Track Plans for North American Layouts

[dave_long]

Pete,

I agree shinohara code 70 is very nice I used it on my Miami layout. Are you using DCC as they are a bit of work to get ready.

[trisonic]

No, Dave, it is only a diorama......I may only temporarily wire it anyway...

 

Best, Pete.

[dave_long]

Ok Pete. Perfect for a dio! I'd just paint the switch tiebar to get rid of the shiny metal bar.

[trisonic]

Ha! You theenk I'm stoopid?

 

First thing I did after I opened the box, mate.

 

Cheers, Pete.

[dave_long]

Fairy nuff

[ian_redrooster]

Evening,

 

This is an 'outline' plan of my new Chicago area n-gauge layout which is soon to start taking shape.

 

 

It's only going to be 8' x 1' but will give potential to run the new Kato METRA sets, along with plenty of switching in the adjacent CSX/IHB yard.

A couple of spots for box / tank cars should keep my busy!

 

This isn't the final plan, as the lines now curve off to the left into the storage sidings.

[multivac]

I've been trying to track down a track plan by Giles Barnabe. The dimensions were about 7 feet by 1.5 feet and it was a switching layout in H0. The reason I'm asking is that a member of the model railway club I used to belong to actually built a layout from the design and this worked really well. I have already checked through SMT and MTI without a result. Thank you.

 

I am temped to work on some of the designs posted here too.

Edited September 22, 2012 by multivac

[Matador]

If anyone wants them I have the following books (soft cover) for free, all I ask is you pay the postage via PAYPAL.

 

1 x 6 HO Railroads you can build.

1x HO Trackside structures you can build.

2 x Track Planning for realistic operation.

1 x Small Railroads you can build.

 

Please only one each

David

e-mail Yorkshiredale@cableone.net

A Yorkshireman in the USA

Edited September 22, 2012 by Matador

[shortliner]

I've been trying to track down a track plan by Giles Barnabe. The dimensions were about 7 feet by 1.5 feet and it was a switching layout in H0. The reason I'm asking is that a member of the model railway club I used to belong to actually built a layout from the design and this worked really well. I have already checked through SMT and MTI without a result. Thank you.

 

I am temped to work on some of the designs posted here too.

 

I have forwarded this to Giles - awaiting a reply

[shortliner]

Giles has sent me this - hope it helps

 

Hi Jack,

 

That could be quite a list, given that his description is lacking the original plan’s prototype or name. Anyway I’ll assume he’s gone back all the way with all Chris’s publications so I’ll ignore ST, SMT and MTI, which leaves us with the following possibilities (I’ve omitted the round-the-walls plans and roundy-roundies):-

 

Good matches

South Street Yard HO American CM Mar/Ap 1986

Peronne yard (from Along French Byways) HO French light industrial CM Dec 1993

New Plymouth HO American CM Aug 2003

 

Possibles?

Southery HO British MTI no. 8 1997 and CM - but smaller than stated

Romorantin HOm French n.g. European Rlys Jan/Feb 2005

 

Unlikely but ???

Kinmel Quarry OO Welsh mineral line RM May 2003

Untitled layout 1:35 scale French n.g. European Rlys Oct/Nov 2005

Uphill Work HO based on French rack line in Lyons European Rls 177 Winter 2007 pt 2 ER 178 Summer 2008

Terrier Backwaters OO RM Feb 2007

 

Too recent

Boulazac EP French Ind. Estate HO and N CM Feb 2012

 

Hope he can find a back number if he recognises the right one. All my records are in store and unlikely to surface before next January/Feb at the earliest.

 

ATB

 

Giles

Edited September 23, 2012 by shortliner

[multivac]

Thank you to shortliner and Giles Barnabe for looking through past layout designs. I have most of the back issues mentioned in Gile's reply and will have fun looking through the articles mentioned.

[Prof Klyzlr]

Evening,

 

This is an 'outline' plan of my new Chicago area n-gauge layout which is soon to start taking shape.

 

 

 

It's only going to be 8' x 1' but will give potential to run the new Kato METRA sets, along with plenty of switching in the adjacent CSX/IHB yard.

A couple of spots for box / tank cars should keep my busy!

 

This isn't the final plan, as the lines now curve off to the left into the storage sidings.

 

Dear Ian,

 

So does this mean we're going to see a SW1500 + PB1 set in N scale?

 

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve,

Prof Klyzlr

[mgilger]

I'm planning a shelf layout, in HO scale that will be chest high around 3 walls which are 11x9x6 with the benchwork coming out from the wall 18-22 inches. The shelf will be in my office and chest high gets it above my office desk and pc, etc. Any help on construction techniques for the frame work would be appriecated along with suggestions for actual track plans. It will be point to point with the main thrust towards switching industries. Any help would be appricated.

Thanks,

Mark

[Talltim]

What sort of period and area of the country are you thinking of?

[shortliner]

Multivac - a suddern thought - in Continental Modeller - although smaller than you mentioned - Mettrick Yard. It is N and there is a trackplan and some details here http://carendt.us/scrapbook/page47/index.html

Edited November 13, 2012 by shortliner

[Acela]

Over Christmas I had to do a lot of sitting around holding a sleeping baby so I drew a trackplan to the UK Freemo specs.http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6757517081_7c51773220_o.pngIt is based on Lawrence MA, but with the new station to the east of the original station cut off and one of the spurs converted to a siding (which I think it had been years ago)Contrary to most plans here, its not about the industries, there is only one, B & D Advanced Warehousing, who actually have a pic of a boxcar in their warehouse on their website! The two links off the mainline are in reality short spurs to single industries, but are the remains of lines to other towns, however Freemo allows themto go whereever you want!The station platform is accessed by a subway from the road underbridge, it is served by MBTA trains and the Downeaster also passes through.I got bored before I added all the buildings, hence the bare areas at the southern end.I don't see myself building this, but I think its an interesting counterpoint to most US designed US layouts and UK designed US layouts.

 

Hi Tim, I've been admiring your plan of Lawrence and Guilford's trackage. I actually live near the east end of your module in Bradford which is part of Haverhill.

 

Can I ask what software you used to design your layout plan?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Jim

[Talltim]

Its AnyRail. I managed to do the whole layout in the free demo mode, by chance really, I think I used all available parts! I really like the way the flexi track is handled, and the ability to do parallel tracks of good. Text was placed on the exported image in Photoshop but allt he graphics were done in AnyRail.

BTW, here's some pics of Lawrence Station being built

[CourthsVeil]

To whom it may concern:

maybe this site gives one or another of us inspiration for a layout: trackage around a Procter & Gamble plant plus their port on Staten Island - named after one of their brands.

Cheers - Armin

[Mike Boucher]

Over Christmas I had to do a lot of sitting around holding a sleeping baby so I drew a trackplan to the UK Freemo specs.

It is based on Lawrence MA, but with the new station to the east of the original station cut off and one of the spurs converted to a siding (which I think it had been years ago)

Contrary to most plans here, its not about the industries, there is only one, B & D Advanced Warehousing, who actually have a pic of a boxcar in their warehouse on their website!

The two links off the mainline are in reality short spurs to single industries, but are the remains of lines to other towns, however Freemo allows themto go whereever you want!

The station platform is accessed by a subway from the road underbridge, it is served by MBTA trains and the Downeaster also passes through.

I got bored before I added all the buildings, hence the bare areas at the southern end.

I don't see myself building this, but I think its an interesting counterpoint to most US designed US layouts and UK designed US layouts.

 

I like it!  Having grown up about 10 miles from there, I've spent a lot of time in railfanning there.  You've captured it well, IMHO.

 

There are some photos of Lawrence in the 80's in my flickr photostream:  

 

And a nice extension would be to model the bridge over the Merrimack river on the branch to Manchester.  Interesting bridge, a waterfall just to the west, and Lawton's hot dogs looking like its going to fall into the water...

[Talltim]

Thanks for the comments. The more I research it the more I realise that it was more interesting place in the past, eg go back to when the Manchester and Lawrence and the Lowell and Lawrence were still open and you have two junctions, one with a proper wye, another yard, two more stations and all the industrial trackage around the mills and cutting across the canal.

However watching some of the vids recently uploaded to YouTube I notice that there is another spur I could add to this track plan, although I'm not yet sure what it served.

Edited April 16, 2013 by Talltim

[dickgreen]

I love the description of the Staging Yard for Plan#2 :- "Some sorta slidey rack thing".... we call them Traversers in the UK

 

My own favourite plan under consideration at the moment... a good ol' Inglenook. Gentlemen I give you Randolph, MN on the Progressive Rail's lines (ex-CNW main line).

Okay so the yard carries on for quite a way north-east, and has turnouts at the far end that make some of the spurs actually sidings (or sidings into loops in UK parlance), but at the yard entrance it's a classic two-turnouts/three spurs Inglenook....

 

Hi I live 20 minutes from randolph and was there for a train show a few weeks ago. if there is any info you need maybe I can help

Dick

[DavidB-AU]

Some of you will have seen the Heart of Georgia layout. Here's a version in N using Atlas code 55 track on the same sized baseboards. Instead of #6 turnouts on the main lines and #4 on sidings on the original, this version has #10 on the main line and #7 on sidings. While it's tempting to cram in more track, personally I'd take advantage of the smaller scale to run longer trains and have more variety of scenery (especially an urban scene). As it's designed as a better beginner's layout, everything shown is available off the shelf.

 

 

Cheers

David

Edited May 7, 2013 by DavidB-AU

[HeavyDuty]

Some of you will have seen the Heart of Georgia layout. Here's a version in N using Atlas code 55 track on the same sized baseboards. Instead of #6 turnouts on the main lines and #4 on sidings on the original, this version has #10 on the main line and #7 on sidings. While it's tempting to cram in more track, personally I'd take advantage of the smaller scale to run longer trains and have more variety of scenery (especially an urban scene). As it's designed as a better beginner's layout, everything shown is available off the shelf.

 

HOGRR N Atlas 55.png

 

Cheers

David

 

This is a plan that plays to N's strengths!  It even has the potential to grow - it would make a nice layout for a more advanced modeler that is looking for casual operation and "flange therapy" if you double decked it with a lower staging loop.

[DavidB-AU]

This is a plan that plays to N's strengths!  It even has the potential to grow - it would make a nice layout for a more advanced modeler that is looking for casual operation and "flange therapy" if you double decked it with a lower staging loop.

 

The HOG is designed as a beginner's layout, but you're right that a more advanced modeller could add staging. I might work on that.....

 

Cheers

David

[HeavyDuty]

I can envision entry to lower level staging in the lower right corner... you could have staging tracks that are almost a full loop for typically long US trains.