I think your yards/staging area is a disaster waiting to occur…mainly because there is no access planned in that area. It also isn’t easily accessible from the house. I’ll repeat my suggestion that the yard/staging area be across the front and into the part where you have the blue branch line loop at the top of the plan.
Warren Mumpower said:
I think your yards/staging area is a disaster waiting to occur…mainly because there is no access planned in that area. It also isn’t easily accessible from the house. I’ll repeat my suggestion that the yard/staging area be across the front and into the part where you have the blue branch line loop at the top of the plan.
Warren, How do you arrive at the “no access planned” conclusion? What do you term “easily accessible from the house”? Please add your suggestions to a copy of the trackplan and post. Or start from scratch with the
(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/F-PIX/LSC_TP/Space01.jpg)
Space plan.
Sorry but I don’t have the fancy cad programs like some do so this is the best I can do.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/squeeky/_forumfiles/Layout01.jpg)
There needs to be physical access…without getting bushes shoved where the sun doesn’t shine while trying to operate the yard. Maybe hidden from the viewers but never hidden from the operators. He needs the setup and yard as close to the door as possible. Who wants to carry heavy trains all over the place. That gets old real quick. Besides, if a bad storm comes in fast, the quicker he can get his trains in the house the better.
As suggested by Warren
(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/F-PIX/LSC_TP/ReadyTrack02.jpg)
Two ready tracks to load and unload the equipment from the layout. Basically the loading/unloading could just as easily be done on the front track in “A”, however adding the two load/unload tracks provides an extra feature since they can also act as a simulated interchange to a separate railroad (operated as a “fiddle yard”). The loading length is approx. 14ft for either track. There are no operational functions in “S” (Staging), it is simply a place where trains spell each other off in a random (display) or scheduled (operations) manner. No muss or fuss; as long as the turnouts work as intended and the operators don’t mess up. @ Warren BTW since you mentioned using Photoshop to tweak your pictures, you could also use Photoshop to doodle the desired changes. Works like a charm, especially if you use different layers for different ideas. 
Thanks HJ & Warren Its looking good. Now I hope some others will kick in with there ideals.
I still have a problem with those staging yards being there and not accessible with a path. On an outside layout ALL turnouts should be EASILY accessible. They are a high maintenance area and a serious cause of headaches on garden layouts. There should be a minimum of a 3’ path between the yards and the bushes…or move the yards elsewhere.
As for Photoshop, currently the only thing installed on this machine is Photo Delux which is Photoshop’s freebie that comes with printers. It’s good for tweeking pictures but for anything else it’s a hobbled up crappy POS. I’ve got 5.0 some place…just not on the computer. 
Warren,
Has it ever occurred to you that one could build trackwork - especially the kind that has no other function than to “store” trains - in such a way that the trackwork area is its own walkway? Something akin to streetcar trackage, strictly functional with very reliable components?
4ft+ wide and 14ft+ long - that’s not counting the actual area of the turnouts - and nicely accessible from two directions. It’s all a matter of how one builds that portion, in this case “very low maintenance”.
Geoff:
Having seen what you do with lights and sound, it strikes me that the trains, while an important feature for your displays, are well and truly secondary. You want the trains to complement your lighting skills, not compete with them. It also implies that your most effective displays will be in late evening or after nightfall. Do you see it that way?
One of the most interesting displays, from the standpoint of a visitor, is the shunting puzzle. Being able to manipulate cars through a puzzle holds a certain fascination for visitors that’s unique. If you have any interest in building a layout that incorporates one, there are a couple of guys on this site who can help you.
Check out http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/index.html if you’re interested.
Here’s my ideas. I started by drawing a circle of about 14’ radius, and put that at various locations around the yard, and connected the mainline (red). Then drew in a branchline (blue), added sidings, and double-tracked part of the mainline. I also put the main ‘yard’ by the driveway for ease of access. Elevations are in green.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/bob_mccown/_forumfiles/LSCPlan2.jpg)
Dave Healy said:
Geoff:Having seen what you do with lights and sound, it strikes me that the trains, while an important feature for your displays, are well and truly secondary. You want the trains to complement your lighting skills, not compete with them. It also implies that your most effective displays will be in late evening or after nightfall. Do you see it that way?
One of the most interesting displays, from the standpoint of a visitor, is the shunting puzzle. Being able to manipulate cars through a puzzle holds a certain fascination for visitors that’s unique. If you have any interest in building a layout that incorporates one, there are a couple of guys on this site who can help you.
Check out http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/index.html if you’re interested.
Thank you about the lights. The trains are more then secondary. They are what get people out of there cars. The lights are great, but are mostly enjoyed from inside your car. Seeing I set it up so you can hear the music from your car radio there is no need or reason to get out. So, add trains. Now people see the trains, wont a better view and get out of there cars. In doing so they trend to see the can food drive sign and collection bin. Starting to see the picture now. The first year I collect food I got 1057 cans. Really good for a first year, this year with the trains I got over 2000 cans of food and over 500 dollars. The number of people that got out just too see the trains really surprized me. It seems the people talked more about the trains then the lights. SO the lights might grab them the trains hold them.
Now, I’m sure I will have a area where I can doing sunting. Both Hans and Bob have designs that would allow this. The only thing is I’m not sure I wont to be out side all night in 10 degrees doing that at Christmas time. It might be more of a summer thing for the other fund raising events I do or just for me and my fellow train freeks to play with why having a cold one.
Does any of that make sence?
Thanks Bob. Now its getting good. things about yours I like and things about Hans I like now lets see what the others have to say. The more input the better on this is my thinking.
How about a connection between the “Blue Line,” and the outer (or perhaps inner, if easier) of the “Black Lines,” for operating when not on display.
You could fill in the open space, in the lower left surrounded by the “Blue Line,” with a branch line to (an) industry(ies) of some ilk.
Make the design more operations friendly by using the "Point to Loop to Point(s) principle, disguising the connection that makes the loop as an insignificant siding that disappears behind some scenery.
This way, you can have the best of both worlds, three independent loops for Christmas Season display, as well as a layout designed for operations.
Having done this, you can then sponsor the “St Louis Large Scale Conclave,” scheduled somewhere between “The American Invasion,” and “Marty’s Thingy.”
Here are a few quick scribblings. This is from the my prospective as a landscape designer and a guy who is more scenery oriented and likes to have a beer watching the trains run. My path/patio preferences would be irregular flagstone, then tumbled pavers, then either a simple gravel patio or gravel path and a short deck. Up to three trains running at once!
(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/altterrain/forums/projectLSC-BDD.jpg)
-Brian
Keep them coming!
Geoff George said:
Thank you about the lights. The trains are more then secondary. They are what get people out of there cars. The lights are great, but are mostly enjoyed from inside your car. Seeing I set it up so you can hear the music from your car radio there is no need or reason to get out. So, add trains. Now people see the trains, wont a better view and get out of there cars. In doing so they trend to see the can food drive sign and collection bin. Starting to see the picture now. The first year I collect food I got 1057 cans. Really good for a first year, this year with the trains I got over 2000 cans of food and over 500 dollars. The number of people that got out just too see the trains really surprized me. It seems the people talked more about the trains then the lights. SO the lights might grab them the trains hold them.Now, I’m sure I will have a area where I can doing sunting. Both Hans and Bob have designs that would allow this. The only thing is I’m not sure I wont to be out side all night in 10 degrees doing that at Christmas time. It might be more of a summer thing for the other fund raising events I do or just for me and my fellow train freeks to play with why having a cold one.
Does any of that make sence?
ALL of it makes sense, Geoff!
Steve’s suggestion incorporated
(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/F-PIX/LSC_TP/CombineBranch_Main.jpg)
Moved the upper crossover in “A” to allow direct access from the ready tracks (red) to the branchline (blue). New, additional crossover at Southend of “A” allows direct access from the branchline to the mainline. Eliminated two of the storage tracks at “S”, adding the crossover in “A” provides the “extra siding” config during operations. Two tracks in each direction at “S” should be enough for display running.
Are you really planning to carry all the trains out and in everyday? Outside storage should be incorporated.
Ric Golding said:The quick answer to that is Yes. I will untill I build a new garage and can have a safe place to lock them up. I don't belive anyone will steal the track. Neighbor is a ploice officer but I can't say the same for the train cars and locos. Its not bad I did it all the time last year. it only take me about 30 minutes to get all four locos, about 50 cars out. Most of the time I only run trains with 5 to 6 cars on them and don't fill the freight yards.
Are you really planning to carry all the trains out and in everyday? Outside storage should be incorporated.
any more ideals or input?
Geoff,
I’ve been waiting, too. In the meantime I doodled a bit of scenery, more on that later.