Oh no! I'm Having THOSE Kinds of Thoughts Again!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Lol @ $200. Good luck on the bidding, wish they fit into my plans/interests.

[wm3798]

...I was being ironic, Bernie... 

[davefoxx]

Here's a rough drawing of a planned RF&P layout on two hollow-core doors (36" x 80" with a 12" x 80" shelf).  Note that each line in the grid equals 3".  The yard would represent Acca Yard in Richmond, Virginia.  In my era, the Seaboard System interchanges here.  I wish there was more room to do the Bryan Park Terminal (locomotive facility) justice, but, oh well.

On the larger door is Doswell, Virginia and Ashland, Virginia.  Poorly represented on this drawing is the street running that is in Ashland.  In Doswell, the C&O interchanges with the RF&P.  Minimum radius on the mainline is 13.75" on the inner (southbound) loop and 15" on the outer (northbound) loop.  A backdrop separates the scenes.  Not yet drawn on the plan, but, conveniently, Route 1 provides an overpass just west of the Doswell crossing that could be used to disguise the C&O tracks running into the backdrop.  The area is rolling hills, and I do plan to shoehorn in a creek crossing (bridge scene), because the RF&P crossed many tributaries that all fed into the Chesapeake Bay.

This is my first real attempt at designing a layout, so I'm open to ideas and constructive criticism.  Thoughts?

DFF

[wm3798]

The only thing I would add would be some provision for a run around on the Doswell side.  This would open up some flexibility in the industrial tracks so you could do some trailing and facing point sidings.

Otherwise, it's a great, compact design that can be used for display running as well as some interesting ops.

Lee

[davefoxx]

The only thing I would add would be some provision for a run around on the Doswell side.  This would open up some flexibility in the industrial tracks so you could do some trailing and facing point sidings.

Lee,

I had that same thought about the passing track in Doswell, but I was trying to avoid adding too much track.  Since this would be likely operated by only me, I could run a lap and use the crossover in Ashland.  If, however, things fit a little better than the software allowed me to place track, I'll add a passing siding.

Thanks,
DFF

[wm3798]

It doesn't need to be a passing siding, per se.  You could actually throw a run around into one of the industrial tracks and leave the main alone. 

With the relatively small capacity of the spurs, you really only need to scoot around a car or two.  Especially once you get that sexy RF&P MP-15 that you know you want...

Lee

[davefoxx]

Interesting idea and not unlike the trackage at Doswell.  There's actually a small yard there.  Thanks for the suggestion!  When I get the chance this weekend, I'll tweak the plan to see what will fit.  Heh, might require two custom curved turnouts, so I maybe I can put that FastTracks template that I bought for the A&R to work on this layout.

The RF&P actually had SW1500s, which as you know, are sexy, especially with Flexicoil trucks for mainline running, except that apparently nobody is ever going to manufacture one in N scale. 

Dave

[Bob Bufkin]

Yep

[davefoxx]

Bob,

Feel free to post any of your sweet RF&P photos in this thread anytime you want.  By the way, I don't mind your shots of other roads (e.g., C&O, PRR/PC/CR, and Southern) in and around Pot Yard either.

Thanks!
Dave

P.S. If only I knew to photograph what I saw on the RF&P in the late 1980s-early 1990s before its flag fell. 

P.P.S.  Bob, that reminds me: I get to start collecting intermodal equipment again!

[davefoxx]

Lee's suggestion of adding the runaround in Doswell has caused me to do some further brainstorming.  I think, with a couple of custom curved turnouts, that I could fit the runaround in the Doswell plan, as he suggested.  But, I also went back and looked at a previous draft of the plan that I've been working on.  In this version, the one side of the HCD was Fredericksburg, instead of Doswell.  I think this is probably less cluttered and, perhaps, has more ops potential.  Other "pros" are that I tried to avoid running parallel to the table's edge and I could add a sweet, superelevated cosmetic curve to the mainline through Fredericksburg.  The downsides are that I lose the C&O connection and what I think would be better photo opportunities in Doswell.  Interestingly, the Virginia Central, yes, that's correct, the Virginia Central once interchanged with the RF&P in Fredericksburg. 

Here's that earlier draft:


Thoughts?

Thanks in advance,
DFF

[wazzou]

I think the one that Lee suggested a run around track on looks cooler Dave. 
Something about those crossovers parallel to each other just looks kind of train set like if that makes sense.

[davefoxx]

It makes perfect sense, Bryan.  Those could be moved around possibly to correct that issue.  I was also thinking that another set of crossovers in Fredericksburg would also allow a runaround on the outer main, too.

But, like you, I thought that Doswell seemed more interesting.  I just wanted to show some other possibilities and get some guidance/feedback from my fellow asshats, just in case others felt that Doswell was impractical.

Thanks,
DFF

[DKS]

[davefoxx]

By the way, for those following along, this is Doswell.  Unfortunately, it appears that I clipped off the crossing at lower right.  You can see a dead-end road to the curved track in the wye that represents where the gravel loader used to be.  U.S. Route 1 is visible at far left, which shows that overpass that I mentioned in a previous post.  This would be very useful against the backdrop.  The former C&O/RF&P passenger station is visible near the crossing at lower right.  If there were room (doubtful), I would also model the C&O freight station that no longer exists inside the wye.  I think my plan incorporates the major elements of this area.  Of course, there's a lot of track left out, but, hey, it's on a HCD!



Here's Ashland.  You can see the double-track mainline that practically runs in the streets of Ashland.  Also visible is the Amtrak station, giving me a destination for N scale passengers on the layout (I've been looking for an excuse to get an F40PH, but I'll need Kato to reissue the Amtoobs in Phase III paint).

[davefoxx]

DKS,

WOW!!!    That looks great!  And, I know that I can build those curved turnouts, which can save a lot of space.  Unfortunately, the track planning software I used (Empire Express on a Macbook) didn't have curved turnouts in the library.

Oh, man, I can't wait to get started.  Cyn and I are planning to move out of my wife's two-bedroom townhome around February.  We'll need extra room when the baby arrives in December and joins her brother.  I'm not-so-secretly going to look for a place that allows room for a layout.  Part of the reason that I'm going with a HCD layout again is because we'll be renting until we sell the townhome.  I want portability.  Since it took fifteen months to sell my old townhouse earlier this year, I expect that it will take a while to sell this one, too.

Thanks (again)!
DFF