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Black Diamond & Augusta Railroad

Started by poppy2201, October 09, 2012, 09:48:31 PM

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poppy2201

Greetings to all!  It has been a long time since I participated on this forum.  I had started a layout while living in Oklahoma but never got past the benchwork before we moved back to Florida.  We have been here almost a year and a half and I decided to get something going with the room I have available.  I read with interest the plan in this thread, http://www.anyrail.com/forum_en/index.php/topic,1189.0.html, and it offered a lot of what I would like to accomplish with my existing rolling stock, structures etc. and fits within the room with what exists already.

I have attached a .jpg file of the room and also the Anyrail file (still using 4.26.0) and if anyone has any input I welcome all comments.  A few caveats, the room still has to function as an office and guest room.  The walk-in closet cannot be used.  We live in a nice apartment complex but as with all apartments, spare storage space is at a premium.

Thanks for taking the time to look and comment.  By the way, I am looking at extending the upper leg with a 24 x 30 module so if you have any thoughts how to extend and arrange the upper leg of the track, let me know.

Charles J.

poppy2201

Okay, I added the 24 x 30 module and extended the track.  The biggest benefit allows me to have more track servicing the grain elevator, thus more grain cars.  It also allows me to have a longer access road for trucks delivering grain to the elevator and so I can have several trucks lined up for delivery.
Charles J.

poppy2201

I've gone through a couple of revisions now.  Most notably, I extended the depth of the end modules by 6 inches each.  Now the plan has a minimum track radius of 12 1/2.

Charles J.

poppy2201

The track plan has now evolved to version 5.  I took suggestions from a couple of people on the forum at Trainboard.  I now like the operations and scenic possibilities with this plan.

Charles J.

David

What type of trains are you running?
I ask because it seems to me that the situation at Black Diamond Junction is troublesome.
Traffic to the Oil dealer needs to revert on the mainline.
Also, the mainline is on the diverting end of the eastern turnout which is something to avoid.

David.

David Hoogvorst. Founder and Owner of DRail Software. Creator of AnyRail.

poppy2201

#5
Quote from: David on October 20, 2012, 11:03:13 AM
What type of trains are you running?
I ask because it seems to me that the situation at Black Diamond Junction is troublesome.
Traffic to the Oil dealer needs to revert on the mainline.
Also, the mainline is on the diverting end of the eastern turnout which is something to avoid.

David.

Thanks David for the reply.  I will be running GP38-2's and a MP15-DC switcher or two.  I'll take a look at those areas of concern to you and see what can be done.  It's been kind of hard trying to get things just right and look good as one of my main goals was to keep the min. radius at 12 1/2.

By the way, thanks for all of the hard work with the program.  I really enjoy working with it and have found it to be the easiest track planning software to use.  As soon as extra funds become available I'll upgrade to version 5.2 and working with it.
Charles J.

poppy2201

Hi David, if you have time take a look at version 6.  I think I have resolved some of the issues.  If not, let me know.  Thanks.

Charles J.

David

I think it's slightly better.

However to make sure, you should tell a bit more about the freight you expect to be delivered in this area.

David.
David Hoogvorst. Founder and Owner of DRail Software. Creator of AnyRail.

poppy2201

Quote from: David on October 22, 2012, 05:24:51 PM
I think it's slightly better.

However to make sure, you should tell a bit more about the freight you expect to be delivered in this area.

David.

Thanks David,  version 6 above was not going to allow me to have a min. radius of 12 ½ .  I extended the lower module of the U by 12 inches.  This is the most I can go and still maintain the overall functionality of the room.  By extending the module I can maintain an overall min. radius of 12 ½.  At Black Diamond Jct the oil dealer will receive a couple of 11,000 gallon tankers maybe 2 or 3 times a week.  I haven't decided yet how to utilize the straight track coming off the crossing, any suggestions. My locomotive power in inventory are GP38-2's and MP15DC switchers.  As always comments and suggestions are welcome.
Charles J.

Mike from CT

#9
I didn't really have a lot of time, but I wanted to take a stab at it, so here's a suggestion for a revised yard area.  (It's in a new layer.  Your track plan is still there in the .any file - hidden, but untouched.)  I think I labelled the reasons for all the various tracks.  I know I forgot to include the turnout to staging, but that shouldn't change much of anything to fix.

If I get some more time (or steal it from working on another plan), I may try playing with some of the other areas....

Mike

(Added by edit:  The bit of the thoroughfare up by the bridge is so a road engine can escape a train (or connecting to one) moving in a counter-clockwise direction, or add/remove a caboose on a train running in a clockwise one.





poppy2201

Mike, I appreciate your efforts but I am still using version 4.26.0 so I can't open your file.
Charles J.

Mike from CT

#11
Amazing how long it took to do the first time, but how quickly it could be reproduced (in Anyrail v.4), the second.  :)

I wasn't quite as precise on the measurements, but they're within 100th's of an inch.  BTW, I made the outer curves according to NMRA recommendations - 1 5/16" larger - so the inner curves are 12 1/2" and the outer curves 13 13/16".  I also went with the Atlas #5 turnouts.  No reason to go larger if you're using 12 1/2" as your minimum radius.

Mike

poppy2201

Thanks Mike, I'll take a look at it tonight and work with it.  Appreciate all your efforts.
Charles J.

poppy2201

#13
Mike, I had a chance to work with it last night and I like how the change to the yard looks.  The only thing I didn't see that you mentioned were the labelled reasons for all the various tracks.  Just a thought I had, where you had the bit of track by the bridge for a road engine escape, how about putting in a Warren Double Truss Bridge instead of the single bridge and run the track across the river and connect to the main making it a full passing siding?  Your thoughts....

Again thanks and it looks pretty good.
Charles J.

Mike from CT

Thanks.

Here's the same one, with the track usage labelled.

On extending that short lead up by the bridge.... I wouldn't.

The problem you'll have is the same one that exists at Black Diamond Junction - the "passing siding" really only works off the yard lead.  It can't be used, for example, for two trains traveling the main to pass each other and continue on the main.  At BDJ, that's easily fixed by reversing turnouts that connect the main and passing siding on the left (and a bit of finagling where the yard lead joins the passing siding, if necessary).  We could add a passing siding down by the yard. (The A/D track is not intended for that purpose - it should be left solely for trains entering/leaving the yard), but it makes things crowded and, if you have multiple folks running multiple trains, causes human congestion on the lower side of the layout (one engineer on the main, one waiting on the passing siding and one running the yard engine.  Heaven help you if there's another train - the hot shot frm staging - just entering the yard....)