Playing with Dominos

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Mon, 2012-07-09 11:17 — rblundon

Layout design

In order to better understand my capabilities, I am creating a 12' modular mini-layout (chainsaw). I may or may not keep it in the end, so I am building in the ability to expand it from the middle (red line near Oil Dealer) if it turns out well and I end up keeping it. (This expansion would add an additional industry (Feed Mill) and extend the passing siding and yard tracks.

Scale is HO and train length will be limited to eight feet.

The track plan holds with the prototype track layout for a rural town based in the mid 1950's. The main line is double track. East is to the Left, West to the Right.

Here's how I see this module fitting into the bigger picture:

This would be one of four towns on the layout and the furthest from the classification yard (ie end of local switching run). Two of the other towns are a station and a single spur siding. The fourth town will be more industrialized and contain a classification yard/engine facilities.

To the left of this town would lead to staging. Immediately left of this town is a crossover to allow yard access to the upper (Eastbound) main line.

I have a seven track temporary staging area that will attach to the right of these modules to allow for some local switching.

Right now, the main issue that I see currently is with the gravel loading facility. I know that the prototype was a through loader, but had a lot longer track to run on. I see the process right now as: Pull cars from yard track to the right over the crossover past the turnout to the siding. Push cars up the siding and under the gravel loader then back onto the siding left of the loader. Pull back on to the main to the right of town, then back through the crossover and into the yard. Repeat with second yard track of hoppers, then pull the string of full hoppers back to the classification yard. It seems like I will be tying up the main more than necessary with this arrangement.

I think it may be better to move the gravel loader to a spur with multiple tracks under the loader.

Comments

If I understand your thoughts

Mon, 2012-07-09 21:16 — Scarpia

If I understand your thoughts, what if you swapped the station to the front of the layout, and than move the oil dealer across from it?

That would allow you to slide the gravel loading facility farther over to the left as well, reducing how much you have to go out onto the main. If that's a 6" grid, you could easily move it over a good 18-20 inches, which should gain you 4 or four cars this side of the facility.

Hope this makes sense.

HO, early transition era

www.garbo.org/MRR

local time GMT +4

Thanks for the idea

Tue, 2012-07-10 11:25 — rblundon

Scarpia, The red line next to the oil dealer is a module edge. If I end up keeping this for the layout, I'll separate it here and put in a two foot section with a feed mill (that's why all the tracks run parallel with the edge of the layout).

Originally, I was thinking of two six foot sections, that's what the green line in the middle is. I can do away with that and slide both turnouts six inches to the left. I also left six inches of straight track at the edges to comply with Free-Mo standards, but I am two inches two narrow for double track, so I can put them at the edges and gain the other foot you mentioned. You are correct about the six inch grid.

Ryan

HO | Milwaukee Road | SE Wisconsin | 1950s | NCE | JMRI | C\MRI Blog | GMT -6

Turnouts at the ends

Tue, 2012-07-10 12:03 — kfglover

It appears you have much less than 6" from the points to the edge of the module. Not a problem if you can always have something with track attached. I don't think you could operate standalone. I suppose you could attach one end module to the other and have 2 stub end "yards" for stand alone work. Then no possible runaround. I guess I'm not clear on how you want to operate your modules.

Ken Glover, CEO (Chief Everything Officer), Kansas Pacific Railway

HO 2x8' shelf, Digitrax Chief II, Soundtraxx PTB-100, JMRI (LocoBuffer-USB)

Double Passing Siding?

Thu, 2012-07-12 23:52 — yardplan

I have nil track planning experience. So dumb question. The part of the track facing 'down' seems to have two passing sidings. Please explain what that is for: a) for you; and b) in prototype practice. Thanks.

Answers

Fri, 2012-07-13 09:51 — rblundon

yardplan,

I am not sure how the prototype handled this trackage. I have the same industry lineup that the town had at the time. I know that this track was very heavily used, it was the main route from Chicago to Minneapoils through Milwaukee. I am guessing that the prototype practice was to keep not only the mains, but the sidings as clear as possible through this stretch.

For me, the module's use is going to change over time. For now it is going to be a switching module as I learn construction and scenery techniques. I would even consider using the lower passing siding as a industry track in the interim just to have a few more places to spot cars.

Here is an updated picture with the track roles colored.

Blue - Mainline
Light Blue - Passing Siding
Green - Industry
Orange - Yard

Thanks,

Ryan

HO | Milwaukee Road | SE Wisconsin | 1950s | NCE | JMRI | C\MRI Blog | GMT -6

To Ryan - Double Passing Siding

Sun, 2012-07-15 02:25 — yardplan

Staring at your track plan ,,, thought of a commuter line I used to take. Your crossovers make this possible. At this station, some trains originated, terminated, but it was less than halfway to the end of the line. Passenger density, and the type of passengers (demographics) made it unnecessary for some rush hour trains to go further away from the Metropolis. So there was a track to pre-position the AM specials, or accept temporarily the PM specials.

There were also tracks to accept extra passenger cars, for two railroad companies, which were cut off because long distance trains didn't need them. Probably four extra tracks in all. I wasn't a railfan then.

So your track might be for that purpose, or for a freight purpose above and beyond the usual 'helper service' that much is made of on mountainous layouts.

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