My (N gauge) table football layout!

Post pictures and information about your own personal model railway layout that is under construction. Keep members up-to-date with what you are doing and discuss problems that you are having.
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PinkNosedPenguin
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My (N gauge) table football layout!

Post by PinkNosedPenguin »

I am returning to railway modelling after more than a few years away.

For my first model since 1981 (ouch!), I am planning an N gauge layout and I thought I would support it on the 'undercarriage' of a table football which we don't really use any more:
Image
IMG_2306 by PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr

The plan is to support the layout on the legs underneath ...
Image
IMG_2308 by PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr

... in such a way that the two alternative 'tops' (i.e. table football and layout!) can each be removed and stored, allowing the other to be used when required. In practice the layout will be in place most of the time!

Do you like our stripy carpet by the way :lol:

Anyway, I am posting this as a way to spur me into action :-). Now this post is here I'll feel I need to get started!

First I will construct the baseboard - it will be 4' x 3' (1220mm x 915mm) and so will take up about the same amount of space in the room as the table football when taking into account the handles overhanging each side. I intend to use 9mm plywood with a 69mm x 18mm softwood frame underneath (and underneath that I will add a smaller rectangular frame to provide a simple 'fit' over the legs). This seems to be normal construction materials nowadays and will hopefully be strong but not too heavy.

My proposed track plan (see below) calls for a second flat higher level, which will be another piece of 9mm ply supported from the main baseboard about 40mm higher. I will have just one incline, connecting the two levels, at about a nice gentle gradient.
Image
Ngauge_1_bare by PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr

Green is the lower level, purple the upper; the light sections are reverse loops. Blue is the connecting incline. I intend to use DCC with reverse loop modules. Track will be Peco code 55 using small radius points (and one three-way point!) - in order to fit this into such a small space I will have a lot of 9 inch curves, so will have only small locos and short trains!

Hoping to make a start drawing the plan onto the ply this weekend. My wife said (with remarkable wisdom I thought): "won't you need to get a train first?" (I am starting from nothing you see). So, an NCE PowerCab and Dapol Pannier tank plus a couple of wagons are on order to hopefully allow me to check operation as I lay the track.

I will try to keep this thread updated with progress . . .

Thanks for reading,
PnP

P.S. if you think the plan looks a bit like a NG 'rabbit warren' style layout, then that could be because I drew it first as a 009 plan before deciding the lack of RTR locos (and the frankly poor couplings) of 009 prompted me to swap to N :oops:
Dad-1
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Re: My (N gauge) table football layout!

Post by Dad-1 »

Too complex for my addled brain ......
Although I remember playing on one of those football games in Ghent in 1963.

Geoff T.
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flying scotsman123
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Re: My (N gauge) table football layout!

Post by flying scotsman123 »

I'm bot an electronics expert, but won't that light green loop short out potentially if you use it as a roundy roundy loop to turn the train back on itself :? looks like great fun though, I can certainly tell it was drawn up in OO9, it just has that feel to it. will there be lots of tunnels etc, it feels like there should be, if there are, make sure you have access!
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Stone station in pre-grouping days, my layout. Workbench for other projects here.
MrH
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Re: My (N gauge) table football layout!

Post by MrH »

flying scotsman123 wrote:I'm bot an electronics expert, but won't that light green loop short out potentially if you use it as a roundy roundy loop to turn the train back on itself :? looks like great fun though, I can certainly tell it was drawn up in OO9, it just has that feel to it. will there be lots of tunnels etc, it feels like there should be, if there are, make sure you have access!
it's a reverse loop and as long as it's wired up right (or with a frog juicer if dcc) it will be fine
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PinkNosedPenguin
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Re: My (N gauge) table football layout!

Post by PinkNosedPenguin »

Yes, I'm going to use DCC and both of my reverse loops will have a Tam Valley Dual Frog Juicer. These (I am told!) will reverse the polarity on the loco without it stalling. So the train can simply run around the loop and emerge facing the other way without stopping or any fuss whatsoever! One of the bonuses of DCC :D
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Re: My (N gauge) table football layout!

Post by flying scotsman123 »

Just testing :D
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Stone station in pre-grouping days, my layout. Workbench for other projects here.
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PinkNosedPenguin
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Re: My (N gauge) table football layout!

Post by PinkNosedPenguin »

No problem Michelle Dubois (remember you well!) - very happy to receive comments. And I very very much don't know it all . . . !
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PinkNosedPenguin
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Baseboard started

Post by PinkNosedPenguin »

I have made a start on the layout this weekend by building the 4' x 3' baseboard. As described above, it is 9mm ply, framed with 69mm x 18mm softwood underneath:
Image
IMG_2315 by PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr

I remembered just in time to drill some holes to carry the wiring :D
Image
IMG_2318 by PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr

The additional rectangle on the bottom allows it to fit over the table football legs - its a snug fit (but not too snug!):
Image
IMG_2321 by PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr

So now I have a nice clean empty 'canvas' on which to build a model railway!
Image
IMG_2320 by PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr

Just need some track now . . . !
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SR/ScR Fan
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Re: My (N gauge) table football layout!

Post by SR/ScR Fan »

Love the carpet. Very rabbit warren. Leave it running and see where it appears next!
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PinkNosedPenguin
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Running in locos - chicken or egg?

Post by PinkNosedPenguin »

New locos should be run in before use - but I don't yet have any track :( But I would like to check alignment and conductivity using a loco as I lay the track :D And how do people with end to end layouts run in their locos anyway? It's a conundrum . . .
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SR/ScR Fan
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Re: My (N gauge) table football layout!

Post by SR/ScR Fan »

I have a snap track oval for running in locos which i can set up on the floor.
Pete
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Re: My (N gauge) table football layout!

Post by Pete »

New locos should be run in before use - but I don't yet have any track :( But I would like to check alignment and conductivity using a loco as I lay the track :D And how do people with end to end layouts run in their locos anyway? It's a conundrum . . .
That's easy to answer, I never run my locos in, by the time my layouts reach the stage to start playing trains I'm bored with them and I'm starting my next one... :D

Pete
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PinkNosedPenguin
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Life-Size Track Plan

Post by PinkNosedPenguin »

AnyRail seems a great piece of software - tonight I printed off the lower level of my track plan 1:1 (i.e. full size) on 18 pieces of paper! Then I laid them out on my baseboard and stuck them together with selotape. Initially this will allow me to cut some strategically placed holes in the plywood to allow me access to (1) lower level track in tunnels in case of derailment, and (2) point motors mounted underneath the upper level track for wiring up etc. (the grey coloured points are the upper level ones). Of course it will also help me actually lay the track when I get round to buying it :)
Image
IMG_2324 by PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr

It also allowed me to see for the first time how the track layout will look in real life - I know my curves are all tight (9") but I'm willing to pay that price to have some operational interest in such a small space. It also allowed me to place my first locomotive on the 'track' and pretend I've got a railway already :lol:
Image
IMG_2325 by PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr
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PinkNosedPenguin
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Tail chasing

Post by PinkNosedPenguin »

OK, so I have now painted my board grey, cut some holes out as stated above, and laid a small oval of track to allow me to run in my locomotive :)
Image
IMG_2331 by PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr
This is what I call tail-chasing :lol:

I also found out (luckily before laying any 'real' track) that I curved my code 55 rail the 'wrong' way - the sleepers look all wrong, and I realised I should have done it the other way round so that the gaps in the sleepers come together, not pull apart. If you've seen Peco code 55 track underneath you'll know what I mean!

Anyway, I have now ordered my track and points and will soon start laying track for real . . .
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PinkNosedPenguin
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Re: My (N gauge) table football layout!

Post by PinkNosedPenguin »

Not much progress due to other things going on recently.
But I did lay my first bit of track and install my first Cobalt point motor - see http://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Fo ... 15&t=44014
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