10-23-2015, 10:39 PM
Welcome Catweasel. As a former L&N employee, it's nice to see someone else thinking about modeling "The Old Reliable". Now that I've managed to get my model railroad right of way back, I'm again starting to work on the layout. Plan has been to represent a freelance L&N industrial spur, but I'm also thinking about the layout (20ft x 18in) representing the end of one of the now abandoned L&N branch lines, such as the Lancaster, Springfield, or Scottsville branches that terminated in small towns. Since my modeled era will be between 1978 and 1984, trains would be short and only a few small industries served.
There were many industrial spurs on the L&N in cities and towns served by the line before CSX made the L&N vanish, but none that I'm aware of that had trackwork as complicated as your plan. I'm a firm believer that simple is best and you can have a very interesting layout with only a few switches serving a handful of industries. Just keep in mind prototype operational practices. You'd be surprised how long it takes to work even a very small, simple looking layout. If you aren't already aware of the work done by Lance Mindheim, I highly recommend spending some time reading his blog http://lancemindheim.com/ or looking at some of his layout plans and ideas.
Regardless, it's your layout and you can do it anyway you want. Main thing - have fun!
There were many industrial spurs on the L&N in cities and towns served by the line before CSX made the L&N vanish, but none that I'm aware of that had trackwork as complicated as your plan. I'm a firm believer that simple is best and you can have a very interesting layout with only a few switches serving a handful of industries. Just keep in mind prototype operational practices. You'd be surprised how long it takes to work even a very small, simple looking layout. If you aren't already aware of the work done by Lance Mindheim, I highly recommend spending some time reading his blog http://lancemindheim.com/ or looking at some of his layout plans and ideas.
Regardless, it's your layout and you can do it anyway you want. Main thing - have fun!
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"