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Cheshire Rail
Track Plan

The N-scale Cheshire Rail track plan is based on the early plan for John Allen’s famous Gorre & Daphetid. I greatly admire Mr. Allen and his G&D. It's a twice around design, and the main line run on my N-scale version is about 18 feet. During each circuit of the main line, trains disappear twice into tunnels that run along the back of the layout, under the town of Troy. The layout measures 30 x 48 inches.

The track is Atlas code 55. It is mainly flex track, with a few pieces of Atlas code 55 sectional track. Turnouts are Atlas #5 and #7, plus one #3.5 Wye for variety. I originally wanted to use a couple of Atlas code 55 curved turnouts, but when they were delayed well past their expected delivery date, I became impatient and revised the plan to eliminate the curved turnouts.

I designed and rendered the track plan with the excellent and free XTrackCAD program. XTrackCAD is very accurate, and this was a great help in avoiding surprises when laying the actual track. Everything fit exactly as shown in XTrackCAD.

Minimum curves are 9¾-inch radius. Maximum grade is 2% on the mainline, 3% on the branch to Troy. I run 4-axle diesels and 40-foot freight cars. The plan allows continuous running with the twice around arrangement. The track exiting the back left corner of the layout represents an interchange with the wider world and provides for possible expansion in the future.

Cheshire Rail Track Plan

Here is the layout with all track laid. Note how closely the track placement follows the XTtrackCAD printout above.

Cheshire Rail Track Laid

Here is the partially scenicked layout.

Cheshire Rail Partially Scenicked


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