SLRG Revisions

HI Guys: Been busy updating stuff, and putting in industries and and terrain. The terrain is kinda rough b/c my planning software doesnt handle terrain well at all. As always, comments and critiques are very welcome -- some have sent pictures that they have of the area and the San Luis and Rio Grande -- more are always welcome. TO those who have been helping THANK YOU -- I Needed it badly


 
FIrst image shows the exposed mountain track along the back of the layout, the second image shows the hidden staging etc (yes, the yard ladders are horribly ugly, still trying to figure out how to make them right!

Thanks again for all the help and have a great day
TIM

Trainboard links

I don't think that linking the photos from Trainboard is going to work. 

Light Gray and Darker Gray

My old eyes have some difficulty seeing your track design with light gray track lines and darker gray table top.  If I look at a specific location, I can see the track design.  However, if attempting to see it all at one time, I can't.  I see this regularly now-a-days as it would appear that the idea of contrast has passed out of our knowledge.  You are asking what people think of your design.  My opinion is it is difficult to see.  However, I won't be the one who needs to see it and if you don't have a problem, then all is good! 

Hidden Staging

For an easier use try to keep it from the edge of the layout an not in the back

Second I didn't see yard on your plan may be it's possible to think to put the stagging in open air and use it at a live yard on the layout

Very minor

Looking at the return loop on the top, the switch leading to the lumber area siding looks like it has a kink coming out of the switch along the straight route. 

I think you could fix this by changing the switch that leads onto the return path, the first one nearest where the AG dealer is. If you change that from a right hand to a left hand turnout, and move it back around  into the curve a bit, I think things will work out better. 

Thanks for spotting that

Thanks EW -- I'll check it out

Your yard could use a few simple things.

I know that this is a smaller railroad and possibly one train per day operation so you might not need these things. With your current plan you can only run two trains between the two sidings at most. Switching the yard shuts down the mainline and without an apparent Arrival/Departure track you will need to spend extra time and a second locomotive to if your train arrives from the right side.
 

A separate yard lead would allow the yard to work independent of the main line.

A double ended A/D track makes the job of building mainline trains  much easier. Could also double as a third passing siding. 

Your yard ladder tracks could be more compact. I would play around with that arrangement more because longer tracks are always better. 

Simple Things

Thanks -- those are great suggestions, I have been looking at trying to add a switch lead particularly

Like it.

Hi,

you track plan is quite nice - however the track plan by itself only comes to life when running trains

It has been mentioned - be careful with hiding the hidden staging yard I would assume that it is below the rest of the layout and can be accessed from below - just make sure you know how to get at a train that has derailed "back there"...

Have you tried using curved turnouts for the hidden yard's ladder? Oh, you mentioned you were still working on that.

Other than that, just run some "virtual trains" on the track plan. Doesn't matter if you run trains in your track planning software, as snippets of paper on a print of the track plan or just in your head. Once you're happy, I think you have a nice track plan!

Have fun!

Yard at lower left

Hi Tim,
I like your plan very much, looks like fun and will be following.
Just a comment from an amateur: would there be any advantage if you switch the location of that yard and the 'elevator'?  If the continuous loop moved to the end of the table, your yard could have longer tracks at the elevator location, and the elevator moved to the front would hide the return loop a bit. 
Your container yard could also look more impressive with more track beside it? 
Just a thought,
best regards
Douglas

Revisions

Good Evening everyone

Several people have suggested that the Hidden staging yard on my plan might be a place for problems to bite me, and someone (or maybe more than one someone) suggested moving it to the front of the line and making it an open yard, so I pulled out the track planning software, and got busy again tonight -- the result is below -- As always, I could really use comments and critiques and please help me spot holes in the plan. I tried to fix the contrast issues someone mentioned, and hopefully have the issues with the attachments sorted as well