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Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Looking for help or suggestions!

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13 years 2 months ago #10386 by TailUK
Looking for help or suggestions! was created by TailUK
Despite many distractions I'm getting close to laying track on the folding layout. Layout designing isn't my strong suit. In addition to the twin loops with a passing track on each and a 4 track fiddle yard behind the scenic break, I was looking for suggestions. I'd like to add a yard or industrial area but can't decide about the design to give relatively simple operations and yard access to the mainline. Each time I juggle it I can get traffic in from the "up" track but not out again very easily.
I'm kind of stuck on the trackplan as it stands as it will run quite long trains and show them off quite well but adding a little switching wouldn't hurt.

The layout is 500mm(20")deep and 2000mm(80")wide. There's a scenic break 320mm(just over 12") from the front edge and a fold line across the middle.
The plan shows what I come up with so far, the grid size is 100m(4") squares.
I'd value any opinions, advice or suggestions.
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13 years 2 months ago #10387 by stonysmith
Replied by stonysmith on topic Re: Looking for help or suggestions!
If I was to do such a layout, I would consider connecting the two main loops such that a consist could go 'anywhere' on the entire layout. It would mean adding at least two more turnouts, but I think it'd be worth it.

I'm not sure what you plan for scenery (and purely my own sense of design), part of the 'magic' of a layout is having an area where the trains disappear temporarily. Gotta have a tunnel. <grin> Or, some woods, or a built up urban area. Just something so that one second it's here, and blink, and it's over there.

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13 years 2 months ago #10389 by Socalz44
Replied by Socalz44 on topic Re: Looking for help or suggestions!
Stony is correct. Your plan is showing us TWO spearate mainlines. You may be thinking this is how to run two trains and your right in a sense. Ultimately you may get dizzy just watching trains go roundy-round. There are layouts like this however. If you think you will favor running just one train most of the time then I would suggest joining the two mainlines. Jim :)

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13 years 2 months ago #10392 by slugger
Replied by slugger on topic Re: Looking for help or suggestions!

Hi John
I like what you have so far but i do agree with Jim. What would be nice is if you connect each main line together so you could cross one train to go around both tracks to make it more interesting. Best place to do this is in the middle of one of the two yards. just a set of crosss overs (one in each direction) would work fine. If i may ask? why do you have a yard on both sides of the backdrop? Most layouts have yard on one side and a scenic area on the other. This would give you more variety in the layout.

Steve aka "Slugger" B)
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13 years 1 month ago #10413 by TailUK
Replied by TailUK on topic Re: Looking for help or suggestions!
I originally envisiged this as an exhibition layout that I could also run at home. The secohd yard behind the scenic was designed with this in mind. It represents an non scenic area for train assembly allowing me to "ring the changes" with up to 4 different consists.
Following the good advice received here and off list I've come up with this. More turnouts than I originally anticipated, but if I can build 12 I can build another 6.
Thoughts, anyone?

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