My dads N gauge layout!

[smallman28]

It is my dads birthday in mid July so I am going to build him a small N gauge layout.
Small as in 55 x 70cm
There isn't going to be much in the way of track,just a basic oval of track with points that can be switched to make it a circle and a couple of sidings.
I don't think I am going to do much scenery as he isn't very mobile with his hands and I think tress and lights will just get knocked over all the time
I am intending to fit point motors so he hasn't got to fiddle with the points as they are quite small in N gauge.
It is going to be built with Peco set track that I have already ordered from Hattons,I have just been out to work this morning and got some scrap chipboard to make the base with so the only expense to build the base has been £2.19 for some wood screws
This is the track plan.



Basic like I said.
Might have an engine shed on the left hand side if there is room and a coal bunker and water tower on the right,we will see.
Will start on the baseboard later.

[bsa77]

Looks like a nice idea, I'd move the inner loop section further to the left if it was mine but I noticed you saying your Dad isn't very mobile with his hands, so will he be ok with N or is it worth trying something in OO?

Just thinking about the hassle I had the other day when a carefully misplaced sleeper derailed my Q1 and 12 wagons...

[smallman28]

Looks like a nice idea, I'd move the inner loop section further to the left if it was mine but I noticed you saying your Dad isn't very mobile with his hands, so will he be ok with N or is it worth trying something in OO?

Just thinking about the hassle I had the other day when a carefully misplaced sleeper derailed my Q1 and 12 wagons...

Not enough space for 00 really and didn't just want a forwards and backwards plank,the board is as big as will fit in the gap I have to work with.
Could move the inner circle over a bit I suppose but the ST2 straights are only 3 inches long so it wouldn't make a huge difference anyway.
I have built the board up this morning and it is pretty strong so should take any knocks if it gets moved,just need to fill some screw holes and sand the whole lot

[leopard]

move the loop over by one straight section, and drop an island platform between the tracks?

looks pretty good,, and actually N is good for limited movement, since uncoupling etc is a hell of a lot eaiser than tension locks

[smallman28]

move the loop over by one straight section, and drop an island platform between the tracks?

looks pretty good,, and actually N is good for limited movement, since uncoupling etc is a hell of a lot eaiser than tension locks

Might get a platform in somewhere those straight bits are only 58mm so there ain't much to work with by moving the loop over.

[smallman28]

Mostly completed baseboard,all sanded filled and with a couple of coats of paint on.
Loco for size comparison.



Bit of overkill on the construction but it's solid and strong,lots of glue and screws used

[leopard]

no such thing as overkill, as long as you can move it...

[smallman28]

Made a little progress.
Got a console from Maplins that will act as the control panel for the switches and LEDs that will control and indicate the position of the points.
Need to draw on the front plate to drill out the fixings for the LED clips and the switches,got lots of other bits and pieces to come from ebay as well.
I have drilled two 10mm holes through the back of the console and the side batten for the wires to pass through,done a couple of 6mm ones as well,one for the track feed and another for the CDU feed.
Hopefully all the planned wiring will fit
Going to use a couple of phono type connections on the side of the console and on the controller itself so it will be easy to disconnect it when not in use,colour coded them as well so he cant mix them up

[smallman28]

Had to refine the track plan slightly
Luckily I have only had to miss out three short straights.
Two reasons,the track was millimetres from the edge on one side and the other one was if I didn't the point motors would most likely not fit on the bottom two points.
I dont have the point motors yet so I might be able to put the one short straight back in.
Control panel has switches mounted,did stick the tape on marking out the route but had to take it off for the moment as the LEDs wouldn't fit as the tape went through the holes to hold it in place and the extra thickness stopped the LEDs fitting



Hopefully I will get the point motors tomorrow and can check the sizes and clearance,will also get the CDU tomorrow.

[smallman28]

For one reason and another the track plan changed again.



It's not massively different and I have still used all the track except for three pieces.
Had my first ever attempt at fitting a point motor,gone quite well although I did have to refit it several times to get the LED switching correctly on the control panel.
I used double sided tape to fix it first so I could get the positioning right before finally fixing it down.
Got masses of wiring so far for something so simple!

[briantwigley]

That looks really good. Simple, but very well built and solid looking, well done!

Ryan

[smallman28]

Just some of the wiring



Only done two points so far with another three to go,six wires to each point motor soon adds up to lots of wires,soldering and securing.
The two red wires hanging down are going to power the lights.
I am planning to connect these to a flicker free unit first seeing as I am using the 12V DC feed to power the CDU and run the LEDs I just don't want the lights to "flick" when the points operate so hopefully that will cure it.
Pleased with how easy connecting up the control panel seemed to be.
More straight forward than it first looks

[hobby boy]

Good progress so far then. Are you going to use underlay as it dampens out vibrations. Is it going to be a DCC layout?

Hobby Boy

[smallman28]

Good progress so far then. Are you going to use underlay as it dampens out vibrations. Is it going to be a DCC layout?

Hobby Boy

No underlay,he is half deaf anyway so it wont matter
Basic DC operation only,he couldnt cope with DCC,the controller would confuse him.

[smallman28]

Got most of the track done now need to replace one point motor as I cut the rod off too short for it to reach,once that is done I can fit the rest of the track.
Put the missing section in earlier and ran a train around for the sake of it,switching points without having to flick them by hand is fun although given the layout is so small you have to think quite quickly otherwise it's off the edge of the board before you have time to flick the switch
Or you could just slow the train down.
Ordered some lights and illuminated buffer stops so they might come tomorrow or the beginning of next week,got the flicker free unit installed and it does the job I hoped it would.
Cause the CDU,control panel LEDs and lights are all connected to the 12v DC supply I put the flicker free in to provide a constant power to the lights even if a point is thrown.
It takes 2-3 mins for it to charge up enough to have the desired effect but it does the job and I cant see any "flick" on the test LED when I operate a point.
Underside with one more point motor to go.
Yellow glow is a LED fitted to the flicker free unit as a test.



Lights on the control panel for the 4 points I have done so far,they are VERY bright.



Lights off so the panel can be seen.



Track is all done now so will need to think about ballasting and scenery before much longer!