First Iteration. Attic space

[David53]

Hello there

Well I have certainly taken on board the DCC advice. I think I’ll have to look seriously into going with it. Thank you all.

Richard08 yes it is indeed 1.8m. I am looking at sorting out a ‘manhole’ to affect easy maintenance.

I’m still doodling in xtrakcad and am wondering if I should just dump the figure 8 layout and have a few large loops on the 4m x 1.8m side and as end2end suggested have a stabling system on the narrow return.

I could most likely have a shunting yard there as well.

Regards

David

[Bigmet]

Keep on doodling!

I feel you might do better by starting with a couple of circuits and a few sidings and loops, in the roughly 4 by 2m area, with an operating well in the centre; then use that and find out what you get most enjoyment from. There's expansion space if you need it, by expanding to take up the full L shape you have outlined.

You mention a shortage of straight track: suggestion 1, buy a box of flexi, and the railjoiners, much cheaper than using set track pieces. In the area you have, an all flexitrack layout is cheaper than using set track: suggestion 2, consider making the switch before construction. Use Peco's medium radius live crossing points as a minimum size point, and make curves 24" radius or greater, and your layout will both look and run better.

[David53]

Keep on doodling!

I feel you might do better by starting with a couple of circuits and a few sidings and loops, in the roughly 4 by 2m area, with an operating well in the centre; then use that and find out what you get most enjoyment from. There's expansion space if you need it, by expanding to take up the full L shape you have outlined.

You mention a shortage of straight track: suggestion 1, buy a box of flexi, and the railjoiners, much cheaper than using set track pieces. In the area you have, an all flexitrack layout is cheaper than using set track: suggestion 2, consider making the switch before construction. Use Peco's medium radius live crossing points as a minimum size point, and make curves 24" radius or greater, and your layout will both look and run better.

Hello there

Still doodling I am indeed concentrating on the 2x4m section as a start point. Flexi track and s definitely the way to go. All the straights I have can be used elsewhere for minor connections or small areas.

Am now working from minimum 24” radius and above as I draw it up. The Lshape could come in as a shunting section and maybe a turn table with marshalling yard so I can run a loco for the ‘return trip’.

Also thinking of have a passing loop at the back that is obscured by scenery so the train appears to go somewhere.

Scenery wise I’m thinking small town/village look. Maybe a hybrid look. There are going to be some discrete quirks dotted about. A crater with a Martian capsule in it perhaps:D

Oh. I have ‘standard’ hornby points I take it I should look to something different as regards the radius you mentioned and a ‘live frog’?

Regards

David

[End2end]

There are going to be some discrete quirks dotted about.

How about a fossil dig cameo?
This was in a kinder egg. (fireman shown for scale). I think it's an Iguanodon?

A lick of weathering and the skeleton could be a 'new and exciting, recently uncovered discovery!'.

I was going to offer it on the forum anyway for this very reason funny enough.
Let me know if you want it and I can pop it in the post on Monday.

If not, and any other member would like it just ask.
Thanks
End2end

[ChrisGreaves]

... the red rectangles are where the roof trusses cross the plane of the proposed base.
... but I can work round them.

First Iteration.png (55.21 KiB) Viewed 668 times

Hi David; I asked because it seems to me that the joists being at a 30- or 45-degree angle will take up more space in 3D than the space they occupy in 2D at the baseboard level.
Depending on the direction of slope, if the red rectangle represents the space occupied at baseboard level, then the purple box might represent the space as the trusses rise away at 30- or 45-degrees towards the track.
Then perhaps too you will need additional horizontal space for bogie coach or wagons "cutting the corner" on a curve.
Cheers, Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

... Ive been messing around trying to design a layout for the Attic space

David, the rival Red-livery and Yellow-livery gang were out last night using their trademark cans of spray paint, and I think that your design is brilliant.
If I have understood the layout, you have created a round-and-round (red) and an end-to-end (yellow) that can be run simultaneously with the old 12vDC that I remember.
Well done!
Not only, but also ... (blue outline) judicious use of the points would allow you to swap the two trains while in motion, so that a complete run would look like this:
Train 1: Leave the first terminus, run into the round-and-round, contnue round-and round for several circuits.
Train 2: Assemble; Leave the second terminus, run into the round-and-round for several circuits while :-
Train 1: Leaves the round-and-round and heads to the second terminus. Then dis-asemble, and re-assemble a different rake and
Trains 1 & 2 : swap identities and continue forever.
If so, Well done! indeed!
Cheers, Chris

[Bigmet]

... I have ‘standard’ hornby points I take it I should look to something different as regards the radius you mentioned and a ‘live frog’?

Take a look at this layout to see the effect (there are plenty more to look at, this was just conveniently at the top this morning).
https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/F ... 24#p704324

[David53]

Hello there

@Endtoend. Thanks for the offer but I am way off even starting in earnest as yet. So I’ll pass and let someone who can make more immediate use of it take the offer

@Bigmet. Thanks for the link. Nice setup and a good look at my future choices.

@Chrisgreaves. Thanks for your kind words. I have a se one version happening where the figure 8 is folded. There is a loop out on the L with a wye return and five sidings just over one meter long.

Possibly also a single track perimeter run over the hatch and behind the printer bays.

The trusses I have taken note of as regards possible clearance issues but I will deal with them as and if the arrive. Probably easier to deal with once things start getting laid down.

Regards

David

[David53]

Hello there

Well life has been a bit busy so Planning has been slowed down. But I played around with some more ideas but really wasn’t feeling it. So I’ve e expanded the layout base a bit.

I’m now looking at running all the way round the attic space. The 3.5m base stays as is, the right hand 4.3m base gets slimmed down to between two trusses, a fiddle yard base across the adjacent 3.5m span and a narrow span up the left side over the attic hatch. The latter will be hinged.

This leaves space for my three 3D printers too.

A ‘square’ folded figure eight will run round the perimeter. This will incline and decline allowing further loops to pass under and behind to the fiddle yard and through the fiddle yard. In theory this will allow trains to ‘go somewhere’.

Train depot with a turntable is on the cards as well as shunting yards and possible a branch line station etc. Rough drafts look like the balance between scenic space and track space are balanced to a degree.

I’ve been using scarm to help visualise the figure eight and the inclines are close to 1:50 or the 2%+ measure. Once I’ve fleshed it out a bit more I then need to make the tracks look less ‘regimented’ and more organic to stop the ‘train set’ look.

I attach a hastily edited image showing the new basing.

Regards

David

[David53]

This is the new layout idea. Not complete but the bulk of it is in place.

[David53]

Hello there

Still playing with ideas at the moment. Also been measuring out the roof space some more with a mind to under layout storage and lowering the 3D printers out of the line of sight.

Planning an eight lane fiddle yard with a 1.2% gradient climbing to the top level. That's as far as I've got so far.