Layout Room: Planning Advice Sought

[Corbs]

My Stepfather has decided to build a railway in my old room (which has seen umpteen unfinished layouts in its time, mostly because as soon as the track was down I just imagined the rest!).

 

We're trying to work out a track plan that would be satisfying to operate and nice to look at. We don't want it to be too 'toy like' with track everywhere.

 

It needs to have the following:

 

Continuous run (AND the ability to send the train out and back to the terminus without reversing)

Interesting operation when we want to shunt etc.

Clear sources and destinations for traffic

A station

A scenic section

Gradients for locos to work hard

 

This is the rough plan we have so far. Does anyone have any suggestions on how we could improve/change it?

 

A guide:

 

The RED section is a lift out or duck under bridge

The YELLOW section is optional - we might ditch this visible section and keep it buried

BLUE is a traffic source/industry e.g. a coal mine, a brewery or something

GREEN is where I think we should bring in a little quayside scene below the town. The track leading to here is a bit like Dawlish.

 

Top left is the MPD.

 

In the bottom left corner is a circle with the double tracks leading in and out (this is all located below the station and town). This means it could be used to turn trains around and send them back to the station (from either direction) or can be locked out to act like a normal double track loop.

 

 

[DCB]

Looks great but if it is 00 gauge your station is far too short.    You will be mixing and matching streamline and set track and carving lumps off points and the junctions are drawn for curbed diamonds which I don't them exist  in RTR so I redrew them as streamine Y point short Diamond set up

 I think the branch is a step too far and I can't get a run round and access to the loco depot top left as the curved diamonds don't exist, 

The Circle in the mainline concept is great but you need more storage, maybe a pair of loops with the hidden tracks minimum or your station will become a visible fiddle yard    Attached is my doodle showing I can't  work out what to do with the branch

Edited December 9, 2017 by DavidCBroad

[Harlequin]

What gauge/scale?

 

The radius of the reversing circle will be less than 2ft, close to 18in I guesstimate.

 

The reversing circle will be difficult to access if things get stuck or derail under there. And it's probably not sensible to make the station removable to gain access.

 

The yellow lifting section seems to be immediately beside a fixed section so it's not clear why it needs to lift.

Edit: Sorry, yellow is not a lifting section. I misread the drawing.

Edited December 10, 2017 by Harlequin

[Corbs]

Thanks for your input guys, very good points.

I should have mentioned it's 00 scale. We measured out the circle, I think using 2nd radius curves, I think it will just about squeeze in. The underground sections are a concern in case of derailments, our thinking was that this effectively be 'hollow' rather than a solid baseboard so we can access from underneath if needed.

 

I think if we did away with the yellow visible section we'd be able to have a goods branch destination. We can't put it bottom right unfortunately as the door opens there.

 

I'd wondered about making the station have 2 tracks either side of a central platform instead, with milk/parcels dock to the side?

 

Due to the size of the room and the layout ambition we are limited to trains of about 3 coaches in length, which is fine to be honest.

 

The 'quay' line we were going to have as a single track branch to save space. Possibly with only a loco spur to have a shunter, and maybe a siding.

[Joseph_Pestell]

A difficult shaped room for what you are trying to achieve.

 

Even if you only want short trains, it would look so much better if the main station platforms are longer than that. Should be possible.

[Corbs]

I think you are right and extending the platforms might be best, I'm just talking about reducing the width of the station to make more operational fun?

[LNER4479]

Hi,

 

I too share the concern about the accessibility and tight curvature of the return loop arrangement.

 

Have you thought about bringing the line from the terminus down so as to join in a clockwise direction - possibly a single track connection at the bottom right where you have the tunnel just before the lift out section. You can then use the reverse curve alignment (that you currently show as the incline down) as the reversing arrangement. Possibly a small station or loops here to give the trains a reason to stop? Apologies that I haven't drawn that to go with this response - hope it makes sense.

 

Only a detail, but I don't really see the need for the release crossovers at the terminus - I think you'll very rapidly run out of room, even with set track. Having a station pilot to shunt stock to release locos increases the shunting operations (and thus interest) at the station.

[Harlequin]

As drawn with hills, tunnels, steep grades and tight radii, it looks like a classic 009 design...

 

IMHO, at 4mm scale, the room shape would be better suited to an L shaped layout opposite the door. Terminus to (quayside) terminus with a fiddle yard concealed somewhere.

 

But of course that's a non-starter if the continuous run is one of your "red lines".

[Joseph_Pestell]

Let's ignore that left-hand alcove for the moment (although it can have some freight interest or the MPD tucked into it later) and just consider the main 11'6 x 5'10 rectangle.

 

Within this space, it should be just about possible to have a terminus along the top (buffer stops to the right) and  then a gradient down to a continuous run that then leads to a reverse loop (top left of plan). A bit simpler than your original but it gives much the same operational possibilities.

Edited December 10, 2017 by Joseph_Pestell

[Corbs]

Very good points, thank you all.

 

We are prepared to sacrifice the 'branch line' as it may just not work. Similarly, double track throughout may not be possible (although it's long been a dream!). You are right though, a continuous run is essential as we want to have that nice soothing feeling of just having trains run round and round every now and again.

 

Putting the station in the top right corner is a real possibility, and your point about having the junction the opposite way around would use less space.

 

Substituting the release crossovers for a station pilot is a good one, more shunting is better IMO.

[DCB]

Having played with Anyrail since my first doode  I don't think this layout can be built without hand built track and it would be 2nd or 3rd  radius hand built track, specifically curved diamonds.   The problem is the middle roads to the hidden loop,  I can't find any diamonds which are obtuse enough to allow them to cross the upper roads, neither can I find any to allow the branch to leave the terminus as drawn.   

I would delete the line from the junction with the terminus line to the loop and re draw the loop using streamline short Y points and 3rd radius curves, it will involve cutting set track but should be straightforward enough. Having done this there is room for some hidden loops to liven up operating.

Edited December 11, 2017 by DavidCBroad

[Harlequin]

A continuous run is not the only way to run trains without manual control.

 

You could use a DCC Shuttle module to automate end-to-end running or even go further and add computer control.

[Corbs]

Thanks guys, we'll have a go at re-drawing taking on board the advice.

 

 

A continuous run is not the only way to run trains without manual control.

 

You could use a DCC Shuttle module to automate end-to-end running or even go further and add computer control.

 

I know what you mean, it's not the same thing as the joy of letting a train go round and round. I know for sure we can get a continuous run as I used to have a 'dog bone' shaped layout going around my bed!

[Corbs]

Stupid question: Anyrail's not available on Mac. Are there any recommended web-based layout design apps? S

[imt]

Stupid question: Anyrail's not available on Mac. Are there any recommended web-based layout design apps? S

 

Recommended?  There is "Traxeditor" which has an old web page http://www.traxeditor.com and a newer "Beta test" site http://beta.traxeditor.com/.  I am trying hard to make it work for me and having considerable problems,  Maybe a learning curve, maybe it's rubbish - I don't know which yet!

[Nearholmer]

I wouldn't allow yourselves to be put-off the continuous run and terminus concept simply because it leads to greatly sub-scale curve radii. There is no law that requires us to large radii, and although it is easier to make things look 'respectable' with large radii, small radii can be disguised, and are not as apparent when 'in the middle of the doughnut' as when viewing a plan.

 

One way of decongesting things would be to go for single, rather than double track, and you might consider terminus-circuit- fiddleyard, as a way of avoiding a return loop.

 

The "sticky out bit" (chimney breast?) is a real challenge, but other than that it isn't proportionally a lot different from my 0 gauge 'toy train set'.

Edited December 12, 2017 by Nearholmer

[Flying Pig]

Crewlisle, (plan here) is 8.5 x 7.5 feet and is a terminus with return loop and continuous running similar to your original concept.