03-02-2011, 07:11 PM
I like to dream of havign the space for 'the big one' so I'm kicking around how to do what I envision as the ultimate layout for me.
The basic concept is a two track main with two branchlines. For those who want the details, I want to model from Reading to East Penn Junction, and have branchign off, well,a ctually 3 branches - the Allentown RR to Kutztown, the C&F to West Catty, and a portion of the Perk branch. Reading end would include the yard, and the Outer Station (goal to shoot for - be good enough at structure building to build a model of the Outer Station). Main line and Lebenon Valley sides would loop around on each other as staging - number of tracks needed for staging not determined at this point. There would be double track here to the other end except the Blandon Low Grade line - but in the mid 50's when it opened the old Hill track was still used as well. At TOpton we have the branch to Kutztown. At Alburtis we come off for the C&F. Emaus Junction for the Perk, and the end of visible track would be East Penn Junction (no Allentown yard). Past East Penn it would loop around to the Perk, like at the other end, with a staging yard connecting the ends. If possible, even connect the staging yards but that wouldn;t be a requirement of the design. I can draw up a schematic if the words don;t get the idea across.
Problem is - I can't think of how I can have someone follow a train along the 'main' AND have those various branch lines come out without having the mainline engineers have to duck under the branches, OR walk all the way around a pennisula to get to the other side to continue on with their train. Or, of they stay on the opposite side (works for all but the Perk), then the branch engineers have to duck under the main to get to the branch as their train heads off. I'm not a fan of duckunders, and not really a fan of a liftout that would have to be opened int he middle of an operating session.
ALl this is, natually, hypothetical as I don;t even have an idea of how much space I might need to get a reasonable representation of all this in, let alone if I will ever have such a space. But I like drawing and designing plans liek this.
--Randy
The basic concept is a two track main with two branchlines. For those who want the details, I want to model from Reading to East Penn Junction, and have branchign off, well,a ctually 3 branches - the Allentown RR to Kutztown, the C&F to West Catty, and a portion of the Perk branch. Reading end would include the yard, and the Outer Station (goal to shoot for - be good enough at structure building to build a model of the Outer Station). Main line and Lebenon Valley sides would loop around on each other as staging - number of tracks needed for staging not determined at this point. There would be double track here to the other end except the Blandon Low Grade line - but in the mid 50's when it opened the old Hill track was still used as well. At TOpton we have the branch to Kutztown. At Alburtis we come off for the C&F. Emaus Junction for the Perk, and the end of visible track would be East Penn Junction (no Allentown yard). Past East Penn it would loop around to the Perk, like at the other end, with a staging yard connecting the ends. If possible, even connect the staging yards but that wouldn;t be a requirement of the design. I can draw up a schematic if the words don;t get the idea across.
Problem is - I can't think of how I can have someone follow a train along the 'main' AND have those various branch lines come out without having the mainline engineers have to duck under the branches, OR walk all the way around a pennisula to get to the other side to continue on with their train. Or, of they stay on the opposite side (works for all but the Perk), then the branch engineers have to duck under the main to get to the branch as their train heads off. I'm not a fan of duckunders, and not really a fan of a liftout that would have to be opened int he middle of an operating session.
ALl this is, natually, hypothetical as I don;t even have an idea of how much space I might need to get a reasonable representation of all this in, let alone if I will ever have such a space. But I like drawing and designing plans liek this.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad of the 1950's in HO
Visit my web site to see layout progress and other information:
http://www.readingeastpenn.com
Visit my web site to see layout progress and other information:
http://www.readingeastpenn.com