[Stumpy]

My first HO layout was over 40 years ago on a 4x8 sheet of plywood.

Here’s the plan for the second layout, as it stands right now…

• The layout is 10’ x 10’. I’ll be able to get all the way around the outside perimeter. Controls will be at the bottom, left corner.
• The time period will be 1900-1930.
• Yellow area is the Mill Creek Coal & Coke Tipple No. 2 from the BTS catalog.
• Blue area is the logging camp. (Red tracks are HOn3).
• Gray area is the log loading/transfer yard.
• Black area is town. Light blue is station/loading platform.
• Green area is stock yard.
• Orange area is the McCabe Lumber Co. Rail Facility from the BTS catalog (sans a few structures).
• The four squares in the middle are 20” x 20” removable sections. Right now the plan is for that area to be open country… maybe a farm house or two or some abandoned structures.

Any/all input welcome. I've a while before construction begins, so there's plenty of time for you folks to change my mind.
.

 

[MichaelE]

It looks interesting. Good luck with your build. Love to see photos of your progress too.

 

[D&J Railroad]

Is this going to be DCC or are you trapped at a DC control panel tryin to see the action of the trains across the room?

 

[Stumpy]

Is this going to be DCC or are you trapped at a DC control panel tryin to see the action of the trains across the room?

DCC is the plan. Being able to see the trains across the room is something I've thought about, but... I don't know. I welcome your thoughts on that.

 

[Mark VerMurlen]

I agree that this looks like a very interesting railroad plan to build. Lots of room for landscaping. Do you plan to have the landscape undulate with rolling hills or maybe some ravines or outcroppings?

Mark

 

[Stumpy]

Do you plan to have the landscape undulate with rolling hills or maybe some ravines or outcroppings?

Yes. The logging camp and coal mine will be "in the hills". I'm thinking the track sections around the top right corner and between the logging yard and the coal mine - and above the logging camp - will be behind mountains/escarpments (as viewed from the bottom of the layout). Between the logging camp and town will be rolling hills with a river or stream of some sort. Right now I'm not planning any track elevation changes.

 

[Nikola]

It's too square. Suggest the coal/coke setup be mounted at a 45 with the sidings linking more to the right..

 

[MichaelE]

You also look to have a couple of 'S' curves in the lower left going into the industries and sidings.

Might not be bad if you're rolling 40 footers. Longer rolling stock might have trouble.

 

[Stumpy]

It's too square. Suggest the coal/coke setup be mounted at a 45 with the sidings linking more to the right..

Like this?

 

[Nikola]

Like this?

I was actually thinking 45 the other way. Maybe also rotate the blue box 45 the way you did that one.

 

[DonR]

Looks interesting. I'm a fan of single track mains
using DCC. You could add a couple of passing sidings
around your main oval. They make possible running
trains opposing...one clockwise, the other counter
clockwise. They need to be a long as the trains
you run to be most effective.


Don

 

[Stumpy]

I was actually thinking 45 the other way. Maybe also rotate the blue box 45 the way you did that one.

Makes for an interesting change.

I also changed all the track to code 83 and added a siding on the left as DonR suggested.

Brown blobs are mountains... roughly.

 

[Nikola]

I like it!

A detail, perhaps move the switches by the green section to the right to give you more room on that siding.

 

[Stumpy]

Here's the future site of High Rock RR (name subject to change). The final size came out to be 10' x 8'. That gives me 20" to walk all the way around. It's also the reloading room, so... Reloading and Railroading.

 

[Stumpy]

And the latest iteration of the plan...

 

[Nikola]

It is really nice. Now let's see you incorporate some old brass into the scenery.

 

[Gramps]

Very interesting. Is the drawing set up as we look at the room? In other words is the top of the drawing going against the far wall in the photo?

 

[Stumpy]

Very interesting. Is the drawing set up as we look at the room? In other words is the top of the drawing going against the far wall in the photo?

Yes, that's the plan at the moment.

 

[Stumpy]

It is really nice. Now let's see you incorporate some old brass into the scenery.

I'd like to have some "old brass" for that logging line. Everybody's pretty darn proud of their HOn3 stuff.

 

[MichaelE]

Boy, that logging line is begging for narrow gauge. Nice track plan with lots of scenery possibilities.