The Port of North Jersey Railroad

[Hornwrecker]

Great plan, David.  Looks like an ideal layout for someone who likes kitbashing and switching.

I look forward to seeing how this progresses.

[packers#1]

Cody, I think if you took version 2, but included the scrap yard in version 1 where you have the other industry in its place, that'd be a cool option. However, I really like what DKS has; it looks imposing and massive, with the ferry/freight terminal emphasized because there's some room to breath there

[Lemosteam]

I'd still pack that area with corner stores, storefronts and hardware stores up tight to the road with just a thin right of way for the left freight spur. Give one a great opportunity to superdetail the backside of those shops up to the freight fence.  It seemed too open below the road and jam-packed above IMHO, something missing in that area.  The rest is unchanged.



Gives a reason to have cars parked all along the street, shoppers and the "what must have been chaos" of street running although they may hide some of the trains, but I see great photo ops parallel with the street.  This really seems to have a small "downtown" appeal to me.

That looks fun.

[DKS]

John, I really like what you did. My only concern would be that it might make it a bit more difficult to perform ops owing to the view block the shops create, but to someone else it may simply add to the fun. Either way, you've definitely enhanced just what I was after in terms of the setting.

Looks like an ideal layout for someone who likes kitbashing and switching.

Absolutely. As I said, if I had the room, I'd build this in a heartbeat.

[Lemosteam]

LOL! Isnt that what magnetic couplers are for?    Find the magnet in the road!

[VonRyan]

I'd still pack that area with corner stores, storefronts and hardware stores up tight to the road with just a thin right of way for the left freight spur. Give one a great opportunity to superdetail the backside of those shops up to the freight fence.  It seemed too open below the road and jam-packed above IMHO, something missing in that area.  The rest is unchanged.



Gives a reason to have cars parked all along the street, shoppers and the "what must have been chaos" of street running although they may hide some of the trains, but I see great photo ops parallel with the street.  This really seems to have a small "downtown" appeal to me.

That looks fun.

I like the concept. I might go with cookie-cutter row-homes instead with perhaps one or two shops, or I could always make part of the lot abandoned, or even put in an open market be it fish/produce/etc. since the layout is set in the port district.


-Cody F.

[VonRyan]

If I had the room, I'd build this myself.

You're always welcome to lend a hand, or two... 


-Cody F.

[Scottl]

This would make an awesome On30 layout too, but with those tight curves, it could only be little critters operating.  I love the design.

[magicman_841]

Nice layout, but a little too spaghetti-bowl-ish, IMO.

I would remove that curved turnout on the left and the left-most diamond crossing. That would be quite the nightmare to switch, especially with the very short lead, and if you have cars spotted at the top left industry, you would have to respot these to get to that other industry. To me, this is something typical of switching puzzles, and not very prototypical (I know, I know, there's a prototype for everything).

I would also remove the two tracks at the bottom right that are parallel to the freight house track. What are those intended to be, anyway? Team tracks? Again, that short lead is not going to make your life easy switching out those 3 tracks. You would most likely have to switch each track separately, one at a time.

Remember that sometimes less is more, especially in a relatively small space. Depends how "puzzly" you want your layout to be.

Mathieu Tremblay

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This is really cool.

If you paved over a little more of the trackage, one of these guys would look right at home too:
http://www.americanarchetypemodels.com/shop/pennsylvania-railroad-electric-switcher/

[DKS]

I would also remove the two tracks at the bottom right that are parallel to the freight house track. What are those intended to be, anyway? Team tracks?

Have a look at this: http://www.bronx-terminal.com/?p=4255

You will see the inspiration for this design (and realize that only two tracks is about a dozen shy of the prototype).

BTW, I love puzzly. The more puzzly, the better.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

BTW, I love puzzly. The more puzzly, the better.

DKS: you put the "wye" in "puzzly".
Dig the design.
At first I thought to run the freight team area off the trestle to eliminate all the back and forth to the runaround and back, but wrapping around the right as you have it creates separate scenes and "expands" the layout, which I think is more important.
Chapeau!

I'd make the "shops" and the "businesses" very low (as in 1 story) and/or magnet-removable for easy reach & cleaning.
Of course it depends on how high this layout is.
Here's a story-and-a-half building (on the left) and a two-story (right) blocking the rails at 50" high:



And that benchwork is just 12" deep.

Don't underestimate the reach and the potential destruction of all that lays under the 5-Finger Gojira's path of destruction.

[VonRyan]

Nice layout, but a little too spaghetti-bowl-ish, IMO.

I would remove that curved turnout on the left and the left-most diamond crossing. That would be quite the nightmare to switch, especially with the very short lead, and if you have cars spotted at the top left industry, you would have to respot these to get to that other industry. To me, this is something typical of switching puzzles, and not very prototypical (I know, I know, there's a prototype for everything).

I would also remove the two tracks at the bottom right that are parallel to the freight house track. What are those intended to be, anyway? Team tracks? Again, that short lead is not going to make your life easy switching out those 3 tracks. You would most likely have to switch each track separately, one at a time.

Remember that sometimes less is more, especially in a relatively small space. Depends how "puzzly" you want your layout to be.

Mathieu Tremblay

Some of the spots you are imagining cars being spotted are mostly just leads for accessing industries.
The three tracks near the ferry slip are for handling traffic going onto, and coming off of, the two-track car-ferry. (which is a custom-job made from a hunk of plexiglass) One of the tracks will probably do double duty for the freight terminal.

I've already determined that the ferry-slip needs a bit more room for the ferry to fit into the spot so it looks like there might be some slight curvature added into the trackwork to make the needed room, which is only about 3/8th of an inch, if that.

I most certainly have to side with DKS in that a switching layout just isn't as good if there isn't a certain degree of puzzlyness to it. Plus the arrangement at current is reminiscent of some local urban switching here in SJ, so it keeps me loyal to my home state.

To address what M.C. mentioned, the layout height all depends on what I finagle to use as the layout's stand (read as: whatever piece(s) of furniture I trash pick) and also might depend on how high of a comfy rolling chair I manage to score to where I can just manage to crane my neck to see almost everything.


-Cody F.

[DKS]

I've already determined that the ferry-slip needs a bit more room for the ferry to fit into the spot so it looks like there might be some slight curvature added into the trackwork to make the needed room, which is only about 3/8th of an inch, if that.

Yes, I noticed that as well as I was drawing the buildings. Should not be a huge issue at all, really; straighten the curved track a little bit, and curve the straight track a little bit. And/or possibly move the switch a little bit closer to the slip. Don't forget you'll need a transfer bridge (which is not indicated on the plan).

BTW, some row homes in that spot marked "shops" would really cement the setting very well.

One other suggestion to ponder: it might add some visual interest if the ferry/freight tracks were a half-inch to an inch lower than the track in the street, with the arc around the end running a slight grade. This would break that dead-flat table-top feeling the layout might otherwise have.

[CodyO]

One other suggestion to ponder: it might add some visual interest if the ferry/freight tracks were a half-inch to an inch lower than the track in the street, with the arc around the end running a slight grade. This would break that dead-flat table-top feeling the layout might otherwise have.

I`d second davids point the little 1/2"-1" separation will add alot to the feeling, plus it also looks alot better while your viewing from eye level