Reworking the layout

[Len]

Terry's just following the prototype...



Len

[Maletrain]

Terry's just following the prototype...



Len

It looks like even that prototype track has about a car length of relatively straight track between the opposing curves, maybe with easements, and almost certainly not as tight a radius.

[Terry Toenges]

I tried out the "S" to see what will work. Freights cars together are fine. No problem at all. A passenger car hooked to a freight car is a no go with it in front or behind. Two passenger cars are a no go. Porter and a passenger car are ok.
I wouldn't really have a reason to send a passenger car through the S anyway. If I wanted to change which direction the loco was pulling a passenger car, I have a couple choices.
Starting out going from left to right on the bottom
I could uncouple it on the main between the wye turnouts, run the loco through the wye, then recouple on the other end of the pass car.
I could run the loco head on and pass car into the oval. Pull the pass car up far enough and uncouple. Run the loco around the oval to the turnout and back up to the main past the wye turnout. Go through the wye, then out to the main. Go forward past the oval turnout. Back into the oval turnout and pick up the pass car and back out to head the opposite direction on the main.
If it was a combine and I wanted the baggage part up front, I could change it's direction by using the Porter to take it through the wye.

[jward]

If you were able to expand the layout about a foot to the left, you'd probably have enough room to put about 6" of straight track in the middle of that S. It isn't much but something is better than nothing. It would be a shame if it didn't work, because that scissors  wye with industries on it is a really neat idea.

[bbmiroku]

Generally, S-curves only become a problem with the longer freight cars and modern passenger cars.  Shorter cars like those on most narrow-gauge layouts are too short to be affected by S-curves too much.

[Terry Toenges]

Jeff - Expanding on the left is out of the question. I would have to tear up the risers, the tunnel, and the place
for the control boxes about the tunnel. Then attach more foam to the side to lengthen it. I already have to do that on the right side so I can run the track up the mountain. The left side of the layout is almost even with the doorway now. When I expand to the right, I'm going to have to move the layout to the left and it''s going to stuck out a few inches. I'm hoping to be able do that and still keep the peace in the house. If she bumps into it, things won't go so well.

[Terry Toenges]

I think I found a solution. I played around with it for quite a while trying to find a solution to the "S". It will only take a wee bit of fudging to make this work. I'll use a #4 left turnout instead of a standard one. The fudging will be down between the 15" curve (44505) and the 1/3 18" curve (44530). Now, I have to buy a #4 Left turnout. It sucks because I already have a #4 right one and a #5 left one. The #5 wouldn't work at all.

[Terry Toenges]

[jward]

I fully understand about the space limitations. You should see some of the compromises i had to make with my own layout. I have an S curve but it's 24r so it's workable. I had to custom build a curved switch for my yard lead, and the end of my runaround track in the same yard is on a turntable. The radial tracks for that turntable also tunnel under the upper level industrial area. You do what you have to do with the space you have.

I'm glad you've found a workable solution. The use of 15r curves is less than ideal, but still preferrable to an 18r s curve. Hopefully when you test out this arrangement your coaches will be able to run through the wye without derailing. Please let us know how it turns out.

[bbmiroku]

Wondering about the branch line off the lower right side.  Is there a particular reason that it goes up towards the bridge instead of along the front area?


EDIT: Never mind.  Forgot about the limitations of AnyRail for a moment, and forgot that you don't have a lower left clean area.

[Terry Toenges]

I changed my mind and I'm going to do it different. I got tired of the figure 8. With this, I can run 3 trains on three loops for when Christmas comes.

[Len]

Nice and clean with the wye, so you can do some 'branchline' action when the inner loop isn't being used for Christmas. I like it.

Len

[jward]

I do like the way you incorporated the wye into the plan. My only question is, since most of the switches are at the rear of the layout do you have a way to access them if you need to? If so, it's a nice plan.

[Terry Toenges]

Rollers. This pic is from when I was setting it up in 2017 for Christmas. When setting up Christmas, I have to do a lot of rolling it around to get to the back of the layout as well as the back wall. The frame itself is a bed frame to which I screwed 2 X 4's, then 1 X 4's. I then screwed plywood to those.  I added more bracing to the wing and put a roller under it. Originally, I had small rollers (bottom pic) under but it was hard to move on the carpet so I got bigger rollers. I put 2" foam on top of the plywood.

[jward]

I like that idea. Rollers on the layout make access to any part easy.