Hello, all. As they say (sort of) on the radio, first time caller, long term listener.
I am working on my first layout in may years - my first foray into command control and a lot bigger than anything I ever did when the kids were young (25 years ago). As retirement becomes part of my life I am ready to get going again.
I am going to start simple, with a double mainline on one level which interconnect and on which the inner loop serves as two reversing loops. It will be set in the modern era, with a city scene, town area and perhaps some industry. It will also be my first time with anything more scenic than an unpainted piece of plywood, but Rome wasn't built in a day.
After uncountable iterations, I have attached three files - a PDF of the planned benchwork, a PDF of the benchwork with a track plan, and an RRT file of the plan using gargraves track and Ross switches.
I would like to build it in Fastrack rather than GG/Ross, but have been unable to make anything work that is similar to my current proposal. I was hoping that someone more facile than me would be able to convert the layout to Fastrack, maintaining the core ideas it includes (but with any improvements more than welcome). I recognize this is currently clumsy looking, though it will run in simulation.
I have used 42 inch curves at a minimum - I don't plan to run big equipment. Except for the double crossovers (which I know don't exist in Fastrack) I have stayed at 072 or tighter switches to make it work.
My initial thought is to do DCS star wiring for the track with separate bus wiring for accessories. I haven't bought any modern transformers or command control systems, but will probably run DCS and get a Cab3 when available. I have a 50's era ZW that was rebuilt by Charles Ro Co. and a KW(?) - I will use them for lighting and accessories after reading many posts about slow circuit breakers vs. modern engines. I only have a couple of MTH engines plus some postwar engines from my 1954 (!) and later trains.
In the pictures, the black areas are walls; I will set the layout a little further from the right wall to give better access to that edge. The other two sides are open - I have taped it out on the basement floor and can reach everything. My final benchwork will be from Mianne, who coincidentally is in the same city as I spent most of my adult life and who made me 6x8 benchwork a few years ago which I will use as part of this.
If people have ideas about modifying the benchwork plan within the physical constraints I have, they are more than welcomed. If someone can reimagine the layout using Fastrack, that would be phenomenal. Different ideas for the track plan are also welcomed.
Thanks in advance for any feedback. I have been reading the forum for many years and remain in awe at what people have created and the individual and accumulated knowledge it represents.
