More info

Hi SP4284,  In order to get the discussions started perhaps you can provide more info:

• Scale/gauge
• Running preferences: Yard work, operating sessions, rail-fanning.
• Train length
• Type of equipment (determines curve radius and frog #s)
• Are those 1ft squares on the drawings?
• It looks like the two decks will not be connected, correct?
• There is a door at the bottom right, correct?

I can guess some of the answers from the your drawings but it is good to be sure.  A few comments on the plan:

• The lower deck crosses the door, but the upper deck uses two turn-back blobs to avoid the door.  It might make sense to reverse this (this may mean swapping SP & D&RGW), have the blobs on the lower deck and a duck under for the upper deck (if it is high enough).  This saves you building a gate.  Also as designed the blobs on the upper deck will overhang the lower deck by many feet, detracting from the enjoyment of the lower deck.  Not to mention how is the upper blob supported!
• D&RGW plan: You should consider at least one run around.  Maybe one at each end.
• SP plan: The tracks look a bit too close to wall.  Give yourself at least 2 inches.  Also consider putting the tracks at a (very) slight angle relative to the wall and the bench edge.  Try and make the track look like it is avoiding west cost land features, rather then just avoiding your walls.

Regards

Jan

Let's see the whole picture

The images in the original post are too big to be seen properly. Here they are scaled down a bit.

Changes

Lower Deck:  Move the center siding area to the left about 4-6 inches and bring the 2 station tracks back into the main line about the middle of the right wall.  Put a pair of crossovers towards the bottom of the loop.  Add a staging track/yard/siding someplace to hold a local freight.  Maybe another industry spur or two.  I would make the packing shed a trailing point move for CCW moves.

Upper Deck:    Add a passing siding.  Add second tracks in the loops for staging.

From a traffic pattern flow the coal themed layout would actually be better as a loop (ex : loads CW-empties CCW) and the coast line better as the loop to loop, commuters go out and then they come back in.

Thanks!

Thanks for the input.  I will be swapping the deck placement and adding at least one runaround for the D&RGW.  I'll also work on reducing the amount of strait runs in the SP line. I'm very grateful to get input from experienced modelers before I build. 

No staging?

SP Coast line?

Which part of the cost line are you planning to model? The scenery can vary greatly along the route. Operationally probably the Salinas or Santa Maria Valley areas would be the most interesting? Scenery wise the Pacific shore running or Cuesta grade might be the ticket......DaveB

ReVision

Hi all and thanks for the input so far.  I have realized that I gave almost no details or idea of what I want to do, but due to the input I have received what I want to accomplish seems to have solidified.  

What I want to do with the HOn3 gauge D&RGW is to create a railroad that is more about operations where a town, mine and oil facilities are serviced and the hidden turnarounds are leading to the outside world. HOn3 will allow more prototypical operations in the room approximately 12'X14' with a 2' bump-out on one wall.  I am planning on a passenger train of 3-4 cars, ore train of 6 gondolas, tank train of 6 tanks cars and a mixed train on 5 cars. 

The HO gauge Southern Pacific Coast Line is more to showcase specific SP trains and Coast Line scenes with some industries serviced.  I want continuous running but since the trains will be near prototypical length and min radius of 30" I will try scenery techniques to break up the layout so each wall is a particular scene.  The trains I want to showcase here are the Coast Daylight, I have the BLI 16 car set, the Coaster, a 30 car Fruit Block, 25 car freight and the Lark if a manufacturer makes it in plastic (here's hoping).

Based on these realizations I moved the narrow gauge operations layout to the main deck and the Coast Line to the upper layout.  The added bonus is now I can build in a top down discussed in this month's Imagineering column since I have almost all the materials for the Coast Line already. I have revised the plans, each square is 1ft and there is an entryway at the bottom.

Reversing loops

I've heard that reversing loops can be difficult to wire up safely - someone who has made one would have to weigh in but this is something to consider