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Venango & Erie update - trackplan critique requested

Folks:

I have put down some track, and operations have started.

Plan:

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The railroad is quite fun to run. I have been moving around a few V & E "company" boxcars and a flat, presumably to supply the ongoing construction at Wattsburg and Johnson Furnace, and delivering cars to my single revenue customer. Empties go to the "dock" at Shaw's Landing, where they are presumably loaded from barges.

Scenery is bare plywood. Structures are chunks of 2x4. Track is mostly NS snap track, with some brass and Tyco steel here and there, because it was on hand. Switches are brass Snap-Switches, see above. Track isn't nailed down yet, either. I'm going to work out the track plan, then replace the crufty stuff from my stockpile of NS flex and Custom-Line switches -- but if the thing keeps running scary-well, maybe I won't. MRIF.

The track plan is basic, but proves to be fun to operate. The JF spurs are quite vital; without them, the plan seemed hokey, with "no reason" to round the loop. Routing is W -> SL -> JF, considered point-to-point, running a few laps between each to lengthen the run a little.

Any suggestions? What's my next step?

Cordially yours: Gerard P. President, the Venango & Erie.

Reply to
pawlowsk002
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Sounds like you've got a good plan so go to it McDuff!

Reply to
Big Rich Soprano

Looks like a simple design that should give lots of operational fun. No idea of how you intend to scenik, if any, but you might consider switching the SL spur with the V&E office spur. That should not meaningfully alter operational routing but would give ample room for a wharf water scene for the barge loading/offloading.

Reply to
Whodunnit

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Congratulations, Gerard! It appears that you are well on your way now. Keep us updated as your railroad progresses.

Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad:

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Reply to
Bill

Looks good to me. Your main line loop has some curves to it so it doesn't run arrow straight down the sides of the table. That's a goodness to my eye, it takes the eye away from the table edge and toward the layout. The layout has the essentials, a main line so you can enjoy watching the trains run, and spur tracks to allow a peddler freight to chug around picking up and setting out cars.

Suggestions:

  1. Make the spurs a long as you can to hold more cars, and give the engine more track to run upon when servicing your line side industry.
  2. Think about working in a deep river gorge (river runs off the edge of the layout) which can be spanned by a dramatic bridge. Bridges are fun to build and the trains look well and photograph well up in the air. The river gorge can be added later by saber sawing out a portion of the plywood table.
  3. Think about a passing siding on your main line. If long enough, you could have two trains on the layout, one running, and the other in the hole, waiting for the express to clear the main.
  4. Think about a grade crossing, with serious protection, flashing cross bucks and gates with flashing lights on them.

David Starr

Reply to
David Starr

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