Layout Design

Well, I finally have a track plan to share.
I did this with 3rdPlanIt - layout planning software I've used for several layout in the last few years.

The entire track plan is within the city of London, Ontario, Canada.
If I do say so myself, I think it's a good compression of the CN right-of-way and industries through the city.
GoogleEarth shows very detailed closeup photos of this area, if you want to see the prototype.

I'm interested in any and all comments and questions.

Cheers,

OBRY

Well Here I Go Again,

Well after getting several Desial Engins, Rolling stock, The Secinic Ridge Town & Factory kit, DCC Controler, and uni-track I have started to put togeather my layout. I have decided to build the Secinic Ridge design with some modifacations.

Hello, I am fairly new to N scale and I am planning to build a small to mid-sized railroad, however I am lacking a good track plan! Any help would be great! I would like some thing scenic, but with enough operation to kee a guy busy. Also I would like it to have a future extnision track and if possible could the layout be in the shape of a "C". Thanks for any help anyone come up with. 

After completing the DCC wire bus underneath the styrofoam, I am ready to start adding the roadbed. I decided to use cork for mainly because I am familiar with it and know how to use it. I started the process at the lower left side of the layout. Incidentally this will be the industrial section of Karolville, (a small fictitious town somewhere in western Mass or soutwest NH). I also going to try to use ground throws for most of the accesible turnouts. I will post pictures as work progresses.

I am in the process of wiring for DCC the Layout. The firs thing I will do is run 2 cables across the benchwork to create the DCC power bus. I will use gauge 16 single thread wire bought from my big local hardware store.  I will then connect to my Digitrax zephyr so it wll be ready to take feeds from the rails.

Construction finally has begun on my new layout. So I will try to keep a blog as construction progresses. The benchwork was done by a good friend of mine who did an excellent job and I placed the 2" foam boards today.  The layout was posted on the Layout design forum and got good feedback from many users. I still not totally happy with the yard, but since that is the last thing I am going to build, I can change it later. Once all the foam is set, I will start laying track, hoping to complete the main line first and then doing all the branches.

Okay, it's been a few days since my last post, but I have been busy. And I have something to show for it.

I have completed laying and gluing down all of my foam road bed.

[G2:51604]

Now, watch I say that but I will go back and make more changes.

Baseboard 1 contains two stations, one freight and one passenger on opposite sides. Also, the loop is there with a tunnel(unmarked) and a bridge over a creek(river). Baseboard 2 contains a freight yard, roundhouse, storage for passenger cars, and fueling areas for engines(both steam and diesel).

Welcome to my very first blog. I usually don’t have much to say and prefer to lurk and learn. Why my model train experience goes back to the early ‘80’s when I was in 4^th grade when I had a 4’x8’ HO layout. That layout was mainly operated in the “Lets see if we can get this baby going fast enough to derail going around that curve!!” mode. While that philosophy still appeals to my “If it ain’t broke, break it” side, growing up and having to pay for my trains has slowed me down quite a bit.

I've spent the last few days with carbon paper and a felt tipped marker transfering the track plan onto the module surfaces. Gives me something visual to follow as I progress.

Here's two pictures. One shows an overall of the modules and how they connect and the other shows some of my track plan on the module.

       

Once I finish transfering the track plan to the module surfaces, I plan to build up just the road bed (for now) with foam topped with cork.