Terminal doodles

[Nick_Burman]

Today I decided to download AnyRail (sweet software) and started doodling. I mentioned that I wanted to sometime in the future make a model of a private railway terminal station, with car barn/enginehouse, goods facilities and of course, the station. Attached is a first doodle for "Tomisawa" (working name). Track is Kato Unitrack (I did a version with Peco 55 but didn't like the result), I used the figure for a Kato Double-Track viaduct for the car barn/engine house. I added a few signals (starters with shunting signals and an inner home), I hope the arrangement is correct, my plans are for semaphores rather than colour-light signals. One thing I would like to add would be a siding to an industry, ley us say an agricultural co-op ("The Tomiisawa Kaki-Growers Co-op, Ltd." ). However I don't have much of an idea where I could stick this siding. Also I need to see how I might mate my layout to a T-trak setup.

Comments, please!


Cheers NB

[The_Ghan]

Hi Nick,

I use AnyRail.  It isn't too bad until you want to work in three dimensions.  There are no cross sections or 3D views.  Setting grades of track is a cumbersome task and the software does not appear to fore-shorten the track in plan when you, say, set a 3% grade.  For laying out yards and stations it is pretty good.  I've also found a problem with the Tomix curved point geometry - 1248, 1249, 1278 and 1279.  I've advised AnyRail Support and they're waiting for me to send photos and scans.

Nice little layout you've done, by the way.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

i use anyrail too. funt to make dream plan in.

the kind that will never happen unless i win the lotto and buy a building or small warehouse.

still is good i think i will register soon but the amount they want for such a basic app is pretty high.

[bill937ca]

Freight shed sidings were often on the same side as the passenger station with a short separate spur ending just before the station. A station like this would probably have a track level crossing from platform to platform.

[Nick_Burman]

Freight shed sidings were often on the same side as the passenger station with a short separate spur ending just before the station. A station like this would probably have a track level crossing from platform to platform.

Sure Bill, but this would be for a station with a low to very moderate amount of freight, let us say a couple of carloads a day - and I definitively want something busier than that!


Cheers NB

[The_Ghan]

Look at that!!! We're all on line at the same time ... geez a chat window would be tops, wouldn't it?

Cheers

The_Ghan

[Nick_Burman]

Beginning to get the hang of using flextrack on AnyRail - neat! Please find attached Tomisawa v.2, drawn using Peco 55. I've added the Co-op siding at the tail of the yard, I hope it looks OK. BTW, as far as buildings are concerned I plan to use the Kato 23-225 enginehouse as a car barn and the 23-220 station (I know what I would use for the goods shed - possibly a Tomytec building). Using flextrack makes for a better-looking plan, however one which is unforgiving of errors.

A few questions...

a) Wouldn't a set of catch points be necessary somewhere? Say, between the goods loop and the main line?
b) What's the center-to-center spacing for Peco track, if their points are fitted one next to the other?

Cheers NB

[The_Ghan]

Now that's looking sexy!

Cheers

The_Ghan

[Nick_Burman]

Thanks Ghan, however Unitrack for the time being has my preference. I found that if I draw the same track plan using Peco track I have to add another 30 to 50cm to the baseboard. Compared to the Unitrack piots the PECOs are too shallow.

Cheers NB

[Dani]

Give a try to Wintrack: Kato, Peco (80 & 55), Trix, and many more libraries are included. Fast renders and auto generation of ribs to print in 1:1 scale, auto connections (finds de suitable tracks to join 2 points), flex track design, layers, heights, .....

You can see the results in that post: http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,4533.msg51855.html#msg51855

I like "Tomisawa"s last design very much!!! がんばってね!!!

また、
ダニ

[The_Ghan]

Dani,

I'd love to use WinTrack, but it doesn't include Tomix track in the library.   

Cheers

The_Ghan

[marknewton]

A few questions...
a) Wouldn't a set of catch points be necessary somewhere? Say, between the goods loop and the main line?

G'day Nick, from what I've seen, catchpoints aren't very common on rural lines of either JNR or private railways, even if the yards are interlocked. Bikkuri Bahn might have more knowledge about this, but I suspect you could get by without using them. What I have seen used are scotchblocks/derails to protect running lines.

I like the second version of your yard, reminds me a bit of Akechi.

I haven't forgotten about those JNR fonts you asked for, I just don't know what computer they're on... Still looking, though. I've had a fairly hectic fortnight at work, all sorts of dramas which means lots of overtime. I scored three Suydam interurban cars off eBay the other day, and I still haven't had a chance to see if they run!

All the best,

Mark.

[bikkuri bahn]

from what I've seen, catchpoints aren't very common on rural lines of either JNR or private railways, even if the yards are interlocked. Bikkuri Bahn might have more knowledge about this, but I suspect you could get by without using them. What I have seen used are scotchblocks/derails to protect running lines.

Catch points are common out on the running line, you'll see them especially on single track line at stations/passing sidings. As far as at a terminal or yard area, they don't seem to be favored (you can't be 100% sure tho, there seem to always be exceptions).  As Mark says, scotch blocks seem to be used instead, see pix below.  Makes sense in a yard/terminal situation, as scotch blocks are cheaper, there is rlwy. staff on the ground to manipulate the equipment, and train speeds are likely slower.  Out on the main, you want everything to be automated to reduce staff costs, and a catch point is worth the expense.

Joshin Rlwy, Shimonita Station (terminal):

http://art44.photozou.jp/pub/67/235067/photo/67442176.jpg

http://img.blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ybi/1/43/fd/lunchapi/folder/1197301/img_1197301_46326605_0?-1

[The_Ghan]

I've never noticed the scotch blocks before.  As a school kid I'd always presumed they used a hump to prevent freight from accidently rolling onto the main line.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[marknewton]

Catch points are common out on the running line, you'll see them especially on single track line at stations/passing sidings.

Oops, should have been more specific when I made that comment, and made it clear I was referring to yards only. Good photos you linked, too!

Cheers,

Mark.

[bikkuri bahn]

Sorry, one of the links I put up is dead.  Here are some more pics of the terminus:

http://www.exblog.jp/blog_logo.asp?slt=1&imgsrc=200905/16/85/b0011185_2147544.jpg

http://www.exblog.jp/blog_logo.asp?slt=1&imgsrc=200711/14/85/b0011185_12364169.jpg

website, should above links fail:
http://sanzokuame.exblog.jp/tags/%E4%B8%8B%E4%BB%81%E7%94%B0/

[Nick_Burman]

Sorry, one of the links I put up is dead.  Here are some more pics of the terminus:

http://www.exblog.jp/blog_logo.asp?slt=1&imgsrc=200905/16/85/b0011185_2147544.jpg

http://www.exblog.jp/blog_logo.asp?slt=1&imgsrc=200711/14/85/b0011185_12364169.jpg

website, should above links fail:
http://sanzokuame.exblog.jp/tags/%E4%B8%8B%E4%BB%81%E7%94%B0/

Oh good, thanks BB, I was trying to "doodle" Shimonita station the other day and needed detail on the yard throat...


Cheers NB

[Nick_Burman]

Half an hour later... voilá, Shimonita in N scale! Measurements are all "eyeballed" and I had to replace a wye on the prototype with an ordinary LH switch otherwise the geometry would not work. The yard track arrangement reflects the situation before the end of freight service, when the runaround track was removed.

Cheers NB

[marknewton]

Out on the main, you want everything to be automated to reduce staff costs, and a catch point is worth the expense.

You're not wrong! As my regular mate at Enfield used to say, "If nothing else on the railway works, the catchpoints always will!" 

Cheers,

Mark.

[The_Ghan]

Out on the main, you want everything to be automated to reduce staff costs, and a catch point is worth the expense.

You're not wrong! As my regular mate at Enfield used to say, "If nothing else on the railway works, the catchpoints always will!" 

Cheers,

Mark.

How very Australian !!!   

Cheers,

The-Ghan

[marknewton]

Half an hour later... voilá, Shimonita in N scale!

Nice, very nice. Compact, but with a good deal of operating potential. I notice in some of the older photos I've seen of Shimonita, and those that BB linked, there's some sort of industry buildings on the loading bank opposite the station platform. Even more operating potential...

Cheers,

Mark.

[marknewton]

How very Australian !!!   

True, and yet the funny thing is, my mate was an expat Latvian. Uncle Ivars we used to call him. Top bloke, mad as a cut snake, and a bloody good engineman.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Nick_Burman]

Reviewing my Shimonita track plan I noticed something was wrong...so I went and had a look in my pillaged from YouTube videos and behold, I had put the crossover at the end of the track faced the wrong direction... so I had to redraw this part. While redrawing I discovered that the new crossover arrangement did not fit. Looking at the videos, I noticed that the platform tracks were designed for 3-car trains instead of the 2-car trains I had thought originally. So I stretched the platform tracks and all fit in nicely.

Cheers NB

[Nick_Burman]

Meant to post these before Shimonita, but events had the better of it. I "niponified" a C.J. Freezer track plan ("Brill" from the "PSL book of Model Railway Track Plans"). The result is below, I made versions both for Unitrack and Peco 55. The original single-track enginehouse has been greatly expanded as befits the HQ of a rural private railway and a siding to the local Co-op has been added. The Peco version includes a catch point between the engine service area and the main line, I guess that this could be declared as superfluous.

Cheers NB