Hi there,
o.k. i see…its always the same problem with the things we have in our head…others havent, and so we have to bring it down to make readable what we mean…
I´ll try to give some background.
Matching a Garden RR (or every modelRR) to an prototypical operation is often very difficult. So did mine.
Recently i got an idea.
If u look at the “all-in-orange” plan that shows my station now, a line leaves the station up to a junction, where a line got down (driving left) or up (driving right).
Both lines ended in a bump-station.
Now, with the new idea, i thought of building a loop arround the upper (weminuche(–>pass)) station. But not to simulate the turning of the train ( i have no chance to build the loop AFTER the weminuche-station, just arround it).
I drive through the loop and come back down, but now i use the line as if it was the OTHER side of the pass.
Lets think we came from the southern plains (ignacio-Bayfield-Columbus), stopped at Vallecito (the main station), went on to Weminuche (pass). While the model is turning on the loop, coming back down the same line, THEORETICALY the origin RR goes down the north side of the pass to Creede.
So i will pass the mainstation on the new siding, doing that as if this station werent there. The train will disappear in the house and end there (Creede).
I can now turn the loco OR change the train…whatever…and when this loco leaves the house, it is as if it comes from Creede, climbing up the north ramp of the pass to Weminuche. NOW first going through the weminuche loop BEFORE reaching Weminuche station.
and so on…
like this, i got a deep capacity of possible oprations with different locos, using the indoor facilities both as south and north side of the pass.
The former junction changes from a “on the line” junction to the northern head of the Vallecito Station.
The line driving left down is just a branch-line to a town (Tuckerville), a logging camp and a mine.
That is a bit confusing, but i didnt remind a case where someone has used a loop-line in this kind of double-operation as 2 lines.
The main thought in the background was to get some “line-length” that will get lost with making the line “Vallecito-Junction” (old layout) to station-tracks (new layout).
And i hope i found the word to describe it…its a bit difficult…i think.
But a short and last step back to the layout:
in the old layout, the station-loop in the main station (Vallecito) was just for turning locos and switching.
There was no possibility to drive-trough it directly.
The new layout will allow a direct drive-through. Like this, i can turn and switch in the station Vallecito.
AND i can come with a train from the lower branchline (Tuckerville), driving through the loop up to the pass ( to theorectially reach Creede) or v.v.
And for more, if i dont have fun with looking on operating purposes, i would have (for the first time) the possibility to drive “round-and-round”:
Vallecito Loop - up the line - Weminuche Loop - down the line.
Greetings
Frank