DoubleDAZ posted:Tom, it's a hobby for me and we're watching some Christmas movies on a rainy that don't require a lot of concentration to follow, so it's no trouble.
The difference between #2 and #3 is the crossovers in #3 are on the curves. This eliminates the "S" curves that were there and makes for a much smoother transition through the reversing loops. "S" curves force trains to transition to another direction while part of the train is still going in the opposite direction. This puts stress on the cars and can pull lighter cars off the rails. Given space limitations not much can be done about the "S" curves going into the storage yards, but trains are usually going much slower, so the stress is reduced.
I'd suggest that you break up the symmetry a bit by turning one of the loops into a delivery locale by reconfiguring the yard into service spurs for 2 businesses. Don't pay any attention to the buildings I added, just some I had in the library to illustrate my point.
Hello Dave,
Boy that looks so much bigger in the 3-d picture and I agree about breaking up the symmetry. It is so early on for me that I really haven't spent much time thinking about the scenery. I have spent a lot of time viewing all 3 of your layout suggestions and I am leaning toward number 3. I will have to find several sources of O-scale features and scenery material. Still working on the support material drawings and should have that completed by tomorrow. Thanks again for all this work.
