Jump to content

Let's see your layouts


Dave_wright_1986

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1.2k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

@ PJ MODEL TRAINS

 

Thanks PJ, I took it to our club this morning, as an experiment to see if I could get the whole lot, trestles, stock, laptop, etc all in the car, and to show the guys there for their opinions.

The layout fitted in the car, was well received by club members and will have its first outing at our exhibition in April.

Sisnce the pics were taken I've added some bushes and passengers have started arriving for the first commuter service to London :) 

All in all a good mornings work!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ PJ MODEL TRAINS

 

Thanks PJ, I took it to our club this morning, as an experiment to see if I could get the whole lot, trestles, stock, laptop, etc all in the car, and to show the guys there for their opinions.

The layout fitted in the car, was well received by club members and will have its first outing at our exhibition in April.

Sisnce the pics were taken I've added some bushes and passengers have started arriving for the first commuter service to London :) 

All in all a good mornings work!

 

 

Hi Tony

 

I like the modelling, to me it is a big part of the whole project.  But, with so much to do I tend to split each part into three stages, basic which is preparation and may be station platforms, some wime later as I am doing now add lights and flower beds, later on the finishing touches. Same with the lake, river and grass, basic stage, second trees and finally go back and add wild flowers and even weeds. (Most people throw them away!)

 

Well done today and good luck in April.

 

PJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Managed to get the baseboard fixed onto the frames this evening. Temporarily tacked the track onto the board to give me an idea of space. Need to buy long straights as I currently have lots of small straights joined (More potential points of failure) and some more points. Then I needed to buy some radius 1 curves for my diesel yard.

 

Gonna go down the cork underlay route for the track to quieten things down a little. Then I'll start the ballasting once I'm 100% sure I dont wanna change the layout again. Once thats out of the way it'll be time for buildings and landscaping.

 

16640927567_c13190d6c1_z.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers for the advice guys. Was just about to pull the trigger on some radius 1 track to. Not sure I understand quite what you mean PJ.

 

Like I said before, I'm very open to suggestions. I do have a lot of space in the centre of my 2 express routes for different ideas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think what PJ means is to put a point to the right of the station platform as we are looking at it now and bring a siding or two towards the camera. I'd be inclined to turn the point you've got lower left and have a siding go into the centre in the other direction. You will get longer sidings that way and they wont need to be curved. R-

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi N0ddie

 

The layout looks good, your have more in it than I have, so yours is probably a super doopa version of what I set out to do.

 

When you look at your first diagram and then the latest one there is so much more going on. So much more to play with  ;o)

 

I will add a few images of what I am attempting shortly, then it wil just be waiting for Adam to release it.

 

PJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi N0ddie

 

Below is an image of my first attempt of the design of my layout, size 7' 6" by 4' 6".

 

Track that didn't quite fit in the image, I used flexi track and got a gradual curve.

 

/media/tinymce_upload/Train_Layout_RailMaster_Mch_2014.jpg

 

Below is how the layout looks in RailMaster

 

/media/tinymce_upload/141213_RailMaster1.jpg

 

Below - 3 months down the line this is were I was (Feb 2014)

 

I used 50mm thick cavity wall insulation and put my layout on top of it. The insulation sheet was fixed to the plywood with Copydex, as was the cork and the track, no pins. The reason I did it this way was I wanted different levels and could cut out the foam insulation to do it. Eventually the far end will have a lift off hill with tunnel giving me three level yet keeping my track on just one level. (Personal choice I also like modelling)

 

/media/tinymce_upload/140120_3_MONTHS_DONE_road_to_station_to_weather.jpg

 

Below is a view looking back down the layout. You will see the different levels.

 

/media/tinymce_upload/140329_Layout_with_road_bridge_houses.jpg

 

Moving on a little below was the view taken in December, 13 month on but still lots to do  ;o)

Still working on signals but, street lights, car lights, house lights on place and wires to undersides of platforms ready for platform and station lighting.

 

/media/tinymce_upload/141214_layout_street_lights_signals.jpg

 

The above are just included as examples, may it will help with your ideas as you prepare your layout. 

 

The great thing about this hobby is everyone's layout is different and there is so much to learn, I love looking at other peoples layouts.

 

PJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So this weekend's plan was to buy some rolling stock for my new diesel locos. However, that plan went out of the window when I popped into Waddell's Models in Glasgow and bought myself some rolls of "grass" for the board. Purchased some radius 4 curves and begun the wholesale changes of my layout.

 

16707379918_511ef9d043_z.jpg

 

16894094801_2d18e94e28_z.jpg

 

16894075181_feb8987ce5_z.jpg

 

16895066325_13006d6c2f_z.jpg

 

The layout is not far for finished. Still need to buy some more points (for my diesel yeard area), some single curve 3rd radius (to allow me to connect up to the single track either side of the station), some very long straights (As a lot of the bigger straight sections are constructed of loads of little straights) and then more platform (to take it to full Pendolino length, though want to get the point tracks in before I buy to ensure I buy the right amount for the space left). Also discovered some flaws with this layout though these should be easily solved with some curved points.

 

The grass rolls are far from perfectly fitted but the "rough-around-the-edges" look adds something I think. Once I'm 100% (or as close as one can be in this hobby) that the layout is final then I'll procure some cork underlay for the track and then begin the long painstaking task of ballasting. Will also replace the drawing pins with proper track pins at this stage.

 

Once the track is in and ballasted then begins the job of creating a little world with buildings, roads, cars, people etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi N0ddie

 

The layout looks good, but don't rush with the balkast until you are 'sure' everything works and is as you want it. Run your trains round andround to be sure.

 

I can see a train going anti-clockwise can go from outer track to 2nd loop or 3rd loop but, a train going clockwise, if I see correctly, can only go from the outer loop to the 2nd loop. Not to your 3rd, inner most loop. Is this correct or have I missed something.

 

PJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Noddie

 

Hope you don't mind any comments, they are only intended to help, especially before you fix everything.

 

As mentioned above, run your trains if you can, to test every inch of track andevery option you want to schieve. If you can't let your eye follow the track as the train driver sees to make sure you are 100% happy before fixing.

 

Take your train in the sidings, it can come out onto lets say 3rd loop, it can cross to 1st, outer loop, but not 2nd loop. It can hower get back to second loop on the other side but, as mentioned earlier not back to the 3rd loop.

 

Do you want your trains to be able to go from any of the 3 loops, in or ouraard as you require?

 

PJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi N0ddie

 

It doesn't matter how you choose to do it in the end, what is important is that your trains can reach every loop and cross over where ever you want them to.

 

You may decide you would like a second station, you can do that as a low relief by having an upstand and add your station to it taking up very little space.  If you did, you may then consider having your points at either end, think of all the options at this stage. What I found useful and saved me a lot of future problems I am sure was that I let my eye view the track as if it is the train driver, follow it round and round, over every branch, make sure you are happy. Once you can add power do the same again with your train, make sure it works for you. It is worth the time, you won't regret it.

 

Keep up the good work it is going to be a great layout.

 

PJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
  • Create New...