The printing is too small to read.

Can you increase the size of the font?  What era and equipment are you going to run on the railroad?  Is that a helix in the corner and is it just going to staging or do you plan to have another deck?  Only one passing siding will severely limit the number of trains you can operate at any one time.  It looks like a narrow aisle in the upper center, how wide is it.

Test by Numbers

Russ's comment about the single siding sparked my memory of Joe's article about doing the numbers of a track plan. You might apply the analysis to your plan to see the operational effect of more sidings.

To enlarge the printing as well as the track

Hold down the Ctrl button on your key board and keep tapping the (+) key to enlarge it.

To shrink it down smaller just tap the (-) Key and continue holding down the Ctrl Key. \

Dan

Sidings...

Ryan,

Just a couple of quick things...

1) The runaround at the bottom of the trackplan might be a little short for the spur tracks associated with it.

2) The sidings configured as a switchback off the main (left side of the peninsula) would likely be more prototypical if both sidings connected directly to the main/runaround using a crossing if necessary to avoid the switch back move.

A couple of questions for you:

What is the purpose for this railroad?  Industrial switching or running trains through nice scenery.

How many trains do you anticipate running at one time?

How long will those trains be?

Try to size your runarounds to hold a normal full-size train. This will let you run opposing trains with two places to pass. A good thing if you ever put a second (or third) crew into action in your layout..

Also, I couldn't read the labels either.

Are those rectangles representing roads?  Grade crossings or overpasses?

Best regards,

Charlie

Electric panel access

I saw the "electric panel" label on top left. Please be aware that is illegal, inconvenient and unsafe to block the access to ANY electric panel.

Answers - Round 1

 Hey guys, sorry about the labels...   Here is an updated image with larger labels.

Russ, I'm planning on running a mid 1950's era, but the track plan is closer to modern day.  I plan on running some steam, some deisel.  Both passenger and freight trains.  Yes, there is a helix in the corner.  Trains enter from staging at the upper right, then go counter-clockwise around the room.  Trains leave this level and go down to an second level that is mainly yard and engine facilities.  I agree that only one passing siding will limit operations, I am planning on another passing siding on the next deck.  If I add a second passing siding, should it be in Oconomowoc, or in the countryside on the right side?  There is no aisle in the upper center, the tightest spot is the bottom center, and it is 24".

LKandO, thanks for the comment, I will revisit Joe's article and test it against my plan and make changes as I can.

Charlie, I plan on having through freights and locals for industrial switching.  My vision is for a computer to run the through freights/passenger trains and I would run the switch jobs myself.  I would plan on two through trains at once (on the whole layout (one per level) and a switcher working and keeping out of the way.  I am planning for a 12' average train length.  The rectangles are roads, I colored them grey and made the labels bigger, so it should be more apparent now (overhead roads are labeled, the rest are grade crossings.  I will look into fixing the runaround at the bottom.  Thanks for pointing out the issue with the switchback on the peninsula, I didn't even see it, I'll fix that straight away.

pipopak, the track will be in front of the electric panel, but there will still be access.  I cleaned up the picture so it doesn't look like I am blocking the box.  All the breakers will have easy access.

Thanks everyone, I look forward to round 2!

Passing Sidings and Load Centers

Working with Byron Henderson I learned that a passing siding preceeding a helix is often a good thing. If you add a siding you might consider placing it on the right side just before the helix ramp.

If you live in the US and your state and local follow the NCE (which most do) then you need to maintain these clearances around your load center:

30" minimum clear in front of panel
36" total width from panel center
10" minimum width from panel sides

It also states "clear and unobstructed accesses with minimum 6'5" headroom" but this statement is always open to interpretation. Essentially, the inspector needs to be able to walk to the load center without rubbing his shoulders or bumping his head. The rules are slightly different for mobile homes.

A Thought

Disclaimer: I am not an experienced track planner. Just tossing out a thought to you.

I like the idea!

Alan,

Thanks for this idea!  I have to play with it, but it is a good starting point.  I will get the dimensions of some of the industries so I can "place" them on the layout.  My only concern is that this town is about 40' long the way you've drawn it, and that seems a little excessive to me.  I'll see how I can compress the scene and make everything flow better.

Thanks,

Ryan

A few more thoughts... I

A few more thoughts...

I think the issue with the electric panel is not one to trivially ignore. I don't know what insurace companies do if you need to make a claim related to electic problems and the panel doesn't have full, legal access.  Perhaps I'm just being negative without a good reason again...

You expressed concern about a 40' long town.  I'd suggest splitting the town up into two different places - upper left ville and lower right ville.

I'm not a big fan of having computers run trains - if you are then you're covered under rule #1 (it's your railroad). I'd just be a bit concerned about having a computer keeping track of two trains while you're running a third. And whether the computer programming would be smart enough to not drive of it's trains into the one you're working with when you get an important phone call in the middle of a switchfest. All it takes is a fraction of a minute of non-attention for bad stuff to happen when trains are running by themselves.  Of course, with proper detection and programming you should be able to have the computer driven trains stop if the block ahead is occupied by your local... SInce I'm ops oriented I'd be more concerened with your 2 or 3 guys could operate together in there (and with two train length passing sidings two trains at once shouldn't be a problem)

Might I suggest reducing train length a bit?  If it dropped to 8' from 12' (yes, that's quite a bit smaller) there are two side effects. Passing sidings can be smaller and the apparent distance between towns can increase.

Question: If the helix leads to a lower deck occupied by 'round the room staging, how low is that deck and how do you get in/out of the train pit - in other words, how much of a duck under are you creating?  If you are planning for staging under the main deck, it's nice to have some real deck separation to make staging access easier (as well as making it easier to do chores like wiring or switch machine installation on the upper deck. But if the upper deck is a 54" height and the staging below is separated by 14" you have a 40" lower deck. Allowing for 4" deck thickness you have a 36" duck/crawl under. On my previous layout I had double decked, independent, swing bridges over the aisle to gan access/egress for the railroad. This let me open either bridge independently of the other. So it is possible, but it's a lot of persnickity construction. Are you real handy at carpentry/cabinetry? I think a duck under at 36" would be quite painful (unless you're a professional limbo dancer).

One other question about the helix. WIth both tracks leading down going counter clockwise, it going to take quite a sharp curve to have the staging area circle the room. Have you perchance considered putting a turnback loop in staging under the peninsula end and running the staging area from the helix clockwise around the room and out the staging level on the peninsula.  If you room's door happens to be at the right end of the upper wall, this would also eliminate the need to duck under the staging level.

Another question: is your track plan drawn in 3rd Planit? It has the 3pi look to it. If so, did you know you can double click on rectangles, then move their vertices independently? This woiuld let your roads stop with more integration at fascia and backdrop. Just a suggestion.

Despite my comments seems perhaps a bit negative, I think your plan could become quite doable and turn into a rather nice model railroad.

Best regards,

Charlie

I'm confused.

You said there is no aisle at the top center (between the two blobs and a spur track?).  How big is this layout.  Unless it is and island rather than an around the walls layout, it looks like you are designing some impossible reach in problems.  I guess I'm asking to see how the layout fits the room it is going to be in, and how far in you are going to need to reach to rerail or uncouple.

Re: A few more thoughts

 Charlie,

Thanks for the in-depth review.  I'll try to answer most of your questions.

Might I suggest reducing train length a bit?  If it dropped to 8' from 12' (yes, that's quite a bit smaller) there are two side effects. Passing sidings can be smaller and the apparent distance between towns can increase.

At 12', that is 18 engines/cars/caboose assuming 8" coupler to coupler length.  At 10', it would be 15 and at 8' it would be 12.  Honestly, I see and understand your point but I am having a hard time with 10 cars an engine, and a caboose... However, I think I can conceede to 10'.

Question: If the helix leads to a lower deck occupied by 'round the room staging, how low is that deck and how do you get in/out of the train pit - in other words, how much of a duck under are you creating?  If you are planning for staging under the main deck, it's nice to have some real deck separation to make staging access easier (as well as making it easier to do chores like wiring or switch machine installation on the upper deck. But if the upper deck is a 54" height and the staging below is separated by 14" you have a 40" lower deck. Allowing for 4" deck thickness you have a 36" duck/crawl under. On my previous layout I had double decked, independent, swing bridges over the aisle to gan access/egress for the railroad. This let me open either bridge independently of the other. So it is possible, but it's a lot of persnickity construction. Are you real handy at carpentry/cabinetry? I think a duck under at 36" would be quite painful (unless you're a professional limbo dancer).

The decks are at 28" (Staging), 40" (Lower), and 56" (Upper).  Staging will not go across the doorway, and I am planning on lift outs for the upper and lower (possibly a duckunder for the upper).  I would be open to combining staging with my lower deck (yard and engine facilities) if there was a way to make it work.

One other question about the helix. WIth both tracks leading down going counter clockwise, it going to take quite a sharp curve to have the staging area circle the room. Have you perchance considered putting a turnback loop in staging under the peninsula end and running the staging area from the helix clockwise around the room and out the staging level on the peninsula.  If you room's door happens to be at the right end of the upper wall, this would also eliminate the need to duck under the staging level.

Staging is stub-ended with a reversing loop to turn the trains.  I have also put in a turnaround for the option to continuously run trains.  Here's the picture (yes, I know it looks like an interchange, but it kind of is).

Thanks for the 3rd PlanIt tip! I'll clean up my roads.

Despite my comments seems perhaps a bit negative, I think your plan could become quite doable and turn into a rather nice model railroad.

I've got tough skin!  I'd rather hear negative comments than no comments.  I can make improvements with negative comments.

Thanks again and looking forward to your response,

Ryan

This last drawing is clearer.

I don't know if it is me or if the barely visible lines showing the edges of the layout were masking things, but it the original drawing looked like a 12 x12 layout without any sort of access.

Room Size

Russ,

The room is actually 18 x 20.  The door is on the "east" wall 3' from the bottom.

Ryan

Running or switching?

The basic question (and one everybody should ask themselves before they start designing a layout) is: do you want to do switching (in this case lineside mostly) or mainline running as your main activity?