Blue is the lowest track top yard at .2 mm moves on up to the (60mm) grey and then on the green (120mm)mountain track and then at top of mountain 180mm and then all the way down. mostly elevation is 1 to 1.6%. radius minimum is 26". With this you can run 2 trains set and forget and or have 1 train or more go one a long trip. The towns are Abingdon top (blue yard) goes around to 1st grey yard Damascus and then still climbing to White Top Mountain (green bottom area) and then down hill to a 2nd grey yard West Jefferson and then back up to blue yard Abingdon - Yellow is hidden staging - I'll have a lift up shelf and at door and another duck under at bottom doorway
here some clearer pics of separate levels. Please point out problems i may encounter. I plan to build individual levels with struts. Is this a doable operational layout. I dont have any old trains as I only have 2 at this stage. So i dont need to have low elevations. I also dont like the idea of too much track but I like a long journey. So gonna use i few tunnels trees gullys that will hide track but not trains as much. I'm more interested in the scenery aspect as well.
The Abington branch was a real open branch the only supported a local, 6 days a week. I strongly recommend buying O. Winston Link's The Last Steam Railroad in America. https://www.amazon.com/Last-Steam-Railroad-America/dp/0810982013
There is a great set of color pictures of this branch and it's local pulled by a 4-8-0. This will be the most help to you.
am I the only N Scale Pacific Electric Freight modeler in the world?
Nice track plan, three levels, I just no understand how you go from one level to the next. Perhaps you intend to include a helix, that should sit in a corner. You need -at least- 30 cm (12") between levels to have enough room and space, 40 cm (16") is better. Without a helix there is no way you can go from one level to an other.
And how do you enter the room? Duckunder? Don't know your age or physical condition, but if it's not about you yet, think of your visitors. Also, in case of an emergency, for you to escape, or someone to help you, ducking-under may be the additional seconds that may make a difference. A lift-out, or lift bridge, is a good solution for a single track level. But your movable access would be for three levels at once. What I would recommend would be a swing-in (or swing-out) door.
Did you mean Tillig track? It is nice, and their Elite brand of turnouts have prototype-looking, flexible point rails. But Tillig is so expensive! Give a try to Peco. If you are in Europe check with hattons.co.uk, their rates even with S&H may be competitive. And with the Peco Insulfrog turnouts, you don't have to care of switching the frog polarity. With their built-in position spring, you can even lay tracks and turnouts, just two wires to the rails, and off you are to run trains and operate turnouts manually. It worked for me that way for years. I even had bought lots of turnout motors but never needed to install them...
I think you are headed for some issues. There is either a whole bunch of track that is going to be buried (with minimal clearance making maintenance an issue) or its going to be very hard to scenic and make it look like a branch in the woods instead of a major urban area. It will be difficult to avoid the "wedding cake" look of a bunch of terraces with rock faces between them. By having so much hidden track, you won't really watch two trains go around the room, there will be one train that goes around the room and one train that pops in an out of view at various places around the room.
At the town on the left, virtually all the switching will be done with one or both ends of the train in a tunnel.
You have way too much track to achieve the Virginia Creeper look you will want.
Dave Husman
Modeling the Wilmington & Northern Branch in 1900-1905
I agree with Dave. You have a whole lot of track. Sometimes less is more. Too often folks think track should occupy every inch of bench work and can leave out very interesting scenic elements. Also, the more turnouts and sophisticated track arrangements like the crossover in the upper photo the more chances for problems. If you are new to this then I would definitely try to keep things pretty simple to avoid frustration.
If you want a longer run I would suggest eliminating one level and keeping only two. On one side of the wall one track can go down while the other goes up and then on the opposite wall you could then have an upper and lower track arrangement.
My first thought was you've got way too much track. That will be a total headache to build and maintain.
If this is your first layout, you need to ramp back on the scope. This looks complicated and extremely busy ... generally less is more if you are willing to lean more toward prototype operation with DCC and sound. With a change of focus from QUANTITY of track to QUALITY ops, it doesn't take much trackwork and layout to keep you completely engrossed for hours.
Joe Fugate
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine
I did think of a helix but i heard that the idea you train disappears for a while wasn'tappealing and when you consider the yellow track iscompletelyhidden (staging) it looks more simple plus using gullies to hid track but still see part of the train and using trees and also height levels 0 to180mm (1.2% grading) will maybe should make the appearance less busy looking. I sort like achallenge. Ive worked on my structure bench and found this to be the best shelvingphotos below has anyone used this before.
If I am understanding this correctly, you are spacing the three levels at 60 mm apart??? That is less than 2 1/2 inches ... so essentially all the tracks will be in the same scene (and your staging will be nearly impossible to reach into ...). Perhaps I am missing something?
Comments
Please Critique my layout before I start rolling out the track
The room is 14' x 11' It is based on the Virginia creeper. HO Rail Brand is Tillig Newish at this. I used Scarm
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155241874@N04/34736846942/in/dateposted-public/
Blue is the lowest track top yard at .2 mm moves on up to the (60mm) grey and then on the green (120mm)mountain track and then at top of mountain 180mm and then all the way down. mostly elevation is 1 to 1.6%. radius minimum is 26". With this you can run 2 trains set and forget and or have 1 train or more go one a long trip. The towns are Abingdon top (blue yard) goes around to 1st grey yard Damascus and then still climbing to White Top Mountain (green bottom area) and then down hill to a 2nd grey yard West Jefferson and then back up to blue yard Abingdon - Yellow is hidden staging - I'll have a lift up shelf and at door and another duck under at bottom doorway
here some clearer pics of separate levels. Please point out problems i may encounter. I plan to build individual levels with struts. Is this a doable operational layout. I dont have any old trains as I only have 2 at this stage. So i dont need to have low elevations. I also dont like the idea of too much track but I like a long journey. So gonna use i few tunnels trees gullys that will hide track but not trains as much. I'm more interested in the scenery aspect as well.
James B
the real thing...
The Abington branch was a real open branch the only supported a local, 6 days a week. I strongly recommend buying O. Winston Link's The Last Steam Railroad in America. https://www.amazon.com/Last-Steam-Railroad-America/dp/0810982013
There is a great set of color pictures of this branch and it's local pulled by a 4-8-0. This will be the most help to you.
am I the only N Scale Pacific Electric Freight modeler in the world?
https://sopacincg.com
Second Bremner's thought!
Great photography from a master and also a wonderful read. I loved the section on the Abington Branch too.
Bob Bochenek
Chicago Yellowstone and Pacific Railroad
Swing or lift?
Nice track plan, three levels, I just no understand how you go from one level to the next. Perhaps you intend to include a helix, that should sit in a corner. You need -at least- 30 cm (12") between levels to have enough room and space, 40 cm (16") is better. Without a helix there is no way you can go from one level to an other.
And how do you enter the room? Duckunder? Don't know your age or physical condition, but if it's not about you yet, think of your visitors. Also, in case of an emergency, for you to escape, or someone to help you, ducking-under may be the additional seconds that may make a difference. A lift-out, or lift bridge, is a good solution for a single track level. But your movable access would be for three levels at once. What I would recommend would be a swing-in (or swing-out) door.
Did you mean Tillig track? It is nice, and their Elite brand of turnouts have prototype-looking, flexible point rails. But Tillig is so expensive! Give a try to Peco. If you are in Europe check with hattons.co.uk, their rates even with S&H may be competitive. And with the Peco Insulfrog turnouts, you don't have to care of switching the frog polarity. With their built-in position spring, you can even lay tracks and turnouts, just two wires to the rails, and off you are to run trains and operate turnouts manually. It worked for me that way for years. I even had bought lots of turnout motors but never needed to install them...
Considerations
I think you are headed for some issues. There is either a whole bunch of track that is going to be buried (with minimal clearance making maintenance an issue) or its going to be very hard to scenic and make it look like a branch in the woods instead of a major urban area. It will be difficult to avoid the "wedding cake" look of a bunch of terraces with rock faces between them. By having so much hidden track, you won't really watch two trains go around the room, there will be one train that goes around the room and one train that pops in an out of view at various places around the room.
At the town on the left, virtually all the switching will be done with one or both ends of the train in a tunnel.
You have way too much track to achieve the Virginia Creeper look you will want.
Dave Husman
Modeling the Wilmington & Northern Branch in 1900-1905
Iron men and wooden cars.
Visit my website : https://wnbranch.com/
Blog index: Dave Husman Blog Index
Tracks
I agree with Dave. You have a whole lot of track. Sometimes less is more. Too often folks think track should occupy every inch of bench work and can leave out very interesting scenic elements. Also, the more turnouts and sophisticated track arrangements like the crossover in the upper photo the more chances for problems. If you are new to this then I would definitely try to keep things pretty simple to avoid frustration.
If you want a longer run I would suggest eliminating one level and keeping only two. On one side of the wall one track can go down while the other goes up and then on the opposite wall you could then have an upper and lower track arrangement.
Tim G.
Way too much track
My first thought was you've got way too much track. That will be a total headache to build and maintain.
If this is your first layout, you need to ramp back on the scope. This looks complicated and extremely busy ... generally less is more if you are willing to lean more toward prototype operation with DCC and sound. With a change of focus from QUANTITY of track to QUALITY ops, it doesn't take much trackwork and layout to keep you completely engrossed for hours.
Joe Fugate
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine
Read my blog
thanks for your comments
thanks for your comments
I did think of a helix but i heard that the idea you train disappears for a while wasn't appealing and when you consider the yellow track is completely hidden (staging) it looks more simple plus using gullies to hid track but still see part of the train and using trees and also height levels 0 to 180mm (1.2% grading) will maybe should make the appearance less busy looking. I sort like a challenge. Ive worked on my structure bench and found this to be the best shelving photos below has anyone used this before.
James B
Vertical Separation
If I am understanding this correctly, you are spacing the three levels at 60 mm apart??? That is less than 2 1/2 inches ... so essentially all the tracks will be in the same scene (and your staging will be nearly impossible to reach into ...). Perhaps I am missing something?
Shelf brackets
That shelving system works well but just be aware they slope back to the wall.
Have a look at my blog http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/25098 to see how I used them
Peter
The Redwood Sub