had a day off...so mocked up my switching layout...

My first HO layout was a long narrow switching layout and I was never really happy with the limited operation. But I wish you well with your project.

I would suggest you consider double-decking your layout. It will just take another few inches of height and no additional floor space. The lower level might represent an interchange yard where you can park additional cars and switch them around. It you don't like the idea of a short steep grade to maybe connect the levels, they could remain detached and just manually transfer cars from time to time. Or you might represent an underground passenger station with sidings where cars are switched around. Two layouts in the same area with more variety and room to expand your car fleet.

This layout is primarily to get my skills for scratch building structures up to par. And a place to display my super detailed rolling stock . So operation will primarily be a inglenook switching puzzle. And I doubt when I move in a year I will be too far along with it so I need to make it as light weight as possible to take with me and integrate into the next house and layout. If everything works out the way I have it planned this will be part of a 25x30 foot around the room layout. I just have to lug this one 1,800 miles when I move. And hopefully this will be the last time I will be moving a thousand plus miles for a long time. My job has made it tough on that regard.

But, I am tired of not having a layout to work on. So this is better than nothing. I have moved 4 times in the last 5 years and the shortest move was 350 miles. I keep putting it off saying that I will one day...but it's now or never. I am not getting any younger lol. This next move will come with a change in careers and hopefully more time to work on the layout and spend time with my family. Cause as it stands 80 plus hours a week are getting old. So I can't wait !

I like your enthusiasm and as you say it is good to get started.

I don't know what an "inglenook switching problem" is,

However, I did not see an ability to do a run-around in the track you had mocked up.   To me, operation without a runaround is very limited.

Inglenook is a switching puzzle. It and TimeSaver are the two most popular switching layouts out there. In both cases, following the rules for siding length is the "key" for success.

There is no run-around track with Inglenook

But, TimeSaver does have one....

I built TimeSaver. It has remote uncoupler track sections and Locomotives are best run in Command Control. I would strongly suggest using the GarGraves track bumpers. With claw couplers, they're nice to push against to get the couplers closed and latched. I used manual ground throws for the switches.

Were I to do it again, I would have done the combined TimeSaver/Inglenook layout

Add buildings, flats, scenery, and accessories and you've got a very interesting and attractive layout to run. Run this with a Car Routing Card System and you've got non-stop operations.

Looks like you used numbered switches. Good choice. I used 072 and the zig-zag through the switches can sometimes cause derailments.

theteejmiester posted:

This layout is primarily to get my skills for scratch building structures up to par. And a place to display my super detailed rolling stock . So operation will primarily be a inglenook switching puzzle. And I doubt when I move in a year I will be too far along with it so I need to make it as light weight as possible to take with me and integrate into the next house and layout. If everything works out the way I have it planned this will be part of a 25x30 foot around the room layout. I just have to lug this one 1,800 miles when I move. And hopefully this will be the last time I will be moving a thousand plus miles for a long time. My job has made it tough on that regard.

Yeah, good plan if you can build it as a module which can be readily moved and adapted to another space if/when you have to move. I built the "core module" for my HO layout about 40 years ago, moved it halfway across the country and back, and am still using it.

@ PRRJIM....no run around tracks on the inglenook as was explained above. That extra spur is simply to store rolling stock and won't be used as part of operations on a normal basis...and thank you! Have to stay driven. Life is to short to put stuff by the wayside. Just gotta five in!

Gilly@N&W....the turnouts are gargraves 103's. Roughly a number 5. So the will work well I think for operations. Was going to go with Ross turnouts but like I said,picked these up for a steal so I figured I would go with it.  Most of my equipment is modern. With 50' plus cars the norm so sidings are of a according length.

Not going to use gargraves bumpers. I don't use lobster claws. All of my stock is fixed pilot/body mounted Kadee couplers. The goal is to build as realistic layout as possible within the confines of 3 rail. I was going to go with proto 48 but didn't want to get bogged down having to build everything like when I was doing proto 87. 

This is some pics of the first loco I have almost finished. All of my engines are Atlas/ Lionel China drives wired in series with tmcc and sound so I am hoping they will draw the operator into the scenes with there mass and detail...

Thank you all for the feedback! Keep it coming

Took the turnouts outside after painting and took a pic with ballast. The gargraves turnouts look pretty good after weathering eh?

Considering the operate well after a little tweaking I am pretty happy with them. The layout will be 54 inches high so I wanted to see how the look from this angle.

You are about 3/4 of the way to normal (non-proto-48) 2-rail.    You might consider that if you have any doubts about the 3rd rail.     I switched many years ago when only handliad track was possible.   Now  you can sectional and flextrack and pre-fab turnouts.   

Locos and cars can be had RTR or kit or somewhere in between.   In your case you could convert what you have.

I have thought about it. I came from 2 rail. Wanna dink around with 3 rail for a while. I still build some stuff in HO so I get my two rail fix...the last HO steamer I have done....a circa 1971 DB BR01...

I can understand where you are coming from though...one day I am gonna start dabbling in proto48....

You don't skimp on detail parts for your 3RS conversions, so don't do it with turnouts. If you want reliable, consistent, slow speed operations, spend the money for the Ross turnouts 

You know. That was my plan...but having picked these up. I can run my Lionel GP30 through them at a crawl with no hiccups. And after a little frog modification very smoothly too. So I dunno....still not quite ready to put down track so who knows what I'll do. Maybe handlay the track �� I handlaid all of my track in HOn2 1/2....this would be cake.....mwhahahaha!

So. Decided that none of the commercial products are going to give me what I want track wise. So I pulled some rail from a piece of scaletrax. Cut some strip wood I had on hand and put together a handlaid section and decided I am gonna go this route . With code 148 outer rails and code 83 inner. It will make it so I can have more flowing track work. And smoother operation...

And another

Good luck with your layout.

My last layout was approximately an 11x4 switching layout, a variation of the Timesaver. I had that for around 10 years and enjoyed it. I had 6 older style Gargraves switches (with the last generation of switch points) and it worked fine. 

Tom 

Thanks! I love hand laying track so it's a natural fit. Although...P48 is really starting to turn my head. I dabbled in p87 and it is tickling my fancy. Looking at a overland models SD40-2 that would make a prime p48 conversion....

Gilly@N&W posted:

Inglenook is a switching puzzle. It and TimeSaver are the two most popular switching layouts out there. In both cases, following the rules for siding length is the "key" for success.

	number of cars	number of different arrangements of cars	number of cars in train to be made up	number of possible different trains to be made up
Classic Inglenook	8	40,320	5	6,720

 

There is no run-around track with Inglenook

But, TimeSaver does have one....

I built TimeSaver. It has remote uncoupler track sections and Locomotives are best run in Command Control. I would strongly suggest using the GarGraves track bumpers. With claw couplers, they're nice to push against to get the couplers closed and latched. I used manual ground throws for the switches.

Were I to do it again, I would have done the combined TimeSaver/Inglenook layout

Add buildings, flats, scenery, and accessories and you've got a very interesting and attractive layout to run. Run this with a Car Routing Card System and you've got non-stop operations.

Looks like you used numbered switches. Good choice. I used 072 and the zig-zag through the switches can sometimes cause derailments.

This is a fantastic reply Gilly, I really love that combined layout and wonder about a track plan in O gauge (track, switches, required space, etc.).  The picture shows the layout is 2x12, but I'm not sure if that is O or not.