Tried anyrail

[Brooklynzoo]

Hey guys I have played with anyrail,and I just don't have the time to really put a track plan together due to long working hours. Can any help me with a 4x8 track plan ? I wold like to to have 3 ovals. Thanks in advance

[Doneldon]

zoo-

You're not giving us much to do on. And if you don't have time to work out a track plan I wonder if you'll have time to build one. Nevertheless, I'll try to help.

The best think I can suggest is for you to go to the Model Railroader website and look at the track plans they have in their files. You can also google HO track plans and you'll find many more possibilities. You won't, I'm afraid, find any 4x8s with three ovals. If you want that, read on.

By three ovals on a 4x8 I'm assuming you mean three concentric ovals. You can only do that with sectional track if your innermost oval uses 15" radius curves. That's not a good idea as it's impossible to run anything other than very short locomotives and rolling stock on curves that sharp. Or, you can make an outer loop with flex track as wide as possible (a scant 23" radius) and then make your inner curves with flex track as close to one another as you can, while allowing for clearance on curves. That won't be easy and you'll end up with what will likely be a very unsatisfying layout unless all you want to do is have trains chase themselves around the loops.

If you don't find a suitable plan on line and the three ovals don't sound interesting, please give us some more information such as the kind of equipment you like to run, the time in which you want to set your layout, the kinds of industries you would like to model, whether you want a layout to watch or a layout to operate and whether you think you'll want to enlarge your layout someday.
                                                                                                                                                                                 -- D

[Hunt]

Consider


By B. Binkley

Located in Trainplayer.com

[RAM]

I think you will find that running train around, and around, and around will soon get old.

[Brooklynzoo]

Doneldon sorry for the lame post.... I am running bachman ez track. As for now I just wanted to have some type of track with some activity,and hunt's suggestion of a track is just what I would like to start with. I know sometime I can get type shy.... So once again I'm sorry for not giving you guys more info on what I was looking to do(very dumb on my part) . It's cool to see thou with limited info that you guys were able to give some very good suggestions. I will make sure from this point on to go into detail with my questions... Thanks again for all you guys help.

[rogertra]

I think you will find that running train around, and around, and around will soon get old.

I'll second that.  Building a model railroad that doesn't have a purpose soon gets old as well.

Cheers.

Roger.

[Doneldon]

Doneldon sorry for the lame post.... I am running bachman ez track. As for now I just wanted to have some type of track with some activity,and hunt's suggestion of a track is just what I would like to start with. I know sometime I can get type shy.... So once again I'm sorry for not giving you guys more info on what I was looking to do(very dumb on my part) . It's cool to see thou with limited info that you guys were able to give some very good suggestions. I will make sure from this point on to go into detail with my questions... Thanks again for all you guys help.

zoo-

No problem. I'm glad that Hunt was able to post something which will work for you.

                                                                                                                   -- D

[Joe Satnik]

Dear All,

Just a bit of caution, the layout shown above uses flex track and cork roadbed in 3 spots, bent in very sharp curves.  E-Z Track does not flex. 

They must mean to park a handcar on the straight route immediately terminated by a bumper off the lower right corner turnout. 

A loco approaching on the curve better not have too much overhang...     

Here is a copy of a previous post, which also requires a competitor's sectional track plus cork or flex track plus cork in spots:



All 3 circles can be expanded into ovals using straights. 

Keywords: John Armstrong, concentric, triple, circle, 2.25" spacing, cork, flex

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[Hunt]

Brooklynzoo,
More ....
The layout I gave for your consideration is for concept and to make a point about layouts (track plans).  My Point, which Joe Satnik has already touched on, is some track plans not designed for E-Z Track will have to be modified if using only E-Z Track because of E-Z Track geometry and available pieces. Modification to use just E-Z Track can include cutting some pieces for fit and space required (i.e. what you like may not fit in 4 x 8 ).
 
Due to work demand for your time, for now, you may like the fun of a small switching layout.  Click Here for some plans and how to use them. Obviously,  you don't have to build yours as small as these.

[Doneldon]

Just a bit of caution, the layout shown above uses flex track and cork roadbed in 3 spots, bent in very sharp curves.  E-Z Track does not flex.
They must mean to park a handcar on the straight route immediately terminated by a bumper off the lower right corner turnout.

Joe-

I think the, shall we say "short" spur at the lower, right corner is intended as a possible future spot to connect with additional layout space.

Like you, I'm concerned about the tight curves. I make the innermost loop no more than 15" radius and that lower right corner curve at something which would be difficult for an automobile to make in a single move. But I think the concept behind the layout is a good one. It would do better on 5x9 with relaxed curves.
                                                                                                                                                                                -- D

[Morgun 30]

Not 3 mains, but here are some anyrail lay-outs I've drawn up

[Morgun 30]

Rough Anyrail copy of the plan listed by Hunt using a 15" and 18" R turns


Using 18"R turns and some added features. Table is approx. 4' 3" wide.

[Joe Satnik]

Dear All,

Looking at Morgun's last shown layout, I noticed a few things.

First, he's getting pretty good at this. 

Second, with a few added inches to the width (3 or 4 in this case), a lot of extra things can be added to the design. 

Third, if you just moved both switches of the lowest crossover one 9" straight to the right,

the 3" straight between opposing "S" curves would increase to 12", and the length

of the bottom siding would increase by 9".  (No change in parts list.)

Fourth, there are numerous places on this layout design to "run-around" a cut of cars,

so you could add a "facing point" spur for increased challenges in operations. 

(Present design, train going CCW always has "trailing point" spurs, which are not as challenging.)

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik   

[Doneldon]

Morg-

I'm looking at the last track plan from your Tuesday (3/4) post and the bottom track plan in today's (3/7) post. I'll comment on the older one first.

You have two "structures" inside of your loops. The lower, larger one can easily be made into a workable single-ended yard or you can work with the arrangement to make it a bit more friendly for industries if you remove one spur. In either case, you can make those three or four tracks longer which would be especially helpful if you arrange them as a yard. Regardless of what you do "down low," you can add an interesting wrinkle to the upper structure by putting a switchback on the innermost spur. You could have some great operational possibilities with changes like these.

Today's post shows quite a bit of space outside of your mains along the bottom edge of the layout surface. I would encourage you to use that space in one of two ways. Ideally, you can use the area to ease your curves. I don't know whether you can go all of the way to 22" radius on the inside, with even more gentle curves on the outside main, but you can sure do better than 18". You might need flex track to do it but that's no reason to avoid the change. Second, you can keep your mains as they are and use the bottom edge space to construct a yard and an access point for staging. Such staging could be a car float or just "cassettes" which you manually move to and from the layout. Last, you can still put some industrial tracks inside of the loops to enhance operations. And don't neglect the opportunity to put an industry in a corner or two. There's quite a bit of space in those corners and the broader your curves, the greater the amount of space out there.
                                                                                                                                                                                -- D

[Morgun 30]

Don, The lay-outs aren't something I'm working on for myself. The ones from the 4th were ones I drew up to help Show33 with ideas for his lay-out and the two from the 7th were to help give Brooklynzoo ideas for his lay-out. The first was the closest I could come to replicating the one Hunt posted. The second was to show him , as Joe stated, how much more you could add by adding a little extra width to the table. In this case it was only three inches.

Joe, good catch on moving the crossover.