Designing My 6th Layout with Cadrail


T

Truckload

New Member
After no model railroad for the last 8 years, I can at long last once again have a layout. I am 60 years old and with any luck, this one will last the rest of my life.

The space available is in a clean, dry, well lit, finished basement room about 22' x 15.5' but with a need to accommodate access to an outside door.

I have had both HO and N layouts in the past. I am thinking HO. I have never participated in or hosted group operations, so this will most likely be a one man railroad.

I am located in Lawrenceville, GA (metro Atlanta area) and my primary interest is in Southeast Railroads. Thinking either Southern or Seaboard Coast Line in the 1970's.

Right now I am using Cadrail to start drafting track plan ideas. I am also thinking hard about prototype and years but nothing is absolutely final as yet.

All of my previous model railroad stuff was sold 8 years ago when the layout was torn down and I needed money to pay for my sons graduate school. So I am starting with a clean slate for locomotives, rolling stock and everything else.

I would really like to exchange thoughts and ideas about the layout. Anyone out there using Cadrail? Any Southern or SCL fans?
 
Not using CADrail but willing to look at anything you come up with, in terms of potential trouble spots. Not having any equipment in some ways I'd consider a bonus. Other than Southern or SCL, are you thinking about modeling a branch line, or mainline section of road? Don't know for sure but I'd suspect not to much out there for SCL in N scale these days, but enough for ACL or SBD.

You've got a good amount of space.
 
Not using CadRail either, but like Otiscnj, am willing to look over any plan you may have. I am also a big Southern fan and wouldn't mind exchanging ideas. I model primarily steam.

What I would suggest, is that write down what you want the RR to be, long mainline running with big trains, or shorter local type ops. Think about it and see if you can come up with a "background" story for your particular part of the system.

Write down any idea you have for the layout, because if you don't, later on when you do try to remember it, its gone. I know, because I've done it more than once.

Once you are clear on what you want the railroad to do, its alot easier to come up with what the railroad will be.
 
Truckload said:
A I have never participated in or hosted group operations, so this will most likely be a one man railroad.

...my primary interest is in Southeast Railroads. Thinking either Southern or Seaboard Coast Line in the 1970's.

Any Southern or SCL fans?
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No interest in the Central of Georgia? They operated one of my favorite railroads - the Louisville & Wadley for many years (until 1961). So that is also a little older than you were thinking. It was a true Petticoat Junction type line. Only 10 miles long that is perfect for a one man operation.

Umm any particular aspect of railroading you are hoping to capture in your model? Heavy main line traffic on a single track main line, double track main line, branch line, way freight switching, Yard operations, some specific industrial interests??? I assume with the 1970s you are not interested in passenger service.
 
Cjcrescent said:
Not using CadRail either, but like Otiscnj, am willing to look over any plan you may have. I am also a big Southern fan and wouldn't mind exchanging ideas. I model primarily steam.

What I would suggest, is that write down what you want the RR to be, long mainline running with big trains, or shorter local type ops. Think about it and see if you can come up with a "background" story for your particular part of the system.

Write down any idea you have for the layout, because if you don't, later on when you do try to remember it, its gone. I know, because I've done it more than once.

Once you are clear on what you want the railroad to do, its alot easier to come up with what the railroad will be.
Click to expand...

Great thoughts. I have been working on trying to decide what I really want. I really enjoy working on track and equipment till everything is perfect, then watching trains run. Very gratifying for me. But I also like working a yard or some limited switching. My greatest joy is not the local way freight as it is for some. I need to really focus on what I really want in a layout.
 
Iron Horseman said:
No interest in the Central of Georgia? They operated one of my favorite railroads - the Louisville & Wadley for many years (until 1961). So that is also a little older than you were thinking. It was a true Petticoat Junction type line. Only 10 miles long that is perfect for a one man operation.

Umm any particular aspect of railroading you are hoping to capture in your model? Heavy main line traffic on a single track main line, double track main line, branch line, way freight switching, Yard operations, some specific industrial interests??? I assume with the 1970s you are not interested in passenger service.
Click to expand...

Great questions. I like the Central of Georgia, and would definitely consider either it or the Georgia RR for a prototype if I was more into steam. I guess I am thinking 1970's because that was when I was working near a Southern Railway track (the Atlanta - Macon line), and I would see their trains every day.
 
Why the 1970's?

As I previously mentioned, I worked near a Southern line in the 1970's and would see their trains every day, and I loved it. But also, I like the 1970's because there was still the caboose, there were still a lot of the older 40' equipment around, but there was also the beginnings of the more modern equipment. Bigger cars, bigger trains, 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation diesels all to be seen on the rails.

Except for no passenger trains, I think the 1970's have a lot to offer. Thoughts?
 
I believe that you are correct. Down here in the south, there were still even roofwalks on some cars that hadn't made it to the shops yet to be removed.

Never mind that the classic Tuxedo scheme was all around, 1982 hadn't come, neither had Chessie System, Family Lines etc. I could still see L&N, GARR, and Western of Alabama on the rails in Selma.

They even had an old Baldwin S-12 working the yard there, until in 1973? (IIRC) someone stole it, jumped off before it was moving too fast to do so, and it ran all the way to the L&N yards in Montgomery, where it was derailed to stop it. So ended that loco's life. It was never rebuilt.
 
Cjcrescent said:
I believe that you are correct. Down here in the south, there were still even roofwalks on some cars that hadn't made it to the shops yet to be removed.

Never mind that the classic Tuxedo scheme was all around, 1982 hadn't come, neither had Chessie System, Family Lines etc. I could still see L&N, GARR, and Western of Alabama on the rails in Selma.

They even had an old Baldwin S-12 working the yard there, until in 1973? (IIRC) someone stole it, jumped off before it was moving too fast to do so, and it ran all the way to the L&N yards in Montgomery, where it was derailed to stop it. So ended that loco's life. It was never rebuilt.
Click to expand...

Yes, thanks for the positive feedback about the 1970's. And another good thing is that there are now some really nice DCC & sound equipped SR locomotives available with high short hoods and correct paint for the era. That was not always true.

I saw your layout on your web page. Wow! Huge layout. Your layout would be much too much for me to operate solo. I am thinking smaller.
 
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