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1a. Re: How to operate my microlayout ? Posted by: "Professor Klyzlr" johnd@fairlightau.com loggingloco1 Date: Sun Feb 15, 2009 5:24 pm ((PST)) Dear Jacques, As a standalone micro-layout, your existing layout has a lot going for it :-) However, to gain "more", you may have to think "outside the box". To explain. 1 - I see at least 2, maybe 3, areas where the track could be extended beyond the "visible scene", into "hidden staging". (The "Tunnel", the "Freight House", and the "Depot" spurs) This need not be any more complex than "a track on a board", and can be made removable if required for space/storage. However, the extra 1 - 2 car-lengths can make a world of difference when switching. 2 - More important than the physical space, is the "mental space" your layout works in. Let me ask, where does the "local" train come from? (IE it "arrives" onstage to do some switching, from Where???) Once it has finished it's switching, where does it go to? (On to another "unmodelled town", back to the "unmodelled classification yard", where???) Understanding how the small bit of actual "modelled railroad" fits in the "bigger picture" helps make more sense of the bit you are operating on, and helps make a simple "swap these 2 cars for those 2 cars" operation appear more "life like". IE there is an undelying Raison d'etre to move those cars, rather than simply "because they are in the way"... :-) For example, I notice you have a "crossing train" on a stubbed-off bridge accross the layout left. Lets assume for a moment that that track is NOT the same RR as you are operating, but a connecting RR. Given this scenario, (which could be supported by placing suitable equipment on the bridge), the "Teamtrack" at bottom left looks kinda like a connecting or "interchange" track. Functionally, this is a "common" piece of trackage where your train would place cars for the "foreign" RR to pickup,and vice versa. "Interchanges" are often considered to be "Universal Industries", just like TeamTracks, because there is logically no limits to the type of car that can be assigned to be placed there... I'll upload a diagram that hopefully explains what I mean... :-) NB that while I'm talking about "extra trackage", it does NOT actually mean that you have to lay or model any extra trackage!!! This is one instance wher you actually get MORE than you paid for, the only price being a little bit of mental exercise... :-) 3 - Something else that you can implement really easily is "car spots". In short, instead of saying "I have 2 car lengths at the brewery, so I fill them with 2 cars", why not say "Car spot 1" (against the tunnel mouth) is for cars that are UNloading hops, yeast, or some other raw material required to brew beer, and "Car spot 2" (closer to the turnout) is for refrigerated boxcars that are taking the canned beer away to be sold. Once you have "specific positions" for specific duties, the switching moves become far more challenging. EG: you have a car of hops to deliver, but there is a refrigerated boxcar being "loaded" that is standing in the way. How you you - get the boxcar out of the brewery spur - get the car of hops spotted @ "car spot 1", - AND get the refrigerated boxcar BACK to "car spot 2" so that it can finish being loaded with canned beer? In short, my suggestions are - Understand how the train and trackage you have modelled "fits" in relation to the rest of the railroad - if you have any spare space, having even 1 car length of "offstage" trackage really emphasises the point that the train is "coming from <somewhere>, working "onstage", and then going <somewhere else>"... - have specific positions for cars, and specific reasosn why a given car would be there, rather than simply "filling a spur to capacity"... Hope this Helps, Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr