Is this the one? New layout - 15 x 10 x 18 Fasrtack Layout

It looks like a good practical arrangement overall. You have a good size layout room, but with a bulky furnace and chimney to work around. The dogbone circuit looks big enough for two shorter trains to follow each other around. Yard tracks are a pretty good length. With some extra planning you might be able to accommodate possible future expansion on a second level.

You've done a great job of outlining your situation and coming up with a sensible track plan, compared to some of the vague requests for help that come in here! Show us some pics?

Bryan,

   Actually its a beauty of a layout, do not worry about 2 separate loops.  This will be great layout to run both DCS & Legacy on.  If you have the Z4K with a Remote Commander Side receiver it will even be better.  One word of caution, the computer design layout engineering is seldom perfect with FasTrack, I would invest in a Rockwell X2 Portable Table Saw, to make custom close out FasTrack pieces if necessary.  Great layout Bryan I like it a bunch.

PCRR/Dave

Bryan,

If you are traveling clockwise around your loop, you have no way to reverse your direction.  If you are going CCW you have two ways to reverse directions.  Looks like you have an easy fix.

Jan

How about this. Eliminates that spur and switch. Changes switch to a crossover. And gives many opportunities to reverse direction. Adding a mountain to that loop on the right would give visual appeal at the entrance to the layout, also.

(I just hacked your drawing for the general idea, it will need adjusted)

Dave

Jan posted:

Bryan,

If you are traveling clockwise around your loop, you have no way to reverse your direction.  If you are going CCW you have two ways to reverse directions.  Looks like you have an easy fix.

Jan

Good point, I overlooked that, assumed the two loops were opposite. Easily fixed.

Dave,

Just connect the middle track of the 3 parallel tracks on the top of your original plan to the topmost track.  No additional switched needed.

Jan

I've stared at this layout too much.  I fussed around with trying to put the O-72 switches in place of the O-36 ones, ( Way to invested in o-72's).

They only work in certain areas without changing the 'look' of the layout. 

There have been some nice ideas on how to add a reverse to this, but frankly, I cant see it.  Or where to put it.

maybe, you could draw or point to?

thanks friends,

Bryan

Bryan, I circled where Dave changed your design to turn the upper loop into a reversing loop. It requires you to move the turnout and add a crossing track in its place. You didn't attach the RR-Track file, so he just marked the photo and I don't know if the tracks will fit.

Thanks Dave and Double Z, I missed the change.  I have redone the changes as circled, replaced some switches with the O-72. 

I think this is it. 

Bryan, that doesn't open with your layout, it says: wrong file header

Thanks, Dave (DOUBLEDAZ)

Dave

I was able to open it.

Bryan, not sure what you have planned for benchwork, but I took the liberty of adding a tabletop following your outline, except where I expanded the top and left sides to 30". I thought about expanding the width near the furnace, but wasn't sure you'd want to build out 30" there. I also cleaned up the base below it, both are single polygons.

That bench work looks a lot like I had in mind, nicer to look at with the filled in look.

My old bench work was 24" x 30" wide x 20' for the long portion, then 24" x 24"x 8' for the width and then 24"x24"x15" for last part ( currently the yard )

Seeing that diagram really helps put it in prospective.  That is the other reason I like it so much ( this design ), I have very little to build, it's all there already, just need to put it back together.

I was fussing around with it some more, trying to get more track in the layout, and it appealed less and less to me. 

It will go down like it is, try it out and maybe modify afterwards...

Thanks for the help friends,

I like the design!  Especially the long run, out one side, back the other.   Return loops at each end.

Suggestion:  The passing siding can be lengthened a bit by moving the turnout closer to the crossing.  My train always seem to get longer rather than shorter, and a longer passing siding will be nice.

Second - there would seem to be room to modify the yard lead so you can switch without fouling the main.   Move the turnout toward the back of the loop, actually just following the current turnout that closes the reverse loop.   Then the yard lead snakes around the curve to the yard - actually giving you a two-track look.  Use a Fastrack "Y" to save space.   This will definitely be more fun.