Once the main line for my ride on scale layout was done (See here for details), I realized I had enough room left in front of the house for a small loop of gauge one track.
The following pictures were taken shortly after the track was ballasted. The edging of the planter still need to be re-aligned...
Due to the lack of space, I was forced to use radius one curves (60 cm radius) and switches. While this is very tight by main line standards, many industrial railroad (as well as trolley lines) have tracks with radii down to ten meters, which is only 50cm in 1:20 scale. A note about scale: this layout is primarly designed as a 1:20 scale, three foot gauge system but any equipment which physically fit on the track is welcomed to run. The table below shows scale versus full size gauge for gauge one track:
| Scale | Full size gauge | Approximate gauge |
|---|---|---|
| 1:32 | 1440mm | 1435mm, standard gauge |
| 1:24 (1/2 inch) | 42.5inch | 42inch |
| 1:22.5 | 1012.5mm | 1m |
| 1:20.3 | 35.96inch | 36inch |
| 1:18 | 31.89inch | 32inch |
| 1:16 | 720mm | 750mm |
| 1:13.7 (7/8 inch) | 24.3inch | 24inch, 60cm |
| 1:12 (1 inch) | 21.3inch | 21inch,50cm |
| 1:10 | 450mm | 450mm, 18inch |
| 1:8 (1.5 inch) | 360mm | 400mm |
After the first loop was done, I decided to expand the layout by adding a second loop, on the side of the house. It is connected to the first loop by a removable piece of strait track. The pictures below show this part of the layout before ballasting.
Here is a schematic of the track plan. Please note that it is not to scale.
The layout can be setup as two independant loops or as one loop-to-loop track. The main loop of phase two uses radius two curves (750mm). The reversing loop as well as all the switches use radius one curves. The steam up track runs along the river and will be mounted on a shelf built to look like a pier. There will be room on the opposite shore for one or two person to sit down and work on their engines.
Right now all the switches are manual, actuated by LGB ground throws. I plan to install some LGB electric motors on a few of them that are hard to reach. The control panel for them will be located by the turn table.
As of November 2004, phase two has about one third of its ballast. I'm hopping tocomplete it by the end of the year, weather permitting.