Nice scenes

Looks like you’ve got some nice scenes going there Sandy.  And plenty of stuff to keep four operators busy.

ACE

Interesting.  We are both modeling Maine, though Maine is big enough to offer a lot of variety:  I am modeling part of the coast, Mike Confalone is modeling the interior, and you are touching both. 
 

i am looking forward to more pictures. 

That is an amazing amount of

That is an amazing amount of operation in that size space. I like it. I have a similar size area and don't even have half that. Well done.

Off I go to rethink my plan! 

Track Planning Thoughts

When we moved in 2019, I got a bigger train room (thanks, dear!)  Initially I thought that 14' x 12' wasn't that much smaller than 17' x 16', but when I got into track planning, I realized that just a couple of feet made a huge difference.  The math makes it obvious: 14 x 12 = 168 sq. ft.  17 x 16 = 272 sq. ft.  Also, I needed a U shaped aisle in both rooms (30" minimum width, though I cheated by a couple of inches in tight spots in both rooms, and was able to widen one leg of the U to 35" in the new room.)   So I "lost" about 32 sq. ft. to aisles in the old room, and about 44 sq. ft. in the new one.  Bottom line: I used to have 136 sq. ft. of layout footprint, and now I have 228 sq. ft. to work in.  WOW!  that's an increase of 67%, significantly bigger than before.  

Bottom Line: Any extra square footage you can find in your own track planning efforts might be really important.  For me, the amount of stuff I can fit into a given space in On30 is not anything like what somebody else can fit into that space in HO, despite an identical track gauge and probably a similar radius curvature.  Structures and scenic elements in On30 are twice as big as in HO (1:48 vs. 1:87); track separations are wider, minimum vertical clearances where tracks cross other tracks are about 50% greater, etc. etc.  In my case, my former 136 sq. ft. ACE included 4 towns/yards, but I was able to include 7 towns/yards plus a small staging yard in my new 228 sq. ft. version, while still leaving a bit of room for scenery.   

Glad you are blogging!

Great to see you here on the MRH Blog!  

Hope to operate again with you in the future!

See... I told you I would read this!

Michael

Nice modeling. I am

Nice modeling. I am attempting to shift (at least in the planning stages) from big urban coastal modeling to rural NE coastal modeling ( my former NYC/NH layout was taken down quite a few years  ago) The shift will be a challenge. The quaint New England villages, rocky coast and big forests are not something I have modeled, but you have certainly captured it well. Nice plan you have!

I find your layout incorporates much of the MEC railroad themes. Quite nice. Thanks for sharing.

Nice!

Keep us posted !

Joe

Absolutely Fantastic!

This plan is fantastic, Sandy.  I'm VERY impressed!  I'm imagining operating this layout and it looks like a LOT of fun.  I love switching, and you have a ton of it.  I sometimes think about building something new in my space, more designed for solo operation or small opps, and your plan would be amazing.  I'm keeping this for future reference!

Did you indicate this layout is On30?  I couldn't find that in the main post.

Sandy, I love coastal layouts

Sandy,

I love coastal layouts and yours is a gem indeed.