James River Branch: Track Plans

Pennsylvania Railroad

This big, hulking, track-heavy layout is much like its namesake (click the plan for an enlargement). Designed for a 24" wide hollow core door, it's relatively simple to build in spite of its size and complexity, mainly because it has no grades and no cut track pieces. If nothing else, the builder will have a chance to assemble plenty of nice big structures—a change from the restrictions imposed by most compact plans.

Notes on operation: You can easily run two trains simultaneously, and keep them both busy doing loads of switching duties, with the possibility of a third working the yard or industrial switching area as well. In addition to the five feeders shown in the plan (two of which are hidden under the enginehouse, lower left), pairs of insulators are needed at each of the two crossovers for two-train operation, plus two more pairs to separate the yard and industrial switching area from the mainlines; however, using DCC would do away with the need for insulators and multiple feeders. (Click the parts plan below for an enlargement.)

PLAN OVERVIEW
Overall size: 24" X 80"
Gridline spacing: 6"

LEGEND
Insulated joiners
910 "special case" switches

TUTORIALS
Working with switches
Burying switch machines

TRACK PARTS LIST
902 110mm straight: 3*
904 R195 45º curve: 8
905 feeder: 5
906 uncoupler: 10
910 left switch: 8
911 right switch: 12
912 R490 13º curve: 8*
913 R220 45º curve: 8
917 220mm straight: 27

NOTES
*20 of the 23 #902 straight sections and 20 of the 28 #912 curved sections required come with the switches.

This layout can be built using Märklin track or Rokuhan track. Because of the design of Märklin and Rokuhan switches, there are no limitations on where remote-control switches can be used.

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