First time N gauge layout, coments welcome

[Ello]

Good evening all,
After finally finishing a plan for a oo gauge railway, i have now decided to go for N gague because it will give me more room for what i would like.

I wanted to try and include a Quary, transfer yard, station and some nice mountains and tunnels.
So i came up with this plan on a 8x4 (2440x1220) board. I will be able to walk around the whole board. Occasionaly it will have to be moved but i'm not overly worried about that part of it.

Any ways the plan:


This plans shows the overall layout


The lower level


and this shows the upper level.

So what do you guys think?
I will hopefully be running large passager trains on the outer loops, and a small branch line on the inner loop.
There will also be a freight service to and from the quary, top left corner, and in the middle will be a town with further industrys. theres no time period set so i will be running what i like when i like. O and i will be runnning a Digital system.

Any comments and suggestions much appreciated,

thanks all

[mark_brody]

This looks very good, can't wait to see it in progres. Good luck. My only concern was the gradient from the lower deck to the top section, will the gradient allow it to clear the lines below OK? There seems to be one quite quickly into the climb. You don't want your gradients to be too steep. But I've only ever modelled OO, so maybe in N this is fine.

Mark

[Ello]

My only concern was the gradient from the lower deck to the top section, will the gradient allow it to clear the lines below OK? There seems to be one quite quickly into the climb. You don't want your gradients to be too steep.
Mark

I have no experiance with gradiants, so that part of it is going to be a bit of trial and error, hopefully it will be ok as its only traveling up to 12/15cm, if not i will just have to alter it a bit. I'm pretty sure the long straight gradiant at the top will be ok, its the curved gradiant down toward the station that will be the worst bit i think.

I'm also toying with the idea of having a helix running around the inside of the quaryto get a bit more height into the layout, but again i have no experiance with them so holding of on that bit.

[bsa77]

It looks great, too complicated for me though!

The only thing that I'm not sure about is that access to the main siding is via the loop that I guess, is hidden - would it not be nicer from an operational and prettiness aspect to have the sidings accessed from the main line? No idea how you would do that though...

[Ello]

It looks great, too complicated for me though!

Thanks!! I think the most complicated part of it will be the gradiants to and from the quary. the lower level is pretty much 2 large loops and a smaller inner loop.
untill you break it down it looks complicated, which i think is a good thing.

The only thing that I'm not sure about is that access to the main siding is via the loop that I guess, is hidden - would it not be nicer from an operational and prettiness aspect to have the sidings accessed from the main line? No idea how you would do that though...

Well the idea was for the quary to feed into the transfer yard which is done from the small inner loop at the bottom of the layout. there is also a fed into the quary from the main line at the top of the layout. I could alter it so the quary feeds straight into the transfer yard at the bottom, which then could be a gravity fed yard, hmmm worth some thinking about i think.

Any more ideas or comments more then welcome!

[Ello]

Well had a little play around and swapped the transfer yard around. i haven't altered the quary section so not botherd to show it again





I'm not to sure about the turntable, but it makes sense for the workshop. what do you guys think?

[Ello]

O and i've alterd some of the turnouts to the Peco long type where i expect the fast freight trains and passenger trains to be running

[bsa77]

Now that's more like it! Superb (from my opinion only!). The flow is much better!

[ElDavo]

Interesting track plan. I don't think there is any way you are going to get the two lines on the left of the top platform to cross. Just looking at it there isn't enough track length to create reasonable gradients even if one track goes down and the other up.

Cheers
Dave

[Ello]

Interesting track plan. I don't think there is any way you are going to get the two lines on the left of the top platform to cross. Just looking at it there isn't enough track length to create reasonable gradients even if one track goes down and the other up.

Cheers
Dave

Yeah, i can see that being one of my problems, Just one of the issues i'm going to have to experimatn with whilst track laying.
I did always envision that crossing to be further up the track anyways.

Been on ebay last night buying up flexi track and points, and a set of racing slicks for my remote control car so in the next few days that will be turning up.
I'll soon have to get myself some rolling stock as well, anyone have a suggestion of locos and rolling stock that are good for testing the track whilst laying it?
Whilst i'm asking questions, comments on controls? i will be using DCC, but will probably just use a standard dc controler untill the the track is complete, are all controllers compatible with N gauge?

Cheers for the comments guys,

[trains!]

Yes all controllers are compatible. For locos pick some heavy locos followed with a massive rake of anything you have.