Large Scale Central

Track plan ideas for indoor expansion

Operations
#21

Steve downtown the bell tower on the courthouse would chime out every quarter hour. I would hear it chime out and I knew what time it was from the chimes. Chimes like an old grandfather clock, only with big bells.

I still use a wind up alarm clock. I still have a record player. And only a couple of years ago did I finally get rid of my dot matrix printer. I am not a fan of all the wiz bang technology. Anyone else notice how each generation knows how to do less “handyman” stuff then the generation before them? Sure, the younger generation can work all the wiz bangs, but what do they do when a pipe bursts in the middle of the night? Or what do they do when a tree falls down, ripping the power lines off their house? The man from the power company gave me an odd look, when I lead him to the side of my house that night with an oil lantern. But at least I wasn’t “in the dark”. So, maybe I am a Luddite too. But if I am with Steve, I am in good company.

#22

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

This post has been edited by :Rooster

“Reason for edit was to add a smiley face instead of a blank post acknowledging that I am following” I do like the broom leaning on the store front though. Nice touch!

#23

I’m retired, have not used an alarm clock in 20 years. Just gave my son in law my gas blow torch. He had never seen one.

#24

I used to have a furry alarm clock. She expected to be petted and given a treat each morning. But her accuracy left a bit to be desired.

#25

Daktah John said:

I’ve been through 3 or 4 plans and so far nothing I really like.

All ideas will be considered. Thanks!

I’ve never drawn a plan yet that went exactly like how I designed it. Most of the time it’s just to see what will fit in an area. Just laying out the track in different arrangements till I find something that looks interesting is what usually works for me.

#26

Ken Brunt said:

Daktah John said:

I’ve been through 3 or 4 plans and so far nothing I really like.

All ideas will be considered. Thanks!

I’ve never drawn a plan yet that went exactly like how I designed it. Most of the time it’s just to see what will fit in an area. Just laying out the track in different arrangements till I find something that looks interesting is what usually works for me.

Exactly what I started doing last night. About supper time I realized I’ve been in the basement since Christmas Eve, so I shut off the lights and spent the evening with Marilyn. Some ideas are starting to cook. Wish I had more switches. Might have to try rolling my own again.

#27

Jay Root said:

I’m retired, have not used an alarm clock in 20 years. Just gave my son in law my gas blow torch. He had never seen one.

I’ve got my grandfather’s gas blowtorch. I saw my dad use it 60 years ago. It needs a good cleaning, but probably could be made serviceable, again.

#28

Hope y’all don’t mind if I bring this thread back to my track plan (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

As Ken suggested, it is a boatload easier experimenting with real track then it is with software. For one, I can’t get my RRTrack software to duplicate what I can actually do with sectional track. Some of it may be flexibility in the joints, but in the software I can not make a Aristo Wide switch fit comfortably in an 8 foot curve, but on the bench it is no problem at all. This is the closest I can come in the software to representing what I have down so far…

As before this image is hi-res 2048 pixels wide if you view it directly.

Here is what the track actually looks like…

In the picture above there is just barely enough clearance between the top two tracks and to the wall for full size Fn3 cars. I’d like to tweak that second switch from the left with just a little but of curved track to increase the spacing the goal being enough room on the back wall for some flats and adequate clearance between tracks.

In the picture below, the second track in from the wall will be the main. As such Id like to change this switch to a Right so the main is the straight route, and add a second Right to send a siding toward the yellow track box…

And finally, Replace this R1 Left with the Wide Left I’d change out on the main…

With an investment of two wide switches I could end up with lots of operational possibilities. Anyone want to buy some R1’s (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-money-mouth.gif)

#29

You can really get carried away messing around with that RRTrack software, but most of the time, with me anyway, once you start laying track and seeing it in 3 dimensions, it usually ends up being to crowded. Looks real good on paper, but not so much in reality. Then again, most of my switches are all scratch built and don’t match what’s on paper anyway.

#30

Like most, I use rrtrack to get an idea of what I want to do, but the plan never survives first contact. Usually, it’s something like, “Hmmm, I think a wye would work better there,” or, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Sometimes, nuttin works, and I have to retreat to my “moaning chair,” for the solution.

#31

Thanks (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)

I spent a half hour switching cars around on what I have now and I think I have accomplished what I set out to do - add more switching to create an indoor only ops capability. The “tunnel” accommodates only one car plus a self contained loco. Meaning to switch the small area where the tank and hopper are you need to pull one car at a time using both the main and the run-around to drill cars.

The long siding against the wall will be a freight depot with doors and a requirement to leave space between cars. Each door will be set up as a separate industry so it might be necessary to re-couple and move a string of cars to change out one, then re-spot cars at each door. At the far end , beyond the depot will be a single car; either LCL freight or some type of car to support the depot, like an oil tanker for heat. As set up today, there is room for 5 cars and a self contained loco between the switch and the end of the tunnel.

I need to check my piggy bank and see if I can buy those two switches. My LHS has them in stock. They must be NOS because he has them in stainless priced about the same as brass on eBay.

#32

Daktah John said:

The long siding against the wall will be a freight depot with doors and a requirement to leave space between cars. Each door will be set up as a separate industry so it might be necessary to re-couple and move a string of cars to change out one, then re-spot cars at each door. At the far end , beyond the depot will be a single car; either LCL freight or some type of car to support the depot, like an oil tanker for heat. As set up today, there is room for 5 cars and a self contained loco between the switch and the end of the tunnel.

That sounds a lot like what I did in Hesperus. One long siding to handle 5 industries.

Chandler’s, Bergs, Goldings, Vaggiano’s and the sawmill. Makes for some real head scratchin…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#33

Musta been a Corps of Engineers feller that put a turnout right in front of an industry.

#34

That’s behind the hotel and saloon, they just have to watch out for the drunks sleeping it off on the tracks…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#35

Ken Brunt said:

That’s behind the hotel and saloon, they just have to watch out for the drunks sleeping it off on the tracks…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

That’s yer story, an’ yer stickin’ to it, huh?

#36

Purty much…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#37

I quit trying to make computerized and/or accurate penciled track plans anymore… I have the basic idea in my head, and I work from there… Of course, there is occasions when I have to put the basic idea on paper… (Like when the wife says ““If I don’t see something on paper so I have an idea what we are doing, then I won’t help anymore…””). Then I have to find paper, a pencil, a pencil sharpener, a big gum eraser, and a ruler… And real quick, too… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-sealed.gif)

The upper portion of my layout in the basement will be set that way… Placing actual track and switches down to get the idea of the flow… The basic idea is still in my head… The industrial area was drawn out a long time ago, as the bench work was built in the middle of the basement, and tracks placed on it to insure that what I had drawn out would actually work… Once the walls were dry walled, and painted, then the benchwork was separated and placed in actual position… (which, BTW, fit perfectly…) (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-sealed.gif)

Jon, the track work and layout looks good… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#38

Happy wife, happy life…

#39

Steve Featherkile said:

Ken Brunt said:

That’s behind the hotel and saloon, they just have to watch out for the drunks sleeping it off on the tracks…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

That’s yer story, an’ yer stickin’ to it, huh?

That works out real good. The switch-man doesn’t have far to walk to throw the switch. I’ll bet that makes him happy when its raining, or when he is “busy” in the saloon.

#40

When I started planning my indoor layout, I measured 2 feet out from the basement walls and drew chalk lines on the basement floor. I knew 2 feet (3 tracks) was as far as I could reach without knocking cars over. Then I laid track and switches to see what would fit well and provided the most room for switching. When I was satisfied with the 30 x 22 foot track plan, I built waste-high tables for the railway.

The 15 x 11 foot oval was the first section to be removed. Watching a large scale train chase its tail quickly got boring, and the oval took up a lot of space. That part of the room became my train workshop.

The remaining U-shaped layout had a 2 x 30 foot yard (3 tracks wide) along the wall side, and a 4 x 16 foot yard (5 tracks wide) on the open side. As the house was on a ravine lot there was a patio door to back yard and pool. Each summer the U and it tables had to be removed so the patio door could be used. One winter it was not re-installed and the 4 x 16 foot yard was removed.

I found the 2 x 30 foot Time Waster switching yard was enough to test locomotive projects and keep me amused during the winter. A few years later it was transformed into an On30 layout by The Muffin Gang.

Three years later I moved to a small bungalow that has no room for a railway in the basement. But between operating seasons at Fred’s, The Muffin Gang still meets at my place every Thursday morning for muffins and hot chocolate. There is also the occasional trip downstairs to my workshop to see the locomotive project I may be working on.