Weekend Update 1/6/19

[OldEastRR]

Track has been laid and wired on the new "Whoville" Free-MoN module (Whoville until I come up with an actual name!). Installing and wiring manual Blue Point turnout controls is next, and then I can begin running some trains to test the track and make sure everything is solid and derailment-free before starting on scenery.

Are you going to start a thread about this layout in the Engineering Report Section?

As long as you're still playing around with possibilities, how about turning those lumberyard sheds 90 degrees and have the spur come in between or next an open side? It'd mean a switchback off the propane dealer track but since cramming seems to be the theme here it fits right in.
(Following is my opinion and if the reader'd like to skip it go ahead).
I'm not a big fan of layouts where the track curves a little this way or that way and the buildings swing along to align with the track. Usually the street grid doesn't swing this way and back in real life, unless confronted with a massive rock outcropping, large waterway, or other major geological feature.  And industries usually build aligned to the street grid. Railroads in almost every case have had to accommodate themselves to the street grid and to how industries are placed or will be placed according to their own designs, not vice versa. In my opinion model railroaders take the easy way out when designing track/road/industry placements -- the track plan dictates all features-- to the detriment of a realistic look. People may say "who cares?" but our minds are conditioned to certain familiar patterns and placements. It's not just details and prototypically-built structures, it's overall layout (which is why it's called that) which projects authenticity or not. Of course, not everybody cares about that.

[garethashenden]

I'll second that.  I've built a couple of the Rocket Express kits also.  One of the "hidden gems" in N scale- makes a really distinctive car.  I wonder sometimes about the fascination everyone has with 3D printing- old fashioned resin kits require less prep, and don't suffer from "artifacts".  Anyway, TomL, you did a great job on both boxcar and caboose.

Tom D

Resin kits are good, if someone makes what you want to model. Otherwise you’re left making your own master and casting it. Personally I’m better at computer modelling than modelling by hand, and I have no idea how to cast things.

[Dave V]

Are you going to start a thread about this layout in the Engineering Report Section?

As long as you're still playing around with possibilities, how about turning those lumberyard sheds 90 degrees and have the spur come in between or next an open side? It'd mean a switchback off the propane dealer track but since cramming seems to be the theme here it fits right in.
(Following is my opinion and if the reader'd like to skip it go ahead).
I'm not a big fan of layouts where the track curves a little this way or that way and the buildings swing along to align with the track. Usually the street grid doesn't swing this way and back in real life, unless confronted with a massive rock outcropping, large waterway, or other major geological feature.  And industries usually build aligned to the street grid. Railroads in almost every case have had to accommodate themselves to the street grid and to how industries are placed or will be placed according to their own designs, not vice versa. In my opinion model railroaders take the easy way out when designing track/road/industry placements -- the track plan dictates all features-- to the detriment of a realistic look. People may say "who cares?" but our minds are conditioned to certain familiar patterns and placements. It's not just details and prototypically-built structures, it's overall layout (which is why it's called that) which projects authenticity or not. Of course, not everybody cares about that.

This is only the case way back east.  Virtually everywhere west of the Appalachians, the railroad was there first and the town came later, almost always aligned to the track exactly as you describe.

[DKS]

The first project? Make a portable layout!

Want one of my unfinished micro-layouts?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Want one of my unfinished micro-layouts?

Oh man, that is a tempting offer. If for no other reason than to have a DKS original!

[Tom L]

I'll second that.  I've built a couple of the Rocket Express kits also.  One of the "hidden gems" in N scale- makes a really distinctive car.  I wonder sometimes about the fascination everyone has with 3D printing- old fashioned resin kits require less prep, and don't suffer from "artifacts".  Anyway, TomL, you did a great job on both boxcar and caboose.

Tom D

Thanks you guys,

I wish the N Scale market could support a greater variety of N scale resin kits. The quality and number of resin kits in HO is incredible.

Tom L

[eric220]

This is only the case way back east.  Virtually everywhere west of the Appalachians, the railroad was there first and the town came later, almost always aligned to the track exactly as you describe.

There's an interesting scar from that phenomenon in Walnut Creek, CA.



The streets around Olympic and South California curve strangely, and the shopping center that includes the CVS is at a weird angle that doesn't align to either of the streets that border it.  That's all because there's a property line between the shopping center and the parking lot.  That property line follows the long-gone Oakland, Antioch, and Eastern, later Sacramento Northern, mainline through town.  It came in from the west along what is now Olympic Blvd, ran along what is now the front of that shopping center, and continued north along California Blvd.  The Walnut Creek station was a couple blocks out of the image to the north.

[chuck geiger]

Feeling back in the groove after starting to figure out workshop space in my new place.

The first project? Make a portable layout! In order to do that I needed to finish some corners and a few other modules.

I've been humming "Back in the New York Groove" all weekend.

This is the full set. A pair of easily separated crossovers. I'm planning on reusing the York Tower on the one along with John's shed. The other will just have a relay box.

[chuck geiger]

N scale signs, either too small or too large. Both in size and lettering. Now I need to trim the "2" on the cross-buck post.

[peteski]

Five Man Electrical Band - Tesla

First song that came to my mind was from Ace Frehley's (KISS) solo album. 

[Philip H]

@Mark W sure does good work:

[MK]

Feeling back in the groove after starting to figure out workshop space in my new place.

The first project? Make a portable layout! In order to do that I needed to finish some corners and a few other modules.

I've been humming "Back in the New York Groove" all weekend.

This is the full set. A pair of easily separated crossovers. I'm planning on reusing the York Tower on the one along with John's shed. The other will just have a relay box.



And here's another utility corner. This one will have a marsh along the outside because I figured that'd be fun to do. I haven't done one of those yet and since some of these are ostensibly set on the Eastern Shore of MD, it's fitting.

Why not some T-Trak modules? 

[cbroughton67]

Are you going to start a thread about this layout in the Engineering Report Section?

As long as you're still playing around with possibilities, how about turning those lumberyard sheds 90 degrees and have the spur come in between or next an open side? It'd mean a switchback off the propane dealer track but since cramming seems to be the theme here it fits right in.
(Following is my opinion and if the reader'd like to skip it go ahead).
I'm not a big fan of layouts where the track curves a little this way or that way and the buildings swing along to align with the track. Usually the street grid doesn't swing this way and back in real life, unless confronted with a massive rock outcropping, large waterway, or other major geological feature.  And industries usually build aligned to the street grid. Railroads in almost every case have had to accommodate themselves to the street grid and to how industries are placed or will be placed according to their own designs, not vice versa. In my opinion model railroaders take the easy way out when designing track/road/industry placements -- the track plan dictates all features-- to the detriment of a realistic look. People may say "who cares?" but our minds are conditioned to certain familiar patterns and placements. It's not just details and prototypically-built structures, it's overall layout (which is why it's called that) which projects authenticity or not. Of course, not everybody cares about that.

Likewise, I'm not a fan of layouts where the track and structures run parallel to the layout's edge. Setting things at a slight angle to the edge creates visual appeal. Being Free-MoN, I'm limited by the entry points of the mainline to the module in this regard, and therefore am limited to track that "curves a little this way" to avoid a straight-as-an-arrow, parallel-to-the-edge design. Your statement that "in almost every case" track has to align with the street grid is a blanket statement with possibly more exceptions than the rule. Here in Louisville, there is no shortage of examples where the city grew up around the existing track and right-of-way of the various railroads that converged on and have served the city since before the Civil War. I drive by odd-shaped buildings and warehouses everyday that were built that way to accommodate existing track running at odd angles to "the grid" - track that no longer exists in many cases. There's still a dogleg in the road I take to work where it ducked under a trestle that hasn't existed since I-64 was built through downtown in the 1960's. So, it is indeed the track that dictated many of the roads and buildings here, not vice-versa. Not every right-of-way is straight as an arrow, and not every city is laid-out on a perfect grid - not for very far, anyway. Lastly, I'm not modeling wide-open spaces. It will have an urban theme eventually with enough commercial and non-rail-served structures to create the feel of the close-quarters and tight spaces of urban switching. Hence, cramped (to a degree) is part of the theme.

[OldEastRR]

This is only the case way back east.  Virtually everywhere west of the Appalachians, the railroad was there first and the town came later, almost always aligned to the track exactly as you describe.

Like Chicago, where every mainline track goes exactly east-west or north-south? Like the PRR line?  Or Macomb, IL, the whole town built at 45 degrees off from the CB&Q main? Or Bellingham, Wa or Bloomington,IN where the tracks sliced into town on curves and then followed street or alley ROWs to get to where they're going? Fostoria, OH -- ever seen that track-street setup? Or Salem, OR?
Some started aligned with the tracks then switched the rest of the town to a N-S grid, so only the area around the station and sometimes the immediate ROW are aligned with the track. (See Champaign, IL)   Dinky towns aligned to the tracks, yes. Los Angeles certainly didn't adjust its streets to parallel the mainline tracks. So if modeling a two-street town in Colorado or the middle of Kansas, everything aligned with the tracks, sure. There aren't many moderate-sized towns or larger that did.
The street grid rules how features are placed. Not the RR ROW.
 

[Dave V]

Like Chicago, where every mainline track goes exactly east-west or north-south? Like the PRR line?  Or Macomb, IL, the whole town built at 45 degrees off from the CB&Q main? Or Bellingham, Wa or Bloomington,IN where the tracks sliced into town on curves and then followed street or alley ROWs to get to where they're going? Fostoria, OH -- ever seen that track-street setup? Or Salem, OR?
Some started aligned with the tracks then switched the rest of the town to a N-S grid, so only the area around the station and sometimes the immediate ROW are aligned with the track. (See Champaign, IL)   Dinky towns aligned to the tracks, yes. Los Angeles certainly didn't adjust its streets to parallel the mainline tracks. So if modeling a two-street town in Colorado or the middle of Kansas, everything aligned with the tracks, sure. There aren't many moderate-sized towns or larger that did.
The street grid rules how features are placed. Not the RR ROW.

Major cities aside, you can find medium-sized towns all over that are aligned to the ROW.  In fact, I challenge you to follow the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Middle Division on Google Maps; the towns almost all align to the ROW, and those tracks were laid in the 1850s.  I lived in the Midwest for a few years and am at a loss to remember a town that doesn’t align to the ROW there.