New Layout Design and would like people to tell me whats wrong with it.

Way too much track for the size of the layout. You definitely don't need that many yard tracks for a branch line layout. I'd also drop the "town" on the right as it would virtually run in to the other two making one continous scene.

In the top town remove the three tracks at the very top and the turntable lead closest to them. If you're not runnning steam you can eliminate it entirely. Put another "yard" track where you now have the depot and move that to the right across a track closer to the road. You could replace the yard another industry, like a lumber and/or coal dealer.

In the town on the right I'd simplify it down to just one spur to one business.

In the town at the bottom I'd completely redsign it with a mainline running across the very bottom, an interchange with that, and a much smaller yard. If you are running steam you'll need to add a turntable here as well.

One serious problem with your plan is the fact that the four yard tracks at the bottom are only connected to the layout via a short switchback. The switchback length will limit the length of train that can move from the yard to the main which appears to be no more than a locomotive and three or four cars.

What's the purpose of the spur track at the top right? There doesn't appear to be room for an industry, but if it's meant to be a yard lead, it's too short. 

For the type of layout it seems you're interested in, I would recommend reading The 10 commandments of yard design.

I think your plan has a lot of promise though. I disagree with the comment about too much track. If switching is what you're interested in rather than continuous running, that's up to you, and this plan will offer lots of that.

A bit of an update. Had a look at the top section and tried to simplify it. I think i am starting to achieve something i like.

Still going to have similar industry before but may put a coal supply or majestic hardware up in the top left. The other industry will be the creamery with ice house, team track, earls oil and maybe a backdrop building of some other industry that allows a variety in freight types. The turntable will have storage trcks on the other side.

 Ill see how i go with the other half tomorrow but for now its off to my modeling bench to take a closer look at my 3 new additions to my roster and some additons to my on30 roster that need repainting. Im going to be busy tonight i think.

Adrian, looks like you could use the 4 yard tracks as a classification yard. then take small numbers of cars from each of the 4 yard tracks and place them on the middle track of the upper set of 3 - the one with the x-over. you could block a whole train, then have motive power sent to it and off you go on the main. Does this sound plausable to the rest of you guys?

Gene

Once again good points raised by all.

As a few of you have questioned the size of the bottom yard or rather the need for a yard i will tell you why its there. The bottom module was to become a major yard on a future layout (in an ideal word when i have more space). The main line was to pass through this module with two arival departure tracks and 4 classification tracks.

As some of you have questioned it, its got me thinking like do i really need that... So im thinking of altering it to only have 1 arival/dep track and 3 classification tracks. The three clasification tracks will be used for north freight and south freight and car storage.

 Which will make more room for another industry or a servicing facility, possibly a freight house and car clean out track. Ill have a good look at this tonight and let you know what i come up with.

Maybe its time to try name some of the areas to make it easier for explaination.  Any constructive critisism on the revised section?

I don't think people add yards to their trackplan because they're "railroady" or look nice. A yard represents a considerable cost in track components and maintenance. The only good reason for including a yard is if you enjoy yard operations. The yard can be way too big for the rest of the layout; in fact I've seen layouts that are just a yard. Trains are made up, go to staging, and return later to be taken apart.

A layout should reflect the interests of the owner, not what someone else says is correct. 

That looks much better!

I've got a few more points, mostly stylistic in nature.

In the top town dual turntable leads aren't necessary if this is just a branch. Generally those are used to service two locomotives simultaneously or to hold finished outbound power and still be able to accept inbound power for servicing. At the end of a branch generally all that would need to be done is a quick turn and maybe a refill of water. You can safely remove the second turntable there, but add another at the bottom town because you say someday you'll use that as a full yard which would need to service multiple locomotives. Also note that if you don't include full tracks off the turntables at least add a short section opposite the lead to prevent a locomotive from overshooting the track. Almost every prototype turntable has them and they are useful on models, too. It doesn't need to be shown on the plan since it's literally just an inch long, but it's a detail to remember.

At the bottom town, I wonder what the double ended track next to the turntable is. It looks to me like a track for cabooses. If it is that's a great way to plan ahead for greater operations. I'd also suggest lengthening the yard tracks to the end of the table so you can get the most capacity out of them and make it easier to extend them on to another table in the future. Finally, if this is going to be a modular layout, even if you're just planning ahead for moving in the future, I'd try to avoid having the yard lead at the bottom cross the table joint. It will be much easier to set it up in the future again.

Hi all, I am still wondering about what appears to me to be a crossover and not 2 switches.  If an inbound train comes into the yard and stays to the right it will go over the cross over and then wind up near the left end of the bottom module. So where will the cars be parked? how will the switcher(s) get to them? If the train takes the left or straight path it will be on one of the 2 tracks that appear to be for arrival/departure. How will the engine escape (asuming an outbound train is waiting on the other track) to the engine servie area? I am really enjoying this thread as it makes me think about train movements and as a relative newcomer that is a good thing. Hope no one takes these as criticisms.

Gene

Railohio, thanks for the info. I have seen slip switches on plans and in prototype photos but it didn't occur to me that I was missing the boat on this one!

Gene

It is always good to keep in mind where your industries are going to ship to and where they are going to be receiving cars from. Advanced planning is good.

It is good to have some industries that send /receive cars from other industries on your layout (The rest would send / receive from interchange.) This can be hard to justify on a small layout... even in the old days an industry probably is not going to ship across town in a freight car. Industries on a small layout that exchange cars should be separated by a view block (Which you have), that would make them appear to be in separate towns.

It seems like you have a lot of industries that will receive / ship via an interchange, That is a good thing. As part of the planning process I would count up the daily traffic that will be going through the interchange and be sure that you have enough storage.

BTW it looks like a good layout plan. Lots of good operational possibilities

Christopher

This has been a really informative thread, the layout looks great.  I do have an operational question to help my ignorance please.  For sending cars out the interchange on the right, what would be done, would it be like this?
 
Drag some cars out from the upper or lower part of the layout, and park them there, uncouple the locomotive and caboose returning them to their home tracks.  The cars would sit at the interchange as the outside railroad picks them up and returns other cars that just happen to look a lot like the ones picked up (  ).  Then the home road would send out a new crew with locomotive and caboose to pick up these cars to be loaded and emptied (as appropriate) back on the home tracks.  I guess another operation could be drop off some cars for interchange, and drag some to the other end of the layout.
 
As I puzzled over this, this is what I believe I will be doing on my future layout with its own interchanges.  But it presents a question.  The double interchange tracks may be a bit short to park a full train there for interchange, and may need lengthened.
 
Neat work!
Charles