Looks interesting

Plan has lots of stagging and looks interesting. Shows to have some fairly long runs as well. I see a thank you letter from the makers of flex track and turnouts in your future.

Rob In Texas

Track & Turnouts

Thanks for the comments.  My plan is to use as many of the Peco turnouts (electrofrog) as possible that were used in the previous layout that was dismantled in 2010. I haven't counted them but there is at least 100+ of various #8 (straight and curved) plus the #6 (straight) as well as a double crossing and two scissors crossings.  These turnouts will be used only on the main level and the top level.  All of the turnouts on the staging level are Peco insulfrog and were new purchases budgeted over a few months.  All of the full lengths of Peco flextrack leftover from the previous layout were used in the two double track spline helices.  So far, I have had to buy three (3) more boxes of flextrack.  I still have a box of short pieces of leftover flextrack that I will continue to use to make connections where I do not want to cut up a brand new piece of flextrack.

I search around for the best pricing for the Peco products.  There are about three hobby shops (online) that are very competitive for the flextrack and only one that has great pricing on the turnouts.  You really have to do that considering that a box of SL-300 flextrack will run about $110 and 10 turnouts will run between $160-$180. Budgeting for the project requires me to plan, purchase, and build slowly.

John

Why so tight on your top level spacing?

Or did you mean to type 63" for your top level instead of 53"?  I think you had to mean 63".  

HO scale, I presume.

I like the track plan, I'm working on one rather similar.  

Randy

Top Level Spacing

Thanks for the comments.  It is not really a separate level but a loop with visible staging approximately 5" above the main level.  The layout is N-scale.

The top level begins on the main level at the Michaelson Jct. and rises 3 3/4" as it enters Michaelson.  From there to the beginning of the turnout at the beginning of the loop in the center of the peninsula, there is only enough distance to add another 1 1/4"  to 1 1/2" at a slightly less than 2% grade.  From that point, the track is flat around loop and back to the turnout.  I played with making the loop go a bit higher but then I would have to bring it back down to join back with the turnout to go back to Michaelson.  The only height that I was concerned with was when the loop crosses the mainline along the back wall and that is okay since it will be about double of what is needed to clear the lower mainline.  I considered making the city (represents Tulsa, OK) in the center of the peninsula a stub station which would allow a bit more height but I like the operational flexibility that the loop provides.  

I use John Armstrong's book "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" for grade calculations (3rd edition, page 82, fig 6-9, Grade Chart).

John

Care to mention (moderator:

Care to mention (moderator: is he allowed to?) your "competitive" sites for PECO switches?

Places that I Shop for Peco products

When I lived near Dallas there were plenty of store-front hobby shops but there aren't any near me where I live now.  In the central part of Texas it is like living in a model train store desert so I have to shop the on-line stores.  There are a couple of train shows a year but not frequent enough to buy the supplies you need when you need them.

For Peco track, I buy from Fifer Hobby Supply (one of MRH advertisers), M.B. Klein, N-Scale Supply (occasionally has used turnouts at a discounted price), and Brooklyn Locomotive Works. 

For Peco turnouts, I only buy from Brooklyn Locomotive Works.