N Scale Hi Rail - Retro Hollow Core Door Layout

[MichaelT]

It's been heart warming to see you N scale guru's simplifying your projects.

As it happens, this past weekend we hosted our 9th Annual train show here in Jacksonville, AR; had more tickets purchased this year than any of the past years, some 1400-1500 people (adults and kids) went through our show. I was able to sell off my entire large scale collection (at a pretty decent price) and sold a lot of HO stuff I had sitting on shelves, and actually did sell some N scale stuff that I hadn't touched in quite a while.

One thing that did catch my eye was a Riverossi K2 Pacific, PRR, and six passenger cars so my first thought was to get in touch with Dave V. and get some suggestions on a route on the PRR map to consider. I'm looking at a few branch lines to mimic, and my total space is going to be a nook in the front guest room/office that used to be a second closet. The space is 58"x30", and I'm going to start putting some ideas together as soon as I get that space prepped (move a shelving unit, paint the space, build a small work table, and setup some shelving up the wall to hold equipment and supplies.

So thanks to you guys for helping me better grasp that small layouts can work well. My hope is to learn better building and detail techniques in the smaller space.

michael

[DKS]

So, here's something with real geometry, just for reference. I added a double crossover on the B&O loops (could be a dummy, if you don't want to use it, but you can mix up your consists that way), and the two lines at the bottom left could be set at slightly different elevations at the tunnel portals so they don't look so odd. Etc., etc., etc.

[wm3798]

Real geometry is useful, even it if does crush my dreams!

I like the crossover and the split... mimics the Magnolia cutoff and the old main that split near Paw Paw. 
The WM will probably be more organic in its curvature than that.  I want to try to keep the bridges straight ish, and I want two short coal spurs.  6-8 cars distributed over two tracks at each.  I'm not planning to run any 100 car trains!
I'll probably figure that out on the fly and use some flex to make it work.
Plus you provided me with those two short LH trix switches... for a mine branch they'll be just the ticket!

Good to hear from you @MichaelT !  Looking forward to seeing your small space spring into action!

Lee

[DKS]

Real geometry is useful, even it if does crush my dreams!

Not my intention! But being forewarned is forearmed, especially when one has a mental image that doesn't quite translate into reality.

[DKS]

And... even with tight Trix turnouts, I don't think you'll be able to squeeze in a second two-track mine siding--not ones that'll hold 6-8 cars, anyway, sorry to say...



This is balls-to-the-walls with the tightest siding possible, while still leaving room for the B&O, river and WM bridge (which won't be "straight-ish")...

[wm3798]

Regardless... The low line is perfectamundo!  I can work out the particulars of the high line once I know where the river and elevation changes in the terrain make the most sense.

Thanks again!
Lee

[Point353]

And... even with tight Trix turnouts, I don't think you'll be able to squeeze in a second two-track mine siding--not ones that'll hold 6-8 cars, anyway, sorry to say...



This is balls-to-the-walls with the tightest siding possible, while still leaving room for the B&O, river and WM bridge (which won't be "straight-ish")...

One possibility would be to move the turnout/switch (off the WM line leading to the mine on the right-hand side of the layout) to the front of the layout side of the B&O tracks.
That would give an excuse for an extra bridge on the mine siding.
Then the turnout/switch on the mine siding could be located just on the other side of the new bridge (over the B&O mains), which in turn would allow the pair of tracks at the mine to be somewhat longer.

[wm3798]

Let me clarify.
Each MINE should handle 6-8 cars.  That means each siding needs only hold 3-4.  And these will, for the most part, be 32' 55 ton cars or 38' 70T cars.  Figure 8 55T cars, or 6 70T cars.

At roughly 2.5" each, 4 cars is only 10".  Allowing for a transition from the frog, I'll need about 12" for each track.  Maybe 14" if I put a bumper at the end.

I'm in the process of ordering some bridges to mess with.  I'm getting one of the Atlas 2570 thru truss... https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/atlas-n-2570-code-80-track-through-truss-bridge-kit-black/... which is 10" long.
I'd like to use it to span the B&O tracks at the Paw Paw end, then use some ME 80' deck plate spans to work through the turn.  I have a couple of 40' spans to catch the shorter radii.  At the right side, I have the modified deck truss that I used at Hinshaw on the old layout.  It's about 80' long, and had 41' approaches to bring it through the curve at its original location.



So before anyone panics, let's get something underway, which probably won't be in the next week or so because there are many, many things that are a higher priority.  But I promise, before the week is out, I'll have some bridge kits to build, and before you can write off the Ravens for the season, I'll have some foam glued to a door!

Lee

[Dave V]

This is evolving slowly but surely from a purely retro toy train setup to echoes of the WM layout...  I was wondering if you'd be completely satisfied eschewing more realistic track and scenery given how long you championed them.

As I mentioned my childhood history is HO, and while I have a deep and nostalgic love for some aspects of that, I do not pine for Bachmann white box crap or the Atlas code 100 snap track that was so integral to it all.  I like the idea of blending the old and the new into something that stands up to today's expectations.

[wm3798]

How did you know I was eschewing?  Dammit.  I've been found out!

[dem34]

This is evolving slowly but surely from a purely retro toy train setup to echoes of the WM layout...  I was wondering if you'd be completely satisfied eschewing more realistic track and scenery given how long you championed them.

As I mentioned my childhood history is HO, and while I have a deep and nostalgic love for some aspects of that, I do not pine for Bachmann white box crap or the Atlas code 100 snap track that was so integral to it all.  I like the idea of blending the old and the new into something that stands up to today's expectations.

I also feel there is a hidden value in the vintage stuff. People like me can get the stuff on the cheap.  Its amazing for just practicing stuff the leads into the more complicated parts of the hobby. My night was just spent attempting to remotor and regear an old Bmann Metroliner. *grumble* and it would of been done if my POS sodering iron didn't crap out.

[wm3798]

Oh, and I ordered the bridges.  I can start working out the geometry once they arrive.
Lee

[wm3798]

I also feel there is a hidden value in the vintage stuff. People like me can get the stuff on the cheap.  Its amazing for just practicing stuff the leads into the more complicated parts of the hobby. My night was just spent attempting to remotor and regear an old Bmann Metroliner. *grumble* and it would of been done if my POS sodering iron didn't crap out.

I'm trying to do mine without any solder... at least not to get juice to the motor.  The main problem I'm having is the friction in the drive line.  It'll come.  I just need Rho to take another week off for a business trip so I can spend several sleepless nights working out the kinks... of the drive line, that is... BEHAVE!

Lee

[dem34]

I'm trying to do mine without any solder... at least not to get juice to the motor.  The main problem I'm having is the friction in the drive line.  It'll come.  I just need Rho to take another week off for a business trip so I can spend several sleepless nights working out the kinks... of the drive line, that is... BEHAVE!

Lee

What I ended up doing was that, originally the thing broken with the thing when I bought it was that the Front cup gear broke. So I completely removed that half of the assembly. But then I found out when recycling a Bmann 0-6-0 was that its motor actually pressure fits really snug in the  motor space.. and lines up with the shaft. Bonus is that its a completely enclosed can. Trick from here is just getting the leads properly soldered and finding a way of joining the 2 separate shafts reliably. 

[OldEastRR]

Boy that looks awfully awfully complex. So many switches! And then the track's gotta be perfect, which is hours of work. If it's all flat (each line) then that would cut down on the scenery carving. Unitrack would make tracklaying easy, too. Want to get to hands-free trains running ASAP.
Which I'm still looking for on my semi-completed 4-year old layout.