The Transcontinental PRR

[davefoxx]

I think I like having the spot where the branch line peels off very close to the point where the yard has to cross back over it. . . .  It also means that there's a nice stretch of branch line climbing the grade in view.

You know, the longer that line is, the more it will feel like a branch line and not merely a long siding.  So, your instinct to bring that line into view is probably the right call.

I like this version of Newark.  For one, it's not overdone and just crammed with track for the purpose of complicating the switch job.  As Lee is realizing on his layout in his thread, the KISS theory has merit.  I notice the rail crossing is gone, which the prototype would probably try to avoid because of maintenance and expense.  I also notice that all sidings are oriented in the same direction.  While some may say that you need to reverse a few to make the switching a puzzle, I believe that the prototype would try to avoid this arrangement, too. Besides, judging from the sheer number of industries, switching will still be plenty challenging.

Also of importance, to me, is that the layout of Newark appears to allow the proper roads/parking lots/access to the industries.  While this may not seem obvious, it really grinds my gears seeing large industries modeled with no way for employees to get to work or even for truck access to allow for deliveries/shipping.

DFF

[DKS]

I like the new arrangement of Newark also. I am wondering one thing: how about angling the power plant structure, make it parallel to (or nearly so) with the expressway, instead of the backdrop. This might help with the awkward disappearance of the mainline.

[eric220]

I notice the rail crossing is gone, which the prototype would probably try to avoid because of maintenance and expense.  I also notice that all sidings are oriented in the same direction.  While some may say that you need to reverse a few to make the switching a puzzle, I believe that the prototype would try to avoid this arrangement, too. Besides, judging from the sheer number of industries, switching will still be plenty challenging.

Also of importance, to me, is that the layout of Newark appears to allow the proper roads/parking lots/access to the industries.  While this may not seem obvious, it really grinds my gears seeing large industries modeled with no way for employees to get to work or even for truck access to allow for deliveries/shipping.

The issue of road access and orienting the industries to align with the roads made designing Newark a royal PITA, but I also thought that it was important.

The right-angle siding that was eliminated when I got rid of the double-slip switch was a remnant from the original orientation of the power plant and mine.  Especially after I removed the second access from the mainline, it really didn't make as much sense.  I know that the prototype would have avoided the crossover and double-slip if possible, but I miss them.  Same argument as the passenger terminal throat, BTDT.  As for the sidings being oriented the same way, that's only the sidings on the east end of town.  There's an industry and a general freight yard on the west end of town that are oriented the other way.  It shouldn't be boring to operate! 

I like the new arrangement of Newark also. I am wondering one thing: how about angling the power plant structure, make it parallel to (or nearly so) with the expressway, instead of the backdrop. This might help with the awkward disappearance of the mainline.

Good thought.  The power plant as shown is just a placeholder.  I made a rectangle and labeled it to indicate that there is supposed to be a power plant there.  The final arrangement is definitely not set.

[wm3798]

Forget about road access.  All you need is the appearance of road access.  There are all kinds of "theater set" tricks you can use to make the traffic patterns look adequate.  All scenic elements should be oriented to the railroad.  Unless you plan to use the Faller Car system or just push your little trucks around making vroom vroom sounds, it doesn't matter if your road network is incomplete.

Lee

[Philip H]

Forget about road access.  All you need is the appearance of road access.  There are all kinds of "theater set" tricks you can use to make the traffic patterns look adequate.  All scenic elements should be oriented to the railroad.  Unless you plan to use the Faller Car system or just push your little trucks around making vroom vroom sounds, it doesn't matter if your road network is incomplete.

Lee

That would lead to a whole other series of A$$hat Videos I think . . . .

[eric220]

Unless you plan to use the Faller Car system

 

[DKS]

Forget about road access....

That would lead to a whole other series of A$$hat Videos I think . . . .

While I don't think a 100% perfect road system is an absolute necessary, if you're going to be thorough about modeling a railroad, its setting doesn't deserve sloppy seconds. Some theatrical tricks are of course required because of the limitations imposed by layouts, but I believe attention to believably and logical design of the entire setting heighten realism.

[MichaelWinicki]

Lee and David both make good points...

I remember someone posting a question on one of the forums about road width... They wanted to make sure the road they were putting down was prototypical. 

One person responded with a width of 2.5", another 1.75" another 1.95"... You get the idea.

Lee said (and I'm paraphrasing here) "The road just needs to look like it's wide enough.  And if it's not wide prototypically wide enough, but still looks OK then what's the problem?"

I had a situation on my layout where I wanted to place a road but due to space problems I could only fit in a roadway that was about 1" wide.  Taking Lee's advice, I put it in and it looked just fine.  It's toward the back and is partially hidden by structures.  There wasn't any need to make it 1.75" wide or whatever.

But I respect David's point too.  The difference between a theatrical trick being "cheesy" or being realistic looking can be pretty narrow.

[eric220]

Back to construction.  I spent a few hours with the soldering iron today and managed to finish wiring the lower staging yard.  Here's the inaugural run.

The auto reverser didn't get along with the DC power pack, which is why the video doesn't show the train pulling back into the yard.  I'm not too worried about it, because this will eventually be powered by DCC.  As seen in the video, the GEVO cleared the Atlas turnout machines with no problem.  At least on that end.  When pulling out on track 6 at the other end, the gas tank rode up on the machine for track 5.  My Superliners rode up on both ends of track 6.  None of the equipment had any trouble with the other tracks, so it looks like track 6 will be reserved for shorter power and equipment.

[eric220]

So now that the mine is more or less sorted out, I'd like to ask for opinions on one of the next areas to be built: Paradise Yard. This will be the main freight yard for the layout.



The main difference from the last time that I posted is the relocated coal yard. That move was necessitated by the redesigned coal branch.

[eric220]

Well, there have been a couple hundred views in the last two days, but no one has posted.  I guess that either means I'm really close    or nowhere near it.    I remember a little bit of discussion back in the original design thread about the yard, but not much after I redesigned it into the current configuration.  For better perusal, here are a couple of closer images:





Just as a reminder, everything below the dashed line on the left has already been built, and I'm not too keen on rebuilding it.

[davefoxx]

Eric,

I'm not an expert on yards, but I'll be glad to give it a shot.  I do have a few questions, though.  Can you explain how the classification yard will function?  What is the relationship to that smaller Panther Creek Branch arrival/departure yard, i.e., are trains going to be classified and then sent to the Panther Creek Branch arrival/departure yard?  If so, it appears that there will need to be a lot of switchback-type moves to get there, and the trains will have to cross over the mainline.  The tracks in the Panther Creek Branch arrival/departure yard also look short.  Have you confirmed the train length for the branch?

Also, can you provide another view of the plan to the right, so we can see the yard leads?

Just tryin' to help (I admit that I know nothing about Altoona's trackage),
DFF

[eric220]

Dave, here's what the west yard lead looks like



It's the entrance to Horseshoe Curve.

The Panther Creek branch A/D yard is for cuts of hoppers going/coming from the Panther Creek branch.  I guess that could more accurately be called an interchange yard.  The idea is that after a cut of hoppers is classified for the branch, the switcher would take it over to the interchange yard.  From there, a branch locomotive would pick it up and run it up the branch.  The move does require the switcher to take a short trip over the westbound main, and then back the cars in.  I'm not too worried, as this move should only be made twice a day, assuming that there's one mine run a day.  The shortest track there is 31 inches long, and that's the locomotive runaround.  The idea is that those yard tracks should be about the same length as the switchback on the branch.

[eric220]

The Gandy Dancers came over on Tuesday and got the upper staging yard mostly wired. I worked on Tortoises, and got all six installed.





The wiring isn't quite finished. I ran out of RR-CirKits detector coils, and I can't wire the rest of the tracks until I get those. Here's what they look like:



I'm wiring the feeders from each block together, and then putting a detector on the wire that connects each block to the black bus wire.

[DKS]

I was looking at the new Newark arrangement, and it dawned on me that things might be improved with the siding into the paper company flipped around. I didn't do this so much for a reverse-facing siding as for a siding where it was easier to see the cars you're spotting. It also relieves a little of the congestion along the back wall, where the row of switches were all lined up one after another. Just a thought.