Erinburgh - Ambitious first layout

[rreckless]

I'm finally ready to begin building my 1st layout since I was a kid and my first ever in N gauge. Erinburgh, named for my daughter, is a fictional city in the north of England. Layout will be a continuous loop modern day setting. Control will be DCC, points will eventually be automated using DCC also, but this will come a little down the line.

All track is ordered, wood to build the baseboard is being purchased tomorrow

This is the layout in AnyRail, size is 10'x3:


I'll endeavour to update here regularly!

[Mountain]

Is a lot of track! Exciting! Did you buy spare railjoiners? Buy a few packs just incase. What about buffer stops? Just thinking of things one often forgets when ordering.

[rreckless]

Not bought anything except track yet and joiners yet, and it is a lot of track

Starting out by getting the baseboard built and track loosely laid, then build the scenery around it.

[Mountain]

Losely place track where it should go. Draw roughly around track areas. Paint track areas a ballast colour. Paint other scenic areas greenish or brownish colours. The basic idea is when adding ballast and scenery, any gaps in either that are missed will look a more natural colour.

[rreckless]

Losely place track where it should go. Draw roughly around track areas. Paint track areas a ballast colour. Paint other scenic areas greenish or brownish colours. The basic idea is when adding ballast and scenery, any gaps in either that are missed will look a more natural colour.

Wood paint is something else I should buy tomorrow

[Dad-1]

This is going to be an interesting journey.
I'll be following, quietly. Partially because I can't cope with 'N'.

Geoff T.

[centenary]

I'm finally ready to begin building my 1st layout since I was a kid and my first ever in N gauge. Erinburgh, named for my daughter, is a fictional city in the north of England. Layout will be a continuous loop modern day setting. Control will be DCC, points will eventually be automated using DCC also, but this will come a little down the line.

All track is ordered, wood to build the baseboard is being purchased tomorrow

This is the layout in AnyRail, size is 10'x3:


I'll endeavour to update here regularly!

People said to me beware straight ovals as it will get boring with only the end curves. Personally, I think it depends If you want to run trains quite quickly then straights are worthy but if you want to run them slowly, maybe some curved sections instead of arrow straights may be a consideration?

One thing I did neglect to do at the design stage was plan my wiring and where my control panel would be sited. Now, it's a bit of a head scratching exercise of figuring out where I want what! Good luck with automating all those points!

[rreckless]

I'm finally ready to begin building my 1st layout since I was a kid and my first ever in N gauge. Erinburgh, named for my daughter, is a fictional city in the north of England. Layout will be a continuous loop modern day setting. Control will be DCC, points will eventually be automated using DCC also, but this will come a little down the line.

All track is ordered, wood to build the baseboard is being purchased tomorrow

This is the layout in AnyRail, size is 10'x3:


I'll endeavour to update here regularly!

People said to me beware straight ovals as it will get boring with only the end curves. Personally, I think it depends If you want to run trains quite quickly then straights are worthy but if you want to run them slowly, maybe some curved sections instead of arrow straights may be a consideration?

One thing I did neglect to do at the design stage was plan my wiring and where my control panel would be sited. Now, it's a bit of a head scratching exercise of figuring out where I want what! Good luck with automating all those points!

Once I've loosely laid the track, I may look at adding some variety on the straights. Excessively long straights is certainly something I'm wary of.

In terms of wiring, I'll be planning that once I've built the baseboard. As Mountain mentioned above, I'm going to trace out the track on the board and then base my wiring off that.

[Phred]

The plan looks great - I'll be following the build with interest.

[rreckless]

It was like xmas day at my house today. All the wood for the baseboard is here and all the track arrived

[rreckless]

Baseboard is nearly built. Need a bit more wood for some cross bracing on the legs for stability, but it’s at least in place now so I see how big it is

[potatan]

This looks a very interesting build, and at the pace I seem to work at it'll probably be finished well before I've made my first station platform.... Some nice ideas in there for scenes too, would be nice to have as much space as this

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Looks interesting, I'll be watching to, but from the sidelines. I only have one little piece of advice, lay the track, get power to the track and run it as a layout, for a least 12 months before you add scenery, because you'll want to change your plan here and there in that 12 months. That will be your learning curve, it will save you a fortune.

manna

[aleopardstail]

Losely place track where it should go. Draw roughly around track areas. Paint track areas a ballast colour. Paint other scenic areas greenish or brownish colours. The basic idea is when adding ballast and scenery, any gaps in either that are missed will look a more natural colour.

Wood paint is something else I should buy tomorrow

100% buy paint, build the board, drill holes for cables in cross sections etc (not point or dropper holes though, just any large holes), drill and sand any hand holds you want - and seriously think about how the sections can be moved - even if its all getting bolted firmly never to move again..

then sand the lot before assembly, and again after to remove exposed edges.

prime it, add proper gloss to all except the top surface

you will hate doing it, you will not regret it later

[aleopardstail]

I'm finally ready to begin building my 1st layout since I was a kid and my first ever in N gauge. Erinburgh, named for my daughter, is a fictional city in the north of England. Layout will be a continuous loop modern day setting. Control will be DCC, points will eventually be automated using DCC also, but this will come a little down the line.

All track is ordered, wood to build the baseboard is being purchased tomorrow

This is the layout in AnyRail, size is 10'x3:


I'll endeavour to update here regularly!

People said to me beware straight ovals as it will get boring with only the end curves. Personally, I think it depends If you want to run trains quite quickly then straights are worthy but if you want to run them slowly, maybe some curved sections instead of arrow straights may be a consideration?

One thing I did neglect to do at the design stage was plan my wiring and where my control panel would be sited. Now, it's a bit of a head scratching exercise of figuring out where I want what! Good luck with automating all those points!

Once I've loosely laid the track, I may look at adding some variety on the straights. Excessively long straights is certainly something I'm wary of.

In terms of wiring, I'll be planning that once I've built the baseboard. As Mountain mentioned above, I'm going to trace out the track on the board and then base my wiring off that.

the only comment I'd make on what looks like a fun layout is the reversing loop track is quite short and may cause you a few issues - if you are not going for block stuff I'd be tempted to make the entire central bit, including the stadium station and quarry yard the reversing section, so long as you only drive in or out but not through with anything longer than the points top or bottom you will be fine

most trains will be fine but you don't want metal wheels bridging both sections at the same time

looking forwards to watching this though, its a lovely looking plan