Jon Gwinnett Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Craig, I'm not sure the clearances would mean the runaround was actually any use. I would suggest mocking it up using the track you have - I wonder if you could get round even one car in that space. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steinjr Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 seen a layout that fits my given area. I added a double slip to give it a run around but I'm not sure it I have lost the desired look of the layout. Ill post both please comments are most welcome.. Layout size is 8'x 18" You need staging to model trains arriving or departing during the operating session. For whatever it may be worth, I am not sure that adding staging is always worthwhile for a small 8x2 foot H0 scale switching layout. It sometimes is worthwhile, but it may not be worth it if it means using half the layout area to get trains in and out of staging. For a small switching layout, one option is to start the operating session with the train "having just arrived" and end it with the train "about to depart". Will this layout be placed on a table or some such thing, so you have access to the rear of the layout when running? Or will it normally be located on a shelf along a wall or some such thing? The limiting factor with the staging you show is the length of the sector plate - 25". That is how long trains (engine plus cars) you can move into or out of the layout. Having 2 x 6 feet of staging behind the backdrop doesn't help much, since you won't have room for all that many car spots on the layout. In this case, I would suggest dropping the idea of staging (or replace it by a cassette on the end of the layout, which can double as an extended switching lead during switching). Also - what are you trying to model - what kind of place, what kind of era? Smile, Stein Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 To be honest I had not thought about the Era or place ..I was hoping that would just be a natural progression of the layout. As you can see the layout size is paramount, I will have access to the rear of the board as its free standing. So I guess it back to the drawing board .. Thanks guys Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steinjr Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I rummaged through my files to see if I had some more American track plans. For whatever it may be worth, here is another handful of plans: "Thawville, IL" "Fergus Falls, MN" "Silver Springs": "Cascade Mills, Gorham, NH" "Justin City" "Ackerman Chip Mill, Ackerman, KS" Please tell me if I am spamming down the forum by posting too many track plans here. Smile, Stein 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Stein, The more the merrier! Keep them coming - this is the thread to give people ideas... Best, Pete. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steinjr Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Here is a track plan I came up with in connection with a discussion on yahoo group Ry-ops-industrialSIG about switching along 8th avenue in Marshalltown, Iowa: H0 scale, Peco medium turnouts, cars are 40' cars, engine an EMD GP-7. The track plans was based on these pictures and plans posted by Douglas Harding in the above mentioned yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ry-ops-industrialSIG/photos/album/670900519/pic/list - among prototype pictures and a Sanborn map cutout of the area, Douglas also posted his track plan - which modeled the entire 8th avenue district in 14', using #4 turnouts, and some pictures showing his layout. Worth a look if you are a member of the yahoo group. Smile, Stein 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirateped Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Hi guys, Very interesting thread so far. However, I'm about to build an 8ft x 18" HO scale Freemo module (2 x 4ft boards) and have decided to make it a stub module, so end of line. I've had a few thoughts, such as an ethanol plant, loco depot, switching district, etc. Does anyone have any trackplans for a stub layout? Preferably Freemo standard (track in centre of board). Many thanks, Peter Rochelle Intermodal www.rochelleintermodal.com N Scale Bend Track Modular Layout Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB-AU Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Does anyone have any trackplans for a stub layout? Preferably Freemo standard (track in centre of board). Some time ago I drew up a variation on Linn Westcott's Switchman's Nightmare as Free-mo. It could be operated as a stub or extended to the right. Cheers David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB-AU Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 This is based on the Grand Trunk Transfer from the Urban Modellers' News some time ago. The original plan would have required a lot of hand built trackwork. This one is slightly simplified and uses NMRA RP12 #5 turnouts throughout. The staging cassette is my own addition, giving two ways to bring cars on and off stage. The locos are SW9/1200 size and the cars are 40 and 50' to give an indication of space available. Cheers David 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 David - that first one, based on the Wescott plan is well worth some consideration - it certainly has possibilities Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirateped Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Many thanks, David. That is a good start. To further add to my requirements, I'd like to have switching opportunities, but also space for scenery, such as buildings, parking lots, etc, so ideally a track plan that is not filled with track, but still allows good switching...unless I go for the loco yard idea, of course Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steinjr Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) Hi guys, Very interesting thread so far. However, I'm about to build an 8ft x 18" HO scale Freemo module (2 x 4ft boards) and have decided to make it a stub module, so end of line. I've had a few thoughts, such as an ethanol plant, loco depot, switching district, etc. Does anyone have any trackplans for a stub layout? Preferably Freemo standard (track in centre of board). Pretty much any track plan can be turned into a stub layout by the simple expedient of just not connecting anything to that end of the layout :-) Also, if your two sections are always going to be deployed as a fixed pair at the end of some branch, the layout only needs to be compatible with Fremo at one end. So - what do you want to model? Not a lot of track, but still allowing for good switching isn't a very precise spec - that can be used for just about anything. What is "good switching" to you? What era do you like? What kind of industries? What type of place? I mean - you can get fairly interesting switching using two turnouts, as long as you use "sure spots" - ie cars doesn't just have to be shoved into a specific track, but they have to be spotted at a specific spot on that track. Like e.g. this - 8 car spots, room for a few off spot cars, and maybe have a train with 4-5 cars arrive from the right to pull and spot various cars at the three industries: Smile, Stein Edited March 20, 2012 by steinjr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 ..... you can get fairly interesting switching using two turnouts, as long as you use "sure spots" .... ... the sort of thing Lance Mindheim has been advocating for some time, now. I'm always intrigued by just how simple some of Lance's plans are, and his own layouts, for the space they take up - not many spurs, but they are long..!! Following his sort of advice, my loft layout under construction has what is basically an 'Inglenook' 3-spur freight branch, stretched out along 17ft.... just switching one of the spurs (6 car capacity) can take well over half-an-hour, and that's probably too quick at that - Lance would be horrified!! As nice as many complex trackplans look, I do think it's easy to fall into a trap of thinking that simpler plans lack operating potential, or would get 'boring'. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steinjr Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Another interesting resource when discussing sure spots is the description of spotting diagrams (and train crew briefs) Linda Sands gives on her web page about Linda and Dave Sand's layouts - in particular the Cedar River Terminal and Plymouth Industrial: http://www.sandsys.org/modelrr/modelbuilt/ Smile, Stein Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 (edited) Here's something a bit different. A modern switcher pike, with full scenic treatment courtesy of Bing Maps. This is the mellifluously named 'Fruitland Avenue' in LA. Needless to say, not much fruit in evidence. Traffic is box cars to the warehouses, lumber racks are unloaded with the fork lift visible, and coil cars are unloaded using the gantry crane into waiting trucks or onto the ground for later transhipment. This is a small urban building supplies hub. And look, even the local swithc job is parked up - a nice pair of ATSF four axle switchers, a GP38-2 and a GP30M. Edited March 27, 2012 by Dr Gerbil-Fritters 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB-AU Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Here's something a bit different. A modern switcher pike, with full scenic treatment courtesy of Bing Maps. This is the mellifluously named 'Fruitland Avenue' in LA. While trying to find that, I found another prototype Inglenook. http://binged.it/GT9HFS Cheers David 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gwinnett Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 For anyone else trying to locate Dr G-F's original shot, try the corner of Fruitland and Seville Avenues. Dr G-F's shot looks east. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB-AU Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 For anyone else trying to locate Dr G-F's original shot, try the corner of Fruitland and Seville Avenues. Dr G-F's shot looks east. Here's a shortcut. http://binged.it/GWwYss Cheers David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steinjr Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 (edited) In a discussion on the Yahoo small layouts forum, someone posted a link to to an industry in Oakland, California - Con Agra at 2207 East 7th Street. Trying to come up with a (relatively) small track plan inspired by this industry, I drew up this track plan: Adding a little extra switching to the layout to accommodate a building another guy wanted to include, I added a couple of extra tracks: Not sure it is all that American (although it obviously is inspired by a prototype location in the US), but what they heck - I'll post it in this thread anyways :-) Smile, Stein Edited April 7, 2012 by steinjr 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 Smiling! I prefer version 1, Stein. Purer. Best, Pete. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 True, Pete - but i prefer #2 - more switching! but I'd like it even more with a short run-around to get on the other end of the cars - like this 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steinjr Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 LOL - one of the great things about model railroading - both "less is more" and "more is more" works :-) Any of the three ideas would work: - fork layout (the first one), no switchbacks. Is reasonably like the prototype, and fun to work - switchback without runaround (second one) - can e.g. be run with the train arriving from the right, with some cars also having been left at the left end of the main by another train earlier. - adding a runaround like Jack suggested. In that case I might be tempted to make it a little longer, maybe like this: Smile, Stein 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Neat one, Stein - Must admit that I hadn't thought of doing the runround that way, though! Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 (edited) Away back on page two, Jordan remarked that he'd like to see how I was going to do the crossing in the middle of the road - well here it is - hopefully to be in a more completed state in time for TVNAM, which I am currently planning (all things being equal), to attend - hope to see some of you there. This morning I took the road back up as I wasn't happy - and am part way through re-laying! BTW the holes in the front are for speakers. The trackplan is adapted from 13th Street Miami, which appeared in MTI-97, and the layout is the approximate size of an A2 Boxfile - if there ever was such a thing -in HO with a double-loco-lift as a sector plate at one and and two short sidings (or three if you include the track that will run through a building),on the other. Just noticed that the vertical pic is upside down. The working - and probably final- title is "DOWNTOWN USA" which allows me to run any road power, anywhere! Edited April 10, 2012 by shortliner 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steinjr Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 I like that 13th street layout. Looks like the sector plate section can be unbolted from the main section and transported separately? Smile, Stein Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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