Layout planning help needed

[James Costello]

You know Tom, in N you could get both alignments through Vail...  ;D ;D ;D

Truly an amazing part of the Espee though, especially when Traincat releases that bridge!

[DKS]

I might kill the double tracking.  Single tracks may allow the curves to be wider and be more true to the real thing.  I really think this will work.

I was going to ask if you wanted single or double... and I figured single. Which is why I did double. (Oops.)

Here's a quickie rendering as a single-track. The curves have been broadened a touch, but could probably be stretched more.

You know Tom, in N you could get both alignments through Vail...

Funny, I was thinking exactly the same thing...

[Caleb Austin]

The single track looks much better IMO.

[DKS]

I made a few more minor tweaks. Smoothed the curve through Lordsburg, added some recommendations on handling certain features, fleshed out some of the locations a little more.

Same image file as before, so you may need to hit refresh.

[tom mann]

Bingo.  This is what I'll build.

[DKS]

Bingo.  This is what I'll build.

Refresh again. Added a couple of more items. Here are some satellite photos to help. (Unfortunately there are no birds-eye views of the key locales.)

This is the power plant at Lordsburg, which I used to disguise the support in the corner of the room.



This is one of the roads that passes under the track at Lordsburg. The yard is actually part of the branchline to Clifton.



The dry lakebed/bombing range at Willcox is an interesting scenic feature that might make the duckunder more interesting (although it comes after Bowie along the line, but don't tell anyone).



Bowie Junction is actually Bowie in real life, where a branchline meets at a wye, but up the road a couple of miles is a whistlestop called Bowie Junction, which sounded more appropriate (artistic license).



Benson is kind of boring, with highways, a small Amtrack station, and another branchline off the bottom right. It looks like it has a passing siding, which doubles as the staging yard on the plan.



Here's the canyon near Vail again, probably the most scenic spot along the line.

[tom mann]

Yeah, this is very cool.  Plenty of nice running, and just enough yard action so Ed K doesn't bitch when he comes over.

[DKS]

One last little suggestion--you might want to curve the backdrop in the upper right and lower right corners.

Here are a few random links of interest; the last image is the dry lakebed at Willcox.

http://www.carrtracks.com/sptrh.htm

http://blackjujuphoto.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/lowres_near_the_tracks__willcox_az_by_blackjujuphoto.jpg

http://centexrails.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html

http://www.aicr.org.uk/coasttocoast/blog/uploaded_images/Pictures.026-750200.jpg

[TrainCat2]

Yeah, you GOT to add this scene. It is a MUST Tom.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=132313

Oh, and are you in trouble Tom, The artwork was finished over last weekend for these three Tuscon landmarks:

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCC&cp=pby7q45rqm23&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=9066948&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCC&cp=pc0p435rnh9v&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=8946816&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCC&cp=pc0zff5rnb5j&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=8946816&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

I had my brother take the measurements for me on the Cantilevered Signal last month. The Yard Tower and Pedestrian Crossing I did from photos I took back in 2002 on a visit. My son and I will be in Tuscon on Tues 12/30 visiting Pima Air Museum and doing some railfanning. It looks like the Cienega Creek Trestle is 18 miles east of Pima. I might go there first, then Pima and work my way north.

[DKS]

Yeah, you GOT to add this scene. It is a MUST Tom.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=132313

Wow, nicer than I expected. Hope five feet is long enough to do it justice (I imagine it will need to be compressed).

[ednadolski]

Anyone ever come up with a good way to model the anti-creepers on the gauge-side?    I've seen some etched stuff in O scale, but nothing in HO.

Ed

[cv_acr]

Some comments about the plan

- shouldn't Lordsburg have a passing siding in that area? There definately needs to be a runaround for the power plant spur
- 3 tracks (including the main) isn't much of a yard - especially if you want to use one of those tracks as a passing siding. As it is, you've basically got a siding and a single long set-out track.

- the original double track plan had only a single location where trains could cross over to the other track, which would be rather limiting.

All in all, it looks like it should turn out as a pretty good plan as a strictly scenic/photographic running loop for viewing and photographing models.

[tom mann]

All in all, it looks like it should turn out as a pretty good plan as a strictly scenic/photographic running loop for viewing and photographing models.

And that's pretty much what I'm looking to do.  I realize that I hate building structures, so I just want to keep it scenery, loco and rolling stock, and photography focused.

[DKS]

I realize that I hate building structures...

Oh dear, had I known that, I wouldn't have been adding all kinds of building suggestions for the two main towns...

[tom mann]

I realize that I hate building structures...

Oh dear, had I known that, I wouldn't have been adding all kinds of building suggestions for the two main towns...

No, I realize I need to add some...