# Please check my layout plan and give advice!



## Nathans_Dad (Dec 5, 2013)

Hello all, my son got a Kato N Scale M1 track pack, a locomotive and a few rolling stock cars for Christmas. We are FINALLY getting around to building the layout. The initial layout will be put back into a dormer in his room. The dormer is 3 feet deep and 4 feet wide. There are two dormers so we eventually plan to make a connector between the two of 10 inches and then expand into the second dormer as well. For now we have built a 47" x 46" table and topped it with a base layer of purple foam insulation from Home Depot. 

This is my first try with XTrackCAD so please be kind! I want to stay with unitrack for now because that's what we have in the starter pack. 

His locomotive is a BNSF so we are modeling a fictional railway in Montana. We want a river in the layout and would like some mountains or cut rock faces. My son is 11 so I would like a loop so he can run continuously if he wants plus some ability for switching. 

So, I came up with the following layout:
Mountains/rock faces up in the corners at the furthest point from the front of the table (would be difficult to access one placed into the dormer so I did not do any switching or other operation here.
A lake in the upper area of the layout for interest with the river coming out of the lake. 
Eventually 5 areas for different industries.
A small town around the lake area.
The Railyard is small and located in the front of the table. The line is set to be easily expanded into the connector line once we decide to expand.

Any ideas or thoughts? Any help is appreciated.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Nice track plan.

Are you going to be able to reach the top tracks
in the event of a derailment?

You really need a passing siding that would make
it possible for a loco 'run around' to get the on the opposite side
of a car. The loco could back a car into the two
lower spur tracks, but it would have to push a car
forward into the top spur track.

Don


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## Nathans_Dad (Dec 5, 2013)

Oh that's a good point. I hadn't thought of that.

I'm not sure where I would have space for a passing siding though. Any ideas?


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

It's kinda tight, buy maybe with CURVED turnouts you could install
a passing siding parallel to the track on the right side. Some flex
track may help make it work since you can cut it to the size needed.

Don


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

Hi, Dad and Nathan,

I'm sure you have done a spot of work on that table. But you asked for thoughts....

No way will you (or Nathan) be able to access that 4' deep layout.

I like the idea of connecting both dormers.

Make the dormer sections L-shape, 30" wide at the back, maybe 20" wide on the side.

30" will allow a 180 turn in the dormer, and you can mirror the L-shape in the other dormer. 

So you can have quite a long continuous run, probably even double-track all the way 'round.

That would be a viable and sustainable design, in my humble opinion.:smilie_daumenpos:

Think about using Unitrack. It's more expensive maybe, but you can really assemble and operate the whole layout without really making a final decision on the track layout. You can even start out with a complete operating loop on the first 48x30 section, then expand from there.

That's it! (my thoughts) Others' opinions may vary! (OOMV?)

Best of luck,
Cid


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

I see you did mention unitrack, this is just a suggestion of the configuration I suggested.

A good excuse to play with the SCARM program, hehe.

Cid


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

This part of the SCARM program is helpful!!


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