Conrail in New England

[Dupesy]

I was poking around MA in Bing maps looking for possible locales that might provide a good setting for the layout, and I think a likely spot might be Lowell. The station is unusual--it's got a parking garage straddling the tracks. Check it out:

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=r35fhm91qdcg&lvl=17&dir=0&sty=b&where1=Lowell%2C%20MA&q=lowell%20ma&FORM=LMLTCC

Plus it has loads of industries that could serve as inspiration.

yah, but it's Lowell, and Lowell is GROSS.

Although, if you can figure out how to model hobos and used needles littering the ROW, go for it.

[DKS]

Something to chew on.
 


With the added length, the two staging yards can be staggered, which increases the depth of the visible portion of the layout. On the left, the mainline pops out from under a large abandoned industrial building. To the right, the tracks duck under a sprawling industrial complex featuring a big old transfer crane (the front of the layout would be open, revealing a detailed tunnel interior). Center right, a row of run-down tenements back up against the right of way. The rest is much like the previous plan, only bigger.

http://whiteriverandnorthern.net/images/ian_door_4.gif

[DKS]

Minor update: shifted some of the switches around a little bit so they didn't straddle the benchwork joints.
 


http://whiteriverandnorthern.net/images/ian_door_4a.gif

[Ian MacMillan]

Oh hot damn I love you

[DKS]

Oh hot damn I love you

Your place or mine, big guy?

[Ian MacMillan]

Your place or mine, big guy?

Yours...I need a vaca badly.  ;D

What are the turnout numbers mostly 10 on main and 7 industrial? Also to get the overhead clearance on the far right isn't that going to make the grade on the industrial track pretty seep or no?

[DKS]

What are the turnout numbers mostly 10 on main and 7 industrial? Also to get the overhead clearance on the far right isn't that going to make the grade on the industrial track pretty seep or no?

All 10s on the main except for the last switch on the right for the station siding, which is a 7. All industrial line switches are 5s. Staging yard switches are 5s also for better track spacing, although you could replace them with 7s if you wanted.

As for the grade, you only need to gain about two inches for clearance, and the run is around 140 inches, thus the grade is ~1.5%. I would not consider that steep at all. Even if you doubled the grade so that more of the line was flat, it wouldn't be a big deal.

Another thing you could do is give the mainline a bit of a grade: start the rise right after the left end of the staging yard, then descend from the industrial branch switch down to the station. Even if it was only 3/4 of an inch, it would be enough to level out much of the industrial line.

Let's say the mainline was +3/4 at the industrial switch, and 0 by the station platform; the grade would be 1.5%. Then, if you figure 2.5% was OK for the industrial line, you'd be at your clearance height by the time you reached the crisscrossing sidings behind the station.

I could rework the plan to eliminate the grades, if you want, but I think it would be much less interesting.

[Ian MacMillan]

Oh no need to eliminate the grades, I was just visually looking at it in my head and it seemed steeper than it is.

[Ian MacMillan]

I built the 3 80"x30" sections today and will start working on the leg pockets tomorrow. It feels real good to be working on something again. This project is going to be really fun.

The "modules" are 1x4 poplar with a 1/4" CDX ply top.  Photos to follow.


Dave do you have this plan 1:1 so I can print it out? Also how do you go about printing out a plan that size and not having the program?

[DKS]

Ian, here's the 1:1 plan.

http://whiteriverandnorthern.net/images/ian_4_121.jpg

Most decent paint programs will let you print this as a tiled image on letter size paper. Failing that, I'd recommend Dave Foxx chime in with the online poster printing utility he found (or you can check his thread--I think the URL is there).

[Ian MacMillan]

Ian, here's the 1:1 plan.

http://whiteriverandnorthern.net/images/ian_4_121.jpg

Most decent paint programs will let you print this as a tiled image on letter size paper. Failing that, I'd recommend Dave Foxx chime in with the online poster printing utility he found (or you can check his thread--I think the URL is there).

Found it:
http://www.blockposters.com

They can do a max of 1mb file though! Found this one that can do any size.
http://www.postersw.com

[DKS]

I built the 3 80"x30" sections today and will start working on the leg pockets tomorrow.

Pics, man! Pics!

[Ian MacMillan]

I will try and get some pics next week when I'm moved into the new house. I want to have the preliminary track work done by mid Aug as the layouts first train show will be Sept 11 in Concord, NH.

[dougnelson]

Wow - somehow I missed this whole thread based on my layout track plan.  I had no idea my track plan was so controversial!  It was based on an old MR article on a "theatrical" layout in which trains were the actors and they entered and exited from "off stage".

I built it over a dozen years ago so here are some thoughts:
- of course more room - wider and longer is always better.
- small layouts are manageable to be highly detailed
- lighting is easily controlled
- make sure your staging is easily reachable and viewable (via mirrors if necessary) or have a removeable backdrop to make access easier.
- this may sound like the voice of experience, and it is.  There will be occassional unplanned exits from the rails in the staging area.  It may be difficult for the five-fingered derrick to retrieve wayward cars from one track without causing a domino effect on the other tracks.  Consider a car-height divider wall between staging tracks.
- the larger the return curve radii the better and definitedly use larger radius transition curves before tangents.
- for the staging tracks I used Peco sprung switches which have performed flawlessly all these years.  They are controlled by simple rods that extend throught the fascia.  The spring action snaps them into position and holds them.
- Were I to rebuild, here are some changes I might consider:
- I might think more about an around the room shelf layout - but that has its issues also.
- I would have recreated Huntingdon, PA more faithfully.  I have become much more of a prototype modeler in recent years and I think that there is value in picking a place and trying to reproduce it faithfully.

Your track plan looks very interesting and I look forward to seeing progress.

Doug Nelson

[DKS]

Doug, I'm glad you (finally!) found the thread. Your plan hasn't been so much controversial as inspirational. Thanks for offering up your words of wisdom.