Very cool...

That is very cool. Congratulations on a job well done!  

Randy

Looks good.

I would really like to see your full track plan.

The other week I was working at the York Haven Hydro Plant. It’s a interesting operation. 

I am considering automating my staging and/or reconfiguring my staging area. I currently have reversing loops back to back because I built the visible section and then I shoehorned it into the room. I currently use ground throws which work but running two trains require constant attention to which turnout is thrown and where each train is. 

Thanks Randy...

It’s taken awhile to get there, but looking forward to operating a little more now rather than just building & wiring.

Jas...

As requested LC...?

Here are the two current plans for the layout.  The first one is the Helix, Staging Yard & Return Loops.

Next one is the top deck and the scenery portion split into several areas, across two main rooms.

The smaller room houses Rutherford Yard & Engine Facility, along with my workbench and the dispatchers nook too.

The main layout area (working from top right to left, and then top to bottom and right again along the centre peninsula are, York Haven - Pulp & Paper Mill, Shippensburg Classification/Transfer Yard, Car Workshops, Hershey - Chocolate Factory, Manheim Jumction, Lebanon - Power Plant, Harrisburg, Harrisburg Steel works.

The area behind (south of) the centre peninsula is Reading along the centre peninsula wall, and Middletown off to the right in the left hand corner.  The bottom (south wall) is Hummelstown on the left, leading into Rutherford on the right.

Its all based on the Reading Railroad in the early 70’s up to and just into the Conrail merger we in April 76.

JMRI and Panel Pro certainly have the ability to automate your Staging Deck like I am, or even just setting up routes within the DS64’s that control the turnouts on the Staging Deck.  I do have an article in the pipeline that goes through the build of the entire Staging Deck, and will have an added extra for all the electronics too.

Jas...

I couple of questions: 1) I

I couple of questions:

1) I don't see how the helix connects directly to the main part of the layout in the left hand space.  Or does it only connect to the smaller room?

2) How long are the staging tracks in terms of total train capacity in terms of feet?

Jim

Are you meaning the green loop on the lower left?  That isn't a helix, just a return loop.  If you mean the the actual helix in the top middle (yellow outline) that just comes up from the back (the single track at the very top that seems to go nowhere on the main deck).

Jim the helix enters...

Jim the helix joins the main layout (upper deck) at Carlisle Junction, to the south of the York Haven - Pulp & Paper Mill.

The yellow section on the Staging Deck plan just shows that the helix & engine facility are powered by the same PSX.

The Staging Tracks vary from:  Longest is 20' (6.3m), the shortest is 14' (4.2m) and the return loops are around 13' (4m).  Because the layout is a switching layout the trains will generally be around 10 cars with two locos & caboose.  So most of the storage tracks can hold two trains per track.

Jas...

Thanks. See where helix