@Mark Boyce posted:Dave, I was wondering if you had a track plan for the new location. Now I know.
I am really not very good with track planning ideas at all. Mind if I watch along and eventually I will come up with a contribution?
Recently I switched rooms for my layout. If you follow What did you do on your layout today? you'll have seen this. To do this I had to cut off about 7 feet from my current layout. In the new space this will be added back on but I'm starting to think I won't get my 054 minimum in the new space. I'm pretty sure to make it onto the new table I will have to start my curve after a 30 & 10 inch straight on part of the previous layout. There is an existing town that fills the space between the existing tracks. New changes have to come off of the existing dead ends as I like the town as it is. My town street will also follow the track at the bottom of the drawing to add more town in the blank space. I have included a rudimentary drawing with table measurements listed in inches, existing track and available switches. I have plenty of MTH RealTrax track from 36 to 72 also 33- & 45-degree cross overs, every size straigh.t, 054 L, 054R, 072R & 072Y available. If you have access to layout building software, please give me some ideas.
Dave Rippinger
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Hey Dave,
I was trying to help get things started for you in SCARM. I see from the What did you do on your layout today thread that you're using RealTrax. When starting to layout the bench in Scarm, I realized that there is either something in the benchwork that is not at a right angle or maybe there is an incorrect measurement shown in the sketch. When you take these top to bottom drawing dimensions, they should equal zero.
155 - 92 + 60 - 119 = 4
Can you double check the dimensions and also see if all corners and table intersections are square and if not, make note on the drawing of what is square and what may not be?Steave, thanks for your reply. I've added RealTrax in the body of the post. I think the 3x5 bump out is where my measurements are off. It's currently not built so I may have guessed wrong. Everything is square just a poor drawing. Whatever you say it should add up to, sounds like 123 will be correct in the end. The dimensions of the current 2 sections are correct.
Dave Rippinger
Perfect, everything else measured correct, just a simple math mistake.
Dave Rippinger
Here's a starting point in Scarm (file attached). On the left is my interpretation of the sketch. On the right is a simple plan that uses minimum O54 curves and uses the 4 listed available switches to make a yard.
1) Would you like to have a yard in the 3x5 section or maybe some industries?
2) Is the existing town located where it's labeled in the right image below? If so, a couple follow up questions:
2a) Is there room to move the track into the town area by 8 1/2 inches as suggested by the Green arrows, by removing the two 4.25" straights on the far left, as shown red?
2b) If the track can't move as shown by the green arrows, to be able to keep O54 minimum curves, would you be able to add a curve section to the bench work in the inside corner shown by the light green arc?
There's a lot more that could be added, changed and improved on this basic set of ideas.
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Steve, there is not room to move in. There is a road crossing entering the town at the far end. If I have to, I can go down to 042 in the new section. Just looking at it I don't think 054 would fit even if I add a little 45-degree section. I may do a passing siding for a passenger station. The 3x 5 area I have some grain elevators and silos that may look good there. The existing town fills the whole bottom 1/2 and will turn and follow into the new section. Here is a very poor version, sorry I can't make curves.
Dave Rippinger
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Dave, I was wondering if you had a track plan for the new location. Now I know.
Mark Boyce
Blackwater Canyon Line - in 11' x 11'
Mark, feel free to watch. I'm just hoping I can get something figured out. I really liked having 054 minimum, but it may not work. Luckily, Irun Rail King passenger cars and my biggest boxcars are 50 footers though I prefer 40's.
