rattler21 posted:It seems as though you have room for curves larger than O-60. Generally, a good rule of thumb is to use the largest curves compatible with space available and railroad activity. How much switching do you want to do? What industries do you want to serve? Do you plan to spot sleeping cars at stations and have the evening passenger train pick them up? How long will your passenger station be? On a spur? One or more tracks? Kindly give your reading public a hint as to what you want your railroad to do so members can build on that rather than wasting key strokes on a blank canvas. A diagram with dimensions and restrictions would be helpful.
John in Lansing, ILL
Hi John,
sorry that I haven't provided a diagram. Here's a rough sketch of how the room looks.
(Made an error with measurements: Should be about 22 foot x 15 foot,)
When you are standing in the doorway (foot of the stairs), looking into this room, you will see a small alcove on the other side. To your left, centered on the wall, is a sliding door. On the same wall as the doorway (entrance into room), offset to the left, is the air conditioning unit (don't know what you call it). I have colored, in red, the things that cannot be blocked. The doorway, the air conditioning unit, and the sliding door.
Restrictions:
- I cannot block the doorway, sliding door and air conditioning unit (highlighted in red)
- Must be a path to easily reach the air conditioning unit, so if someone needs to repair it, that my layout doesn't get in their way
- Must be a path to the sliding door, if there is a need to open it. Note: Could a hinged section be built in front of it, that could easily be lifted, rotated, or removed in case there is a need to open that door?
Ideas:
- Single or if possible, double track 'mainline'. (Can loop over itself)
- At least one station, but if it will work, two stations.
- Drawbridge (could be section that moves out of way of sliding door?)
- Small engine yard for storing engines
- A couple of industries, with spurs to park freight cars (tank cars? box cars? hoppers?)
General idea - Maybe a track plan inspired by MTH's Tall Timber Mountain? https://mthtrains.com/45-1106
Could that work? I like that track plan, but it's a little too big for the room I have to build my layout. Maybe a smaller version that is similar?
