track plan

[RobinofLoxley]

4 hours ago, RobAllen said:

I read it as the station building would be above the platforms creating a scenic break to hide the trac curves.

OK but the station tracks and the loop 'below' don't line up..

[Chimer]

18 hours ago, RobinofLoxley said:

OK but the station tracks and the loop 'below' don't line up..

 

..... but assuming they do (they did in an earlier iteration), so we have a station with two through platforms and two terminal roads, this is entirely operable and could be good fun.  Trains leave terminal roads onto inner (anti-clockwise) circuit, then do a few laps before diving across the return loop* by the turntable onto the outer circuit, at which point they can make it into the storage loops for a rest, eventually returning, maybe after a few clockwise laps, to the terminal roads.  Next journey (if not a MU) hauled by a different loco coming off shed.

 

I agree with @DavidB-AU that the other return loop* above the engine shed has no function and will just complicate the electrics.

 

I would do whatever I could to maximise the length of the terminal roads, including curving them round under cover of the station building.

 

Freight traffic is limited to the occasional appearance of a freight train from the storage loops to do a clockwise lap or two on the outer circuit.

 

The thing that would make me a bit unhappy is the way using the return loop involves cutting across the station throat, but I can't see any other way of arranging a return, given the unusual overall layout shape.

 

*I'm using the term "return loop" here to describe the short bits of track that turn the dumbbell ends into return loops, where the conflicting electrical polarities will have to be sorted out somehow.

[penguin_sam]

? Better / Worse? 

[Trainnoob]

On 03/03/2024 at 23:25, penguin_sam said:

Hi 

After comments on track plan. It's going to be 00 and room width is about 4m so tight (450mm) radii on return loops. Fits into alcove on left. Need to use room for bed as well so limited in space.

Do you plan on using flextrack or setrack?

[RobinofLoxley]

The most significant practical problem to me is access at the top left; the loop there needs a hatch, wide enough for shoulders to get through, where the sidings are on the latest plan. A similar problem with the turntable exists on the right. Very complex to build, especially with the split board requirement. I have doubts about how well this will operate; can you export from your drawing package to Trainplayer, so you can see if it works.

[AndyB]

I'm wondering if Dave Cooper's "Brickmakers Lane" might give some inspiration. I believe the track plan and layout were described in Railway Modeller a few years ago. 

 

Obviously the issue is this is N gauge and would take a lot if space in OO; more than us available.

 

But that said there may be some ideas that could transfer to @penguin_sam's layout.

 

 

Cheers for now. Andy

[Chimer]

On 23/03/2024 at 00:10, penguin_sam said:

? Better / Worse? 

 

Better, with the terminal roads below the through lines.  Still need to ditch the redundant line from top left back to the station throat, and the crossover between the circuits top left hasn't any useful function either.  All you need up there is the one turnout from the outer circuit into the storage loops.

[gcsa]

Sorry, even my first post was a mistake lol.  Will look up 'Dave Cooper' for more info, rather than mistakenly asking the same questions of AndyB who posted it!

 

My bad....

Edited March 26 by gcsa

[johnhutnick]

I would like to suggest a slightly different idea.  Now first, I am in the US.  I do not care much about prototypes, I just want to run trains.

Consider putting the station right in the middle, with your 2 main running tracks, and possibly a third track.  So the station has all of your trains running through, no backing in.  With your fiddle yard next to this, filled with more whole trains ready to operate, it would look interesting to my eye. 

The turntable would be located to have a partial roundhouse and as many stubs that can fit to hold at least a little of your loco collection.  Your left loop would have a hatch and all goods sidings.

For track, I would use Peco Setrack R4(22 1/2") and R3(19 7/8") if this fits.  Otherwise R3 and R2.  Most locos are designed for R2.  I have used these sizes of Setrack.  I attach it to the baseboard with tiny screws, so that I can move the track around a little until I am satisfied.  Using this, I am working on a 5'x5' to run three trains, have a turntable and some sidings.  I have experimented with a Rivarossi 2-6-6-6 and filled the outer loop with hoppers, almost nose to tail.

[roythebus1]

Nobody has noticed that it's highly unlikely to have a direct access to a turntable from a main line.

[johnhutnick]

If you think that it is more appropriate, can you come up with an arrangement to place a turnout to access the turntable in the track to the immediately to the left?

For me, this is a model railroad layout, not everything that the prototype would typically do.  As I noted previously, I would position the turntable to fit the absolute highest number of tracks for locos.  Many or most of us have too many locos in our collections.  The more that I can put out on the layout is much better than having them live their lives in boxes.

[DCB]

Most OO RTR turntables have 1 entry and 3 outlets.  The multiroad ones are usually H0 and massive, probably completely fill a 2nd radius circle if the roads accomodated a Pacific each.
I think the second reverse loop has little use and I proved the pointwork for  my concept sketch works in Anyrail.  It avoids the turntable being a facing connection off a running line .  I don't like the open visual staging tracks but they could be hidden. 

 

It would certainly look good seeing trains negotiate the junction as they come round the return loop anticlockwise ..

 

Edited March 31 by DCB