Dummy Interchanges


B

BoogieDown

New Member
I'm starting a new layout HOscale (8'dx9'w). I have about 2' left on one side to play with and figured I'd model a dummy interchage to make things more interesting(2' is too small for anything else but too big to be wasted). My thoughts are to take a digital photo run some track up to it and hide the edges with scenery. I'm still working on the photo part. Anyone have pics they'd like to share of their dummy interchanges? Just so I can get my creative juices flowing. Thanks.
 
I don't have any photos right handy but I've seen this done very effectively with a mirror as the backdrop and strategically arranged landscaping.
 
I don't have photos, but basically my layout is a shortline, with a Class I interchange. I have a mainline, a passing siding, and then a connection to the Class I. Since the shortline portion is point to point, I have dual staging at both ends of the class I track (hidden by hills and a bridge at the other end). I can run trains such as autoracks and stacks in the background (but you don't see more than 6ft. of it). I can also simulate a local setting off cars for my shortline.

Not exactly a "dummy" interchange, but it gives you an idea of how far (or not far?) you can take an interchange.
 
AL1 that's what I do if I had the space. A nice point to point w/ staging. I'd love to take the Sawz-all to the drywall, but all us married men know how that would end. UP2CSX you pretty much hit it on the head. Except I'm not going to use a mirror. I'm still playing around with the picture, as far as sizing it and perspective and everything, but I'm going to run some track up to it, and hide the edges. The top edge I figure on hiding with a signal bridge, and one side with an interlocking tower, maybe the other side with a small mound with brush and trees, or maybe an industry or freight depot. I'll work on mock-up pieces today and tommorow thanks to the weather here
 
Are you trying to simulate an interchange or a crossing? Your picture shows a crossing, where two lines cross but don't interchange cars. An interchange can include a crossing but it's usually a couple of side tracks that connect to the Class 1 mainline but don't necessarily cross it.
 
Yes, I'm simulating an interchange. I have 3 side tracks that terminate at the edge of my layout design. Instead of having tracks that just end, maybe create the illusion of a shortline interchanging with a mainline. Yeah that pic doesn't look too "interchangie" to me either, but it kind of works out really good when you run some track up to the bottom edge and it lines up with the rails in the pic.
 
OK, now I'm having some trouble visualizing exactly what you're trying to do. Can you post a sketch of the trackage in the are so I can get a better idea of what you're trying to achieve?
 
okay try to contain your laughter, as you can see I'm not much of an artist:D
Sorry I couldn't squeeze everything in I left out a set of tracks, but that's the gist of what I'm doing. Hindsight I realized that I should have said: I'd like to mount the photo on the backdrop and blend it in to simulate trackage going off into the horizon, meanwhile in the foreground is the actual interchange. Was kinda hoping that someone here modeled something like this so I could get an idea of how to better scenic it. Thanx UP2CSX
 
OK, I get it now. You really are building an interchange, not a crossing, since the interchange tracks only connect to the existing main, they don't cross over it and continue on somewhere else. Although it will look fine for scenery, interchange tracks rarely had towers. They were almost always used at crossing exclusively.

Try this. Thake a small mirror and place it against the wall and then run the track up to it. Now do the same with your digital picture. I'll bet you'll see the possibilities of a mirror really making the interchange track go off into the distance if you make a small curve in the track just before it meets the mirror. This is very hard to simulate with a picture but easy with a mirror, since the illusion is already set up for you. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
 
Shortliner: Thanks for the link, it helped alot. UP2CSX I think I will try the mirror trick. It appears the tough part is angling it and disguising or hiding the edges. It looks great when pulled off right. Thanks again gang!
 
I guess when it gets down to it, I wanted a way to justify having a few extra freight cars stored on the layout. I'm also getting a better understanding of interchanges too. Ok so I'm gonna rework that scene....Thanx again
:)
 
If you need a small shelf-type layout with an interchange track, look at http://www.naisp.net/mfischer/m_train2.htm
Go down the page to "Layouts smaller than 2' x 4' " and then see the 7th down from there - yes it is N gauge, but it works in 78" x 12" in HO using PECO track.
I have an old MR article called "Shift Time" - very interesting - which points out that the cars on the interchange siding get picked up by the mainline Eastbound freight overnight while you are off shift and it drops some off (the same ones in fact) that are there for you to distribute when you come back on shift next day. If you don't mind hand-swapping cars, you can set out some more westbounds out bound on the interchange, "go to beans" halfway through your shift, physically 0-5-0 interchange them, and come back to find that the westbound mainline freight has been through, picked up the cars you left, and there are cars awaiting set out (surprise, surprise) that it has "dropped off". email me if a scan would help
 
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