I have just finished the trackplan of my first H0 Santa Fe layout.
The layout will be built in a small room in the basement with a later extension into a 2nd room.
The trackplan:
(http://abload.de/img/ok5yardwbjpj.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=ok5yardwbjpj.jpg)
Can you easily reach all parts of the layout?
Quote from: Hunt on March 08, 2015, 02:35:36 PM
Can you easily reach all parts of the layout?
Yes, I can reach all the parts of the layout, the picture does not show the whole room - above the "sceniced fiddle yard" there is room left that cannot be used for the layout.
Thomas
What era are you modeling? Will you need to turn around any engines or rolling stock? If so, how?
I see no wye tracks or turntables.
Quote from: Pacific Northern on March 08, 2015, 06:09:05 PM
What era are you modeling? Will you need to turn around any engines or rolling stock? If so, how?
I see no wye tracks or turntables.
I am modelling the steam to transition era. At first I will run diesel locos only road switcher and F7 A-A consists will not need wye or turntable. Funds permitting I plan to buy a turntable and a E-Z Command ® DCC Automatic Reverse Loop Module. It is possible to build the wye left under the yard and add a turntable in place of the 90° crossing. A small turntable will do the job because of the 19 1/4" minimum radius I will only use a consolidation and a mogul.
You could convert those two tracks, that diverge left and right by the depot, at the left hand end, into a wye quite easily by using two right hand switches. That would do away with the need for a turntable and save yourself a few pennies into the bargain.
It's a logical and prototypical location for a wye and gives you yet another route from two track staging yard to your scenicked fiddle yard.
Cheers
Roger T.
Thank you Roger, I have checked it, seems to fit.
Thomas
Putting that wye there as Roger suggests is a really good idea. It will allow for "out and back" running into the staging yard as well as to the L extension without having to make a reverse move at the runaround on the oval.
Dear All,
Just thinking about the best location for the Insulating Rail Connectors (both rails) and DCC auto-reverser input and output for the added wye.
How about IRCs on the main and divergent routes of the (presently not shown) southern most turnout of the wye?
DCC controller output (also DCC auto-reverser input) connected to the south of that turnout,
DCC auto-reverser output connected to the north of that turnout (powering the loop).
Other thoughts, please?
Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Joe Satnik
Thank you all for your input, much appreciated!
I tried an improved trackplan:
(http://abload.de/img/wye2ljshk.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=wye2ljshk.jpg)
I like the improvements.
Cheers
Roger T.
Simple changes, major operational improvements.
Now you can do end-to-end, out-and-back, and 'round the loop' when you just want to watch them run.
Len
Today I got my Santa Fe Warbonnet F7 ready for the road.
I have 3 of them, all sound value: 2 A units and 1 B unit.
For the time being I run it as A-B-A set but my planned layout really is too small for it. When funds permit I will buy another A unit and run two sets, one as A-A and the other one as A-B.
The speed of the 3 units was a perfect match and all three run smooth and silent (when sound is off) - great quality from Bachmann!
Here are the CV values that I choose:
CV2=0
CV3=16
CV4=12
CV5=80
CV6=40
CV25=0
CV29=6 for A and B and CV29=7 for the 2nd A unit
CV128=60
CV131=110
Now I am looking forward for my trainset to arrive with the sound value F7 in the Santa Fe blue freight scheme. It is a pity that this loco is not available as single loco as I would buy a 2nd one but do not wish to buy a 2nd trainset - Bachmann what about it?
Thomas
I wanted some buildings that looked "Santa Fe" and searched the web. Found some that I liked and ordered them. Buildings arrived last friday but I will not start building until some trackwork is done.
(http://abload.de/img/sam_0017_800_1lkbzm.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=sam_0017_800_1lkbzm.jpg)
(http://abload.de/img/sam_0018_800_2h5yl7.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=sam_0018_800_2h5yl7.jpg)
What do you think - will these look the part on a Santa Fe layout?
Thomas
They should both be right at home, condidering they are both based on Santa Fe prototypes from the 1930's.
Len
The depot is about what we have in Okhoma and eastern Kansas. How ever the far end was baggage and on this end is an open air waiting room. Most of them are red brick because we had some many brick plants along the lines. The freight house I think is really a REA and not a freight house.
Quote from: RAM on March 15, 2015, 11:02:23 PM
The depot is about what we have in Okhoma and eastern Kansas. How ever the far end was baggage and on this end is an open air waiting room. Most of them are red brick because we had some many brick plants along the lines. The freight house I think is really a REA and not a freight house.
So I could add a REA wagon to my passenger train.
Just found that Walhters has a new Santa Fe depot that I think is red brick and I am considering this as my 2nd depot - but if it is from a different region will it look right on the layout?
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-4055 (https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-4055)
Both of those buildings are based on Santa Fe prototypes built in the 1930's, several of which are still around. The color brick used was strictly a funchtion of what was available in the area, there wasn't a specified standard.
The depot was used in areas with enough population to support regular passenger service, the freight house in places with a significant amount of freight traffic, but not that much demand for passenger service.
Len
A little more information on the Station building. The adobe style was used in the Southwest. I believe the building prototype is in Portales New Mexico. There is a very similar station still standing in Las Cruces New Mexico. The roof outline on the ticket booth is slightly different though. I believe the brick structures were used in the mid west.
Boys!
Don't make me stop this board!
the Bach-man
Thank you all for your valuable information.
Now to bring this thread out of the deep water and back to more board related matters:
Have you ever fancied to run one of this nice hot shot intermodal trains but found your layout to small?
In the MBI 1997 Railroad Color History book "Santa Fe Railway" I found some inspiration to order some more rolling stock.
A picture on page 60 shows a train from the early days of the intermodal Super C service, this train has a really layout friendly train lenght: A Santa Fe warbonnet F7A+F7B lashup, a SINGLE flatcar with trailer and a caboose. I intend to run a similar train on my layout and will give it priority over all other trains - that should prevent the local crews from getting lazy!
My version of this train:
1x Santa Fe (Red & Silver) - F7A - DCC Sound Value item 64301
1x Santa Fe (Red & Silver) - F7B - DCC Sound Value item 64401
2x Santa Fe 52ft flat car w/ Navajo Freight Lines 35ft Trailer item 16701 (I like the Navajo trailer!)
1x Santa Fe - 36' Wide-Vision Caboose item 17702
To have some variety I ordered:
Santa Fe - Red Truck Cab & 2 Piggyback Trailers item 42232
Santa Fe - 52' Flat Car item 17302
Of course this is not for the prototype conscious but for me it will do the job to run a hot freight train if not in fact so in spirit.
Thomas
Sorry Mr. B, I didn't think it looked like a restroom either.
The Thunder Chief trainset has arrived in time for the easter holidays and the F7 really looks nice in blue yellow. And the loco was the main reason to buy the trainset (the EZ command controller the other one).
(http://abload.de/img/sam_1336_800_20fr58.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=sam_1336_800_20fr58.jpg)
But what to do if you have a nice blue Santa Fe diesel that is only available in a trainset and your son likes the colour and wants another one? Repaint one? Me? You are kidding?
Fortunately my long years in armchairmodelling have trained me enough to give me confidence in trying the most difficult of operations: open 4 screws, remove SP F7 body, put SF FT body (from Bachmann spares) on chassis, fasten 4 screws.
(http://abload.de/img/sam_1330_800_2xupfv.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=sam_1330_800_2xupfv.jpg)
(http://abload.de/img/sam_1331_800_22wot2.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=sam_1331_800_22wot2.jpg)
(http://abload.de/img/sam_1332_800_2qro4y.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=sam_1332_800_2qro4y.jpg)
(http://abload.de/img/sam_1337_800_2x7pnx.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=sam_1337_800_2x7pnx.jpg)
Now we have a nice sound value Santa Fe FT - and it is already speed matched to the F7s we have ;-)
Thomas
Had another try on the track plan, still undicided.....
(http://abload.de/img/economy_verybest_text6qusk.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=economy_verybest_text6qusk.jpg)
Quote from: austrian on April 06, 2015, 08:06:32 AM
Had another try on the track plan, still undicided.....
(http://abload.de/img/economy_verybest_text6qusk.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=economy_verybest_text6qusk.jpg)
Do you have any plans to turn the loco around? I do not see any place to reverse the direction.
Quote from: Jerrys HO on April 06, 2015, 08:41:55 AM
Do you have any plans to turn the loco around? I do not see any place to reverse the direction.
I am not sure that turning is necessary for RS-2 and GP 7/9 and will use F7/FT in A-A configuration. Turntable would be nice but the price.......
Just making sure you did not have a need for one. Maybe a wye by the yard if you have the room and desire one at some point.
austrian:
I like your track plan. But you know what? Every time I look at it in my mind I want to see an easily removable bridge with track on it in the upper right hand area - that would make for a LARGE loop if you want to sit back and enjoy a slow freight train meandering around the entire layout.
My 2 cents.
K487
Quote from: K487 on April 06, 2015, 09:31:08 AM
austrian:
I like your track plan. But you know what? Every time I look at it in my mind I want to see an easily removable bridge with track on it in the upper right hand area - that would make for a LARGE loop if you want to sit back and enjoy a slow freight train meandering around the entire layout.
My 2 cents.
K487
Look again unless I am missing something but adding a bridge would not create a loop around the layout.
Well, of course your are correct. I think I had it in my mind that the wye would be in there too, but austrian removed it. I guess I'm blind in one eye and can't see out of the other!
K487
I think I could restore the wye but the bridge would create a duck-under that I do not want as I want to move along the boards.
Maybe this picture makes it clear:
(http://abload.de/img/total_upjmu90.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=total_upjmu90.jpg)
I think I like this one best:
(http://abload.de/img/experimentcu2sg6.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=experimentcu2sg6.jpg)
The yard on the right side is the staging yard.
If you notice, you still have a wye only it's now more convoluted?
Have you carefully thought out train movements and will they be practical?
Interesting looking track plans don't always translate into interesting plans to run trains on, they can turn out to be frustrating.
Cheers
Roger T.
If you have room, I would add two turnouts so you could come out of the yard and into one of your staging.