Dream Layout

After attempting to work in a solution to assemble bi-directional trains to my 5 x 1.5 ft. layout plan I was unhappy with the results. What I had originally intended to be a small staging area had grown into a mini yard. I was also realizing that I wanted to run trains in a loop so that I could simulate bi-directional traffic instead. The 5 x 1.5 size was becomming less attractive.

Fustrated by the size of my apartment I decided to design a larger layout that would incorporate the features that I wanted. Here is what I came up with. I decided to make my layout 2 x 8 ft. This would allow me to use 9 3/4 in. curves to create a loop. It was also narrow enough that I could place it up against a wall and not have to worry about adding in access points (even though I prefered the shorter 1.5 ft. maximum reach).

Other then the 180 degree curves and a industry siding, the layout uses broader 19 in. radius curves. It also uses #6 turnouts in the yard. These were done so that I could more comforataly use longer cars. My current fleet of freigh cars consists mainly of 40 ft. box cars. The 50 ft. cars that I have are starting to show a little bit of overhang on the sharp curves. While there are still 9 3/4 in. curves on this layout they are seperated by 6 ft. instead of only 2 ft. on my current layout. I am hoping that this makes them less dominant.

The switch to #6 turnouts was for reliablity. An article in Model Railroader had reccomended using the larger turnouts when pushing cuts of long cars.

Now that I think about it, extending the layout to 2.5 ft or 3.5 ft. to make room for 11 or 19 in. curves would have been nice. But I was planning to build the layout on two 2 x 4 ft. frames so that it could be moved without totally destroying it and I could use quarter sheets of plywood and 2 ft. sections of insulating foam when constructing the layout. That would have also let me run passenger trains. I will save that variation for another time.

The different power blocks are labled as follows:

• A - Main Line


• B - Yard Area


• C - Switcher Pocket/Lead


• D - Yard Tracks


• E - Engine Storage


• F - Industry


• G - Industry


• H - Industry


• I - Industry


• J - Interchange

While I don't plan to run two trains at once I do want to be able to have multiple engines on the layout. One engine can be parked on an industrial siding in the middle of a switching job, while I switch to another engine to move cars else where on the layout.

I blocked out as many blocks as I thought I could ever use. I will probably not wire them all up, but it is easier to add the insulated gaps now then at a later point in time. For example all the yard tracks and yard area ( B and D ) will most likely be operated as one block. But if at some point I decided that I want to have full trains be staged on the yard tracks I can add controls to isolate them easily.