Layout for Operating Accessories

Have any idea of which accessories and how many? (the answer(s) may depend on how much you are trying to fit in the space).

Aside from bridges, not too many accessories would be a good idea on the high speed line, as there may be enough movement in the passing trains to strike something (and some larger scale trains might not fit past some accessories without damage at all - some may be too wide, others may be too tall (double stacks come to mind)). 

You even have to be careful with bridges, while a #305 Hellgate with one track through it will probably fit most trains, others such as the 6-14167 (213) lift bridge have low clearances, even for some items that would be a surprise to you in terms of  getting clipped.  (My particular example is a KL by Lionel Pennsy caboose that came as part of a 3 pack to go with the A5 when Lionel re-issued that.  The caboose will not pass the 14167 lift bridge if the smoke stack top (it's a smoker, so has a removable "T") is installed.)

Obviously things that don't interact closely with the trains are less critical (radar towers, control towers, dispatching stations, heliports, etc).  Things that actually load/unload are very critical (culvert load/unload, ice station, barrel loader, log loader, coal accessories, etc)

-Dave

I am talking about all of the post war accessories Lionel made, including some American Flyer pieces.  Coal loaders/unloaders, Log ramp, Barrel loader, Cattle or horse car, Various forklift operating accessories, Milk car, etc.  Of course things like radar and floodlight towers, along with other items like the operating switch tower, signals, etc. will also occupy some space.   

As mentioned, the high speed line will be somewhat separate from the freight section.  The HS trains will have their own stations and yards.  It sounds like alot to fit into the space I mentioned, but that space can be expanded into the rest of the attic.

Depending on the diameter you use for the outer main lines, I think you may have quite a challenge fitting everything into a 12 x 18 space. 

I've got a simple triple loop setup on a roughly 12 x 11 foot area, and using O72 on the two outer and O54 on the inner gives a very small (in terms of square footage) area to play around with for setting up lots of accessories.  I have a 2 foot wide gap in the middle,  for access, but no duck under/hinge up/etc.

Of course, if you use tighter curves, resulting in longer strait runs for the outer loops, the middle opens up considerably as you go to lower diameter curves.

-Dave

Dan, this was my answer to accessory use and access.  Yard photo tour.

See all the Yard photos and more.

Susan Deats in previous post has a nifty long layout for many operating accessories. Her website also has great planning info including a list of space requirements for dozens of new and old O-gauge accessories.

Don't overlook accessibility, to accessories, to track, to switches, to undertable wiring.

Go to YouTube. Put in,  Classic Lionel Trains in Action, then click on Master Luke..... This has just about every Lionel accessory ever made in action on a  working layout. At the end of the video there is a very simple schematic of the layout. This video got me back into collecting and running O gauge again. Enjoy