Illinois Central/Canadian National in N scale

[nscalemike]

Since you're starting with a clean slate, I might do something like this--



The safe is kind of like the 800-pound gorilla in the room, and even though you have it serving as a "scene divider" of sorts, I still feel it's intrusive. So, I'd tuck it back in the corner by the door, and work around the safe and the door together. Then, I'd move the staging along the long wall at the top to gain as much straight length as possible. I'd also connect it to the mainline with relatively long leads so the yard can be dropped down by an inch and a half or so, behind a short, removable backdrop (green line), to keep the yard accessible but more or less out of sight.

David,

I wasn't planning on starting out with this much of a clean slate, but this is just interesting enough that I may.  I have some ideas for this.  Do you mind sending me the Anyrail file so I could work right off of this or is that even possible?  If not, I can probably get up to this point pretty quick.  Also, do mind throwing a rendition for the rest of the layout out there as well. 

Thanks

[DKS]

Do you mind sending me the Anyrail file so I could work right off of this or is that even possible?  If not, I can probably get up to this point pretty quick.  Also, do mind throwing a rendition for the rest of the layout out there as well. 

Sure can, to both requests. Glad you like it! Just give me a few shakes to scribble in the rest of the layout, and I can email you the file (just PM me with your email address).

[GaryHinshaw]

I don't like the complexity of the yard ladder on the lift-out, and I don't think you will either.  DKS's sketch is pretty much what I was thinking, but you seem to have already vetoed it on the previous page. Are you still game?

Another idea that wouldn't require a major rebuild of the visible layout: make a stub end yard under the shelf along the top wall and run a 2-3 turn helix up to visible level in the upper left corner.  It would only have single-direction access, but it would give you lots of storage, and the time-wasting helix would not figure prominently in the ops.  You could also keep the wye, with a tail track just long enough for your locos, so a train could turn and run back down the helix without requiring a long backup move.  A siding long enough for locos to run-around their train would also suffice for this.

-gfh

[nscalemike]

DKS's sketch is pretty much what I was thinking, but you seem to have already vetoed it on the previous page. Are you still game?

-gfh

Wouldn't be my first option and because of that I failed to see some of the other possibilities.  It's all about compromise and a low backdrop, I'm thinking about 4-6", would be a compromise to do away with the pennisula AND find a place for that safe to go.  (Damn safe,  wife won't let it come in the house, no room for it there either!)  I'll consider it but not sold quite yet.

I don't like the complexity of the yard ladder on the lift-out, and I don't think you will either. 
-gfh

I have some concerns but I had basically accepted the fact that it would no longer be a lift out.  Between the wiring and multiple tracks too much risk for problems.  I don't think I have ever removed the lift out since its been in.  At 55" or so it is pretty easy to duck under.

Another idea that wouldn't require a major rebuild of the visible layout: make a stub end yard under the shelf along the top wall and run a 2-3 turn helix up to visible level in the upper left corner.  It would only have single-direction access, but it would give you lots of storage, and the time-wasting helix would not figure prominently in the ops.  You could also keep the wye, with a tail track just long enough for your locos, so a train could turn and run back down the helix without requiring a long backup move.  A siding long enough for locos to run-around their train would also suffice for this.

-gfh

I'd rather compromise with the backdrop then the helix/lower level.  Not an option at all.

I'll see what DKS presents later and play with this option a bit. 

Mike

[DKS]

[mcjaco]

Yummy.

[MichaelWinicki]

That is sweet David.

Lots of operating potential... And it flows well.

[Scottl]

Is a more spread out (I'm thinking rural) plan what you are wanting?  David's has a lot of the switching clustered, more urban-like.  Both layouts have their appeal, but I don't know the prototype well.

[GaryHinshaw]

I should have known that a helix was out:

Happy New Year everyone!  Here's some photos so far:


That last of the old layout went up in flames the day after Christmas

DKS's plan looks good.  You might want to put the grain complex along the right wall, where it can spread out a bit more.  By the way, can the safe be placed on its side under the layout?

-gfh

[DKS]

You might want to put the grain complex along the right wall, where it can spread out a bit more.

In hindsight, I think I'd swap the silos and the candy factory.

[nscalemike]

I should have known that a helix was out:



DKS's plan looks good.  You might want to put the grain complex along the right wall, where it can spread out a bit more.  By the way, can the safe be placed on its side under the layout?

-gfh

Yeah, no helix!  I am not opposed to them and feel they certainly have their purpose but too much room is required to make it smooth running and with the room size I have not willing to provide that.  A friend has a helix on his layout and I really enjoy operating on it.  However, it is big enough that the majority of your time is spent traversing the layout and not the helix!

DKS-  A layout design master!  Thanks so much for the plan.  I may play with swapping the two industries around, although I kinda like the candy plant (which may actually become some other company) where it is.  Kinda off the main and likely a big imposing type industry.

[DKS]

Glad you like the plan! Mostly what I did was transpose key features from your last plan. If you want big and imposing for the candy factory, you could make it something like, say, a metal fabrication plant, and it could easily be doubled in size, and you have the room for it. The grain silo could become something else that doesn't need to have cars moved around to get loaded, which requires a lot more track than there's room to accommodate. Have fun tinkering!

[nscalemike]

I have developed three plans based on what David provided.  As soon as I saw the footprint this morning I had two ideas with it.  David provided an idea as well which was posted earlier.  I am soliciting feedback on each and a vote for where I should go from here. 

Plan 1 is Davids proposal. 
Lots of switching options, long main line run.  I can see the industry on the right wall being a large imposing industry which is good.  The elevator is small.  Much what I have now which was by design.

Plan 2:


Reworked the upper wall town into a single grain complex.  Should be a major scene visible right when you walk in the room.  Maintained the interchange but less switching ops.  Throughout the layout there is still significant operation though.  Increased the depth slightly and can fit a highway in front of the complex.  I feel something like this screams midwest railroading.

Plan 3:


Major changes in how things are presented but maintaining the same footprint and idea.  The main line runs through the staging yard.  Each of the above plans in order to make one complete pass through each scene it requires two trips through the bottom town.  This one is out of staging, through the bottom town, and back into staging.  In front of the staging yard is a branch line.  I love my branch lines.  I would try and make this an industrial type setting and there is a lot of Lance Mindheim influence in it.  Big buildings close together, mulitiple car spots, simple trackwork.  Initially, I left the bottom town alone but more I thought about it the more I wanted a place for the local to start from.  It has some of the flavor of what David drew in the top town, plus a couple track yard. Local departs here, runs into the industrial park for the days work, and returns to the bottom town.  There is also significant scenery options here as well.  No grain elevator, but I could replace the industry on the right wall with the elevator.  The interchange was also removed

I believe all of these plans provide plenty of stuff for solo ops, they can keep up to 4 people busy when I have guests, plus the guests will fit.  If anything plan 2 lacks the most ops since the elevator side would likely take a unit train of hoppers and there is really no switching.  Plan 3 branch line is tempting.  Plan 1 has two distinct towns, each with its own workload. 

I'm sleeping on it tonight and would love to hear yours thoughts as well.

Thanks,
Mike

[DKS]

Why not the best of both worlds? I like the effect of the endless grain silos. You can buy a few inches of access to the staging yard by modeling the silos in relief, as well as just half of the road in the foreground. And you still have room for more tracks to work the interchange and multiple warehouses (two of which disguise the ends of the low backdrop), as well as possibly originate locals from there. I also kept an anonymous industry next to the safe just to give a local a little extra work.

[MichaelWinicki]

Wow! So much good stuff in the above posts...

Really like Dave's latest version where you have two towns AND the battery of grain silos AND the interchange.

Having the appearance/operational possibilities of the two towns is better than just the one IMO.

But I also like the branch line version in Mike's plan #3. 

Having a branch allows you to weather the track differently, use different colored and less ballast... It can just scream lighter-use.

One way to still have a branch is to nix the large industry on the right.  And instead have a curved turnout coming off the main going to the staging yard in the upper right corner.   The track could come down, paralleling the main, but separated by the river/creek and end up in the lower right hand corner servicing an industry or two– in other words your branch line.