Here is a little switching layout I put together in Anyrail. I've built layouts in HO and N scale before, but this is my first foray into O. Size is dictated by the fact that is has to fit into the breakfast nook of my townhouse, the longest wall of which measures 8'8". The design is of the classic time saver switching layout. Era is mid to late 1950s. This is a layout for 40' boxcars and shorter equipment. PS-2 covered hoppers, 36' meat reefers, 8000 gallon tank cars, 34 foot coal hoppers will be the rule.
I've had a Williams 44 tonner for several years, I now have an Atlas CB&Q 44 tonner and a MTH Remote Commander on the way. While searching for prototype photos of CB&Q equipment I came across this photo of an NW2 switching at the Kroehler Manufacturing Co. in Naperville, Illinois:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/...kzeiler/20927147968/
What a great building, check out that overhead dust collector piping, and there's even a utility pole in the picture, which gave me the idea to run a string of poles right down the length of the layout between the two parallel tracks. Perfect! The other buildings are based on the types of cars I listed above, a coal and fuel oil distributor, meat packing and a milling company. The buildings in right foreground are an FOS gas station and a Woodland Scenics Deuce's bike shop that I'm redoing as an auto garage.
Anyway, I think it will be fun, but this is all still early planning. I have a couple O36 manual Fastrack turnouts on the way so I can test them out. Layout height will be right around 52" so I can be pretty close to the action.
So, what do you guys think? Have you ever built a 3 rail switching layout, and if so what was it like? One thing I'm still unsure on is if I will want to have any uncoupling sections, or just rely on the 44 tonners electrocouplers and manually uncoupe cars at their correct spots.
