Robatron86 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) So, I have thought about the car float over and over and over, almost to the brink of insanity, and it isn't inspiring me at all.I don't know why.And the roundhouse idea didn't do it for me really either.So, I have been doing some more experimenting and have hit upon what I enjoy most, and that is inglenooks.I present the latest idea, a full 5-3-3 inglenook, which have just spent the best part of an hour switching, and good god it was fun!Sorry for all the dithering. I'm sure I will come back to the float one day. Edited March 31, 2017 by Robatron86 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted January 26, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 26, 2017 So, I have thought about the car float over and over and over, almost to the brink of insanity, and it isn't inspiring me at all. I don't know why. And the roundhouse idea didn't do it for me really either. So, I have been doing some more experimenting and have hit upon what I enjoy most, and that is inglenooks. I present the latest idea, a full 5-3-3 inglenook, which have just spent the best part of an hour switching, and good god it was fun! Sorry for all the dithering. I'm sure I will come back to the float one day. i am starting to worry I have laid out an Inglenook Ok with a kick back siding as well but the ATSF is one of my four interchangeable groups of stock. The main difference is mine is my first DCC layout so it isn't wired and powered up yet and playing hasn't started. SOO, Conrail and WP and SP are the others. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted January 26, 2017 Author Share Posted January 26, 2017 Don't worry. Just because I am doing an ATSF inglenook doesn't mean you can't Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Ah good, the process begins again! I was wondering how long it would be before you started a new layout Rob! Can't wait to see what you do with it. P.s. Would it kill you to have a Southern boxcar adrift in that sea of ATSF? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted January 26, 2017 Author Share Posted January 26, 2017 If I find some that take my fancy, I don't see why not. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 i am starting to worry I have laid out an Inglenook Ok with a kick back siding as well but the ATSF is one of my four interchangeable groups of stock. The main difference is mine is my first DCC layout so it isn't wired and powered up yet and playing hasn't started. SOO, Conrail and WP and SP are the others.Just stick with the Soo you know it makes sense One thing about Inglenooks - they are often promoted as 'space savers' with the idea of shoe-horning them into very small spaces. Heck, I've done it myself!! But an Inglenook stretched out not only has the deceptively complex operating potential that belies the simplicity of tbe plan itself, it also has some real distance to make each move take up a fair bit of time, as well. That's more or less the 'Mindheim Philosophy' - simple but fairly long track plans make for interesting operating, without the need for 'switching puzzles'. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) I do wonder sometimes Jordan if you are on commission Well stretching out an inglenook is easy to do with NA stock. I was talking to a chap at the Guildford show and he had built an UK based inglenook with 4 wheel wagons. Obviously that could be fairly compact, but with our long and shiny boxcars (especially with 89 footers) you could stretch a simple inglenook out over quite a few feet. Well, five 89 ft cars is nearly 6 foot! When I am running it properly, I will be running at scale speed, with correct pauses for switches to be set, brake tests, etc. How very Mindheim! Edited January 27, 2017 by Robatron86 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I do wonder sometimes Jordan if you are on commission I wish..!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Come on man, even I have a Southern boxcar, and the flavour of the month on my trainset is Great Northern If I was building that layout, I would look at using some lovely long turnouts, probably #8s since those are easily sourced, and that makes a big difference to the appearance. I'd put the 5 road in the middle too and declare it the main, so you could (if and when space is available, eg at exhibitions) add staging on either end and run through trains as well as the switching fun. What the hell, make it modular compatible too 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) I know, I should have some SP.... I had the points handy, code 100 medium left and a wye, found in a box in the loft. The track is not fixed, so I could swap the the middle 3 and 5 over. Using code 100 rules me out of playing with the Freemo boys....maybe you should build it Edited January 27, 2017 by Robatron86 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted January 27, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27, 2017 Dear aunty rob, When I drained the bath this morning I found this car float thingy. Could you put a recess in the LH front of your board and stick it there, with a lead onto it? Soapy Sam from Sault Sainte Superior. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Dear aunty rob, When I drained the bath this morning I found this car float thingy. Could you put a recess in the LH front of your board and stick it there, with a lead onto it? Soapy Sam from Sault Sainte Superior. Hi Soapy Sam, I am going to leave the float in the bath... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I know, I should have some SP.... I had the points handy, code 100 medium left and a wye, found in a box in the loft. The track is not fixed, so I could swap the the middle 3 and 5 over. Using code 100 rules me out of playing with the Freemo boys....maybe you should build it Maybe I will... How big is the baseboard, actually? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 244cm by 44cm, split in two. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 244cm by 44cm, split in two. Or 8ft by approx 17inches, in Old Money. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) 244cm by 44cm, split in two. Feet and inches man, feet and inches, some of us are still using good old feet and inches p.s beat me to it Jordon Edited January 27, 2017 by long island jack 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Feet and inches man, feet and inches, some of us are still using good old feet and inches p.s beat me to it Jordon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Sorry chaps for confusing you...ahem 8ft by 17.32 inches. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) Rob - What is the problem with the carfloat? - if you are building a carfloat layout, simply build it barse-ackwards - ie. the carfloat forms the sidings and the tail track forms the yard - possibly with a couple of dummy tracks to make it look busy. See http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=29306 and http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/112913-ingleferry-wharf-went-to-a-further-exhibition/ Granted mine was a 3-2-2- but that was due to the constraints of the layout having to fit into the shoebox - a 5-3-3 should be no problem and it is fun to operate, not to mention the scenic possibilities with warehouses, containers and trucks, dock-workersers, food vans, etc. Edited January 27, 2017 by shortliner Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Rob - What is the problem with the carfloat? - if you are building a carfloat layout, simply build it barse-ackwards - ie. the carfloat forms the sidings and the tail track forms the yard - possibly with a couple of dummy tracks to make it look busy. See http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=29306 and I know it seems simple, but I attacked the design over and over, and in my mind none of the designs really made me happy. If I am being honest, using the Walthers kit as intended does require a lot of room, at least 2 reacher cars, plus a sizable fiddle yard and I think I would have had to extend the layout by another 3 feet. If I had made my own float like you did, I could have made it my own and not had to use reacher cars. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 The 'problem' as I see it with a car float is the lack of realistic operating potential. In reality stock gets shoved on, and pulled off - that's it. It isn't a place for 'blocking' cars as in a normal yard; neither does it really have or need seperate 'car spots'. It's only real use is as an interesting scenic addition-come-fiddleyard. For operations, it's rather dull. Just IMHO. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) One possibility might be to forget the reach cars - The NYCHRR shipped its Alcos across the harbour on the car-float for refuelling and servicing, so, provided you ensure that the float is balanced, there is no reason that you cannot do the same - I realise that the fact that you will need turnouts will extend the layout, but I'd have thought one/they could be fitted on the float-bridge ,or one on the bridge and one in the yard before it, but I appreciate that you have the Walthers bits, and I don't. Edited January 27, 2017 by shortliner 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) Looks like a nice little project, Rob. Having built a few inglenook type layouts myself, I do find them fun to operate. However, I prefer using 3 turnouts to provide an additional spur to give more operational interest. I'll be following with interest. Mal ..... (currently planning an Alcanman 2017 layout and can't stop thinking about including a run-around! .. oh dear!) ps another vote for feet and inches from me! Edited January 27, 2017 by Alcanman 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) FWIW, what is currently "track-down" chez Shortliner, is this http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/27661 - http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/28070 - http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/28444 , but there is also a "Thunk" going on regarding this, which I keep coming back to http://iholmes.com/pages/journal/planning_06.html Decisions! Decisions!! Decisions!!! Edited January 27, 2017 by shortliner 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted January 27, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) Reacher cars?? Like your man says, "good scenic possibilities" Edited January 27, 2017 by Northroader 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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