Here’s my plan. I started February 9 2013.
Here’s a photo of the main layout. Taken from the left side of plan.
Here’s the plan for a recent expansion loop to the Shed/Workshop and Train shed storage tracks.
And a photo of my incomplete, but functioning train shed.
Track Plan?
1)Buy as much track as I can afford. (ten bucks a foot! Wow. I thought it was high when I started.)
2) take track outback and plop it down.
3) Run some trains!
I love the rock work on the side of your storage shed, Mike.
Here is mine:
I few things I changed from this drawing…I changed the direction of the mine lead to face the other direction. Overall that is the layout. It is small at only 160’ of mainline. But I did that intentionally so I could finish this part before moving onto a larger “Ruby Basin” portion that would start at the top part of the layout near the “Mine” area. This is the area where I would have to add a 1:1 road crossing. However, that is a few years off. Goal right now is to get buildings built and to start my storage area, which is depicted as the three pink lines.
Here is my track plan as currently being built. I’m up to rev 10 already. Been working on it for a couple of years now. Black is the outer loop; blue is the inner loop; red is sidings, green is interchange tracks between the two loops. Only the major bridges are shown on the plan. Black circles are trees. Approximate locations of the four ponds and both streams are shown in blue. The outer loop is just about complete; I hope to drive the golden spike this Spring. The entire layout is enclosed with a block retaining wall as shown in dark red. It is about 160 feet wide and 50 feet deep. I have put down about 400 feet of track so far; all hand spiked Code 215 aluminum to cedar ties. Total track will be a bit over 1000 feet when (if) completed.
Bob
Jake Smith said:
I love the rock work on the side of your storage shed, Mike.
Thanks Jake, I used foam insulation sheets and “carved” them with an old soldering iron and a wire brush using the same method that I made tunnel portals in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNNGJnAvH9A
Pretty much absconded with the entire back yard. Track plan changed a little as I built it.
It morphed into this.
I’ve got most of my back yard as well; it’s just a tiny back yard. 
The diagram is a bit out of date, but shows the main part of the layout.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Layout/jbrr-08_08w.jpg)
The original railroad was a simple loop in my backyard, but I wanted something the would be better suited to operations; thus, the out and back design. A yard and turntable are located in Green Springs. A connector links the reverse loop for true continuous running without the need for throwing any switches.
Train #1 leaves Green Springs and then the train passes a small town called Occoquan (not labeled, but just to the right of Stone Mill. It is just big enough to have a passing siding and a couple of industries. Then it makes a “U” and pulls into the town of Jackson. Leaving Jackson, it enters the reversing loop that has a passing siding that will also serve as a staging area that I call Lexington.
The idea of staging trains is to make it appear that they originate “offstage” and thus provide more traffic for the layout. Train #2 leaves out of Lexington and is usually built ahead of time, so there is no building a train in this location.
This is how it looked in 2008.
And last fall…
rough sketch of whats down already, have about 150’ of track still waiting to be placed
(https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/t31.0-8/1941539_1474267979468241_1317187134_o.jpg)
(https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1507587_1464295187132187_1780033361_n.jpg)(https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/t1.0-9/1958436_1464295647132141_1314763967_n.jpg)(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1461489_1434883120073394_34810469_n.jpg)(https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/1476467_1434883173406722_1726395999_n.jpg)(https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1.0-9/1456117_1434883303406709_1287955757_n.jpg)(https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1467384_1434883540073352_1804425796_n.jpg)(https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/1625669_1464297797131926_613041790_n.jpg)(https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/1625471_1464297740465265_787858625_n.jpg)
Can’t seem to handle this format. Sorry.
Here’s my plan. I started February 9 2013.
Here’s a photo of the main layout. Taken from the left side of plan.
Here’s the plan for a recent expansion loop to the Shed/Workshop and Train shed storage tracks.
And a photo of my incomplete, but functioning train shed.
Richard Smith said:
Can’t seem to handle this format. Sorry.
That’s a computer program, RR Track v.5, a sectional track layout planning software, same one I used for my presented track plan.
What about it can’t you handle?
Richard Smith said:
Can’t seem to handle this format. Sorry.
The layout, the software, the way it is posted? What is it? BTW, I’m a roundy-round operator with beer in hand, imagineering the next addition, or scene while sitting in a lawn chair (for hours), and I realize my layout plan resembles an indoor HO layout. It is busy and compact on purpose, a lot of action for the passersby in the community . I wanted two levels with tunnels and trestles. It ain’t a railroad to me without tunnels and trestles, LOL!
Please tell me what it is you can’t handle. Inquiring minds want to know!
Great layouts guys and some very interesting plans. It seems most are continous loops with lots of sidings and yards for switching fun. I like to follow the tracks with my finger and see how smoothly a train could operate.
Some notables on the great layouts, A few have turntables, a few have the benefit of tracks into a storage shed and so far only one has an airport on Mark Dash’s.
Keep the diagrams and photos coming they will serve as a great resource for guys who might be scratching their heads about how to approach their track laying and might inspire some to reconfigure.
My layout represents the D&H Ausable Branch, from Plattsburgh to Ausable NY, The Plattsburgh Air Force Base (Now the county airport) was serviced by this branch, in fact some of the old military buildings now are the Bombardier Railcar facilities
They haul these in to be finished in Plattsburgh
(https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1613789_1468912770003762_1111067408_n.jpg)
My post didn’t exactly go where I had intended and the diagram from my freight shed vanished. That’s what I meant. Sorry for any misunderstanding. The diagrams you guys posted are excellent.
Man, you all have some fancy layouts.
John M. said:
Man, you all have some fancy layouts.
We sure do! That is why we like photos so much. There is a bunch of very talented imaginative people on this forum and it is great to see their projects and railroads. My wife says my train obsession keeps me out of trouble and it is better to spend money on trains than waste it in the pub.
Here is the basic plan for my new railroad, please offer any comments or suggestions.
