1615 Layout Planning: First draft with Track

[Blazeman]

I see a lot of the "race-track" layouts that feature through-freights and not much else... They strike me as kinda boring.

[/quote]

Like modern day modelers with the COFC trains. All the money spent for the well cars and boxes. End up being background.

[DKS]

I think this thread is becoming quite useful in general terms. I recommend making it sticky for a while.

[wm3798]

Ewwww...

[davefoxx]

Finally, how "modular" do you want the layout to be for if/when you move to a larger residence and try to claim the whole basement?

Phil makes an excellent point, as does Eric.  That was one of the reasons I laid out my sketch as a series of door panels.  While not truly modular, in addition to a speedy and sturdy start, it would give you the opportunity to salvage parts of the work that can be incorporated into a future plan.

Keep in mind, if it won't fit up the stairs and through doorways and such to get out of the house, then it ain't portable.

I've painted myself into that corner before, although it wasn't entirely my fault.  I once built a copy of the HO scale MR project layout, the Seaboard Central (the one that was attached to the Kitty Hawk Central) in my parents' unfinished basement.  There was no problem with the size of this layout initially, perhaps 5' x 9', but my parents later finished off a portion of their basement, leaving the layout hopelessly landlocked.  There was no longer any way to get down a previously non-existing hallway and make a now-required 180-degree turn up the stairs.  It had to be torn down when I moved out.  Oh well... I'm in N scale now!

Dave

[DKS]

Finally, how "modular" do you want the layout to be for if/when you move to a larger residence and try to claim the whole basement?

Phil makes an excellent point, as does Eric.  That was one of the reasons I laid out my sketch as a series of door panels.  While not truly modular, in addition to a speedy and sturdy start, it would give you the opportunity to salvage parts of the work that can be incorporated into a future plan.

Keep in mind, if it won't fit up the stairs and through doorways and such to get out of the house, then it ain't portable.

My last N scale layout, the White River and Northern, was designed to be broken down and moved. But when it came time to break it down, I discovered to my dismay that I had grossly miscalculated things. The two parts could have made it through the door--if they could have been turned within the room. That's where they met their doom.

But considering where I moved next, it didn't matter. So my only recommendation is to play out both scenarios in your mind, and see which is more realistic.

[MichaelWinicki]

Like modern day modelers with the COFC trains. All the money spent for the well cars and boxes. End up being background.

Bingo!

And bless the folks that like that sort of thing.  Hey more power to them.

But you're right.  They end up being an extension of the scenery.  They're part of the railroad but not really, because you (as the railroad operator) really aren't interacting with them.  Yeah, you start them and stop them, but they are pretty much left on their own other than that.

Hey, I've got 4 through-freights on my layout that do nothing more than criss-cross the layout in order to make the this section of RR look less like an abandonment candidate.

But, it's the 7 locals that make the layout fun to operate. 

Incorporating even a short branchline into a layout is a huge + in the operations column.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Michael, you're hitting on the exact reason I want to do the junction and the single track / 251 signaling thing.

This way the unit trains still have something to do... fight with each other!

[seusscaboose]

Michael, you're hitting on the exact reason I want to do the junction and the single track / 251 signaling thing.

This way the unit trains still have something to do... fight with each other!

exactly....

a few trains running to keep that part of the hobby fun... and a few places (or more) to switch and operate...

striking a good balance seems to be YOUR best solution for what you are looking to achieve (i realize i am stating the obvoious here, sorry).

i think the thing that surprises me is that you have always struck me as "operations ed" or "throw ed in the yard to build trains"... and to see you embracing a "little" of the roundy round mentality shows a balance between operating and running... and i dont know why.. but i think that is cool.  then again, i shouldnt be surprised, i have seen you "roundy round" on bantrak set ups before... anyway...

keep it fun (please)

EP

[asciibaron]

I once built a copy of the HO scale MR project layout, the Seaboard Central

a few years ago i was considering building this in N scale - it would be an interesting layout the yard could be expanded.  the yard and branch are very interesting scenes - love the trailing point switch to get to the mill.  take heed Ed, you can unwrap the plan and use elements on your NCR.

[asciibaron]

the "background" trains are an interesting aspect that i have been exploring with some layout automation tools.  the concept is to have a train that goes from staging, makes a few laps, and returns to staging.  while this is happening, i'm blocking cars in the yard or running out the branch to the zinc mine.  

simply making a few laps requires no effort, just set the throttle and keep an eye out for derails.  but the automation part i want to explore involves setting up meets with other "ghost" trains.  if i have 2 main line trains taking a lap in opposite directions, i can setup meets without breaking stride from my switching duties.  basically the computer takes over the main for the running of these two trains.  it aligns the turnouts, puts a train into the siding, and then holds for the other train.  

if Ed plans his layout around a mainline that is setup for meets, than he could enlist some automation to handle the "Big Blue" railroading he likes to see while he dabbles with the switching he likes to do.  my layout has one passing siding that is dispatcher controlled, it would be great to get three so you could watch the tumble down and see the "dispatcher" at work.  

3 big sidings Ed, 3 of them.  and have one with a train that never moves.  that's the Conrail I remember

[MichaelWinicki]

Michael, you're hitting on the exact reason I want to do the junction and the single track / 251 signaling thing.

This way the unit trains still have something to do... fight with each other!

I think the junction is a cool idea.  It will ad some spice to the operations.

But if someone mentioned your name and asked me what things impressed me about your modeling, two things would come to mind:

1. That late-late winter scenery that you've mastered.

2. Your terrific grasp of the urban decay thing– with the run-down warehouses and tight switching area.

I'm just not seeing point #2 on this layout. 

But it comes down, as always, to what you want. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Wow, I'm actually kinda flattered that I leave any sort of impression

It's funny, I feel like part of my desire with this is to grow a little bit from those two things. Obviously I'll want to keep the same skills at work (ie, the whole thing will still be winter), but I want to take those skills and apply them to something a little more complex (ie, not just a snapshot of a branch).

On the shown plan I still plan to have a good bit of that stuff, most of it just isn't illustrated.