Rebuilding the Puddington Valley - A Plan ?

[Puddington]

Dave,

Probably an un-interesting idea, but :



Otherwise, if you want to keep a 'high line' over the lower one, it could be a branchline servicing whatever industry, the continuous run line would pass through the staging.

Marc

Thinking about this idea I am tempted to add another short tunnel; al la the rock tunnels of the CPR and PGE that hug the narrow canyon walls to that line, sort of have the line appear and disappear; maybe put a river in between the two lines; that would allow and explain a major bridge on the front main..........comment ?

[93cram]

I have a real, honest to goodness VIA Rail step stool that will allow me to reach over, while leaning a hand on the wall and grab anything that get's off the rails... I have tested this idea with a mock up at the 54" suggested layout height.

OK Dave, if you feel confortable with this option, that's fine  
This is your layout...and your step stool too !  ;D

[93cram]

Thinking about this idea I am tempted to add another short tunnel; al la the rock tunnels of the CPR and PGE that hug the narrow canyon walls to that line, sort of have the line appear and disappear; maybe put a river in between the two lines; that would allow and explain a major bridge on the front main..........comment ?

Dave, do you think you can have a river without widening the benchwork ? (no, it's not an obsession, I LOVE narrow benchworks  ;D)
May be a quick draft to show where you intend to locate the river and bridge ?

[Puddington]

OK Dave, if you feel confortable with this option, that's fine  
This is your layout...and your step stool too !  ;D

Puddy is Mike...Dave is..well....Dave ! LOL

[Puddington]

Dave; If we moved the front main a wee bit forward, or added two or three inches to the bench work could we do as suggested and throw a tunnel mid way into the back main and leave me about 8" for a fast running river between them...? Your thoughts....?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

What about using some scenic dividing techniques and making the staging yard look like a passenger terminal? That'd explain all the varnish sitting around, and would at least look like something while still being accessible.

Hide it behind a ridge and it'd be separate from the front of the scenes on the front of the layout, and will also give you something else fun to work on too.

Even just seeing it from the end, you'd have a view like this:
http://www.shorpy.com/node/8049

[93cram]

Hide it behind a ridge and it'd be separate from the front of the scenes on the front of the layout, and will also give you something else fun to work on too.

Sounds like a nice option 
Have you considered also operating the layout from the back yet, Dave...er, Mike sorry  :-[ ;D

[Bob Bufkin]

I like Ed's idea.   All that great passenger equipment needs a terminal.

[DKS]

Dave; If we moved the front main a wee bit forward, or added two or three inches to the bench work could we do as suggested and throw a tunnel mid way into the back main and leave me about 8" for a fast running river between them...? Your thoughts....?

Actually, that thought had already crossed my mind, and I was going to render a river between the mains when I reached the point of adding scenery to the plan; I just like to wait until more track planning dust settles before adding stuff like scenery, as it makes revisions much more time-consuming.

I like Ed's idea.   All that great passenger equipment needs a terminal.

If this idea was implemented, I think I'd do it in more of a peek-a-boo style, as the mass of that staging yard just overpowers the rest of the layout. It's also rather incongruous having it sitting behind the rugged terrain of the foreground, particularly toward the right side.

That said, it might be an option to build half of a union station and place it over the left end of the staging yard such that it hides the curves in the tracks; a mirror on the wall at the top left corner of the layout would then expand the station to its full size and create a massive passenger terminal mostly visible through the mirror, since much of the track is blocked by foreground scenery. Sort of like this--



Use this link to see it full-sized: http://whiteriverandnorthern.net/images/pud_3.gif

[SkipGear]

I still think hidden staging is fine. Creatively constructed, access should not be a problem..



I plan to do a similar arrangement on my layout. There will still be a painted backdrop at the back of the layout but the top of the mountain will roll over the top so that there is no hard connection between the scenery and the backdrop. It should give that you are looking over the top of the mountain, off into the distance.

Edit - Replaced picture to represent a zero grade layout.

[davidmbedard]

I understand that but I want to run a lot of different loco's, I have over 100 and I have not the skills or funds to drop into DCC for more than a few. Decoders up here in the land of taxes are expensive; $ 40.00 plus and you have to know how to put em in; my fleet of RS units and older F's would require skills I don't have and money is tight. I also just don't see the costs benefit for my own home layout if I am almost always the only one running it.

Main line blocks will be very large so there won't be too many - I will add power feeds very liberally and if I wanted to go DCC the removal of blocks wouldn't be too difficult at a later date.

I will take some photo's of the space later and upload.

Oh Pud....you must know that N scale or Z scale decoders can be had for less than 20 each.  In fact, that is all I use, as I find the drop in ones just too expensive.  In most cases, I just tuck the decoder away and utilize the exsisting lightboards.   The installation isnt all that difficult....just takes time.

No reason to equip all your locos right away.  In fact, if you have a few that you dont run much, sell them off and fund your DCC system.

I would be happy to help.  I could do an install for you (a difficult one if you wish) for free if you take care of the shipping.

Just a few thoughts......

David B

P.S.  I have settled on CD40 rail for my layout.  I have to lay all my turnouts, though to fine tolerances, because I use Fox Valley narrow tread wheels.

[wm3798]

I would humbly suggest that junction for the Engine Terminal be constructed as a wye, to enable access and egress from either direction, and to allow for the turning of locomotive sets:


Not sure what the geometry of the turnouts would have to be, but I think that would add a heapin' helpin' of flexibility for the train master...

[Puddington]

I like the wye idea; we might have to move the lead back further towards the water heater to accomodate the second lead of the main but it's a good idea.

The "Puddington Valley" is in the interior of British Columbia; there are no "Union Stations"... it's small towns, a few "cities" of 20K at best - it's rugged areas, followed by beautiful valleis and fruit growing areas and then right back to mountains... it's in the middle of the mountains... Although I would enjoy a passenger terminal it just doesn't fit the "concept".

I'm not crazy about hidden staging but it's going to have to work. I think the diagram that Skipgear drew is perfect and exactly what I have envisioned.

The river David drew is perfect; exactly what I had in mind.

[Puddington]

Oh Pud....you must know that N scale or Z scale decoders can be had for less than 20 each.

Not in Canada eh...........pity......   ;D

[John]

Not in Canada eh...........pity......   ;D

Chuck ships to Canada