# Track Plan



## rntfrmme (May 23, 2013)

I've been lurking here for awhile now gathering information and certainly have gathered a lot of good information from the many posts. Thank you everyone, many questions were answered just by reading old posts. I'm in Southern Nevada, about 110 degrees outside as we speak. 

Attached is my track plan. It will be a free lance modern railroad using modern day equipment

A few notes before I ask for comments: 

1. Ruling grade is 1 per cent or less for all mainlines. Steeper grades may be encountered on reverse loops.
2. Mainline curves are a minimum 16 feet in diameter with most 18' up to 20' or more.
3. Dual mainlines for multiple train running
4. Aluminum code 250 flex track, easements into curves, and battery operation.
5. All mainline switches will have the through leg on the straight side (not obvious from my drawing).
6. Mainline is just under 300' for each loop.
7. Sidings inside the loops will be local business that are rail served. 
8. Overall size is about 100 feet long 24 feet deep with the side leg about 40 feet by 23 feet. 
9. This will be a raised bed planter raised between 16" and 20 inches depending on terrain in the back yard.
10. Arrows point uphill.
11. Terrain will have some rolling hills with cuts and fills to provide some visual relief.
12. A water feature is planned where the two legs meet to provide a reason for some bridges.

Comments are appreciated and pictures will be posted as construction progresses. First try at this, I hope the attachment comes through. 

Bill


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Hi Welcome aboard.
It looks like a fun plan.
John


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Bill,
Thanks for posting, looks like an awesome start!

So many great things about your plan -- generous curves, low gradient, dual mainline loops, etc. 

I did a quick calc though on your over/under point, and you may need to revisit. Assuming 12" track separation min, and assuming your central yard (the 'vertical' one) to be level, and assuming you stay level from that yard until the lower reversing loop switch exit, you only have what seems to me 40' to rise that 12". That's about 2.5% grade. That might be OK, but you did mention 1% ML grade or less. So, you may want to bag the lower reversing loop and give this gradient that much more elbow room. The upper loop appears to me to have a similar challenge in having enough length to make the grade, at 1%. 

Since rev loops are sometimes a PITA (though you're on battery, which vastly simplifies things), I'd recommend that you really make sure that you need them. And if you don't, for those interesting scenes in the middle of both loops, perhaps just let your sidings connect to one side of the loop, but not the other. 

Regardless, please keep posting, and best wishes for your endeavor!

===>Cliffy


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

It looks like he has enough room to get 1% by accepting the track in the reverse loop exceed that. Looks like it would be easy to make those longer, too, especially if they are also tighter than the mainline radius.

Welcome, Bill. Look forward to seeing your progress!

Matthew


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Simply put..
it's the process of maturing a line...

Set parameters
Set goals.
Try..
..ok..try again..
Fudge a bit...see what happens
How will you give and take for this to work....
Understanding ...and just enjoying the process itself...as it changes..
Watching for things to fall in place..come together now..
Making some unexpected adjustments...
Elimination of issues..one at a time..and creating two more...do you move forwards..or back up .then turn left..
A game ..a train game..of chess. .

Don't miss what happens!!

Welcome to MLS..keep learning & asking questions ..
Take your time...

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

That is a great plan. One can never have too many sidings. You may find once you start laying track things will change. Just work it out. It will be fun. Glad to have you with us. 

JJ


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## rntfrmme (May 23, 2013)

Thanks for all the encouragement. Suggestions are good, I can't think of everything, this plan was six months in the design phase. I wanted a plan with ample switching possibilities and also the option to just let them run. I didn't want a cluttered plan with track everywhere but depending on my mood there is ample space to add track later.

Cliffy, Its difficult to judge the scale from my drawing.  At the top of the track plan it is 110 feet from the lower track around to the upper track. At the bottom it is about 180 feet. I actually took the time to draw it out on sheets of 11X17 graph paper with a 1"=1 foot scale. Lots of sheets, it covered my 8 foot pool table, lol It gives me a 1 percent grade with a generous level area at the top and bottom tracks where they cross. My plan is for 12" separation from top of track to top of track at the crossover and 8" center to center for the mainlines. 

The reversing loops were drawn so regardless of direction I can cross it going downhill. If I remember correctly those are in the area of 2.5 percent so short trains will be able to climb them. 

Keep the suggestions coming. 

Bill


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## Pete Chimney (Jan 12, 2008)

I like this track plan, it has a lot of intersting features and can easily accomodate several trains running at once. A few questions:
1. What is the separation between track centers in the curved sections?
2. What is the length of the longer or longest cars you intend to run?
3. Can two of these longer cars pass on the curved sections, without hitting each other by overhang and sideswipe?


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## rntfrmme (May 23, 2013)

Pete,

Good point to bring up clearances. I have been planning on 8" center to center for the curves. This has not been finalized yet. I plan on buying some rolling stock and experimenting with flex track to see what I need, what looks good and most importantly what works. With the length of USA trains bi level auto carriers and also the intermodal units I want to be sure they will work before laying track. I may go to 9 inch center to center depending on what I find. With the broad curves I'm thinking it will work but until I test, it is just conjecture. Fortunately I have large enough curves planned that a 4 inch reduction in diameter should not be an issue if it is needed for clearance between main lines.

Bill


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks for clarifying Bill. I was misunderstanding the "10' " as a scale for the layout, and eyeballing from that. My layout is very cramped, and my over-and-under's have required countless calcs, and sometimes uncomfortable compromises. So that's where my concern was stemming from.

But clearly you've done a lot of homework, and many kudos for that! I agree with what others have said that your design offers a lot of neat operational scenarios and scenic opportunities. 

Keep us posted,
===>Cliffy


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

Running outdoors, I would add clearance. Track will shift laterally. It will also tilt, which is particularly magnified with tall equipment.


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## Tom Parkins (Jan 2, 2008)

You might consider getting a few hundred feet of rope and laying it out to get a feel for it. That will give you some visual concept. Just don't over think it. Get out and get started. Post some pictures.


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## fyrekop (Sep 20, 2011)

Nice plan and good advice from so many that have gone down these paths before. One thing I did when I was trying to get a feel for the layout was use 3/4 inch PVC pipe. Bends into 4'R curves easily and can be used to run wires, etc once you start building.


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## rntfrmme (May 23, 2013)

*back yard*

Attached are some pictures of the back yard before I started. You can see that there will be a lot of fill dirt needed to bring it up to the 16 inches or so. My rough estimation is it will take about 150 yards to bring the level up. I have little wooden stakes outlining where track will go and also the perimeter of the raised planter bed. Lots of work in planning that will hopefully pay off. The stakes look like a jumble in the pics, but there really is some sort of organization to it. Next week i'll post more pictures.


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## rntfrmme (May 23, 2013)

After laying out the track plan on the dirt with wooden stakes the next project was to raise the block wall. I raised the wall an average of three block on two sides for privacy reasons. A week long project back in February. Much better and a wise choice. As I move in the fill dirt the wall on my side is still about 5 feet high from the approximate finished grade.

Progress always seems slow but it is being made on a regular basis. Hmmmm, now my gate looks funny next to a wall raised 4 block. 

When will we ever see trains running......;-)

Bill


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Bill....its OK to supplement the "construction mode" by running trains around in your head!!

Besides..you may derail and solve a problem....

If your neighbors hear train sounds in your yard...
I wouldn't worry too much...ha

Keep going it all adds up....I'm just in after an hour 45 , of hot humid morning....a big drip now...dry stacked block for a small scenery block...again..more progress...just difficult in this season!!

Dirk


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## rntfrmme (May 23, 2013)

*update*

After raising the block wall the gate looked kind of odd. The next project was to raise the gate. I added some metal to the top and put new screening on. If you stand back far enough the welds look pretty good. LOL That was a two week project and lots of krylon. With the wall and gate done, its' dirt moving time. More next week.


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