I need YOUR Opinion on a Route I'm building

[jordon412]

I've decided to make the first Live Steamerz route in Trainz - Train Ridge. I've started building the route, but before going any further, I'd would like your opinion on how I should design it. There are actually three different types of Live Steamers railroads: ones that you just drive your train around, one designed for operating sessions, just like on model railroads, and a 'hybrid' of the two. So, which one of these I should do?

 

[JCitron]

I would go for a combination of the two. The reason is it'll give you more operating fun and the route can have various sessions setup.

In the end it all boils down to what you like to do.

John

 

[bendorsey]

Interesting idea.

I'd say you definitely need more then a circle of track around someone's backyard (not that it wouldn't be nice if it was your back yard).

From the videos I've see multiple routes, at least one tunnel and one bridge, facilities to add water (like 12 inch to the foot steamers these use more water per mile then fuel).

One unique facility would be where owners load and unload locos from the back of cars, pickups, trailers, etc.. From photos I've seen these allow the transporting vehicle to go down a ramp so the track on the vehicle is the same height as the track on the ground. Easy to load and unload (though I don't know if this is done before or after stoking up the loco). My guess would be before so as not to tie up the load/offload ramp any longer then necessary.

I've also seen a photo or two of a turntable but not an associated roundhouse. Possibly used for storing locos while they wait their turn on the main line.

Storage tracks for whole trains and some passing tracks as there is no reason trains can't go both ways.

Center to center track spacing is much wider then normal from what I've seen.

Finally - a lot of these either have separate routes for different scales (usually 1/8 scale and 1/12 scale) and some even have dual gauge track.

Should be a fun project - good luck.

Ben

 

[jordon412]

Interesting idea.

I'd say you definitely need more then a circle of track around someone's backyard (not that it wouldn't be nice if it was your back yard).

I plan on having it be a 'club layout', not in someone's backyard. I'm going to have it use similar topography as Train Mountain, the largest live steamers railroad in the world, but it would not be as long, around five miles instead of 25. I must note that I'm using the content currently available to create the variety of rolling stock you see at a live steamers railway.

From the videos I've see multiple routes, at least one tunnel and one bridge, facilities to add water (like 12 inch to the foot steamers these use more water per mile then fuel).

I am going to put in a few bridges, but I'm not certain about the tunnels. I will include places for water.

One unique facility would be where owners load and unload locos from the back of cars, pickups, trailers, etc.. From photos I've seen these allow the transporting vehicle to go down a ramp so the track on the vehicle is the same height as the track on the ground. Easy to load and unload (though I don't know if this is done before or after stoking up the loco). My guess would be before so as not to tie up the load/offload ramp any longer then necessary.

Given that I'm using full-scale rolling stock instead of 1/8th scale rolling stock, I don't know how that would work out.

I've also seen a photo or two of a turntable but not an associated roundhouse. Possibly used for storing locos while they wait their turn on the main line.

That I'm planning on doing.

Storage tracks for whole trains and some passing tracks as there is no reason trains can't go both ways.

I plan having the mainline double-tracked and single-directional. But I am planning on having two reverse loops so that trains can turn around.

Center to center track spacing is much wider then normal from what I've seen.

I'm uncertain how to do that in the yards, but I can do that on the mainline.

Finally - a lot of these either have separate routes for different scales (usually 1/8 scale and 1/12 scale) and some even have dual gauge track.

I was just thinking about just doing two routes using the track plan, but one is narrow gauge and the other is standard gauge. I'll look into dual gauge so that 3-foot and standard gauge trains can run on the same track.

Should be a fun project - good luck.

Thanks, I'm going to need it.

. . . not that it wouldn't be nice if it was your back yard.

Well this guy's backyard railroad, which has been around for over thirty years, makes his electric bill go thru the roof when he uses it:
Short ride on the railroad:

 

[jordon412]

And here's a more 'in-depth' video of the railroad featured in the video above:

 

[bendorsey]

In reality it isn't true dual gauge. More like dual scale since a 4-8-8-4 in each scale is still a standard gauge engine. (Me splitting hairs I know, lol).

However - making the smaller scale track the equivalent of narrow gauge (3 feet)for 1/8 scale would allow both 1/12 scale standard gauge locos and 3 foot gauge 1/8 scale locos to use the same track. Take a bit of thinking and planning ahead I'd think but might be worth the effort.

The ones I've seen with tunnels use galvanized metal storm sewer conduit for the tunnel liners. Pretty slick and probably easy (relatively speaking) to install.

To make a full sized pickup truck couldn't you take the mesh for one and use the rescaling function in Gmax or Blender to make it bigger? You would lose some detail of course.

Ben

 

[Vern]

Just go for broke and do Train Mountain,

http://www.trainmountain.org/pages/track_plans/tp_maps_2006.shtml

 

[cascaderailroad]

WoW ... Train Mountain !

I am doing this silly little railroad ... kinda fun !

http://arflovers.com/Blog/images/fallberg_map.jpg

 

[jordon412]

Just go for broke and do Train Mountain

Not gonna happen. It's too big. By topography like that of Train Mountain, I mean the mountainous area that Train Mountain is built in.