Big city, little layout

[robwill84]

This is a track plan I've come up with for a layout with a small footprint but lots of action. It meets the criteria I had in mind:

1. A place for switchers to do their thing in an urban setting. Overall 9 inch radius, with one 7 3/4 radius, which is only to be used by a 44 tonner as a fueling/storage track.

2. Highly portable. At just under 33x22 inches, I can pick it up with one hand and take it outside for pictures.

3. Lots of large downtown buildings. This is really a golden age of urban buildings, with Lunde Studios, CMR models, and others all making nice large kits. I also just found a very nice fire station by American Archetype Models.

4. Future connectivity. Plenty of places to expand.



This plan makes use of the very small Peco ST5 and ST6 turnouts. I've used these in the past with excellent results. All track will be code 80. Tomorrow I hope to get a start on the benchwork. I'll post updates as I progress!

Just a clarification on some things- the 60 degree crossing shown will have to be modified by cutting off the two vertical legs and fitting it into the curve. Also I forgot to fill in the short gap of track before the crossing, it needs about an 18" radius to be fit in. Also the road and buidlings behind the Hardwood furniture building will be elevated over the tracks about 2.5 inches.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Very nice. I'm loving the current crop of urban layouts.

[VonRyan]

Nice plan. Making me want to scrap the idea of an HCD layout and just do a much smaller layout with Tomix Fine-Track... when paychecks from my job start coming in...


-Cody F.

[robwill84]

Very nice. I'm loving the current crop of urban layouts.

Me too! I was also really inspired by Fred Miller's amazing HO Town & Country Traction layout. The idea of adding on as I go really appeals to me, as each section can be taken as its own project, with plenty of time for detailing and refining.

[robwill84]

Nice plan. Making me want to scrap the idea of an HCD layout and just do a much smaller layout with Tomix Fine-Track... when paychecks from my job start coming in...


-Cody F.

This is exactly what I did, Cody. I have a nice plan drawn up for a door layout, but right now, even a layout that small is too much to take on. So, go smaller, and really focus on making it as nice as possible. I considered the Tomix Fine Track, but at 5.5 inch radius those turnouts are TIGHT! To me the Pecos have the advantage, they save space but still allow 4 axle diesels to run.

[Chris333]

I like the plan. Make sure to take pics along the way!

[Catt]

I think I am going to be a fan .Would be a great show layout to show folks what can be done with small layouts.

[Pennsy]

I really like the concept and plan you've come up with. Have you decided on a time period and local?

And are you considering Interurban runs? Stops/stations for interurban could make things interesting for a small layout like that.

Jim

[robwill84]

I really like the concept and plan you've come up with. Have you decided on a time period and local?

And are you considering Interurban runs? Stops/stations for interurban could make things interesting for a small layout like that.

Jim

Hmm, you know, that's a very interesting idea. There is actually room for a turnout behind the loading dock, underneath the elevated portion. Room enough for a very short track that could hold an interurban or a PE Hollywood car. Could be the world's shortest staging track!

[OldEastRR]

An esoteric/realism suggestion: rotate the Lunde/etc building block 180 degrees, and make the alley into the main drag and put the alley behind, so the rear of the buildings are facing the industrial area/track (of oil tanks, switches, etc). Though guys who build model layouts are so enamored of trains they like to give all  the trackage priority position, in real life the business/commercial world is not so keen on having noisy, smelly locos and freight cars being the main views out their front office windows. But behind the buildings you find railroad tracks, dirty industries, canals, etc. This is a very slight change to the plan -- you 'll have to move the block back a little to make a suitably wide main drag out of the former alley -- but it will add a feel of "yeah, that looks right" to the layout.
Brach's Candy can be built so the one long side is the main entrance/office area, giving that side a commercial rather than industrial look (again, loading platforms and tracks behind the building) which will fit in with the fronts of the office buildings across the street -- again "yeah that looks right".

[robwill84]

Progress! Threw some benchwork together out of 1x3's and a 1/4 inch hardboard top. I've arranged some placeholder buildings and objects to get an idea how the shapes all work together.







My first reaction to the triangle building was no way, it's got to go. It really dominates the layout. However, it is growing on me. The second picture shows what it looks like at a little above eye level. What do you guys think, does it block the background too much? It's a really neat building http://www.custommodelrailroads.com/...uilding-1.aspx

The third picture shows how the scene would be improved with another tall building behind the Chadwick Tower building. I have a couple different ideas for that.

[robwill84]

An esoteric/realism suggestion: rotate the Lunde/etc building block 180 degrees, and make the alley into the main drag and put the alley behind, so the rear of the buildings are facing the industrial area/track (of oil tanks, switches, etc). Though guys who build model layouts are so enamored of trains they like to give all  the trackage priority position, in real life the business/commercial world is not so keen on having noisy, smelly locos and freight cars being the main views out their front office windows. But behind the buildings you find railroad tracks, dirty industries, canals, etc. This is a very slight change to the plan -- you 'll have to move the block back a little to make a suitably wide main drag out of the former alley -- but it will add a feel of "yeah, that looks right" to the layout.
Brach's Candy can be built so the one long side is the main entrance/office area, giving that side a commercial rather than industrial look (again, loading platforms and tracks behind the building) which will fit in with the fronts of the office buildings across the street -- again "yeah that looks right".

I really like this idea. I was wary of putting the Brach's candy building in front of the city buildings, but seeing it mocked up on the layout it's really small, so it won't block anything. I'll see how it looks with the "front" of the layout flipped 180 degrees. Thanks!

[nkalanaga]

If you like the interurban idea, how about an urban electric railroad?  The 44 tonner should be suitable for powering a steeplecab freight motor.  I once saw an 89 ft flatcar taken around a corner in Yakima that required the brake rigging to be disconnected and the couplers tied together with a chain, so almost any freight car CAN go around the curves.  If you want to complicate things for the operator, the chain trick could be simulated with a bent piece of wire, like a staple, but with short legs so they clear the track.

And, you can still run the interurbans and city cars on the same track.

[robwill84]

A comment by OldEastRR, about the downtown buildings facing the other way, with the rear of the buildings facing the industrial area, and the front facing towards the Brach's Candy building promted and AH HAH! moment, and a redesign:




I'm much happier with this design. The tall buildings function as a layout divider, and the overall design just feels more correct.




I also got a package today with a couple Peco small radius turnouts, and wow they are small! My 44 tonner putts through them with no problem. It only stalls occasionally below speed step 10, and only with the two turnouts arranged where the two short ends (non point ends) join together, as this puts one side of each truck almost exactly on frogs of each turnout. There is only one spot on the layout where that is the case, so it won't be an issue.






They're very handy for small layouts. The diverging track is actually a 9 inch radius.

So thanks for the suggestions everybody, and keep them coming! I'll keep updating my progress as I go along!

[Chris333]

Are those Peco turnouts available with electro-frogs?