Your dark green is a return loop, which is doable but needs specific isolating to prevent a short circuit. On a small roundy roundy its probably not worth putting in...
Looks nice though.
Fair enough on oo gauge, I didn't change to n gauge either for that reason. Stick with what i know!!
Returning to the hobby and looking for suggestions.
Re: Returning to the hobby and looking for suggestions.
Emettman actually designed it and posted it in another topic, wouldn't the green section be fine under DCC? I've already looked into the cost of converting it, not too bad.
Yeah exactly, I've been tempted by N but I saw the orient express going for £130 on Hattons, kinda sealed the deal for me (was an inconsistent runner, just needed a good clean).
Yeah exactly, I've been tempted by N but I saw the orient express going for £130 on Hattons, kinda sealed the deal for me (was an inconsistent runner, just needed a good clean).
Re: Returning to the hobby and looking for suggestions.
Ah, you got me!Itsonlyme wrote:Lol yeah I know Chris, I did however find something you posted that might work with a few tweaks, 10x4 should be doable in one of the rooms.
84flat_zpsh4ozvu8t.jpg
.
I have had a good play trying to offer alternates to the track-mat track plan, where 6x4 or 8x4 has been the size specified.
This was an early iteration. It does go down to R2 on the inner curves, and use Hornby/Peco setrack points, also R2.
Six inches wider allows R3 to be a minimum, and a foot longer and bit of work allows for live frog frog points (minimum radius 2ft)
It was designed to let tender steam locos with four coaches have a good run and change direction as the main priority, with added goods working.
The return loop was principally to get tender locos turned around without a turntable, though it's also useful for lazy goods trains.
There are easy ways to wire that in DC or DCC.
The run-round loop in the goods yard isn't at all essential and the entire arrangement of the dark green sidings is very flexible.
(and the capacity goes up if there *isn't* a central operating area... but then the layout needs more space around it, for access.)
A siding long enough for a rake of four coaches increases the passenger train variety that would be possible.)
With shorter trains and smaller engines that could be room for more than one station,
and/or a board not so full of track thus allowing more scenery,
but this is what preference choices are about.
At 8x4 it is just possible to think about more than one level to increase variety of operation and capacity, but that does make for appreciably more work in the construction and track-laying.
Choices, Choices.
Chris
"It's his madness that keeps him sane."
Re: Returning to the hobby and looking for suggestions.
Well if you have a few others like this I'd like to take a look. We sorted of decided sharing the play room is a good idea, she'd use it more. The orient express does come with a fair bit of track anyway.
It's going to be converted to dcc once I Ave a few more trains, I think the extra couple of for should allow for extra trains. It's a good layout that will keep us all busy for a while!
It's going to be converted to dcc once I Ave a few more trains, I think the extra couple of for should allow for extra trains. It's a good layout that will keep us all busy for a while!
Re: Returning to the hobby and looking for suggestions.
Here you go.
9' 6" by 4' 6" gets you:
All R2 curves eliminated.
Hornby/Peco R2 dead frog points replaced with gentler curve electrofrog ones.
(the slight dent in this sketch is because the Streamline points use a closer track spacing. That can get tidied up.)
The shortest (pink) platform face will hold 4 10.5" coaches.
There is room for a decent sized inner operating space and for a plain-track flap or lift-out section if desired.
For scenic effect I've suggested the opposite end to the station gets a high level urban area, with a bridge and ramp down to the goods yard and loco area. I've left the sidings incomplete: they are going to be "to taste".
If the central operating area is not wanted then more sidings and a larger loco depot can be included and the return loop made purely for locos, and some pressure taken off the very busy pink half-loop such that the goods could still be worked with a train at the platform.
A rough idea of that:
In the previous versions as well as being a terminus and departure platform it was also the goods headshunt.
Although there *is* a third inner oval, I didn't envisage trains often running like that. The right dark green half circle is principally to let locos get on and off the ends to their trains, the loco turning around in the process if required.
Now the sidings point away from the inner platform.
We have a full carriage siding (to get a set out of the way when running freight?)
Two long and two short loco sidings.
Four goods sidings.
(the short siding is somewhere to get brake vans out of the way.)
Chris.
9' 6" by 4' 6" gets you:
Hornby/Peco R2 dead frog points replaced with gentler curve electrofrog ones.
(the slight dent in this sketch is because the Streamline points use a closer track spacing. That can get tidied up.)
The shortest (pink) platform face will hold 4 10.5" coaches.
There is room for a decent sized inner operating space and for a plain-track flap or lift-out section if desired.
For scenic effect I've suggested the opposite end to the station gets a high level urban area, with a bridge and ramp down to the goods yard and loco area. I've left the sidings incomplete: they are going to be "to taste".
If the central operating area is not wanted then more sidings and a larger loco depot can be included and the return loop made purely for locos, and some pressure taken off the very busy pink half-loop such that the goods could still be worked with a train at the platform.
A rough idea of that:
Although there *is* a third inner oval, I didn't envisage trains often running like that. The right dark green half circle is principally to let locos get on and off the ends to their trains, the loco turning around in the process if required.
Now the sidings point away from the inner platform.
We have a full carriage siding (to get a set out of the way when running freight?)
Two long and two short loco sidings.
Four goods sidings.
(the short siding is somewhere to get brake vans out of the way.)
Chris.
Last edited by Emettman on Wed Sep 05, 2018 6:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"It's his madness that keeps him sane."
Re: Returning to the hobby and looking for suggestions.
That's awesome thank you, I really like the second one, looks perfect for what I'm wanting to do. That would work along the back wall. I may stick with the set track due to my budget (and being able to use what came with the set).
Re: Returning to the hobby and looking for suggestions.
Here you are back with R2 Hornby or Peco setrack points.
(My suggestion would be to go for the better points, for a long term project.)
Here I'm recalling Rule number 1 "It's my railway and I'll have it the way I want it."
I did find room for an extra coach siding here: you can choose between extra capacity or not, if you think this looks too crowded.
You can start running once you have the two outer ovals in place (R4, with flexi outside it) and just 4 points and 2 diamonds.
That gives you 4 temporary sidings.
The next stage needs 6 points (4 pink, 2 green) and completes the main junctions, and allows the green half-circle to be laid.
It starts 3" earlier than the Red and Yellow curves to allow room for a retaining wall if town scenery is wanted.
Then the last critical step is aligning track from each side to complete the return loop. it's not mm critical.
As drawn, 20 points, total.
5 are "late stage" and can wait, as long as provision to operate them is thought about in advance.
Last query/advice:
does "That would work along the back wall. " mean putting a long side against the wall?
I couldn't advise it. It's just tiring and awkward for building, cleaning, repairs and rescuing de-railed trains.
One way to partially overcome that is if the legs/substructure is on washing machine rollers or the equivalent, so it can be pulled from the wall when access is needed.
I did this for a layout for a hospital, with the base units bolted and strapped together, and on castors: 16ft by 5ft.
Apologies if I've said too much.
It's to be YOUR railway. Rule 1.
Chris.
(My suggestion would be to go for the better points, for a long term project.)
Here I'm recalling Rule number 1 "It's my railway and I'll have it the way I want it."
You can start running once you have the two outer ovals in place (R4, with flexi outside it) and just 4 points and 2 diamonds.
That gives you 4 temporary sidings.
The next stage needs 6 points (4 pink, 2 green) and completes the main junctions, and allows the green half-circle to be laid.
It starts 3" earlier than the Red and Yellow curves to allow room for a retaining wall if town scenery is wanted.
Then the last critical step is aligning track from each side to complete the return loop. it's not mm critical.
As drawn, 20 points, total.
5 are "late stage" and can wait, as long as provision to operate them is thought about in advance.
Last query/advice:
does "That would work along the back wall. " mean putting a long side against the wall?
I couldn't advise it. It's just tiring and awkward for building, cleaning, repairs and rescuing de-railed trains.
One way to partially overcome that is if the legs/substructure is on washing machine rollers or the equivalent, so it can be pulled from the wall when access is needed.
I did this for a layout for a hospital, with the base units bolted and strapped together, and on castors: 16ft by 5ft.
It's to be YOUR railway. Rule 1.
Chris.
"It's his madness that keeps him sane."
Re: Returning to the hobby and looking for suggestions.
That's awesome Chris, I certainly wasn't expecting you to design it again. I think at bed I'll have it against the wall and move it out a bit when I'm use (now that you mention it, it would be a pain when building). I'm probably going to reduce the siding a little so I can have a bit more scenery.
I might well invest in the better track like I did before, it really depends on cost, sadly I'm doing it on a budget, it's shame I don't have all my old track still, I had all the larger points.
I'm certainly going to build it up bit by bit (depending on how much pocket money I'm given lol).
I might well invest in the better track like I did before, it really depends on cost, sadly I'm doing it on a budget, it's shame I don't have all my old track still, I had all the larger points.
I'm certainly going to build it up bit by bit (depending on how much pocket money I'm given lol).