My trackplan, comments welcome.

Each square is 1' and BTW, the yard is going to be at least a foot and 1/2 longer than shown. This will also open up some space around the icing deck and roundhouse.
The empty area to the right will have at least one industry, but I don't know what I'll have yet.

The town of Kampton is actuallly 2' longer than shown. The extra space is used for a Rock Island interchange (not shown on plan)

 

Hello Dingoix,

it looks like yard and industrial switching is high on your priority list?
If that is the case I would suggest to relocated the yard to the front edge of the layout. It is just more painful to couple and uncouple at the back of the layout (and fully "hands off" somehow never works for me...)

Consider making the yard a stub-end yard: It would allow for much longer tracks. Double-ended is excellent for very high-volume yards where two switch engines need to work at the same time, but ti would appear to me that the rest of the layout will not generate that amount of traffic.

Also try to include some hidden staging, either behind a low backdrop or a hill. You could have one or two freight trains parked their, bring them into the yard, switch out the cars for the industry, add pickups and let in run a few circles before it disappears again.

I am not too good in electronic trackplans, but I have copy - pasted your original plan to illustrate my comments.

Cheers
Dirk

 

The only side of this layout that can be against a wall is the bottom. The top and right sections need access from both sides.

 

.. and that's exactly how it is. The yard operator (s) stand on the "top" side (which is why the yard is on that side) and the mainline is run from inside the U.

I'll be operating by myself, with room for another operator.

Train lengths will range from the local (about 12 cars) to long thru trains of 40 or more cars (just for fun, then I'd put the cars back in the yard and continue with "realistic" operation)

There aren't really any passing sidings, altho a train could back into Kampton and let another pass. The yard lead / arrival / departue / yard lead track could serve as a passing siding in a pinch.

Dirk, I was planning to have a combo of stub and double ended tracks but to have room for the various facilities (oelwein had HUGE shop facilities and I want to give that impression) I don't have the room for more tracks. However, track nevers fits the way it does on the plan- maybe I'll be able to add a pair of stub tracks. Right now I have the left ladder and the first few feet of each track built and there are a lot of times when I wish they were double-ened. for example. My IHC 2-6-0 and 4-6-2 both have dummy front couplers (not easily changed either) and if I'm runing trains "just for fun" and want to pick up a car without firing up the switcher, this would be the easiest way.

It was planned to have staging behind Kampton (eventually move the layout away from that wall) but I'll consider what you suggested. That's something I know I can easily construct later.

 

I forgot to mention, I run DC, and will eventually have cab control so you could walk with the local to switch the town between Oelwein and Kampton (empty space on the plan). Then move back the the "operators pit" and switch Kampton.

 

First glance impressions...

-The three shortest tracks in the yard are so short as to be useless. Remove them.

-The mainline is just a basic oval. You could do with some passing sidings. (I would be tempted to double track the main)

-Kampton could really use a run around track for switching, otherwise you foul the main when you need to put the engine on the other side of the train.

Suggestion that is not written in stone:
In a previous comment you mention the IHC 260 and 462. Something like the Life Like 060 or 080 is much more appropriate for switching and it comes with functional couplers on both ends. You may want to take a look at that. John Grant has some threads about his switching layout that features a number of these switchers, you could look at his layout threads for images.

I will be curious to see how this layout turns out, as I always enjoy a layout that runs steam.

What plans do you have for scenery?

 

Even assuming those are all 40' cars, that train's going to be a quite a bit longer than the layout. I understand your quest for long trains, though... it wouldn't be CGW without them.

 

Geek, the shortest track will be about 3', altho is doesnt show that on RTS (several thing changed when tracklaying started). As fas as passing sidings, I could possibly have a few but with these long trains it wouldn't make much sense. Also, that's only gonna complicate wiring.

um... about that steam. See, I model CGW in '68, and all of their steamers were gone by 1950. But in my world they resurected a Pacific and later a Mogul. And maybe someday, a 2-8-0, 2-8-2, or 0-8-0 My Steamers are "just for fun", altho the 2-6-0 may run the local frieght on occasion and maybe work the yard. For yard switching, I'm getting a CGW Atlas S1 as soon as they come out (pre-ordered at LHS) and the 2-6-0 could fill in for the time if it's needed. I'm gonna get a BLI CGW NW2 eventually.

Scenery... the layout is flat, as I model Iowa. Prolly some corn fields on the open area on the bottom right, grass and such everywhere else, nothing fancy. It's iowa.. all there is is Corn and Prarie, lol.

Triplex, you understand. Long trains are what CGW was known for. The longest was 276 cars with 12 F units all on the head end. And their A units didn't have MU on the front so they had to run matched sets (ABBBBA, for example)

 

Here's pics of the layout so far-

future location of the shops


This is the open area on the plan. On the left side is going to be an industry or 2 (most likely 1, to have room for scenery) it'll be something simple, like a fuel deal or grain elevator.


The town of Kampton is already developing- they now have a grain elevator.


left (as on the plan) yard ladder