Recent Thoughts
This page has my latest thoughts and changes to my layout Ideas.
I posted the link for this webpage to several Yahoo groups, and from the Small Layout Design group, I received the following replies:
"In the old section you have a backscene of warehouses which I assume will be served by the railroad. If so I see two problems. The first is that you have to move the cars placed along side of the warehouses to someplace before you can go to the fiddle yard. The second is that to use the one and only run-around you again have to move the cars parked at the warehouses someplace in order to use the run-around. Here is an idea to solve these problems. Change the size of the office building and extend the middle track to go the the fiddle yard. The second change is in the run-around, turn those two switches around so that the switch on the middle track points back to the curve. Now you can use the run-around without disturbing cars at the warehouse." [Ian McKinley]
and
"...curve the tail track of the switch against the left-hand leg dock (where your coal-bins are), to run parallel to the dockside that angles back left. Extend the track that runs along the dock at the top to the left, and then put a building at the junction of the two tracks, with a wagon turntable inside. This would give you a "loads in-empties out" operation. I know you were planning on keeping the two halves separate, but it might give you more "operational capacity". If you could put the two halves of the building on each side of a scenic divider(angled across the corner) you could have two entirely separate industries for the price of one, even to the extent of "wriggly-tin" and wood (run-down) on one side, and a newer brick building on the other. The scenic divider would visually separate the two halves as well - one half could act as the "fiddle yard" for the other, or you could have two operators." [Shortliner(Jack)]
In respect to Ian's suggestion, I had actually thought of having the run-around blocked by wagons being loaded and unloaded, thinking it would add a whole lot to the shunting difficulties. Having thought Hard (well, I actually did think, can't say it was hard) I decided that it would probably make things too hard and hence reduce the fun value, so I've had a play around with Ian's idea, and here is the result:
One problem is what to use to hide the fiddleyard entrance. I did have it hidden by the office building, but that has been moved back and is in line with the warehouses. I don't want to have another gatehouse as I want to be able to extend into another scene where the fiddle yard presently is, and its stupid having a gatehouse in the middle in the middle. A roadway bridge isn't the best option here in my opinion, as it comes a little too close to the offices, so the offices wouldn't have been built there to start with. I suppose the offices can move (to the corner?). Scenery development is a prime concern for my layout designing process, so I like to have scenes thought out before I commit anything.
With Ian's arrangement, I can run around about 7 wagons, which is quite a reasonable length for a plan of this type. And the siding capacity of the warehouse track is longer than the sacrificed siding, which means more shunting positions (warehouse doors or sack hoists)! I guess I do lose a siding with this arrangement, but I think the benefits outway the one small disadvantage.
Thanks Ian, thats a good one!
Now For Shortliner's suggestion. I have had a play around, but
can't find a building of the right character to fit on the Old
side, without being severely oversize for the space. On the New
side however, any number of buildings will fit. My thoughts point
to a rough dark coloured stone building with a slate roof. An
early addition to the New side. Maybe like an engine
shed with lean-to workshop, but with tracks only in the main
section.
I will keep this idea in mind and if I find a building that looks
suitable, you'll hear about it here. But in the meantime, here is
the modification based on Shortliner's idea.
Layout Overview Rollingstock Tech Details
any comments?
Email me: trainbrain @ optusnet . com . au
(remove spaces from address before sending)
Mark Kendrick 20/04/04