--- In small-layout-design@y..., dunver@i... wrote:
The 89' car issue is of course real - but I already own about 25
and would like to use them!
A single larger plant might be a good approach - perhaps an auto
plant, so I can use the 89' box, rack and flatcars as well as
conventional boxcars, tank cars, gondolas and coil cars.
The long car issue is not so much
(long cars+small space),
but
(long cars+tight curve+small space)
which will potentially give you the problems.
If your layout was straight rather than L shaped it would be easier
to manage these cars (but it isn't, so never mind!). Provided you
have left space for a 2' rad. curve the cars should squeal round the
curve, but you will not be able to leave cars there as the coupler
mismatch will be massive. That means that a big chunk in the middle
of your switching layout you can't leave cars on, which is hardly
ideal. :-)
Some possible thoughts, you could try:
(a) Keep all the loading/unloading points for 86'/89' cars on the
same alignment as your staging/fiddle track(s), so these cars never
have to deal with the curve, and put all the spotting locations for
the shorter cars round the curve. If you have the right space to pull
this off, it may be your best bet.
(b) The line with the curve is your "main" only, and all
switching/yard tracks are well away from the curve on the outer ends
of the layout, so that the cars are pulled round the curve in both
directions and not left on it as part of switching moves.
BTW an idea if you have the trackwork already is to draw it out full
size & play around with the design that way. (sorry if somebody had
just said that, & i'm repeating them)
Just some thoughts, let us know how you get on. :-)
Martyn Read
