Christmas has given me the time to try another track plan. I can tell you now that some friends are getting weary of my time taken to plan. To me it is one aspect of the hobby, and I do enjoy it. I have been "planning" layouts since I went to boarding school and got a Hornby track planning template.
Now, onto plan five. This one basically uses the same idea as the Maumee route, in that the layout is a helix, so when the track returns to the orginal spot in the room, it has risen enough to become the second deck.
I also intended to use some stub ended staging in this plans, as secondary staging to complement the main return loop ones. I get the operational benefits of several juntions with little impact on hiding them. I have decided to toy with the idea of linking stub yard "F" with that of "H". This gives me a continuous loop , as well as extra possibilities for staging and operation. I have decided not to make "F" or "H" double ended, that would not server their purpose and add complexity. To combine "F" and "H" into one double ended staging would require more roads and therefor a major hidden presence, a effect I think not to be worth it. So the two stub ended yards will have three roads, and a forth that hooks up both yards, travelling simply under the scenery.
You will notice that I have three main levels again. That lower level will be quite low, even in the sun room. Never mind it really covers some of the lower staging and is of low traffic.
Like plan 4 I have put a diaginal false wall across where the toilet was. For plan 4 this helped as it had the main station on it. But with this plan it has been commented on. This plan the area is really countryside.
This plan is simpler in terms of trackwork when compared to some of my initial plans. I still get variaty in where train come on and off stage. There is the main single route with the returns loop at each end - a topology I prefer. There are really only 4 stations, a large one, two smaller ones, and the intermediate one. This plan also keeps the track in one scene for most of the layout. I am also planning it to be built in stages. From the lowest to highest level the railway will gradually grow. Passing loops will form the basis for the stations. Tempory reverse loops will mark the railhead.
Now to some detail on the plan.
- A - Lower return loop staging
- B - MAIN STATION, this is the biggest station on the layout.
It also has a junction at each end. - C - Industrial spur.
- D - Mine sidings
- E - Industrial spur.
- F - 3 track stub ended staging
- G - Passing loop on the "H stub branch"
- H - 3 track stub ended staging
- i - Passing loop
- J - The third biggest station is a junctionm with a branch.
- K - Industrial spur.
- L - A small branch terminus station.
- M - Industrial spur.
- N - 3 track stub ended staging
- O - Passing loop
- P - The second biggest station.
- Q - Passing loop
- R - The smallest station, with a junction to the garage.
- S - Grain loop
- T - Passing loop
- U - Transition to the upper staging loop( end of scenery)
- V - Upper return loop staging
Contruction:
- It will start with the lower staging as far as "B".
- The branch to "F" would be built.
- The track to "H", then to "J" would be built
- The branch to "L" added
- The track to "N" would be built
- The track to "O" would be built
- a tempory reverse loop would be built here - The line would be built then to "P"
- The line from "P" to "R" built.
- The line from "R" to "T" built
- The line from "T" to "U" built
- From "U" the upper staging will be built
| These plans are "artist's impressions" of the actual plan. They are not scale. I still use paper, pen and a weird colour legend for my plans, so these plans were shot with a digital camera, ported into Paint Shop Pro 3 & 5 and drawn on etc. So they are not scale ! |
Plan description.
When looking at the "hires" pictures, you will find the height of the track. for clarity all measurements are in milimeters, and are consistent on all plans. - note any measurement in the sun room should have 170mm added, as the floor is 170mm lower !!
You will also notice the aisle widths as well.
The layout starts in the sunroom (left hand room on plan). The lower staging yards "A" are a reverse loop with two single sidings - one for a railmotor, the other for the XPT. There are 6 tracks on the reverse loop. This section is built at the lowest point on the railway. It has to pass through a hole in the brick wall to the main room. here
The mainline enters the scenic portion in the main room on the peninsular on a up grade, and heads into the main station "B" On the "A" end of "B" is a branch that ends up in a stub ended staging under "i". This is the main station for the line. At the other end of "A" is another junction.
the mainline heads to the right. But the left brnach then heads back into the sun room, and over the lower staging. This is the mine and industrial sidings "C","D" & "E". The brach then heads into more stub ended staging at "J"
There is a strong possibility to link this staging with "H", which would form a continuous loop as well. this is shown on the staging plan at the bottom of this page.
Back to the mainline at "B". The mainline heads to the right and up to "i", on a steady up grade all the time. The grade eases as it comes into "J". The branch has a even steeper grade down to "L" - small trains !!
The staging to "N" is level with "J", but wil fit over "G" quite well. The mainline climbs , through "O" and into "P" This station has a triangle, the only place for one on the layout.
The line rises a little, but actually has a down spiral at "Q", but then rises again into "R" Then the line spirals around the sun room untill it goes into the upper staging.
