# N Scale Shelf - Feedback Wanted



## ajkochevar (Feb 3, 2016)

I want to make a small switching layout L shaped 48x24 inches. Attached is what I have in mind. Modeling after a small coastal town in Oregon on the Great Northern line of the 60s. Any thoughts on the design? Be brutal I want to get it right this time. The only stipulations is the 5 inch turntable and roundhouse are being used from a pervious and cannot be changed. Also only using Atlas code 80 with #4 turnouts.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Looks good with plenty of operating potential. The only thing you might want is a fiddle yard to make up/ break down trains but I don't know where you'd locate it, but you might put it at the back behind a scenic break with warehouse flats in front. Perhaps locate to the left as a continuation of the main line

Shouldn't the lighthouse nearer the water?


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

I would add one thing, a 'run around'. You need that since some of
your spurs need only a back in, while others need the loco to push
in. You need some way to get the switcher 'on the other side' of
the car. it's one factor in what makes switching interesting.

Don


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## ajkochevar (Feb 3, 2016)

Thanks for the feed back. All good points. Unfortunately 4x2 feet is all I got to work with, not sure how I'd be able to work in a fiddle yard. I was thinking the lighthouse would look better in the background which will have some small hills leading up to a forested mountainous background. 

I did think about a runabout in the beginning but it seemed to make the layout too busy to me. I figured I'd solve the push-pull dilemma by using two switchers. How does the attached look though with a runabout? 

If someone would like to try a design I'm open.

Also, I'm using the latest download of Atlas Right Track. How do I freely rotate track pieces in it? cannot seem to find this functionality anymore.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Changes?*



ajkochevar said:


> I want to make a small switching layout L shaped 48x24 inches. Attached is what I have in mind. Modeling after a small coastal town in Oregon on the Great Northern line of the 60s. Any thoughts on the design? Be brutal I want to get it right this time. The only stipulations is the 5 inch turntable and roundhouse are being used from a pervious and cannot be changed. Also only using Atlas code 80 with #4 turnouts.
> 
> 
> View attachment 141930


ajkochevr;

While the layout looks good as is, I will second DonR's suggestion of a runaround track. Without one your switching layout won't be able to do some of that switching. A possible easy location for the run around track would be to extend the team track to join the track in the lower right with one more turnout. This is the first track you would encounter if you extended the team track straight to the right.
Another suggestion would be to move the engine house down to the lower right corner. This would give you longer engine house tracks.
Unless the lighthouse is on a hill, I think Cycleops is right that it might look better closer to the water. If it is high up on a hill, you would actually be following a (mistaken) real world practice. We have two lighthouses here in San Diego. One is the historic Point Loma lighthouse, which was built atop a hill. The second is a modern, automated lighthouse built low to the water. It seems the original light was not very visible from the sea in some weather conditions. The lower light is easier to see. On a tour, the guide said that most west coast lighthouses were built too high. East coast lights were to low; so many ended up being relocated, or replaced. Since your lighthouse is on the west coast, putting it on a hill would be quite plausible.
One more point. You have a possible missed opportunity at the left, where your tracks run out close to the water. You could provide interchange traffic by building a car float ramp there. Cars destined for your industries could arrive by sea, and outgoing cars could be sent out the same way. This lets you use more cars than will fit on your layout, and adds variety, and more switching. This practice was once common in the Pacific Northwest.
I model the west end of the Milwaukee Road, near Seattle. They had car float service to several islands in the Seattle area. So did their competitors.(GN NP and UP)

Good luck with whatever you decide on;

Traction Fan


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Yep, like the new 'run around'. Only one other suggestion, a turnout on
the lead to the turntable would give you an additional industry spur for
your switching. Can't ever have too mant of those,\.

Don


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## Old Dude (Oct 8, 2015)

*Nice!*

That looks really great. I see lots of suggestions for me in your layout....mine will be a mining/desert scene instead of waterfront. If you used a software to draw this would you please tell me which one! The possibilities are endless, especially if you want to make it a beginning module for further expansion. Cheers. Dave


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## ajkochevar (Feb 3, 2016)

Great ideas. Software I'm using is Atlas' Right Track. I'm liking this version. I decided to combine the team track with the freight station as the structure is already built and has a side platform for trucks. It makes sense as freight can go right from boat to truck as well.

I'll probably have more spokes coming off the turntable, but I'm likeing the overall balance this layout has. 

Would a Model Power Gantry Crane kit be overkill for a wharf this size?


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## ajkochevar (Feb 3, 2016)

Ok, I'm digging the car float Idea. How about this?


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## Old Dude (Oct 8, 2015)

*Cool*

The car barge/float adds huge interest to the layout and draws the observer's eyes to another area of possible movement....of course it won't be floating, but moving cars off and on would be cool...tremendous opportunity for scratch building ...for example, a little crew house on the barge itself, maybe a couple crew members..a lite for nite ops. 

I found the software, by the way, and have been into it the last half hour. I like it. Gotta go to work.

Dave


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Like the improvements*



ajkochevar said:


> Ok, I'm digging the car float Idea. How about this?
> 
> View attachment 142466


ajkochevar;

Good work! Each time you re-draw the layout, it looks better!
I'm not familiar with the Model Power gantry crane, but I can tell you one place on the latest plan where you will need a gantry. Car floats, especially those that traveled in salt water, had to contend with tidal changes. High tide could raise the car float's deck several feet above low tide. Since railroad cars are not particularly adept at climbing stairs the float terminal had a connecting bridge that was hinged at the land end, floated at the water end, and often had a gantry type structure above the water end. The hoist cables on either side of the bridge were used to raise or lower the water end. Having this capability helped make any adjustments needed to "fine tune" the tide flotation to get the rails of the bridge and float lined up accurately. The crane system also helped even things out when the weight of loaded cars, or especially locomotives, caused the car float to sink a bit lower in the water.
So you have a perfectly plausible location for a type of gantry on you railroad. Weather or not, Model Power's gantry crane can be adapted to this use, I leave to you.

Traction Fan


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## ajkochevar (Feb 3, 2016)

Thanks for all the comments. I started test laying track down this weekend and unfortunately things didn't quite work out with my designs. Most of my structures are already built and have a much larger footprint than I though. I basically had to redesign the layout. No more mainline run through. Its an end of the line layout now. I am able to extend the turntable area a few more inches which help the layout design. 

The problem I have now is how feasible is it to have a sawmill and gravel quarry this close to a waterfront. Again, going for a Great Northern, Portland, OR feel layout.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I think you may need to increase the footprint of that lighthouse too!


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Sawmill & quarry*



ajkochevar said:


> Thanks for all the comments. I started test laying track down this weekend and unfortunately things didn't quite work out with my designs. Most of my structures are already built and have a much larger footprint than I though. I basically had to redesign the layout. No more mainline run through. Its an end of the line layout now. I am able to extend the turntable area a few more inches which help the layout design.
> 
> The problem I have now is how feasible is it to have a sawmill and gravel quarry this close to a waterfront. Again, going for a Great Northern, Portland, OR feel layout.
> 
> View attachment 144234


 ajkochevar;

Sawmills near water were common. More often rivers than oceans, but either would be quite reasonable. I model the Seattle area, and have many reference books about rail operations there. Tug boats, pulling rafts of logs,linked by chains, were once common. They could deliver the logs, by water, directly to the sawmill. Finished lumber could be shipped out by rail.
I don't know a lot about gravel quarry locations, except that there are a lot of them, and seem to be built wherever they are needed. There is one within a few miles of my house
built in what is basically an urban area. I don't think having one in your sea side village is too far fetched. If you want it, go ahead. There are also sand and gravel dealers,which are not near an actual quarry. That would be a smaller footprint structure.
Another possible(and very plausible) industry for you would be a cannery. They would normally be right on the sea, and receive the catch of commercial fishing boats. So if you are uncomfortable with the quarry, how about a cannery instead? 

Traction Fan


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