09-15-2014, 07:15 PM
So if you happened to catch my "I'm still alive and I'm back" post in the Lower Berth, you'll know that I now have a basement to work in, maybe not as ideal as I wanted, but the rest of the house that goes with it makes up for a lot. So it's what I have to work with, and I plan to make the best of it. Probably going to need two decks to get what I really want.
Some things have not changed: still modeling the Reading, era mid-50's. I do not plan to make this layout in any way duplicate exact Reading trackage anywhere, more of a "Reading feel" to locations and operating practices. Switching to Peco Code 83 track this time around, in my down time I picked up some samples of different stuff (used Atlas lat 2 times) and I prefer the Peco, plus they have a decent variety of turnouts. Plan is for #6 for yards, #8's for any mainline crossovers, #5 in industrial sidings. 28" minimum radius - I don't run long cars, don't currently have any passenger cars but even those were shorties on the Reading. Mostly first generation diesel, have a couple of T-1 Northerns, and they handle 28" radius with no problems at all, even with the drawbar in the close notch.
The tricky part is the stairs - they come down from the top center, and then split left and right at the middle wall, with a landing and 2 steps down to either side to get to the floor level. I was trying to avoid duckunders, but this arrangement let me fit more track with the penalty of a liftup section right at the stairs to the right.
I made up a few variations before I hit on this one. It's by far not complete, just the lower level so far, and a lot of tweaking is needed. I've been gradually refining it to fit. One thing I worry about is that maybe I'm stuck on this arrangement and am just trying to make it work, and a different one would fit the space better and I'm just not seeing it. Best place I can see for a yard with engine facilities would be in the upper right, around the curve.
Without further ado - this is what I've come up with so far.
![[Image: basement1.jpg]](http://www.readingeastpenn.com/images/basement1.jpg)
So, blast away...
--Randy
Some things have not changed: still modeling the Reading, era mid-50's. I do not plan to make this layout in any way duplicate exact Reading trackage anywhere, more of a "Reading feel" to locations and operating practices. Switching to Peco Code 83 track this time around, in my down time I picked up some samples of different stuff (used Atlas lat 2 times) and I prefer the Peco, plus they have a decent variety of turnouts. Plan is for #6 for yards, #8's for any mainline crossovers, #5 in industrial sidings. 28" minimum radius - I don't run long cars, don't currently have any passenger cars but even those were shorties on the Reading. Mostly first generation diesel, have a couple of T-1 Northerns, and they handle 28" radius with no problems at all, even with the drawbar in the close notch.
The tricky part is the stairs - they come down from the top center, and then split left and right at the middle wall, with a landing and 2 steps down to either side to get to the floor level. I was trying to avoid duckunders, but this arrangement let me fit more track with the penalty of a liftup section right at the stairs to the right.
I made up a few variations before I hit on this one. It's by far not complete, just the lower level so far, and a lot of tweaking is needed. I've been gradually refining it to fit. One thing I worry about is that maybe I'm stuck on this arrangement and am just trying to make it work, and a different one would fit the space better and I'm just not seeing it. Best place I can see for a yard with engine facilities would be in the upper right, around the curve.
Without further ado - this is what I've come up with so far.
So, blast away...
--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