It's time! N scale layout "without a name" Building Log.

[luis_lopes]

Hi all.

I really need some help, please. last time I tried to build a US layout, it was in H0, and things where going nice, until I started to do more than I could.

I had to scrap the layout, because I moved to a new place, in Feb of this year.

No that I have settled, I am thinking about model trains again, and building a layout. I have a storage room that it is roughly 5,20 x 2,20 m (17x7 feet), but I can't fill this with trains.

So I was thinking about a layout, in N scale, built in sections (this is a must, because I don't want to be away from the family, specially from my one year old son, while building the thing and I think that this way I can get things done and not be overwhelmed).

I love those big diesels from modern eras, like the GEVOs, in Union Pacific colors. In fact I already have three of these diesels, some hoppers, and some box cars.

At the moment I have one of the walls with a storage rack, that is 150cm high (5'). The layout will be built on top of these units, with 40cms wide sections, and the length of each section will be decided after the plan is done.

So, I already have two boxes ready to lay some track. They are made in plywood, 75 x 40 x 10cm (L x W x H), and I thought that this could be for a small stub yard 150cm long, serving as a staging yard. I don't want to hide this yard, because I can't afford having precious real estate hidden from sight. This idea came after reading extensively all the threads and blog posts about Free-moN modules from M.C. Fujiwara.

The problem is that I don't know how to properly design a freight yard.

Being Portuguese and having an ocean between me and the US, there's lots of stuff that I need to know and research.

I don't know if I should go with  a desert scene like Pelle Soeberg's layout, or a something like Oregon-ish like Syskiyou Line from Joe Fugate.

Decisions, decisions...

Can you fine gentleman give me a hand at this, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?....

Best regards.

[luis_lopes]

Hi all, I forgot to mention a thing: I will use PECO code 55, because it is the easiest rail to get in Portugal.

Thank you so much fro the time you took reading this.

Best wishes

[3DTrains]

Hi Luis,

You could start by picking up any of the John Armstrong model railroad layout design books to get a feel for how things are put together (available online at MRR or on eBay). With that, choose a railroad and area, and visit via Google Earth so you can see the basic layout of the yard. The combination of the two should yield good results. Good luck!

Cheers!
Marc - Riverside

[John]

Let me suggest these --- free

https://www.x2011west.org/handouts/ldBootcamp-YardOps.pdf

http://railbricks.com/blog/the-ten-commandments-of-model-railroad-yard-design/

http://www.featherrivertrains.com/documents/kal_12248.pdf

http://www.cke1st.com/m_train5.htm

http://www.gatewaynmra.org/freight-yards/

[luis_lopes]

HI.

Thank you so much for your help.

So, after reading for a while, and using MC Fujiwara's threads as inspiration, this is what I came up with.

Please, remember, that these are N Scale sections, with 75 x 40cm , that will form a 150cm (5') long yard.

My idea is to have another yard on the other end of the layout, and add sections with industries, clients for the railroad, and some scenics sections in between.

What should I change?

[OldEastRR]

Re: your design. The yard needs at least one runaround track, or more. It's explained on that site about the "10 Commandments".

[luis_lopes]

Hi.

I added a ladder runaround on the lower side.

Thinking about ditching the upper side, and add some small warehouse just to spot a car or two...

[luis_lopes]

Hi all.

What I love the most, and that's where my collection is focused on, are the mainline diesels, like a SD70M, Dash 8-40, and so on...

My big doubt is, is it normal to have these big diesels doing some switching moves. I am doing a small tre track yard, and I want to incorporate one or two industries, like a lumberyard, or a grain silo.

If a train arrives to the yard, and the locomotive can make a run around move, can it make the switching necessary to the industries, or should I have a yard switcher just standing there waiting?

I saw on Youtube 2 SD70M switching some gondolas, but I don't know if this is normal...

Thanks in advance.

[lajmdlr]

Luis
US RRs usually keep the mainline locos just working mainlines & switch locos working in yards & industries. They may set out/pick up cars between division points, but usually won't do any switching in & around yards or industries. In fact there are union rules governing what mainline & local crews can & can't do. If you haven't already done so, do some more research on US mainline RRs you would like to model. Then do searches thru Google on how they operate on their mainlines & yards, the kind of locos used for each place, the kinds of industries served & kinds of cars for each industry, etc. This doesn't mean you HAVE to model any particular RR. Just use that research to learn as much as possible about US RRs. And it's very OK if you want to  have your own freelance/fictional model railroad. As they say it's your MR so do what ever you want!

[luis_lopes]

HI.

Thank you so much for your help!

Best regards.

[luis_lopes]

Hi all.

I am going to start a layout. I think that is going to be the "one".

I asked for your help to plan a small freight yard, to serve just as staging yard. Well, I was over thinking about it. I opened SCARM and made a buck of trackplnas, and all of the looked awfull. Then, after reading Mike Confalone Allagash Story Vol1. I decided that should take an approach just like Mike does.

I do not want to have a switching puzzle for these two first sections. I just want to have something to start working with model trains again, and this just a place to where trains will arrive and departure.

So, for this reason, I made a simple two track yard, with an interchage track (I always wanted to have a BNSF train), and a switchback for diesel servicing (??)

I had a basic planing, but with track in place (sort of...) I was able to see that what I wanted is plausible...

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It's tike to draw the center lines, lay the cork subroadbed, lay the track, attach DCC controller and run a locomotive....

Best wishes!

[MVW]

Hi Luis,

I wonder if it would be worthwhile to have a crossover at the far end of the table, between the two tracks furthest to the right. That would give you a short run-around, and provide a bit more flexibility.

Good luck!

Jim

[luis_lopes]

Hi Jim.

As I told on my last post... this is not meant to have switching moves... this is just a staging yard, with some scenery I will stage here two trains for departure, for an operating session. I will have some more staging on the other end of the layt. This will be a shelf layout, "U" shaped, with 5 x 2,2 x 4m. I think Ill even add a penisula!

Nevertheless, thank you for the tip.

[luis_lopes]

Hi all.

Yesterday was a day for modelling.

Finished tracklaying, after sanding the cork roadbed, made the wiring and connect a ROCO Multimaus to run some trains!

Wife enjoyed it, but me and my kid(he is only 15 months old, but the sound and lights made him laugh ) enjoyed even more. 

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Spent about a week, sanding the stuff. I wanted to be as perfect as it could get, because I want the track to be flawless.

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Sanded the sides down to bevel the roadbed. It removed the imperfections and it helped build the ballast profile.

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Track is PECO cod 55. Easier to get here. Secured it using "No more nails".

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All the joints where soldered, but not the "V" rails on the frog.

 

This was the best part. The model is an Atlas Dash 8-40CW, that I am working on. I am trying to install an ESU Loksound Micro V4.0. I need to muill the frame and get some sugar cube speakers, but that still a project.
 
Hope you enjoy.
 
Best wishes.

[luis_lopes]

Hi all.

To be a Portuguese modeler, and loving Union Pacific trains is sometimes overwhelming.

I had enough with the greenish, Christmas look-a-like layouts that I build over the years, and I would like to try something new to me. Yeap, you guessed it, Mike Confalone's BEAUTIFUL Allagash made wonder if I could do something like that, using some of his scenery techniques.

So, here is where my doubts come in:

If I try to model something like the North East and the muddy season, is it prototypical to have UP trains there?

I saw at RailPictures.net an UP train in Vermont, next to the Hoosic River. That picture was taken in March, so I could base my freelanced N scale layout, but....

I really would appreciate you help with matter.

(If you have have any doubts with Portuguese trains, please, don't hesitate)

Best regards.