My Layout Revision

Well, I'm willing to start.  It appears that one of your givens is a 14' x 28' space which you seem to fill (edge-to-edge) on the 28' side.  How will you reach the "back" of the layout (let's say North side) from the front, or South side, of the layout?  Of course, if your total available space is larger, then my question is moot.

Further, as I interpret your design, another given is that you prefer running trains to operations.  Thus, I also assume that the yard in the lower left hand corner will store whole trains to be swapped into, and out of, the layout.  If correct, I would suggest trying to increase the length of those storage tracks.  I do like the sweeping curves incorporated at the top and bottom of the three ovals as they break up the boring straight runs of the average oval.

Finally, if you're going to run steam, I would suggest some sort of turn-around near the storage yard unless you intend to back all of the swapped out trains into their yard tracks.

Chuck

Hey Chuck.  Thanks for playing!  I appreciate the input.

I threw this up at the end of the day at work....and didn't have time to give more detail....so here goes:

I do have room to walk around the layout on all sides....but I'll obviously need at least two access hatches.

There will be at least one siding inside the East (a town) and West (mostly scenicked, with a tunnel in the NW corner) Inner Loops.  There will probably be another siding coming off these so that I can do some very simple switching.  This may seem odd.....but I don't plan these sidings.  I leave enough room for them.....but do the buildings first....then run the sidings to the buildings, if that makes any sense.  I want the flexibility of putting the buildings where I like.  These locations are often different on the layout than on the planning software....so I just wing it.

The layout is indeed designed for uninterrupted loop running of two trains...with a twist.  I have three basic operating options.....that (I hope) use my double crossover, some non-derailing switches, and long reverse loop to good effect.  I can:

1) run two separate trains at once...one on the main inner loop and one on the outer.  Simple enough. 

2) run one train on the outer loop (simple) and one train on the inner loop....but let the inner train into and out of the reverse loop so that it essentially changes directions every other lap.  (The 0-72 wye and 0-80 switches in the middle would need to be hooked up as non-derailing.)  Or, simply enter and exit the reverse loop at your leisure....without any regularity.

3)  bare with me here....b/c this is what I like most:  If I run just one train, I can start on the outer loop in a clockwise direction.  Complete a lap.  Engage the double crossover and enter the inner main line.  Complete one lap in same clockwise direction.  Enter one of the switches that starts my reverse loop.  Exit the long reverse loop, now in a counter clockwise direction....entering from the opposite switch that I entered on.  Complete one lap on the inner loop.  Enter the double crossover on my next lap and wind up back on the outer loop...still going in a counter clockwise direction.  Complete one more lap on the outer loop, reenter the double crossover back onto the inner loop...and then start the whole process over again.

Dizzy yet?  

What I'm basically trying to do with option #3 is to program or run a route so that, without any input from me, the train can constantly run a pattern where I'm essentially changing from the inner loop to the outer....or vice versa....and then changing directions on the reverse loop....and starting all over again.

So, having said that, any thoughts?

Tony, I like that idea you have with the reverse loop in the photo above. Maybe you should have another switch to the left in the photo above on the inside loop. That way you have reverse loops on both sides. That's way you can to a quicker reverse instead of just one side. Just a suggestion. That's what I did with my layout. I put reverse loops on both ends. That way my passenger and freight trains I can change direction and all my trains can get to all tracks accept for my upper level outside track that I just have no switches, but use that just for running. But I thought I would help some.

A few other things to note, if I haven't made everyone's head spin enough:

The only way to reverse my locomotives will be the reverse loop.  That's part of the reason that it's there...and why it's 0-72.

A river or some type of water feature....or really small gorge...will run (essentially) between the 0-72 Wye and 0-80 Ross Switch in the middle of the layout...and run North, dumping into Hypothetically Lake Erie, if you will.  An Atlas Double Pratt Bridge will span the outer main line and it's passing siding above the river or mini-gorge.  The inner main line and passing siding will have Ross Deck Girder Bridges spanning the same.  (Better make sure I have my centers correct on both of these.)

Some form of mountain and tunnels will be in the NW corner of the layout.  The passing siding on the outer main will "blindly" go into the tunnel but not exit. 

On the NE corner, the outer passing siding will lead to a building that is on an angle in the extreme NE corner of the layout.

Hi Tony,

After studying various large layout track plans, I have observed that most of the designs for a layout of this size are all about the scenery and elevation changes. I would suggest that now would be the best time to consider the topography of the layout. Building L-girder with risers and sub-roadbed will let you easily accomplish a dramatic terrain. You can also cut the sub-roadbed out the deck to make elevation changes. Set the "zero" at +4" to allow for -4" and +4" changes with an 8" difference in some areas. This will help with the gorge and river creation (-4")

I assume you will be running a command control system. I like the thoughts about the route running.

Design in something for the trains to do. The passenger service and the freight service. Let that guide the shape and location of the mains. You already have the provider/customer concept with the spurs.

The terrain will guide you to the junctions (crossover) locations like it would for a railroad. Placing most of the crossing at one point an impressive feature to me, like the junctions used prototypically. Heck, the Ross 4 way crossover looks good and needs to be in plain view.

It just has the feel now of a small layout on steroids.

Carl:  Thanks for your feedback.  Much appreciated.

Didn't mention this earlier....but I'll indeed be running this in Legacy.  (Currently, I'm still running in TMCC.....b/c it's simple and hasn't ever given me any issues....and I fear defective 990s.)  I'm currently running on two 135 Watt bricks....but I'll probably need two 180 Watt Bricks for the new layout...and will reassign the two current 135 watt bricks.  (reverse loop and yard.)

However, I will be hooking up an MRC 270 Dual Power to the loops as well.  So long as I park my Legacy and TMCC engines on "dead" track, I'll be able to run on each loop conventionally if I so chose.  (I rarely do....but I like the option, FWIW.)

I'm leaning towards installing a Legacy Power Master on each loop as well so that I can run a single MTH loco on each loop.  Fortunately, my MTH wish list is just a C&O 614 (PS1) and Great Northern S2 (PS2&3)....so I can give each MTH steam engine it's own loop/home. 

Carl brings up a great point that I forgot to mention in my private email.  One of my biggest mistakes on the previous layout was having most of the layout where the track was the lowest level.  No way to put in little hillsides or banks and everything was above the trains.  As you saw on this layout I corrected that by raising all track to at least 4.25 inches off the main level so I can go up or down.