Gil,
Companies like Aristo Craft are running their sales now. In the past it has been as much as 20% off. Recent past history may not make this the best price, but January and February have been very good times to buy track.
Like Ralph said… Click on MyFiles below the reply box, then click on the image you want to post. It should put the code right into teh posting box. No cut/paste or IMG tags needed. [code]
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/jrad/_forumfiles/EBT-jr-7.jpg)
[/code] will display
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/jrad/_forumfiles/EBT-jr-7.jpg)
OK, Jon… So, is that Gil’s track layout plan, or just a sample of a different plan???
That’s Gil’s layout plan.
Now, to study it.
Jon Radder said:
Or, I could do it for you.(http://www.lscdata.com/users/gilv/_forumfiles/DRNGW_Plan1.jpg)
Some dimensions would be helpful. The yard (train staging) may or may not be a little short. I would add a couple tracks and a runaround to the yard. I would also move the yard to the outside for access. Of course, if the curve to the far right is a 20 foot diameter curve, access to the yard may be fine where it is. Looks pretty cool otherwise. Ralph
Well, I took a look at it, and decided that as designed, there was a whole lot of track that was wasted in “roundy-round.” So, I moved the mine and timber activities down line a bit and came up with this…
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/stevef/DRNGW_Plan1111.jpg)
You might consider NOT having the mine and timber operations off the same spur to give you more operating options. As a thought, move the timber operation to the inside of the circle, and extend the spur up the hill that you built where the scribbles are(the original location of the timber operation and station). That way, you can have a long track with a fairly gentle grade that starts at the “Wharehouse.” Or, you could have another spur come off the “wye,” headed up the hill. The tunnel helps to hide the fact that you have a roundy-round. During operations, you can put a brick left over from building your fireplace at one of the tunnel entrances, making it a true point to point. You’ve made a good start, there will probably be others with other ideas better than mine. Play with it a bit, see what you can come up with. Have you written down your “Givens and D’ruthers?” Givens are things that you must have, like point to point with a hidden roundy-round, and D’ruthers are things that you would like to have but can give up or put off for a while, like an engine service area.
Gil,
You’re getting many years of advice with what is written above. I have to agree with almost all of it. The emphasis on moving the industries to the outside should be paid attention to, unless you have total access to the inside of the loop with plenty of movement room. One access (like over the tunnel) is not enough. I don’t know if 5 access points to the inner loop of a “roundy round” is enough. Design your industries and your trackage, then create the roundy round.
Just my thoughts and support of what has been said by people far smarter than me.
Thanks guys.
Jon thabk you for posting my layout.
I appriciate all the comments specially because I know they come from years of experience.
Dimensions are some what opened. I am planning in making the Pavers raised area at least some 15 ft wide by mabe 40 or 60 ft long.
The season I had put the mining town on the far right is that I planned to raise the track gradualy from the staion on the begining og the curve some 12-14 inches. The 8 ft diam circe with a 3 ft straing in between was going to be a trussel raised curve. I was going to raise the track with rocks up to the start of the curve. The mine town was going to sit on a plato in top. With gradual lowering on the back side of my original roundy round. I was planning on 8 ft diam curves (separated by a 3 ft straight section) on the truess bridge side and the far right side. And 10 ft diam curves around and out of the mining town. Maybe gentirkl 8 ft curves to create an “s” on the back side.
I had not though about access to the mine town. My newby status showing here.
I can see the advantage of Steve’s plan but isnt that too short of a point to point?
Sorry Steve having re-read your post I see that your point to point takes the train almost all the way of my original roundy round…wow a jenious in design!!! Thanks Steve
How how do visualy separate the warehouse town from the mining town to create the illustion of distance between them???
I am just learning here I don’t quite understand train operations to make the traing go the way I am thinking but that can come later.
Again thanks for your help.
Gil V.
Welcome aboard Gil,
Currently Aristo Craft Trains has their track on sale until the end of February. If you buy four boxes of track you get the 5th box FREE. This sale includes all of their track products.
The biggest question you need to answer for yourself is weather you’re going to run your trains on track power or battery/remote control. If you choose track power then you will have to stay with brass or stainless steel track, very expensive. However, if you choose battery/remote control then you could go to the new aluminum code 332 track that Aristo Craft has just offered. It’s a lot cheaper then brass or stainless steel.
You can e-mail me at [email protected] for more details.
Chuck
Chuck
I have selected to go with Battery power and RC (RCS) control it just makes better sense to me to go that way. I am also going with pneumatic powered switching and a Phoenix sound card.
Have not seen big price differences between brass and aluminum but would like to stay with 332 code track. So please email me info.
I have a question on the switches do I need to stay with #6 turnout switches?
I have seen where Aristo switches have problems. I have two R1 USAT switches that worked pretty well on my 4ft double loop around the tree track this Christmas. But now that I am going with 8 and 10 ft diam curves those will not work I guess. So my question is do all the turnout switches need to be #6? What is a good source for these? I don’t want to “make my own” (not that handy).
Once again thanks to all who chime in.
Gil V.
If your going with 10 ft diameter curves, seems to me, that the Aristo extra wide switch would be the choice… It’s basically, a 10 ft diameter curve… Or such an equivilent…
You might want to take a look at these: http://www.switchcrafters.com/
I have a couple #6 and a #8 from him and I’ve been very pleased with how well they operate. I do believe that you will have to do some work to get the Aristo switches to work correctly.
I was wondering about switchcrafters. I have seen reviews and chatter about them…anyone have them installed yet? They look great.
Steve is your redesign done in crayon?
Here’s a shot of three of them installed.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Switches/IMG_2735.JPG)
The #8 is in the bottom of the picture, next to that old freight house. “Above” are 2 #6. The reverse view:
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Switches/IMG_2737.JPG)
The #8 is used to connect the yard to the mainline.
OK I’m sold!
David Russel said:Naw, it was done in ink, but it might as well have been done in crayon, huh?
Steve is your redesign done in crayon?
Steve Featherkile said:I like it just teasingDavid Russel said:Naw, it was done in ink, but it might as well have been done in crayon, huh?
Steve is your redesign done in crayon?