Planning a layout for my son

[Dave V]

...who is now 8 years old.  Jacob loves trains, and he's very good with my N scale layout.  The layout is based on Apex, NC, although it takes considerable liberties.  It's designed for 2-train operation and uses Kato Unitrack.  The plan is to have him help me do almost all of the work.

I've actually been planning this since Spring.  I'd gotten Jacob an N scale Kato Amtrak set, and he chose Apex himself as the prototype, remembering how I would take him and his younger brother Timmy down to the depot at least once a week to watch the evening CSX train switch out cars for the former D&S branch to Durham.  We lived in Apex from 2005 to 2008 while I finished my PhD at NC State University.  Jacob chose for his first freight locomotive a Conrail SD50 with CSX patch job from Atlas!  Perfect for Apex.

We already have a bunch of the right Unitrack including most of the curved pieces.  But we need turnouts!

I'll start construction after we get settled in down in Florida.  It occurred to me to document it too, maybe with an article in mind.  This will be a kid's layout, though, so will be somewhat simpler and more durable.  The Walthers Pella Depot will stand in for the Apex, NC depot.  Several key structures representing Apex businesses Jacob remembered most (including his favorite Mexican restaurant) will be represented.



Benchwork is already built in the form of a 2 x 4 banquet table from Costco.  The layout will overhang by 3" along the long sides and 6" over the ends, giving a table size of 2.5' by 5'.

It will probably be a few months before I can start it up, but I figured I'd fire a warning shot.

[DKS]

Gee, that's better than some "adult" plans I've seen. What did you use to render the image?

[Dave V]

Dave, it's a software package called RailModeller.  It's very much like Atlas Right Track except that it works with a Mac OS.  The trial version does't allow you to save a plan, so I did a screen capture after exporting the Kato parts list.  I then finished it up in PowerPoint (i.e., roads, trees, structures).

[davefoxx]

Dave,

You're going to have a lot of fun with this layout, including bonding with your son, teaching him about model railroading, helping him to learn how to work with his hands, and the enjoyment of building a layout without the stress of adhering to a certain prototype or LDE.

I can't wait to follow along.  Have fun!

Dave Foxx

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This is great Dave. I love it.

[DKS]

Here's a slightly cleaner image you can use as a starting point, if you like.

[Dave V]

Dave, thanks!

After pricing things out, it looks as if I'd rather go with all #6s rather than the #4s that make up 8 of the 9 turnouts in the above plan.  The #6s are much cheaper.  It will require some re-arrangement, but the overall plan should remain the same.

[Philip H]

Dave,
Do let us know if there's anything else you need to pull this together.  I'm sure your son would love to point out to all his friends all the stuff that came from your really cool friends all over the country.

Pud,
Sounds like you are rubbing off on others . . .

[DKS]

The #6s are much cheaper.  It will require some re-arrangement, but the overall plan should remain the same.

It will require quite a lot of rearrangement, actually; the 6s don't permit parallel track crossovers using the same spacing as the 4s. I think the layout may be quite different as a result...

[Dave V]

Really?  Crap.  There's a double grade crossing in there that will set the track spacing.  I don't know if the #4 or #6 crossover will match that.  It's probably based on the double crossover which is made up of #4s.  I'd hate to use the double crossover because there's nothing like it anywhere near Apex.

[DKS]

Really?  Crap.  There's a double grade crossing in there that will set the track spacing.  I don't know if the #4 or #6 crossover will match that.  It's probably based on the double crossover which is made up of #4s.  I'd hate to use the double crossover because there's nothing like it anywhere near Apex.

It's not so much the grade crossings as the curves. Using #6s creates parallel track spacing that won't match any curve radii pairs. #4s match all of the parallel track spacing.

I agree about the double xover, but from an economy standpoint it replaces four #4s.



Note the track spacing on the siding pair, upper right. That's the bugaboo about #6s.

[Dave V]

Yeah, that double crossover is a 50% savings over the 4 switches it would take to replace them in a standard crossover configuration.  Maybe that's what I'd do...  Keep the 4s on the inside passing siding and the siding pairs, keep the 6 for the pit track, and replace the crossovers with a double crossover piece back where you put it.  It ain't prototypical, but honestly, it's kind of a fun and interesting piece of track, and this is again for my son's play value rather than as a no-kidding model of a prototype.

Apex, NC would make an excellent LDE one could build a door layout for, actually.

[DKS]

Yeah, that double crossover is a 50% savings over the 4 switches it would take to replace them in a standard crossover configuration.  Maybe that's what I'd do...  Keep the 4s on the inside passing siding and the siding pairs, keep the 6 for the pit track, and replace the crossovers with a double crossover piece back where you put it.  It ain't prototypical, but honestly, it's kind of a fun and interesting piece of track, and this is again for my son's play value rather than as a no-kidding model of a prototype.

The plan above has no #4s. All #6s plus the xover.

[Dave V]

The #4s lead to simpler geometry and accurate track spacing (the inside passing siding is 9 3/4") so I would proably revert to the original plan I posted with only the x-over replacing the 2 pairs of 4s on the main.

[160pennsy]

Dave,

I guess it's true what they say about timing...it's everything! The N-TRAK club here in Raleigh http://www.trainweb.org/nrmrc/ is working on a similar diorama to be displayed at the new downtown convention center and the subject matter is the same location in Apex, NC. One of the members had taken some reference photos of the area and I thought they might be of use to you on your project. I have volunteered to construct the Asphalt Transfer Plant, just up tracks, following plans published in Model Railroader, February 1994. Please let me know if you need any additional photos or reference material as I'm only 10 minutes from the site.

Apex, NC Chamber of Commerce - former station



Seaboard caboose next to station



Firehouse behind station




CSX depot



Salem St





P.S....Regarding NC State, my daughter just started as a freshman this fall  Go Wolfpack !!