HELP!

[NW Modeling List]

Ed, et all,
 
    Area in question is straight double track mainline  against the long 
room wall with a four track double-ended yard immediately next  to it and 
parallel.  Number 6 switch ladders at each end.  The engine  servicing area and 
turntable access is off the end of the switch  ladder, farthest away from 
the mainline and nearest to the aisle.   After a left exit from the mainline, 
there are seven switches in a straight line  set heel to toe to the 
turntable access.  Looking from the aisle, a viewer  sees first the engine servicing 
area with turntable, then the yard  tracks, the mainline tracks and the 
wall.  All access to the engine  service area requires transit of all but one 
of those switches.
 
I would not try to change the elevation of the yard relative to the  
mainline because: 
 
A.   Switches that are not level is asking for trouble.  If  all three 
tracks going into a switch are not in the same plane then the switch  will have 
a three dimensional aspect and at least one track will have  a twist or a 
tilt.  You might get away with it on some little used mountain  switchback, 
but not on your vital engine terminal access.  With regard to  being level, an 
entire yard, switches and all could be on an incline as long as  everything 
was in the same plane.  That would not work in this case because  the flat 
straight mainline has set the plane as level.
 
B.   There is no straight track to do an elevation change.   Typically, 
after departing a mainline, the track has a length of  straight track in which 
to do an elevation change before encountering  additional switchwork;  a 
level mainline switch, a length of grade with  elevation easements and then 
another level switch.  There is no room  for that in this design without 
compromising the length of the yard (not long  enough as it is) or deleting the 
first one or two yard tracks next to  the mainline (severe loss of yard 
capacity).  If you did delete the first  yard track, a row of trees would hide the 
absence of elevation detail.
 
C.   Humps and Bumps on the way to the engine service area.   It's a 
critical route.  You'll want to take extra care aligning and  tuning all those 
switches.  Adding a vertical component to the trackwork to  challenge your long 
A's and Y's is not something I would do.
 
Experiment. In spite of everything I've said, lay out the switches and the  
yard tracks with some sort of temporary grade and run some equipment (big 
and  long).  See what happens.  You might get lucky.  I don't think  so.  But 
you might.
 
I would raise the yard to the mainline level.  Plan B, lower the  mainline 
to the yard level.
 
Bob Lang
Layouts That Fit
Custom Model Railroads
 
 
 
In a message dated 4/26/2010 12:20:32 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
nwsvitil at hotmail.com writes:

I have a  dilemma.  My mainline is homabed roadbed on top of homosote over  
plywood.  I would "like" to have the yard/loco service area completely  
flat on the homosote.  My problem is that I'm worried about how to handle  the 
incline from the mainline to the yard.

Any thoughts?  Is  it asking for trouble to transition from the mainline to 
the yard in the space  of about 1-2 #6 switches?  Can I expect trouble from 
the switches  operationally?  

How would you do  it?

Thanks!

PS - Bob, you know what area I'm talking  about.  What do you think?  And 
so far your design is working out  great!  Looking forward to getting some 
equipment  moving.....

Ed  Svitil



 
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