# U shaped layout approximately 8 x 11



## Mako2 (Oct 16, 2014)

Hello,

After a 40 year hiatus I am looking to get back into a HO layout, attached is a draft of a layout we would like to build in the next few weeks, I took inspiration from a layout I found on this site by Markg11 so my thank you to him.

We are looking to have 2 main lines capable of running 2 trains continuously, I would also like a switch yard 

As it is currently laid out, the inner track has a mix of 22 & 24 inch radius with a grade going up to the loop near the switch yard. In the outer loop the radius track is 24 inches. There are switches on the left side so trains can have access to any part of the track. We will be setting this up for DCC operations. The usage will be my grandchildren & I.

Some basis questions.
Will 22" radius run comfortably inside the 24" radius or will that place to tracks too close together?
How many re-railer tracks would be recommended and suggested locations?
How close should terminal tracks be placed? Every 5 feet or so?
Thoughts on better arrangements for the switching yard or possibly a turntable?
Thoughts on usage of the available area open areas.

Thank you for any assistance,
Mark


----------



## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

two inch track spacing on straights is tight, but will work, in the curve 2 1/2" spacing will give some safety clearance, especially if you want to run longer freight cars or passenger units.. there is some good recommendations on the nmra site .. 
http://nmra.org/sites/default/files/standards/sandrp/pdf/s-8.pdf ...
in your plan, my preference would be to put spur tracks / sidings inside the larger loop, just more room to work with ..


----------



## Mako2 (Oct 16, 2014)

wvgca,

Thank you for the reply and for the link to NMRA standards. I will work on some adjustments to the layout to accommodate the proper spacing between tracks. 

Thinking about idea for the spur tracks / sidings with the inside loop being elevated I can look to move the turn out along the long back straight away running under the elevated track which would give about 6 feet of table length to place the yard in.

Even with the two long main lines I am giving some thought to a passing track probably on the side away from the siding yard.

Hopefully I will be able to get the revisions up some time this week.

Thank you again for your ideas they are all welcomed and appreciated,
Mark


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

To address some of your other questions:
1) Rerailer track pieces are very unrealistic, and unnecessary if your equipment is in good repair and your trackwork is sound. You don't want to rely on rerailers to put your equipment back on the track; you don't want it to come off in the first place. You can buy "railing on" devices for putting your equipment on the tracks. If you must include them, use them as railroad crossings.

2) I solder a jumper from my DCC bus to my rails every 6-8 feet, so that's a good rule of thumb for your terminal tracks.

3) Not to be rude, but you don't have a yard on your layout as you've designed it. You have a collection of stub-ended sidings. To make a yard, some or most of the tracks would have to come back together at the far end, to allow a switcher to escape out the back without shoving an entire train on to the main, where the only way to run around the trainwould be to take a lap.

4) Understanding that this layout is for your grandkids (or for you, using your grandkids as the excuse to do something you've always wanted to do), I would rethink the concept. If you're going to elevate one track, elevate the outside one and use switches to create sidings, where you will locate industries. This will not only fill your empty space, but give your trains something to do rather than run in circles ( which will probably bore you almost immediately, and them sooner than you think).


----------



## Mako2 (Oct 16, 2014)

Here is the revision attempting to make better use of the yard, this makes the longest spur 56". Originally we were planing on an 8' x 11' layout but as drawn it is 8' x 12'.

The green track is raise over the yard and will be level, the blue tracks are the grades to and from the raised section.

I will have to start putting down some track to verify the distances between the tracks. Using the ruler in the program, on the main lines we have 2.28" on the side with the cross over, 2.52" around where the two loops 180 are near each other. In the yard we had 2.00" between the spurs, with a short section of straight track on the turn out it raised the space between the spurs to 2.38". Hopefully the measurements from the program are correct.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,
Mark


----------



## Mako2 (Oct 16, 2014)

CTValleyRR,

Thank you for your reply and the excellent points made. I'm glad to have a chance to exchange ideas before laying the actual track.

Your points one and two are easy ones and will be followed. 

Point number three makes a lot of sense. Is that accomplished by putting switches at the far end of the stub ends?

Point number four is true for both the kids and I, they just gave me the motivation to get going. I like the idea of setting something up such as industries on the open area but not sure how to about it yet, will have to look at some plans for this one. With all the work that will be involved it will be worth the time to get it right rather than make something that will bore all of us quickly. 

Thank you again, your comments were not rude at all. I am truly looking for the suggestions to get it right.

Mark


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Glad I could help. Remember, though, that my recommendations are just that, recommendations, You are free to ignore them. I don't have to live with the resulting layout, you do.

If you would like to see what I'm doing in a similar situation to yours, look at my current layout design and and earlier version of it, in the "Critique my Corner Layout " thread in the Layout Design forum. They are in posts #14 and #17. It may give you some ideas for how to incorporate sidings and industries, as well as how to set up a yard.


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Also, if you don't care too much about realism, you might want to let your grandkids decide which industries to incorporate and pick which models to use (just retain veto power when one of them decides to pick an 8 square foot, $600 model of a steel mill). To an extent, what industries you decide to model will decide your terrain. For instance, a coal mine requires long sidings to load hoppers, and mountainous terrain, whereas a farm would have a smaller siding, or even use a nearby team track, and need some relatively flat space for fields.


----------

