Hi folks, newbie here; I've searched the forum and online for a good expansion of the Scenic Ridge layout for a 4 x 8 space (N gauge). I love the layout, but am running passenger trains, so the turns are just too tight, and I'd like to fill out the space I have. I'm using Kato Unitrack, which of course is easy to work with, but I'm having trouble making a plan work given the fixed sizes of the pieces. I'm using the free version of Railmodeller (for Mac), which is great, but is there a secret to making things come together?? I'm simply widening the curves to at least 12 3/4" and extending some of the straights. Is there some kind of "formula," or is it just trial and error? I appreciate any help - thank you! James
To be more specific: I've not been able to make the track come together at the end - it's misaligned in one way or another, and I've just been playing with adding and subtracting and changing curve radius - is it just a matter of doing that til I find the right combination? Thanks again - James
Can you show us an image and maybe we can help fix the problem. And yes, just play with it, you'll learn what it can do over time.
Thanks! So here's what I came up with - the numbers are the Kato Unitrack part number. The gaps are due to using the free version of Railmodeller, which only lets you use 50 elements! So the spaces are the right size for actual pieces - the curves are the 348mm 45 degree, and the straights the full-length straight. The two smaller gaps are for the extension piece Kato makes, which I was happy to find. It's basically the Scenic Ridge layout expanded in both width and length for a 4 x 8 base, and with wider curves to accommodate the passenger cars I'm running. So if I did it right (and it took hours!), this should work; my question is whether there are any obvious gaffs or inefficiencies, or just suggestions for a better mod. Sorry the pic is so bad - it won't let you take a screen shot. And by the way, once I learned how to use Railmodeller, I really liked it - though I've tried nothing else. Thanks again - James
You wouldn't necessarily need the extension tracks. Since you cannot buy individual pieces of track (they tend to come in packs of four) you will have some extra pieces left over. You can cut these to the correct size fairly easily, and there are plenty of videos online for this...
