Devon, what about "bending the tail of the wye to not cross over the other track? A gentle bend will do it, you can lengthen it a bit also to turn longer trains.
Greg
Greg Elmassian said:
Devon, what about "bending the tail of the wye to not cross over the other track? A gentle bend will do it, you can lengthen it a bit also to turn longer trains.
Greg
Aww c’mon Greg I did that on purpose. I went out of my way to make that happen. Seriously, just in case it got lost in my long rantings I want at least one grade separated crossing. The tail of the wye is 12" higher top of rail to top of rail than the track it crosses. This lower track will pass through some sort of tunnel or bridge or combination of both. Not exactly what I had in mind for a grade separated crossing necessarily but It was the best I could muster. Now I am not saying I can’t bend the tail to make a longer run. That’s a good idea for a couple of reasons. The first being that I can make a little more room to walk past the end of it and second it will allow more options for using it in operations. I will revisit it but I have to have my crossing somewhere.
I gained an extra 5 feet in length last night. So that made me do some more thinking on how I can maximize the space. I came up with a little more elaborate plan to gain elevation and lengthen overall track distance. I also tried to get some more space on the back side of the track for scenery. Now this plan would be laid out a bit more organic than I have it but it gives a rough idea. The one down fall to this is it would require one to cross the track many more times. Twice would require a lifting bridge. I already have one but this adds two. To keep the track elevated it requires more steps up and over or paths that cross at ground level. for just roundy round running the path and lifting bridge accessing the far right loop could be avoided. I would likely have a siding in there for operations but in operations I think people are more busy and wouldn’t mind crossing track and lifting a bridge. Operators am I right in this? For Roundy Round Running most all turnouts need to do it would be accessible within the main area.
Stepping over track is not a problem…yet, especially with something to hold on to. A bridge introduces all sorts of problems though. Unless it is overengineered, there is going to be problems with alignment. I’d consider steel draw bridges.
How about a tunnel so you could walk over the track?
The yard needs ( nice grey area) more track.
How does the wye pass under the track, a Dead end tunnel like John has?
Have you thought about dirt?
Steve Featherkile said:
Stepping over track is not a problem…yet, especially with something to hold on to. A bridge introduces all sorts of problems though. Unless it is overengineered, there is going to be problems with alignment. I’d consider steel draw bridges.
The lifting bridges would be over engineered for sure. Steel bases at least.
Sean McGillicuddy said:
How about a tunnel so you could walk over the track?
The yard needs ( nice grey area) more track.
How does the wye pass under the track, a Dead end tunnel like John has?
Have you thought about dirt?
Sean I have some ideas for the steps over them that could include tunnels or deck bridge ideas that sort of thing. The yard would be much more elaborate, that is a just a representation. The free version of Anyrail only lets you have so many pieces of track. As for the wye you have the elevation backward. The wye is on top; so the track passing below will be a tunnel/bridge/or combination.
I have thought a lot about dirt. The whole system will be ladder. Rock will be used to build raised beds and then those will be filled with our native gravely rock dirt stuff. It drains well. Plantings will be intentional and in those area I will pot planting soil.
Were is José Morais when you need him? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)
He’s great at the 3d type layout stuff…
Sean if it helps, by design the grey yard (stagging area for building trains when you come into the layout) is the highest point in the RR that way you don’t have to bend over as much to stage your train. It and the wye section will all be flat and level. Once you go around the loop to the right and head through the center and start winding around on the spaghetti noodle you will be dropping the whole way down to the lowest point which will be the left hand side loop.
Just for fun I might make the right hand loop rise at about 1% or so to the apex of the farthest point in the loop and then of course drop back down. It can be as flat as the wye though that whole section does not have to elevate. But It could create a little more dramatic scenes if it raises some giving as much vertical separation as possible between it and the noodle.
So I tweaked the above plan slightly and set elevations to ensure proper clearance and grades. The lowest level (the left loop) is 14". The left lifting bridge and all of the wye and staging area are 28" so plenty of separation and at 28" off the ground makes a nice height to work trains in the yard and wye. The grade separated crossing at the top is 12" of separation. The entire left loop is flat at 14" from that turnout it climbs at 2% to the lifting bridge. The right side loop from its turn out is flat at 30". I added a bend in the track on the bottom between the loop and where the noodle meets the wye section. its enough to climb the two inches in elevation at 1.4%.
I am liking this plan better all the time. From an operations standpoint there are lots of opportunities to place sidings and industries for switching. The yard and wye area will just be fun to negotiate. It provides for a fairly long continuous run and on the two reversing loops will put either spring switches of flop switches.
It will force people to actually operate their trains even when not in operations mode. Since the continuous run is a set of reversing loops with a long piece of spaghetti in the middle people will not be able to just turn their train on and let it run. Which is actually alright by me. When people want to actually operate it will take some communication. I think where the noodle makes the long diagonal run across the layout would be a good place for a passing siding for on coming trains.
So I made some revisions. Basically I rearranged the elements I wanted and made a plan that requires a lot less crossing of the track.
There is now only the two walk through bridges and one pathway crossing that will require a set of steps to get over. i think I have a bit more area for sidings and scenery as well. I think over all this is a better plan. It does require one section to be at 2.1% but I think we can live with that. One cross over is 11" top of rail to top of rail the rest are more separated. I decided to add a water tank made from a 55 gallon plastic barrel that will catch rain water from my gutter and then if need be flow into an overflow pipe that is plumbed away from the layout. I will use that water for drip irrigation. I also was reminded by the wife that we need a shade tree to help shade the house from midday sun. So I made a place for that. Still a double reversing loop layout for continuous running. Still has the wye and yard.
It will take appox 45-6’ sections of track. lets hope I can get the track like I hope and can get started on it. All curves are 8’ or larger.
It is kind of a spaghetti fest which is something I am not real fond of but to get enough track to have enough elevation to do grade separated crossing it kinda has to happen. Oh and probably the best part is this is all at one level for most of the interior walking areas. There will be raised bed areas that will have steps for emergency access but only one place will someone be required to make there way up and over the track. Minimum height is 15" and max height is 30". The yard and wye are 28"
Looking at it some more one thing i wanted was a passing siding on the spaghetti noodle. I think that long curve by the tree would be a good place for one. This will allow trains to pass each other while traversing the noodle. Another good place for one would be the station. could serve both as a station siding or a passing siding
Devon
Were are you going to store the trains?
Sean McGillicuddy said:
Devon
Were are you going to store the trains?
That’s a good question. I am not real sure at this point. Since I will be battery and will be using on board charging I am thinking locomotives will be taken inside when I am done running. For the cars I have a couple ideas. The yard and wye are 28" above the ground and I have considered doing these sections as bench work and not ladder. If thats the case I would have plenty of room underneath to make storage cabinets or at the very least racks to store cars on. Another thought would be to cover the yard with a roof that allows enough head room to reach in and do your thing but keep most of the sun and weather off.
I am completely open to ideas here. I had always planned on using my kid’s former play area and wall it in and turn it into a train shed. I abandon that idea for more versatility. So I need a new plan.
A train shed ( am I using the word train right?) is great. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
You can park full/partial trains ready to go, you could also park your engines and charge them without removing them (that gets old fast!)
Extreme but that is Marty
Every time I carry a car or loco it seems like something breaks … Now I only carry my locos and 2 trains are parked in the barn. I modified a #6 Y by shortening the legs so I could bring the rails closer together inside. It’s not fancy, I did use smoky corrugated plastic sheeting on the top, should I need to get in. The hinged door stands out of the way when the cars roll out.
Times of more use and locos can stay attached, just removable batteries get handled. Oh, I used lath metal for rails affixed with my brad nailer, nobody can see them inside.
John
You could start a new post , and ask every one to show there train sheds! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)
You could have a removable cover and combine the storage with a working switchyard.
This is basically what I am thinking if I go with a covered yard. Not nowhere that extreme but the same idea. I am also considering both; have storage racks underneath and a covered shed above. The only problem I can see with the above example is being able to easily access the cars. I want to be able to build trains in my yard. Having such limited space, a designated storage shed and a separate yard are not going to be feasible; it will have to serve double duty. My current thinking is to have the roof of the yard tall enough to use it as a yard and then have some easily removable sides that can button it up. Then have longer term storage racks underneath.
Locos well I think I will deal with bringing them in at night.
What I would love to do is kick my son out of his room which is behind the wall the yard will be against and punch a hole in the house and run a siding into the house. But I don’t think that is going to fly well.
Greg Elmassian said:
You could have a removable cover and combine the storage with a working switchyard.
This is the idea I am kinda leaning toward.
John,
I hear you about carrying locos. I have already decided that each of my locos will have its own drive on/drive off carrier. I will travel to enough club functions to warrant it. At the very least I will have one or two carriers that I use interchangeably. Either way locos WILL get carried in a carrier. I am way to fussy with details to be breaking stuff off carrying them. They will be either charged in the carrier or driven onto a charging rack. Haven’t worked that detail out yet. I don’t want to remove batteries if I don’t have too.
Devon Sinsley said: …I am way to fussy with details …
…I am way too fussy with details… 