PRR/Conrail Juniata Division Engineering Report

[davefoxx]

Dave, I like it...  But I think I would ditch the shelf on the short wall.  I really don't see it adding much.  Eliminating it lets me move the JD back a bit to the right leaving Jacob's layout on the left.  Maybe.

The narrow L shaped staging yard you have there would require unacceptably tight curves for the long backup moves it would require.

But now that I see what we're up against, you could easily go with a wider shelf.  You could also consider something like this if you don't move the JD to the right (again, you could go with a deeper shelf).  That's a 15" radius track in the corner.  Can we figure a way to double end this beast of a yard, yet?



DFF

[Dave V]

Dave, I really appreciate the further iterations, but I'm starting to lose my enthusiasm now...  Now we're doing the thing that scared me off in the first place, and that's custom-fitting this to a room of unique dimensions.  I think I'm leaning back toward my own design at this point.  That said I'm more and more inclined to drop anchor here permanently, so my plan doesn't rule out doing your plan later.  In fact, it's sort of a phase 2 of a 3-phase project.

But honestly, I'm spending so much each week on this dog with his emergencies and his dietary changes (I have to get rid of a $60 bag of food...I don't even want to explain) that I'm worried trains are going to suffer.  Dammit.  Every time I think I'm in a position to do this, some other crap happens.

[davefoxx]

I'm sorry, Dave.  It's so easy to go overboard, especially when it's someone else's space and budget.  We'll return to these parameters (8'4" x 7'8", which is the JD and a new 36" inch door notched 16").  At some point when you have more time, shoot me some dimensions, so I can get an idea of where the track plan on the JD is (e.g., distance from edge, curve radii, turnout sizes, etc.), so we can figure the expansion.



DFF

[eric220]

I don't necessarily think that a custom-fit shelf for a staging yard is a bad thing. Yes, you might have to salvage it if you move, but that's why I'm suggesting a simple narrow shelf. It's not much to lose, and the simple shelf designs we're proposing should be adaptable to a new location. I think there's a lot to be gained with minimal risk, even if you wind up having to salvage the track and scrap it down the road.

Just my two cents.

And good luck with Ranger. Hopefully he'll gain some wisdom through his trails and tribulations.

[MichaelWinicki]

I don't necessarily think that a custom-fit shelf for a staging yard is a bad thing. Yes, you might have to salvage it if you move, but that's why I'm suggesting a simple narrow shelf. It's not much to lose, and the simple shelf designs we're proposing should be adaptable to a new location. I think there's a lot to be gained with minimal risk, even if you wind up having to salvage the track and scrap it down the road.

Just my two cents.

And good luck with Ranger. Hopefully he'll gain some wisdom through his trails and tribulations.

+1

Yep, the staging shelf wouldn't even need to be completed with scenery. 

If the layout ended up being moved to a different house/room and couldn't accommodate the staging shelf (or it needed to be placed somewhere else in the room) all one would need to do is remove the turnout and replace with a piece of sectional track. 

[davefoxx]

+1

Yep, the staging shelf wouldn't even need to be completed with scenery. 

If the layout ended up being moved to a different house/room and couldn't accommodate the staging shelf (or it needed to be placed somewhere else in the room) all one would need to do is remove the turnout and replace with a piece of sectional track.

+2.  This is what I had in mind.  Design and build the extension, so that the shelf could be left out, if necessary, in the future.

Hope this helps,
DFF

[Rich_S]

Dave, I really appreciate the further iterations, but I'm starting to lose my enthusiasm now...  Now we're doing the thing that scared me off in the first place, and that's custom-fitting this to a room of unique dimensions.  I think I'm leaning back toward my own design at this point. 

Dave, Being former Air Force I understand, orders can come at any time and off you go again. Until you get your walking papers, you have to plan for that next move. I agree with you, for the time being stick with the "L" shaped plan. I do have one question: Is there anyway you can create a few Ian Rice style cassettes that would plug into the interchange track at Lewistown?

 

[Dave V]

Good question...  I always thought that cassette thing was a little gimmicky.  How does one keep the train on the tracks when swapping them out?

[eric220]

I've given the question of keeping cars on the track in a cassette some thought over the years. My idea was to line the cassettes with foam rubber on each side, nearly or just barely touching the cars as they sat on the track. That way lateral motion would be restricted, making the cars less likely to derail when moved. In a more advanced version, I had the idea to put both walls on screws such that when they were tightened, the walls would squeeze in together, allowing the foam to grab the train. Never came close to designing or building a cassette, just some thoughts to stir conversation.

[C855B]

Good question...  I always thought that cassette thing was a little gimmicky.  How does one keep the train on the tracks when swapping them out?

I have multiple thoughts about cassettes... the foremost being a dog or cat underfoot or other tripping hazard during handling can become expensive. Anything you do to secure the rolling stock like Eric suggested also carries the risk of breaking off details when clamped hard enough to keep it all from moving and on the rails. (Experience with foam-lined boxes influences this opinion.)

Then what do you do about longer trains on medium-sized layouts? Multi-track cassettes for doubling/tripling/quadrupling-over? The mind boggles.

My un-esteemed opinion is cassettes are not a substitute for staging yards or other hidden storage. FWIW. YMMV.

[eric220]

IMHO, there's a difference between a box for transporting models and a cassette that only has to move a few feet. My thought was to put very slight pressure on the cars, just enough to allow the cassette to be carefully lifted and placed on a storage rack.  It doesn't need to withstand rough handling, being tipped on its side, or a trip in a car. As for "the mind boggling", of course it will if you let it. To address your concerns, my understanding is that a cassette should be the same length as a passing track. Single track would be the simplest design and easiest to store. As for dogs and cats, the same hazard applies to many aspects of model railroading; it's not unique to cassettes. As with all expensive toys, care when handling is important.

Given that Dave doesn't seem keen on cassettes, I'll let it go. I'm hoping to get the chance to play with his sketch later today or tomorrow and see if I can come up with something on two doors.

[Dave V]

In the meantime I'm taking baby steps back into N scale today...  About 10 cars (a mix of both eras) are due for weathering today.  Some are hoppers, and my usual treatment involves glueing coal over the molded loads.  That's done, plus the first pass of Dullcote.  I'll be using washes this time rather than an airbrush.

After working in G scale all summer my fingers feel like bratwursts as I handle these little N scale cars.  Of course I had a coupler explode...  Can't be N scale without one!

[Rich_S]

After working in G scale all summer my fingers feel like bratwursts as I handle these little N scale cars.

Dave, I know exactly what you are talking about, only it's just the opposite for me. My little HCD layout is naturally in "N" scale. Once a month I get to operate on a friends HO layout, to me that HO layout seems like O scale Back to the cassette idea, I've not built one yet, but I was thinking what I would try, permanently mount a Micro-Trains truck with a truck mounted coupler at the end of the track. By having the cars coupled to the stationary truck mounted coupler might help some with the stability issue? As Eric indicated, the cassettes are only used as swappable staging and should be stored when not in use someplace close to the layout. I saw one photo of a modeler who built a cart to store his cassettes on and he wheeled the cart to the layout. I know these cassettes are quite common on British home layouts, as they say Dave, food for thought

       

[Specter3]

I just envision cassettes stored above the spot where they mount to the layout on brackets like the metal closet rail and shelf system. Modular, only needs a couple holes per vertical, and you are only moving them vertically.

[Dave V]

I like Ian Rice's plans a lot but generally, things like cassettes and flip-a-scene and all that strike me as gimmicks and not part of a normal functioning layout.  There are probably plenty of successful implementations of those techniques but for me, I'll pass.