Twice around mainline


S

stevezrx

Member
Hey All,

I have a question I have a walk in ho scale railroad that has a twice around main line. What is the best way to make it seem as it is different locations even though the lines run by each other at points.
What is the best place to position towns and run around tracks on layouts like this. I purchased this layout and have been rebuilding it, and it operates, but as I get more and more working I find that it is hard to make it like the prototype b/c of the twice around mainline

Thanks
Steve
 
stevezrx said:
I have a question I have a walk in ho scale railroad that has a twice around main line. What is the best way to make it seem as it is different locations even though the lines run by each other at points.
What is the best place to position towns and run around tracks on layouts like this. I purchased this layout and have been rebuilding it, and it operates, but as I get more and more working I find that it is hard to make it like the prototype b/c of the twice around mainline
Click to expand...
There are many prototypical situations where two tracks run close and almost parallel to one another. The tracks can be from the same road or a competitor (or both!). A new tunnel has been put in but they keep using the old "parallel" track that went around it. New grading around a populated area to avoid grade crossings. Increased traffic so but the right of way wasn't wide enough for double track. etc. etc.

Here are a couple examples I can think off off the top of my head:
1. The "double track" joint line from Denver to Palmer Lake Colorado. Sometimes the lines are directly parallel with each other like double track other times they are a few miles apart.
2. The UP (formerly Missouri Pacific) and BNSF (formerly Santa Fe) going south out of Hutchinson Kansas.
3. The Leigh Valley had a "double track" main line from Mountain Top PA to Geneva NY that was sometimes together, sometimes on the opposite sides of the susquehanna river, and sometimes miles apart.

Here is Red Rock Bridge from the Route 66 gallary: Looks like it could be a twice around to me.
66-red_rock_1947.jpg


Remember it is all pretend and illusion anyway, there is nothing prototypical about a once around mainline either.
 
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The CB&Q and then BN and Milwaukee ran side by side from St. Croix tower through Newport on the Mississippi river. They agreed to operate it as if a was a double track main line. Eastbounds from both railroads ran on one track, westbounds on the other regardless of railroad. Today's BNSF and CP continue this arrangement.
 
UP and BN/BNSF are on opposite river banks along much of the Columbia River Gorge. CNJ and LV paralleled each other much of the length of the CNJ. PRR and RDG also paralleled each other along several routes. Do you have any favorite railroads? Any more photos of the layout? Might give us more ideas about parallel routes.
 
How about a plan of the complete layout, as that would help too. It doesn't have to be fancy, but should show at least lengths and widths of each section and maybe track radii as well. You could draw it out using just a compass and a ruler on grid paper, (I used to know the real name of this paper, but my haf'heimers won't let me remember it), using 2or4 squares = 1' if the small gridded paper, or using 1or2 square =1' if the larger gridded paper. A plan would be most helpful.
 
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