Layout Design
Please critique the proposed layout design.
The layout area is 19' x 21" and is to be located in my garage. The garage also serves as a workshop for my woodworking. As anyone who has done woodworking knows, it can create a lot of dust, massive amounts of dust. With that in mind I do plan on building a permanent top that will serve to provide lighting and a part of the cover.
I live in Northern Nevada and the weather can range anywhere from the occasional low teens during winter nights up to 100 on occasions in the summer. My layouts to date have been in mostly temperature control environments, so any advise on how to handle track work with that temperature range would be appreciated.
The layout is based on where I grew up in Northeastern Indiana. The industries are based on ones that actually existed in the Fort Wayne, Huntington and Van Wert OH. I have photos of all the industries that I plan on modeling but 99% are on slides. I have chosen industries that can provide for a variety of cars. The interchange road can be of almost any road that I choose. I haven't picked one yet. The goal is to depict a typical Midwestern city that is a mix of industrial and residential area along the tracks.
For track work I plan on using Central Valley tie strips and Proto 87 Fast and Easy Turnout Kits. Sub-roadbed will be 3/4" plywood. Roadbed will be homasote. I have used it successfully for years and am comfortable with it. Turnout control I plan on using Red Caboose ground throws. I plan on using the ground throws with below layout turnout connections.
Dull Brothers is a lumber company that was located in Van Wert OH and was serviced by the PRR. I chose it because I liked the name but any lumber company could do.
Kroger Warehouse was a food warehouse run by Kroger on the east side of Fort Wayne and serviced by the NKP.
Causwell Ryan was a manufacturer of wood chests for clothing located in Huntington IN and serviced by the Erie.
Roth Heating and Fuel was a local company in Fort Wayne IN and I believed was serviced by the Wabash RR
Bowser pump located in Fort Wayne IN was a manufacture of gasoline pumps. The company was serviced by the PRR. The spur line actually ran down an alley with homes on either side for several blocks to reach the factory.
Wayne Feed on the west side of Fort Wayne IN was a large feed mill that was serviced by the PRR's GR&I branch line.
This is not an inclusive list of industries, other options are Sherwin Williams, Rea Magnet Wire, Phelps Dodge along with many others located in the area.
Thanks for your comments
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Looks like fun
I like your plan. Looks like it'd provide a good amount of switching without overwhelming the space. The only suggestion I'd offer would be to move the crossing further to the left, allowing your interchange tracks to extend along the left wall rather than coming out into the aisle as they are.
Good job!
Joe Atkinson
Modeling Iowa Interstate's Subdivision 4, May 2005
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Bottleneck
It looks like the only place to do a run around is to the left of what I'm guessing is a river. Just the main line runs across it. If you pull cars onto the layout, you'll have to pull them across the bridge, do the run around, then pull them back across the bridge, onto the "extension for operating sessions" and then shove them into Wayne Feeds. The extension will be required any time you want to spot or pull cars there.
You will also need one of those tracks empty, in order to push back to the right side of Wayne Foods. Are you planning this as a switching puzzle, or a way to relax and enjoy switching? I'm just not sure how switchable that section is. It'll all depend on the length of your trains. I don't see any dimensions, so it's difficult to tell how much room you have.
Ken Biles
Layout Critique
Thanks for the comments guys: I realize that I didn't put a time frame for the layout. I model 1954 - 1955 so its mostly 40' cars that will operate on the layout.
Joe: I would love to move the crossing further to the left, however that is the garage door. My fault for not clarifying that. The idea of putting the extension where it is located is so that if I get ambitious I can build switching on an island that can be set up while the layout is operation and torn down to make room for the family car.
Ken: to answer your questions the bridge is a street overpass. As for the extension, I planned on using it for operating sessions. The length of the switching lead to get into the back tracks of Wayne feeds is 33" long, the longest track on the right side of Wayne Feeds is 25" I do plan to have this as a bit of a switching puzzle. As far as the location of the runaround I have given consideration to making the bridge double track. However thinking as a prototype railroad would, bridges are expensive, running locomotives a few hundred feet is cheap. So I am kind of torn on what to do in that location, but leaned to the single track bridge. Train length will be 4-5 cars at a time at the most.
I have been operating on a local modelers layout for several months and have found that I really enjoy the switching that he has on his layout.
Don
Don Hanley
Proto-lancing a fictitious Erie branch line.