Newbie
Newbie
Hello everyone I'm new here, and will be reading much more than posting. As of yet I do not have a Model set up but working my way to the day. I have in my mind and a few sketches of what I'm working towards. When I was a Boy it was an Oval on the back of a Door with a control unit. Now its just mind blowing, this is why I will be on more research than posting, I have nothing to post. The only trains I have is an intercity (years old) and a Class 58, re numbered to 58019. There is a clue to where I want to be going. Thank You.
Re: Newbie
Welcome to NRM. Yes. Things have changed quite a lot.
Modelling On A Budget ---》 https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/F ... 22&t=52212
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Re: Newbie
Welcome, are your sketches real as in pencil and paper, if you can scan or photograph tehm with a phone, you could add them to a post and show us your ideas, mush better than stylised plans produced by software. I do most of my planning full sized on rolls of lining paper, far fewer c*** ups.
Growing old, can't avoid it. Growing up, forget it!
My Layout, My Workbench Blog and My Opinions
My Layout, My Workbench Blog and My Opinions
Re: Newbie
Constantly changing my ideas, took a few photos of Shirebrook Station, now used as Robin Hood Line. So it would be 2 parallel tracks Shirebrook Colliery to the right, working left, Old Loco garage on the right then a Branch line that went to Warsop Colliery and beyond, carry on 2 track Davis Wagon Works would be on the left with track onto Main Line. Just have to work out now 2 possibly 3 Ovals. Guess when I get to this stage I will find out Old style Power will not work as to what I want it to do. Thank You.
Re: Newbie
If using conventional DC, each oval will need its own controller. Do not buy cheap controllers that are found in train sets. Always get something better. Gaugemaster and Moorley do nice DC controllers.
Then you come to DCC (Digital Command Control). Only one decent DCC system is needed to run an entire layout as boosters can be added later if the layout gets very large. Quite a few advantages of DCC, BUT it comes at a cost. Every loco has to be fitted with a DCC decoder which start from £20 and up which is the main issue as a few older locos can be difficult to fit decoders in either due to how they are designed (One has to isolate the two track contacts and the two motor contacts and some chassis were not made to do this so one can have a job on ones hands, especially with most Mainline ad some early Bachmann locos, and a few old Hornby locos (Most old Hornby locos are easy enough to convert, as are Lima), and one also needs to find room for these decoders to fit. The smaller the decoder the more the price tends to go up when buying them!).
The other downside with DCC is it adds another realm of un-necessary technicality to things which can rack ones brains when things do not go to plan.
Ordinary DC may need to end up wirh lots of wires, but getnerally it is all technically simple so easier to work out what is going on when fault finding etc., which can at times feel like a luxury in stress a. voidance! It is also more budget friendly.
DCC does have advantages though. One can run two or more trains on the same single piece of track even going in opposite directions (Not that one wants to do any of that as if done on the real railways drivers would have the sack!). One can also switch lights on and off from the controller or even DCC sound (Sound decoders are pretty expensive).
But at the end of the day, if you are like me and just want to get the trains to go as cheaply and as simply as possible, then there is nothing at all wrong with plain old DC, or Direct Current if we give it its proper term.
Two ovals or three? Well. That is for you to decide as well. I would use two to keep things simple and it gives one more room for the scenic touch. Looks less crammed in as well, but if one has the room, one can certainly add a third oval if one desires.
I do favour a single oval myself, but it all depends on the type of trains one wants to run and the setting one wants to portray.
It can be difficult to squeeze actual locations into model form unless one is blessed with a lot of space.
Compromize allows us to get the look of the real thing without needing the space... We all do it. Some of us do it more then others! I am now modelling in 7mm narrow gauge and am working on a small portable layout which is only 2ft wide and at the moment just under 7ft long. I have two passing loops which can accomodate a loco and five 4 wheel coaches and I have a small siding. It is all a tight squeeze and I love it! Compromizing to the extreme... Well... Almost!
Then you come to DCC (Digital Command Control). Only one decent DCC system is needed to run an entire layout as boosters can be added later if the layout gets very large. Quite a few advantages of DCC, BUT it comes at a cost. Every loco has to be fitted with a DCC decoder which start from £20 and up which is the main issue as a few older locos can be difficult to fit decoders in either due to how they are designed (One has to isolate the two track contacts and the two motor contacts and some chassis were not made to do this so one can have a job on ones hands, especially with most Mainline ad some early Bachmann locos, and a few old Hornby locos (Most old Hornby locos are easy enough to convert, as are Lima), and one also needs to find room for these decoders to fit. The smaller the decoder the more the price tends to go up when buying them!).
The other downside with DCC is it adds another realm of un-necessary technicality to things which can rack ones brains when things do not go to plan.
Ordinary DC may need to end up wirh lots of wires, but getnerally it is all technically simple so easier to work out what is going on when fault finding etc., which can at times feel like a luxury in stress a. voidance! It is also more budget friendly.
DCC does have advantages though. One can run two or more trains on the same single piece of track even going in opposite directions (Not that one wants to do any of that as if done on the real railways drivers would have the sack!). One can also switch lights on and off from the controller or even DCC sound (Sound decoders are pretty expensive).
But at the end of the day, if you are like me and just want to get the trains to go as cheaply and as simply as possible, then there is nothing at all wrong with plain old DC, or Direct Current if we give it its proper term.
Two ovals or three? Well. That is for you to decide as well. I would use two to keep things simple and it gives one more room for the scenic touch. Looks less crammed in as well, but if one has the room, one can certainly add a third oval if one desires.
I do favour a single oval myself, but it all depends on the type of trains one wants to run and the setting one wants to portray.
It can be difficult to squeeze actual locations into model form unless one is blessed with a lot of space.
Compromize allows us to get the look of the real thing without needing the space... We all do it. Some of us do it more then others! I am now modelling in 7mm narrow gauge and am working on a small portable layout which is only 2ft wide and at the moment just under 7ft long. I have two passing loops which can accomodate a loco and five 4 wheel coaches and I have a small siding. It is all a tight squeeze and I love it! Compromizing to the extreme... Well... Almost!
Modelling On A Budget ---》 https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/F ... 22&t=52212
Re: Newbie
Thank You Mountain very informative, I have been wondering how things would work out for me. On the Wagon Works front not going into great detail and did think I could just roll them down onto the main line. If running DC could I have more than 1 pick up point from 1 controller. Thank You.