News:

Due to heavy spamming attempts on this forum, automatic registration has been disabled. We will approve registration requests as quickly as possible (unless you're a spammer of course :) )

Main Menu

My Next Track Plan

Started by Bob Bryce, March 01, 2013, 12:33:05 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Bob Bryce

I can try, what features would you prefer and do you want 2 layers or a single layer?

Jeff

#31
Trust me, if you do the same layout in N scale, you will fit every feature of the HO one and a lot more :-).
Later,                                                AnyRail Fanatic
Jeff                      and Unofficial Guy Who Knows Almost Everything About It

Bob Bryce

Since I know very little about N scale, what are your prefered minimum track radius and turnout sizes.  I was fairly limited in HO with the space available, but as you pointed out, with N scale, there is twice the room.  Also, what is the maximum incline for N scale? 

Jeff

You'll want to go with a 12" minimum radius, though 15-16" is much better as long as you have room. I would plan on Atlas #6 turnouts minimum for the mainlines, but you can go #4 in a yard, if you are kind of crowded. Use Peco Streamline code 80 as a source for things not in the standard Atlas lineup, like curved turnouts and #8's. Start with your twp-deck layout and let your imagination roam. I think you'll find that you have room for raw material sources AND consumer plants. It's especially good for including a few 'on demand' small town stops in between cities.
Later,                                                AnyRail Fanatic
Jeff                      and Unofficial Guy Who Knows Almost Everything About It

Mike from CT

Bob....

I'm, going to disagree with Jeff a bit....

Understand that the "minimum radius" depends on the period and type of line you're modelling, but with your interest in Tropica, that's a modern class I railroad and with 64 1/2" reefers in the current Tropicana fleet,  I'd suggest that 18" (3x the longest equipment) is the minimum radius that will look good on curves.  (Possibly sharper curves within the Tropicana plant - if you put speakers under the curves to play the sounds of squealing wheels).

Understand the cars will run on tighter curves, just the track will hang out under them and really cause havoc with the look and feel....

On the maximum grade, here, too, usage counts.  The rule of thumb is the same for N as it is for HO - 2% is a good max for longer grades on longer Class I grades.  But remember, you only have to go half as high to clear an obstacle (distance between levels won't change that much, since they're based mostly on living human dimensions, not the scale ones).

Bob Bryce

OK, at this point I need to know something.  Is this effort for me or for Jeff?  If it is for Jeff, the things he states I will probbly try to use.  If it is for me, I might as well stop now, as I am doing this in HO scale.  I already have all the items I need, the trains, the track, the buildings and more, and I am not converting to N scale.  Actually, N scale is too small for my preferences anyway.

Sooooooooooooooo  which is it???

Mike from CT

Bob,

I apologize.

I stayed out of this one when the discussion was about HO scale, but thought I detected a willingness to change to N scale when you asked about grades and radii (although I was surprised).

I'll shut up now.

Bob Bryce

#37
No problem Mike.  I do realize how much more room I would have in N scale, but as I said, I find N scale far too small for my liking.  We have both model railroads in our train club, so I did get to do a lot of comparing and even actual hands on operation of N scale, and decided it was really nice, but not for me. 

Also, I have already accumulated about $5,000 of track, turnouts, electronics, locomotives, rolling stock, monorail, buildings, vehicles, scenery, bridges, factories, breweries, oil fields, refineries, power plants, loading docks, houses, town buildings, etc, which is practically everything I need to complete the layout I have designed.  This was done to prevent my designing something into the layout and when it came time to do it, I didn't want to find out that I could no longer get the items I needed to build what I had laid out.  About the only thing I have not purchased yet other than the foam and framework is the bicycle track.

I have actually even printed it out at 1:1 scale and laid the prints out on a sheet of plywood (one section at a time) to verify that I have enough room in real life to do what I have laid out in the computer.  I have had to make some changes as a result of that, but overall it does work. 

Time will tell if I get an attaboy or have an awshit!



JeffSydenham

Quote from: Bob Bryce on August 11, 2013, 09:24:37 PM
OK, at this point I need to know something.  Is this effort for me or for Jeff?  If it is for Jeff, the things he states I will probbly try to use.  If it is for me, I might as well stop now, as I am doing this in HO scale.  I already have all the items I need, the trains, the track, the buildings and more, and I am not converting to N scale.  Actually, N scale is too small for my preferences anyway.

Sooooooooooooooo  which is it???

Well It is Your design. And Your model.

Answers on a postcard please. Addressed to "Jeff"

Another Jeff

RhB_HJ

Quote from: JeffSydenham on August 13, 2013, 12:32:01 AM
Quote from: Bob Bryce on August 11, 2013, 09:24:37 PM
OK, at this point I need to know something.  Is this effort for me or for Jeff?  If it is for Jeff, the things he states I will probbly try to use.  If it is for me, I might as well stop now, as I am doing this in HO scale.  I already have all the items I need, the trains, the track, the buildings and more, and I am not converting to N scale.  Actually, N scale is too small for my preferences anyway.

Sooooooooooooooo  which is it???

Well It is Your design. And Your model.

Answers on a postcard please. Addressed to "Jeff"

Another Jeff
Besides, the other Jeff won't be building a (new) railroad in the near future.  ;) :o
Hans-Joerg Mueller
Coldstream, BC   Canada

http://www.rhb-grischun.ca

My train videos

Win7Pro 64bit; 8 GB RAM; i5 2.67GHz; 1920x1080 22" display

Jeff

Hey!!!  >:( :o

I resemble that remark!  :P

Bob, no coercion was implied. I simply offered you something that works well for me when I find myself in a gap between designs (i.e. time to kill). Designing in some scale you don't normally use can be a lot of fun. Then there are the people who haven't absolutely settled on a scale to model in. In your case, it can really take your mind off fidgeting in front of the keyboard whilst waiting for the needed construction materials to arrive. No  big plots, no sinister plots! :)

Now, in H-J's case,

That was just mean! :P Teasing someone who might barely have room for a switching puzzle in N (or something smaller) is not a nice thing to do. Do I tease you because you don't have room for a 1:1 railroad in the back garden?
Later,                                                AnyRail Fanatic
Jeff                      and Unofficial Guy Who Knows Almost Everything About It

RhB_HJ

Oh dear, looks like you're sooo misunderstood. ;)  :)  :D  BTW I consider many of the places I get to as my "back 40" for inspirational purposes. It's just a different approach.  ;D  ;D
Hans-Joerg Mueller
Coldstream, BC   Canada

http://www.rhb-grischun.ca

My train videos

Win7Pro 64bit; 8 GB RAM; i5 2.67GHz; 1920x1080 22" display

Mike from CT

Quote from: Jeff on August 13, 2013, 02:23:54 AM
<snip>

Now, in H-J's case,

That was just mean! :P Teasing someone who might barely have room for a switching puzzle in N (or something smaller) is not a nice thing to do. Do I tease you because you don't have room for a 1:1 railroad in the back garden?

Jeff, have you actually seen HJ's back yard?  I haven't, but inferring from the quantity of rock he's brought in, I figure he's got at least enough room to ballast 3 miles of 1:1 scale main line - double tracked, even.

Jeff

Mike,
" I figure he's got at least enough room to ballast 3 miles of 1:1 scale main line - double tracked, even."

And superelevated on the turns :). But really, if you dig through the mountain of photos here you can find two or three shots of the back 40.

Later,                                                AnyRail Fanatic
Jeff                      and Unofficial Guy Who Knows Almost Everything About It

Bob Bryce

#44
Well, again, made a number of small changes to both levels, in an effort to make things more realistic, even if it is a ficticious railroad.

Upper level changes included a re-design of the railroad's mine spurs, mountain range and the New River Mining Company, as every sample I found had the mine up against the mountain side instead of away from it.  I needed to remove one siding spur to make room for the access road.  I also added a Tropicana siding spur for off loading Juice Cars, even though the Juice Train can't get from the lower level to the upper level. 

Lower level changes included moving the furniture factory to the lower level and adding some buildings to the Tropicana plant to make it more like the Bradenton plant.  Removed one of the two Oil Refinery sidings, as it seemed too crowded with two sidings.