track plan of my layout

[KIM]

My layout is in a walk-in closet size room, that only allows 7 1/2' X 8' for the layout. It started out to be a simple switching layout of 2' X 8'. Somehow it kept growing. A staging track was added to one end, then my wife gave me a turntable and roundhouse for a Christmas present a couple years ago, at which point I lost all control.

With the growth, came plans for a removable staging track that would go out the door. Then my wife got a couple steam engines, and decided that she wanted them to be able to run continuously once in a while , and a duck under was added. This replaced the removable section, and a sceniced staging track on a bridge was added.




Above is an overview of the current track plan. She's talking about double decking, so who knows what will happen next. The first thing you'll notice is the sharp radius curves. In order to make what I wanted happen, 11" was required. The duck under is a distraction, but not much more than that. I use building, natural scenery, and a tunnel to disguise them. At this time, I really don't have an actual control panel as we're currently in DC, but plans are in the works for DCC. If the DCC doesn't materialize soon, then I'll build an organized control panel. This is not made up of all 5" track. I just never could get the flex track option to work on the planner. I kept getting strange loops and curves.

The premise behind the layout, is that this is a section of a railroad that has been cut back, but still runs close to a very busy mainline. Operation here still operates because of the volume of business generated at the industrial town. Also the yard is handy for dropping cars from the mainline to be picked up by other trains. Some repairs are also done here. This is set in late spring/early fall of 1959. This is a holdout railroad for steam, but diesel is making it's presence known, but facilities are just being added.

Operation on this is simple. The train runs from the yard to the industrial park, and back. Well, maybe it's not actually quite that simple. There is also the matter of the trains coming from the mainline and dropping off their cars, and the subsequent switching around of said cars. Mainline engines are sent for servicing while the loads are being switched by the yard switcher, who is already busy working the yard.

Once trains are readied for the industrial park another engine takes on that task. Trains make that run at least twice during an operating session. Two to four mainline trains enter the yard per session, with as many leaving. So this may be a small layout, but it is busy. One more element is added to make things more frustrating for operators. That would be the twice daily commuter run, which is priority above all.

Mainline trains are built up on the river bridge, and only come as far as the yard where they're broken up, made back up, and sent back out again (simplified for discussion), and then, once back on the bridge, removed from action. Commuter runs are also made up and removed on the bridge, but they go to both towns, and back again. This adds the element, that they not only cause headaches by entering the layout, but then they return again, and this happens twice. No continuous run is done during an operating session. all runs are out and back.

I miss my big 15' X 40' room that I had back in Iowa, but I'm not only making this little layout work, but I'm having fun with it. I'm in the process of designing an organized car routing system, as well as smoothing out operating sessions. I'm still learning the art of operation, but that's what keeps the hobby interesting. Much of my rolling stock is set for a later date, as my original plans called for 1976, but as I progress, they will be backdated to suit 1959.

[BarstowRick]

The plan looks good and should provide for a lot of railroad action. No suggestions from this end of the woods.

[keystonecrossings]

I recommend that you change the configuration at the left end of the yard so a crew can drill the yard without blocking the main.

On the right side, the entry into the yard is the third track down. On the left side, that track becomes the main. I would make the main the second track down... the one coming out of the passenger station... so move the upper left curve up on track.

Then, exend the third track as the drill/arrival/departure track... extend it around the upper left corner behind the round house... have it join the main where your "disel service" label is.

[KIM]

Jerry, I wish I'd placed this up here before I had the track and scenery in, because Jerry, you are right. Your suggestions would have made for much smoother operation.

[powersteamguy1790]

Very nice track plan Doug. Have fun running trains on your layout.

Stay cool and run steam.....

[KIM]

Jerry, I've been on the track planner, tinkering with your suggestions. WOW what a difference this would make. When I get to feeling better, I'm going to go up to the layout, and see if I can still incorporate them. With all the roadbed and everything else in place for what I have now, it would be a monumental task, but it might be worth it. I like that it would give me a break up and assemble track too.

[rhpd42002]

Douglas, if you can find a way to incorporate Jerry's suggestions, I do believe you'd be happier with the ability to operate more smoothly.
I have a "bypass" track on my outer mainline loop so I can drill my flat switch yard while a train runs on the "main". My yard is stub ended and located away from the mainline, so I have no through trains passing through or around the yard trackage.
It might be hard to pull up some of the trackage to re-arrange it, but if you do, it won't be difficult to blend in the new scenery with the existing scenery. Just take a deep breath and go for it!!

[carl160]

When I want to use flex for straight sections of my layout, I would mock it up in sectional. Then, I would delete the bit with individual 5" straights, and add the flex with the flex track icon (RTS). Then, to be REAL fancy, after I had the other side of the curve done, I could delete the sectioonal curve parts, and add flex there, as well.
On my layout,I am primarily switching industries, and will loop around a few times, to simulate mileage,between switching locations.

[douggosha]

I love it! I'm in the middle of deciding whether to build a 4'X8' layout or an around-the-walls, as originally planned over 10 years ago, layout in the spare bedroom of my apartment. An around-the-walls layout would be about 11'X8' but the one obstacle there is an old entertainment center which holds Hi-Fi equipment (my other life's persuit) that wasn't there back then.

The yard on my old layout was very similar to yours, Doug, but, instead of an around-the-walls layout, it was a sort of folded dogbone with the yard in the connecting tracks between the two lobes. I had a drill track separate from the mainline running around there inside by where your roundhouse is. I believe that was similar to what Jerry suggested only mine didn't join the mainline but was just a stub drill.

Doug

[KIM]

Doug

It sounds great, but don't make my mistake and wait until the track and scenery are in place to show the layout diagram for critique. If I'd shown this before all was in place, I could have saved myself a lot of headaches. It's said that two heads are better than one, and here there are many knowledgeable heads to catch what we miss. I'm just now getting over the bug I had all week, and have had a chance to go up to the train room and look the situation over, but it appears that changes will be monumental, because of space restrictions. I'm going to wait a few days until I've got my head together good, before I decide the fate though.

[loggerhead]

Very nice track plan........you will make someone happy after buying all that track and turnouts.

[KIM]

Loggerhead, the problem that I'm having, is that it's already in place and much of it is sceniced. I'm now working on a way of making the improvements that Jerry suggested. It does work quite well as is, but if I do make the changes, it would be much better. As I've been studying the track plan, I have had to ask myself, what kind of nut has a small switching layout, but includes a huge coal bunker, a six stall roundhouse, and a turntable large enough to spin a Big boy?

[rhpd42002]

Jun 23, 2012 13:41:30 GMT -8 KIM said:

As I've been studying the track plan, I have had to ask myself, what kind of nut has a small switching layout, but includes a huge coal bunker, a six stall roundhouse, and a turntable large enough to spin a Big boy?

Why the kind of nut who likes switching and having large steam locos on the main that have to stop at this facility for servicing/water/coal, of course!!

[KIM]

Mike that works for me.

[keystonecrossings]

Glad I could help, er, sort of!

[KIM]

Jerry, I think I may actually be able to implement your suggestions. It won't be perfectly ideal, but it'll be like the pedestrian bridge, I'll make it work. What I've come up with will involve minimal disruption to the scenery, and I won't have to move any buildings. I'm just waiting a couple days until I'm really back on my feet good and have a clear mind, before I make decisions.

[carl160]

Just an idea, to provide a yard lead, and to clean up the passenger depot at the top.Reangled a few of the sidings to allow room for industries on either side, and better sightlines frominside the pit

[KIM]

In this overview, you can see what my situation is. Up between the coaling tower and the town, it's very narrow. I've checked it out, and I can squeeze two tracks through there, but it will take careful alignment to get it done. The only changes I'll have to make will take place on the far side of the pedestrian bridge.

[keystonecrossings]

Close, but now you have the issue where a train moving counter-clockwise cannot enter the yard without a backing move. I would keep a connection to the yard's first track.

[tdcsxcrrfan]

But that's coming from the staging/bridge scene AND he's got the "mansion on the hill" tunnel to deal with. The backing move could add some interest though! Although not ideal, it can be found on the prototypes!

Trevor D.

[KIM]

I've been doing some track planning, and came up with what I call a compromise plan. It gives me better yard entry, but offers minimal disruption to the areas surrounding it. I wanted to show this before I implement it, to be sure that I'm on the right course?

This displayed on a new page, so I felt it beneficial to include an image of the previous section of layout for comparison.

[tdcsxcrrfan]

Holy Crap!! I was drawing this up right after I posted but was busy painting the living room. Here's my revision for you, almost the same!! I have a parking track added for some passenger equipment next to/ in-line with the platform. I didn't want to change too much, as I realise that ripping out some tracks is a hard thing to do sometimes!!



Trevor D.

[keystonecrossings]

Doug,

Good progress! I can better it if you are willing to put in two more turnouts...

The only issue I see is that if you plan to keep freight trains out of the two depot tracks, that forces them through the yard on the very drill track we added in order to keep the yard drill off the main. So you still have a block, unless you send through freight trains through the depot on the one track.

Here's a solution. From the top of your drawing, look directly below the word "buildings". If you add a pair of switches you can connect the main line with the first yard track. Through freights would then avoid hitting the drill track and would also be kept out of the passenger depot.

[carl160]

So, looking at the very top image, a freight moving clockwise would stop and uncouple on the 3rd track from the top. Then, I suppose it would continue past the turnout at the far right, and return via the 2nd track down. Then continue below "Diesel Service" marking , and return to the yard by the route it took in.
It could go up the ladder 1 or 2 sidings, to hook up to an assembled train, to head off in the other direction.

[KIM]

Jerry, financially I'm stuck with the track that I have on hand. What I have working in my favor, is that I only have commuter traffic to contend with, and that's just one run each for morning and evening. That does leave my passenger tracks free for switching in all but those brief time slots. What I need to do, is to get the ornery streak out of me, and eliminate the passenger service, but I like the commotion that it causes. I've already started to implement the changes I'm showing, and it will be better than it was. I really appreciate your help.

[keystonecrossings]

Aaarrrgggghhhh... never get rid of passenger ops!!!

If it's only commuter service, you only really need one track in the station. Use the other track as the main and keep through freights on that. Then you are good to go.

[bsklarski]

What about this? You have a long passing siding, so you can switch the yard, also run passenger ops without having to stop switching. Also the offset main issue is solved, toss in some Xovers. A few other changes could be made, but I guess this is minimal for now

[KIM]

I'm really enjoying all the variations on this layout that are being posted. It shows that a lot of action can happen in small spaces. The door into this room is 2 feet behind the end of the yard. Other variations that could be offered would be to make this a true out and back by eliminating the river valley section and running detachable staging tracks out the door. This would get rid of the duck under. A variation on that would leave the river valley, but place a turnout at the end of the yard that would go to the removable staging track.

Another variation would utilize Brian's suggestion, but would go further by running double track over the river valley, thus making the whole layout double tracked. Keep the ideas and fun coming.

[bsklarski]

Well I was going to suggest that, because if you dont use that section during normal ops, you would otherwise have a double track layout.. so might as well continue it all the way around. You can still have staging into the other area you mentioned.

[bsklarski]

also perhaps extend some of those yard tracks to make a doubled ended yard on a few. You will enjoy that. I loved having the choice of using either end of the yard when I had my HO layout