Monkor Model Railroad Club

[Johan]

Hi Forum Members,

I have completed my first attempt at track planning with AnyRail and must confess that it was a pleasure working with the program.  Attached is the track plan.

This plan is only the centre peninsula part of this big layout and I had to plan it on the existing table and benchwork.

The design is such that the marshalling yard and shunting operations could be carried out without interfering with the operation of the mainlines.  The mainlines also form a large reverse loop, something that should really be incorporated in a layout should the available space allow for it.

The track system is Fleischmann Profi Track and the layout will be DCC controlled by Fleischmann Twin Centre.

Kind regards.

Johan

[kimbo]

I am sorry you haven't had any response to your plans!
It's looking really good so far and I'm impressed by the level of detail you've already put in place!

Well done, looking forward to see more of this track plan!

[David]

Hi Johan,

Indeed, this looks impressive. Are you going to build this in your club house? And, if I may ask, where is it located?

Here, in the Netherlands, many people control their layout with an Intellibox or Fleischmann Twin Centre. The popularity of these systems is undoubtly caused for at least some bit by a very good free Dutch program for train control. Unfortunately, it's only available in Dutch.

So, my question is: Are you using any other software to control this huge layout?

David.

[Johan]

Hi guys,

Thanks for your kind comments.

Yes David, we are going to build this layout in our clubhouse which is situated in a suburb of Johannesburg.  This club was started by a wealthy bussinessman who has gathered a group of modellers to help him build his dream layout, and that is exactly what we plan to build him - a dream layout!

We will be using the Fleischmann Twin Centre and everything that goes with it and at the moment we have no other software in mind for train control.  Could you please let me have the particulars of the Dutch train contol program you mentioned?  I am actually Afrikaans speaking so it should not be too difficult for me to understand the Dutch program.

After some discussions with the other club members I have made some refinements to the layout plan.  The raised mainline in the original plan has now been moved to the edge of the layout and for the biggest part it is incorporated with the lower mainline until it splits to the form the upper mainline.  The area designated for the roundhouse and tracks in the roundhouse area have been replaced by an industrial area, the reason being that an industrial area is more appropriate in this specific area of the layout and it will also be easier to manage the lift out access with the industrial area in place.  The layout plan is such that the operations in the marshalling yard and industrial areas will not interfere with the mainline operations.  The reverse loops have also been maintained and the new plan also allows me to bring a road across the tracks into the container and industrial area for the trucks and other vehicles that have to move into the area.

We have however not discarded the roundhouse and have decided to have a dedicated steam preservation area situated in a living museum town.  In this museum town you will find the roundhouse and other steam era related railway buildings and structures together with a collection of preserved steam locomotives and rolling stock.  The museum town will also have some buildings dating from Epoche I, II and III together with preserved vehicles from that era and people who stay and work in the town dressed in the correct way for the era. (quite a story!).

Where applicable the layout will be under Viessmann catenary and the signalling system will also be by Viessmann.  The track will be Fleischmann Profi.  We have decided to weather the Fleischmann Profi Track and the first trials have actually came out quite nice.  What we do is to handpaint the rails a rusty colour and then weather the ballast with a dark grey wash which is quite effective.  For this first part of the layout we need to handpaint more than 150 m of track!

I attach the refined plan and would like your comments on it.

Thanks and regards.

Johan

[David]

Just to let you know: the program almost all digital model railroaders in the Netherlands use is 'Koploper'.
You'll find it on www.pahasoft.nl

David.