terminated. There were usually at least two tracks connecting to the yard, with one as access to the turntable and the other as the ready track for outbound locomotives.

Also, that passing siding that the turntable lead comes off is far too short. I've got a 5 foot passing siding and regret it is not longer. The others are all around 11 feet. Since it is a way freight terminal, it is a challenge.

[qantaqa]

sorry about the incomplete drawing - I was just working out radii with xtrakcad because my drawing skills kinda (really) suck.  I plan to have a few tracks for mow/rip/roundhouse/water-fuel-sand-coal... in fact, I personally would love to have a huge service facility, so I'll add as much as I think can get away with

I'm not sure how to make a longer passing track on the bottom area, as it's kinda in a valley, and I was thinking having the turnouts up on the grades might cause problems (or is that just having them at the end of a grade transition??)   maybe a siding off to the right?, wrapping around the corner?  disguise it as another tunnel to nowhere?

thank you 3rdrail

[wm3798]

The old Challenger and Big Boy on a Door Layout trick!  My suggestion would be to make one end of the layout a train museum, and have them on static display... otherwise you won't be able to have a tree or a structure within 3" of your track!

But I dig... You've got a lot invested in hardware, and you want to run it...  Is 13" adequate mechanically for those monsters?  It definitely isn't enough aesthetically....  It would be a shame to not let them stretch their legs a bit... If you have room, you might consider adding a second door in an L shape, so you can have at least two curves that are better suited to the visual, then you can bury the tight end turns in some scenery.
Lee

[qantaqa]

The "big one" is a few years away - I hope.  I have the space, and a good portion of the benchwork material (I even found a 4'x3' section of homasote in the garage as I was cleaning, only about 18 years old or so), and I have a buddy a few towns south with a monster N layout, all set up for op sessions with nice gentle curves, so I can sneak the articulates (sound equipped  ) into service, but they're kinda show stoppers, and pretty far out of era, so I stopped bringing them.  :-\

as far as the curves go, my test loop/programming track has 11" radius and they run on that ok, but I only run them at 25% on the throttle, max, when I'm on that loop.  I tried the challenger on a smaller curve (10.25" as measured on my old layout) and the side rods jammed and scared the $#@ out of me, as I was 3' into my initial test-run...

anyhoo, I do have another door (24"x79") that I _was_ planning a layout for, until I found the bigger one.  I don't mind smaller curves for spurs and sidings, as long as the mainline has 11" (wheres the fingers crossed emoticon?) 

you pegged it Lee, I really wanna run the noisy steam at home.  they look cool in the box, and great on rails, but drop jaws when they move (and they're the only locos I have that the wife will watch, so I'm also throwing her some bait).  But, in the end, I want a layout to run on at home for a few years while I'm planning and building the "big one"

John

[TiVoPrince]

As a demonstration
layout to give others a feel for 'the big one' it may be useful to build a bit less track but focus on being more scenic.  Trains like Challengers and Big Boys moving through realistic front range scenery will sell themselves.  Use the widest curves and lowest grades you can for ease of operation.  Be ready to take suggestions, even if they don't fit the final plan.  The ease that someone (with financial oversight) can be handed a throttle and be operating reliably without a lot of instruction is faaaaaar more important than a switching area.  Adding the switching area later would show a flexibility of planning on your part.  Adding a 'crayon factory' or other kid friendly industry should also score points.  A double track loop with crossovers will get you two train operation and a practice layout that will pay ongoing dividends...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I really can't picture big steam there. There's too much going on.

Take a look at some pictures from the area you're trying to represent, see how things lay out there, and then take another look at the plan.

I think you're going to find that there are long open stretches, and that's really where that type of power looks best.

Now, don't despair though. I think you have the genesis of on there though. That long straight that runs diagonal across the layout looks like it will do a really good job of showcasing the trains, so I'd focus on that.

Then, add in the support trackage (at a lower level) to feed it from both ends.

[qantaqa]

Then, add in the support trackage (at a lower level) to feed it from both ends.

Ed - are you talking about putting a staging level below the layout?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That'd be one way to go.

The other is just to use the tracks that you have looping around to get the train back around to the other end of the straightaway.

[qantaqa]

so here's another idea (that I spent *hours* on... j/k)

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Lol, I love the name and age.

I like the concept, but I'll be curious to see how much of it survives when you put it in XTRACK. I think it'll end up being a lot smaller than you think.

Give it a shot.

[DKS]

I like the concept, but I'll be curious to see how much of it survives when you put it in XTRACK. I think it'll end up being a lot smaller than you think.

I think you're right. Compare this plan to the previous CAD drawing.

If it were me, I'd push the tt all the way into the inside of the curve, and have a small enginehouse situated next to the TT access tracks. Sort of like this:

http://images.google.com/url?q=http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/7a290f43

I'd also try flipping the yard around so the stub ends are in inside the opposite curve.

[qantaqa]

Something like:



roughly...

Ed, in the previous XCad dwg. I attempted to keep 2" OC spacing through the curves, IIRC, to use those prefabbed risers... If I lose the (major) grade changes, I can tighten those up a little, I think; but you're right about the Paint doodles losing a lot in the translation to xtrk.

Tivo, just to clarify a little, demonstration is really pretty low on the building criteria/priority list; my wife and I have no kids so it's friends' kids (rarely); and I am the "wallet" for the train addiction.  I love the crayon factory idea, tho.  I'm completely open to new ideas, like Lee's train museum.

but then, I could begin building the roundhouse "module" of the big one, but I still haven't chosen time or place yet, although I'm currently thinking about Cheyanne west, then north (or visa-versa), to Seattle, in the early 50's, but that's completely subject to change...  I'm more like David K. Smith in that I'm a "model rail fan", but I'm really not well versed on RR history, so I'm not educated enough to plant myself firmy anywhere with preferences -- with any basis in reality....

[3rdrail]

You tickled my risibles, qantaqa. "Gigantic Pickle Mine" indeed.  ;D ;D ;D  That hill does sorta look like a gigantic pickle, though...

[wm3798]

Helpful hint - Looks like you're using Paint... You can select the circle tool and use it to make the turntable look less like a fried egg...

...and I always wondered where giant pickles came from... Now I know!
Lee