This could be the plan !
And yes I have altered it !!!!!!!!!
This will be the first of ( known) alterations. I will be presenting the work as I go. You have seen all my other plans, and I have never been this excited.
Now, onto plan six A. 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 junctions with little impact on hiding them. This revison has seen one stub eliminated.
This plan extends this in having a continous loop on the lower level that shares the main staging yard. This means I can use the lower level long before the upper levels are finished. Operationally it makes my options wide open. A fellow layout designer likes the notion of double ended staging on a loop (Cat Mountain style). Well I can use the idea, and my reversing loop as well.
I'm back to two simple decks. I had to work on the heights because of the unchangeable height in the main room, under the far wall under tha bench. The lower staging yards are quite low - but not a problem as there will be no switching. The station "E" may a bit low, as is the track from "B" to "D". but I'm happy with them as the upper deck is quite spaced apart. Don't forget the sunroom is 170mm lower thean the main room, and the laundry room is 280mm higher than the main room. Getting the levels right and making sure the deck spacing makes and breaks a plan (plan 5 suffered this fate).
There are 5 stations, a large one, two smaller ones, and the intermediate one, plus the branch terminus. This plan also keeps the track in one scene for most of the layout, except in the sunroom on the upper deck. But that upper decks has a big height variation and seperation of track.
The plan easily allows the lower deck to be built. Indeed for some it would be all the railway they need. 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.
Now to some detail on the plan.
- A - Lower return loop staging
- B - MAIN STATION, this is the biggest station on the layout.
- C - 3 track stub ended staging
- D - A Oil depot just out of "E".
- E - The smallest mainline station. The station generates alot of intermodel traffic
- F - Continuous loop connection back to "A"
- G - Passing loop
- H - Industrial/Mine spur.
- i - Grain siding /Loop.
- J - A busy station, but not that big. The passing loop is at one end of the station.
- K - The second biggest station on the layout, still being a 4 track yard.
- L - Another Oil siding & loco depot.
- M - A small branch terminus station.
- N - Passing loop
- O - Upper return loop staging
Contruction:
Stage 1
- It will start with the lower staging as far as "B".
- The track from "B", then to "C" would be built
- The track from "B", then to "E" would be built
- The continuous track back to "A", via "F" would be built.
- The track to "J" would be built
- The track to "K" would be built
- The track from "K" to "N" would be built
- The track from "K" to "M" would be built
- The track from "K" to "N" would be built
- From "N" 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.
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 sun room. here
The mainline enters the scenic portion in the sun room at the siding door end.
The track is immediatly into "B", as the lagest station on the railway.At the
other end of "B" is a branch to the stub ended staging "C", just through the doorway.
The begins a up grade,heading into the main room via the doorway. It transverses the peninsular by passing aoil spur "D". The station "E" is reached and we come to a junction at the other end that will eventually lead back to "A". This track is now over the stub ended "C" staging.
The mainline slowly climbs to "G" (to allow the upper deck enough clearance), There is a junction here to the Mine at "H". The line heads under the stairs and though a hole in the wall back into the sun room, now well above "B".
the line climbs to "i" - a grain siding that can employ a dedicated shunter.The mainline curves into the main room into "J".
"J" has it's passing loop out of town as the line rises again.
The manline eases into "K". "K" is easily the second busiest station on the line. There is alot of shunting in the yard. The loco depot "L" is out near this junction.
As we leave "K" we see the branch to "M" leave on a tighter radius. The branch then heads up grade and curves into the Sunroom through a hole and right into the terminus "M"
The mainline meanwhile rises and heads back into the sunroom through another hole in the wall. The line now heads up with only the passing loop at "N" before we reach the start of the upper staging at "O"
You will notice many changes from plan6 to this one. Gone is the garage connection, if it happens I'll work it into the planas the railway grows.
This plan also ensure no duckunders needed in operation.
