Thanx guys. The beast will arrive on Monday or so says the tracking thing-a-ma-boob! I'll probably not be able to 'reeesTRAIN' myself, and just slap that 'mutha' up on the rails!!! I gotta see it run down one of the few straight sections on the BCRR. Then it's off to Dallas to grab a sound decoder (the new Tsunami is supposed to be the cats' meow) keep alive and speaker, if needed. Then I'll try to do the install (it's supposed to be plug n' play) and add the speaker if needed. Leonard, the local (and national) Mr. Fix It of the model railroad locomotive universe says that it should be a "piece o' pie" (I'm not really a cake man) and go quick and easy. We'll see about that, yuk, yuk, yuk...Well that's about all for now except that the new track plan is done and awaits only the approval of MARK the handy-dandy Asst. GM before I commit the HAND DRAWN 3/4" to the foot scale track plan to ink and color. It already looks to be really cool; it has 74' of mainline, 19 1/2' of passing sidings, and an as yet undetermined amount of freight sidings and yard tracks. Also it appears (according to the measurements from SW Narrow Gauge) that the 'little monster' will fit (just barely) on the existing turntable. This means I can go ahead with plans to add a 26"x23" extension to the turntable end of the yard and add 6 more whisker tracks; enough for 9 of all 10 locomotives. The 'odd man out' will reside in the yard at Ft. Compton. Thanx "fer follerin' along", just keep those cards n' letters cummin'; and ya'll come back now ya'here?

KYLE CREEL
SUPT./GM BCRR

Well here's the still not completely approved track plan.......even though it's just your basic garden variety loop to loop design; I think the coolest part is that both of the reversing loop turnouts are KATO spring loaded "On30-ised" turnouts. I can sit back and watch the trains go back and forth when I'm just train watching, or having an OPEN HOUSE (remember those?) and they have no adverse effect on any "operations" when I choose to play operator, or some such nonsense in my case.....
Tell me what ya think...

KYLE CREEL
SUPT./ GM BCRR

Kyle,

Looks good! But don't take my word, I've never built a layout.

Scott

Wondering how well that crossover of the mainline, coming out of the yard area to the turntable is going to work?

I'd take the easy route, no crossover by coming directly into the turntable via that stub coming off the turntable at the 12:00 position. Other than to look nice, to me, there's no apparent reason for it to be there.

If you are absolutely going to do the crossover, then do yourself a favor and build it on the bench. Not in place.

Just one person's humble opinion.
​​​

Thanx fellas. In answer to your question Dave, the crossover gives access to the turntable and the yard tracks from both the main line and the depot siding. I laid out (mocked up) the trackage before I drew the plan, I try to hand lay most of my trackwork. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE1111111111 here's the revised edition of the new BCRR track plan with 2 passing sidings added, a return to the existing layout idea, keeping the access points as they are, keeping the steel arch canyon bridge, moving some scenery around, moving the towns of GRIZZLY, SCAVENGER, and DILAPIDATED to new locations, (the local citizenry hates that) and moving the long bridge that currently crosses the GRIZZLY yard to a more 'scenic ' location. All in all I like this plan much better, as it returns to the idea of the trains going back and forth across the canyon, and then returning to the termInus at BLACKROCK. So whadda ya think????????
Track plan to follow....

KLE CREEL
SUPT./ GM BCRR
PS All grades are still 2.8 percent and all radii are enlarged to 22" min. and all the rest of the railroad stays the same but with 22" radii instead of 20".

Here it is....

Kyle the track plan looks good to me; this should keep you out of
mischief for awhile. Have fun & don't forget to share.

Mornin' gents; well the USPS tracking thing-a-ma-boob says that the beast is 'OUT FOR DELIVERY'.........guess I'll fix up some breakfast and see what transpires. ( I'm sooooo anxious!!!!!!!!!)

KYLE CREEL
SUPT./ GM BCRR

THE BEAST HAS ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!!!!
The K-27 showed up this morning about an hour after the above post. It's a really great looking locomotive. I took it out of the more than substantial BLUE MMI box (even the box is very large- 81/4 tall, 11 1/4 wide, and 14 1/4 long ) to the layout to set it on the tracks and just 'gawk' at it. Then as fate would have it, I fired it up just to see if it would go around one supposedly 20 1/2" radius... IT DID!!!!!!!, WOW!!!!. Now to test it around another curve that I know is right at 21"; PERFECT!!! I cruised through the yard tracks and onto the turntable and it fit; JUST BARELY, but it fit. Who am I to let a little 1/4" overhang (actually it's more like an inch or so, but who tells a fat lady she's fat?) on each end ruin such a wonderful and thrilling debut!!! "And So Begins the Task..." to quote Stephen Stills, of remodeling the layout. I shall have to be content to run it back and forth through the yard and one curve, until the 26th when it's KYLES' RAILROAD TIME EXTRAVAGANZA!!!!!!!!!!!Three days of unadulterated miniature railroad indulgence. Oh yeah there is the decoder part... well, er, um, I might have to sneak in a couple of hours of 'me time' to take care of that little ditty!!
Sure feels like Christmas,and Fathers' Day and Happy Anniversary, and 2022 Happy Birthday; I just get so carried away.. my wife reminded me that I haven't spent any of my $50.00 monthly hobby budget in over 18 months, GEEZ THAT'S over $900.00 dollars; where does the time go?????????IT JUST GOT UP AND WENT TO SW NARROW GAUGE!!!! HO HO HO MERRY CHRISTMAS AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.

KYLE CREEL
SUPT./ GM BCRR

She's a beauty.
Enjoy!

Thanx Rick.... hey fellas, how 'bout a family photo of the BCRR locomotives (the Grizzly & Dilapidated Ry locos wouldn't participate).......

Kyle that is one "sweeeeeet" looking engine; enjoy. When you get the layout rework sorted out I'm sure
the first trip around the entire layout will be a thrilling one. Nice family photo of your engines....would
make a nice Christmas Card.

Nice Lokie!

Kyle,

Congrats on the new engine! Looks very niiiice!

Scott

Thanx guys;
Well, all of the changes, modifications, and simplifications have been made and a final track plan has now been approved and supplies ordered. It's just a simple teardrop reversing loop with a branch line running up to Dilapidated and Podunk Jct. (nothing's labeled on the plan yet) and crossing above the main line for a switching lead. There's also a spur running to Scavenger that is at grade level on the right hand side of the layout opposite Grizzly on the left side of the layout. I took another page from the John Allen book and used a compound or compensated grade. In order to squeeze in the branch line, it starts off at 4% for 2 feet, and eases to 3% the rest of the way about 5 feet. I'll be using ME code 83 unweathered On30 flex track. Turnouts will be scavenged and reused, cork roadbed will be used, and as much scenery as can be reused, will be. The rest will be fashioned as always out of donated pkg. styrofoam. I only use the really dense stuff so as to avoid the deluge of little styro-balls. AND IT'S FREE!!!!!!!! I think I'll only need to buy about 8 turnouts, depending on how many I have in my track scraps box. I've ordered the decoder and speaker, and confirmed that all systems are PLUG-N'-PLAY. No leds or resistors to install, and no wiring to mess with except the speaker wires. I sure do appreciate ya'll following along and dropping those comments and suggestions on me. All for now.............

KYLE CREEL
SUPT./ GM BCRR