HO Shelf Switching Layout

[dgann]

Attached is an HO standard gauge 17' x 2' switching layout....Atlas code 83 track and number 6 turnouts used through out.  Any comments and suggestions are welcome.

[David]

It looks like an interesting concept to me. It's really packed with all sorts of industry.
What's the era this plays in? And what sort of rolling stock are you planning to use?

One thing that always sort of makes me wonder in this type of layout is the 'mainline'.
Personally, I'd like to be able to run off the layout on this mainline, and put together trains off site.
Do you have room for that?

Also, I think that you should think over a session in your head. So, a train comes in with certain rough materials for the factories, and needs to pick up fuel and other stuff. How is all this handled? Do you have enough sidings to make it work? Don't you have too many sidings to make it too easy?

Finally, the scenery. Most industries probably need to be accessible by road as well. Do you have enough room for that? I think there are too many parallel tracks to make a crossing for lorries or cars somewhere, so that might be a bit of an issue.

David.

[kimbo]

Really good stuff! Thanks for sharing with us your designs!

[dgann]

Hello David:

I apologize for my late reply to you questions and comments.

The era is modern (today) and the Hudson Central is a fictional short line railroad.  I borrowed from the prototype freight railroad NYS&W where my son was a conductor.   As with many short line railroads, rolling stock and engines will be mostly 2nd and 3rd hand (as is the case with the NYS&W).  I will be using a variety of box cars, petroleum tankers, paraffin tankers, aggregate hoppers, waste gondolas, etc.

The "mainline" will connect to other layout sections as I build them.  My Wife has given me use of ½ of the basement so I will make use of every inch I can.  This first layout section is 17' x 2' and will eventually connect to a fiddle yard, a dockside and a suburban passenger rail, similar to the PATH trains that run close to where I currently live.  Until my fiddle yard is complete, cassettes will be used to ferry the rolling stock on and off the layout.

I have not only run many sessions in my head, I have gone one step better.  I have a licensed copy of Train Player / Track Layer (http://www.trainplayer.com/) and that allows you to convert your existing layout to actually run trains before you lay your first piece of track.  After some thought about your comments, I did simplify the layout to allow by removing sidings and rearranging industries.  That will also aid in better road placements for trucks and cars.

I have attached my updated layout.

Thanks,

Dave

[kimbo]

Oh man, it shows that I haven't been in the US in ages. Couldn't put 17ft to a number... 5m by ,5m - not bad!

Your layout looks really impressive. It'll be fun to see you progress with it!