The Haywire HCD

[DKS]

OK, so here's a starting point. Usually on the first draft I try to stay as close to the source as possible; in this case, the only change I made was to add a runaround on the industries trackage along the front--otherwise you're stuck doing awkward moves out on the mainline. Track is Atlas C55. Minimum radius is 13", except for the one curve marked 11". Mainline turnouts are #7, all others #5, plus two curved. Have fun.

[kc9jts]

OK, so here's a starting point. Usually on the first draft I try to stay as close to the source as possible; in this case, the only change I made was to add a runaround on the industries trackage along the front--otherwise you're stuck doing awkward moves out on the mainline. Track is Atlas C55. Minimum radius is 13", except for the one curve marked 11". Mainline turnouts are #7, all others #5, plus two curved. Have fun.

Looks great, thanks!  Does your program provide a material list by chance?

[chuck geiger]

DKS can take what we see as a 101 Track Plans sketch and make it work in real time and space.

[lajmdlr]

Made a few changes to David's plan mostly to add more industry spots. Didn't include curved siding on left because it gives more room for switching. The spur with no industry in middle is for car storage during switching. Lengthened the siding on bottom plus added one more yard spur  Two plus spurs can be added to the yard in the middle. It really only needs one runaround. Again this was done using Picasa so switches may not be "perfect". Why just "plywood"? If it's a lumber yard where there can be all kinds of lumber inbound including plywood.

 

[Dave V]

DKS...  "Back in the saddle again..."

[DKS]

Made a few changes to David's plan

It's not my plan, just my drawing. It's the OP's plan.

[MichaelWinicki]

Great additions to the original plan!

I agree with Dave on the awkward moves that will need to be made on the mainline in order to do any extended switching.

By hook or crook I'd have another track alongside the right-hand curve to help avoid fouling the main.

[DKS]

Looks great, thanks!  Does your program provide a material list by chance?

Yes, it does, but I thought I'd wait until the dust settles.

So here's my personal tweak. I agree with Michael that the industrial area needed a switching lead, and I fiddled with a few other things, adapting some of Andy's ideas for the industrial area, and hanging some flesh on the bones. I didn't do anything radical--I prefer trying to retain the OP's intent as much as possible, and let him steer any further revisions.

[kc9jts]

Yes, it does, but I thought I'd wait until the dust settles.

So here's my personal tweak. I agree with Michael that the industrial area needed a switching lead, and I fiddled with a few other things, adapting some of Andy's ideas for the industrial area, and hanging some flesh on the bones. I didn't do anything radical--I prefer trying to retain the OP's intent as much as possible, and let him steer any further revisions.

Once again, looks great!  I had thought about putting a "timesaver" in for the industrial spur that would accommodate the paper mill and a few other industries. What I see in this plan is that I could actually keep two operators busy; one doing a yard/switch job and the other doing the road job.  Originally if I had just one job I didn't have the tail track/lead off of the timesaver but if running with two operators that could really come in handy.  Thanks DKS (and everyone else) for your feedback thus far.   

[lajmdlr]

Still don't see the need for the curved siding on left. And switching on curves is darn near impossible!

[kc9jts]

Still don't see the need for the curved siding on left. And switching on curves is darn near impossible!

Those are two separate scenes on the left with the green area (trees) separating them.  The outer track is the Haywire mainline, the inner track is the Soo.  The "upper left" is Shingleton where the Haywire interchanges with the Soo (ex-DSSA) and the "lower left" is Manistique where the Haywire interchanges with the Soo (ex-MStP&SSM).  The Soo is not a passing siding, but instead two separate interchanges that restages itself.  In my original sketch the Soo is in red to differentiate it.

[lajmdlr]

Still going to be hard to use the curved siding for interchange, i.e. making pickups & setouts. Suggest that interchange be put on a straight part of the layout. Maybe off the siding on top. Have the interchange spur go to the left or right onto a staging tray which could also be the same as the ferry interchange.

[DKS]

This may be a case where some real-world testing would help, as opposed to second-guessing. Before setting anything in stone, I'd recommend temporarily mocking up this portion of the layout and doing some test ops to see if it a) serves the operational needs, and b) is physically feasible to operate.

[lajmdlr]

Definitely DO NOT "cast" the tracks in concrete with glue & ballast till AFTER the track & operations have be totally tested. Also you won't have to replace all the torn up track & switches!

[kc9jts]

This may be a case where some real-world testing would help, as opposed to second-guessing. Before setting anything in stone, I'd recommend temporarily mocking up this portion of the layout and doing some test ops to see if it a) serves the operational needs, and b) is physically feasible to operate.

Sounds like a plan.  I've always done that to begin with (run some trains and operate after track is laid but before it is permanently put down).