San Luis and Rio Grande Track plan for Critiques

[taholmes]

Hi Folks:
Attached is my new track plan for the San Luis and Rio Grande. This is a very much freelanced railroad based on the SLRG in Southeast Colorado. I'd really appreciate it if you folks could look it over and let me know what you think, and where it can be improved. Its very much designed as an operations railroad, but does include provisions for loop running for when I feel like railfanning
Thanks
TIM

 

[santafewillie]

Tim - I've been on vacation and just got around to looking at this post. It does look like plenty of switching opportunities and continuous running. What scale is it? And how big are the squares? Is it free-standing or against a wall or two?

 

[taholmes]

Tim - I've been on vacation and just got around to looking at this post. It does look like plenty of switching opportunities and continuous running. What scale is it? And how big are the squares? Is it free-standing or against a wall or two?

Hey WIllie, thanks for popping in. its in N scale the squares are 1 foot, and its actually on 3 walls of my bedroom, I'll be sleeping under the section on the bottom of the page. I live with my parents and with 3 adults in the house, not a lot of extra room
TIM

 

[jim81147]

If you were to run all the way to the south end of the valley , you could include logging and mining in your operations , depending on what era you are modeling . Creede was a source of ore for many years , albeit on narrow gauge . Today they store cars on the track all the way down to southfork . Right now there are probably 300 or so tank cars in storage .

 

[dave1905]

The yard will be difficult to operate, needs a switching leads (if you want continuous running while switching) and could use a could more double ended tracks.

You have too many switchbacks. They look fun now but they rapidly get tiresome when you start to operate. The switching areas have the same patterns. An X pattern on the top switching areas and switchbacks on the one on the side.

Not sure how the Occidental team track works, if you spot a car at the team track, you have basically blocked any runaround moves or movement on the main track to or from the helix.

There's appears to be only one passing siding, other than the what's at Oxbow mine and will that be blocked if there is a coal train there?

Not quite sure what's going on with the helix around Occidental, doesn't look like there is enough room to accomplish all the elevation changes. I am assuming the blue shaded areas is above the grey shaded area. The green line going past Occidental Team looks like it goes above the green line by Walsenburg staging, the goes around about 180-240 degrees of curve and under Walsenburg staging and the green main. That's a 6-8 inch change in elevation in about 6-8 ft of run, something on the order of 8-10% grade.

In the staging and container yards changing from two right had switches to a right, then a left hand switch will make the track flow smoother and gain about a car or so more room in the tracks.

 

[taholmes]

Hi Folks, its been a while on this thread, and I have made a lot of changes to the layout, here is the updated trackplan for my SLRG

 

[Sirfoldalot]

I'll be following along .... want to see how this progresses.
I have not studied the plans closely at this time, but my only critique at this moment is: Too much straight track on the mainline runs. Tracks should sort of wander through the countryside - unless you are in flat country (like Willie).

 

[dave1905]

The biggest problem I see is the yard. Only one runaround track and doesn't appear to have a yard lead so you will block the main when you switch. Also at the left end of the yard you have 4 tracks in about 4" of width, unless you are building in Z gauge, that will never work. 4 tracks is about 6" in N gauge. More if one of the tracks is elevated above the others.

You can gain a lot more space in the yard by using a "pinwheel" arrangement of switches. Don't wait to straighten out to put the next switch. Put the next switch at the clearance point of the previous switch.

You also have way to little clearance between the yard and dark blue/light green tracks below them, once again about 3 tracks in 4 inches. Not sure what the light green stub ended track is between the green runaround and the blue main. It would be better to make the track next to the main the runaround and the outside track stub ended if you are putting any type of industry there.

I am assuming that the building labeled "Brachs" is some sort of industry (Brachs Candy?). If so that is an odd place to put it. It will hide your locomotive facility, there doesn't appear to be room for it or any access by trucks or vehicles.

2.6% and 3.1% grades are pretty steep. Just saying. How are you planning for the mine to work, how long are your coal trains? Your mine is set up to load an 8 ft coal train but there isn't any staging track that will hold that large of a train and it looks like all the staging is right next to the mine. Where is the coal train going to go? Would two smaller mines be better? Is your staging in the right place?

 

[dave1905]

Also a couple thoughts on the concept of the layout over your bed. A typical twin bed is about 30-36" wide. That's wider than the benchwork. That will restrict how close the operators can get to the layout, and the ease of reaching into the layout. In addition, its N scale hich will make reading reporting marks more challenging.

Have you considered vertical clearances? A bed is typically about 18-20" high on a low frame, more if the frame is higher and if there are thicker box springs and mattresses. How high off the floor is the bottom of the benchwork for the lower level? Will you have enough room to sit up in your bed? How easy will it be to put sheets on the bed? (potential that mom won't be thrilled with minimal clearance over the bed). How much room are you figuring between the top of the lower deck and to bottom of the upper deck? How thick are the decks?

Not trying to rain on your parade, but these will all become issues if they are not considered.