I've been meaning to start this thread for a while, and of course, kept forgetting. I wanted to share my layout progress so far. It's an N scale layout built on a 36" hollow core door with 1" foam board on top. The track plan is rather simple to start as I wanted to use this layout as a learning experience for my next. There are already several things I know I would do differently, and some of them are even things some of you pointed out in my design thread (live and learn, I guess, right?). Up until today, the HCD was sitting on saw horses. My dad came over to help me finish the legs I started months ago, based on the plans from MRR's Feb 2015 issue. To date, almost all of the track is laid, aside from the team track at the top, and the three tracks for the car shop on the lower right. All turnouts will have Caboose Hobbies ground throws, and about half of those are installed. All track aside from the yard and sidings is on cork roadbed. I've also built a few of the buildings so far, including: Walton & Sons Lumber Co, the Carshop, Merchant's Row II, and the Red Wing Mill. Still have a few more to purchase and assemble. My next steps are to finish the bus wire to all the feeders which have been dropped and soldered. After that I would like to start scenery, however, that may have to wait as we just bought a house and will be moving in early June. I'll try to get better at posting more pictures and progress updates. I welcome any comments or questions you may have (and advice ).
Nothing wrong with learning. It reads as though you may be already looking at the future. Good impetus for getting on with this layout!
Yes, indeed. We just bought a house, and there is a room in the basement that will be the train room. My plan though is to "finish" this one, with scenery and everything as I've never gotten that far on a layout before . Once I'm "bored" with operating this layout, the plan is to make a new layout, likely around the walls. Hopefully will be able to salvage the track and structures, etc.
I usually try to 'see' the flow of traffic on layouts. I can see your train running clockwise and serving the warehouses on the left....the team track...the yard and car shops...and even the lumberyard with reverse moves. I am just trying to figure why you need the reversing loop in the middle. You could easily skip the section of straight track and the 2 turnouts in the middle and thus skip the reversing loop. Unless there is a specific reason for needing a reversing loop. Just curious and confused...lol...thnxs
Thanks, mtntrainman. It honestly isn't required as you pointed out, I just sort of liked the idea of having the track cut across the middle - I unfortunately don't have a better reason than that.
You can just operate the layout as if that short section between the two opposing direction switches is not there.
BUT....if that section of track is in there...wont he need an AR if he backs across that section of track past the spur to the lumberyard ? Taking out the straight section and those 2 turnouts would mean no AR required at all ;-)
Cleaner and no chance of a short on tracks and no AR needed. Plus he saves 2 turnouts and a section of straight track.
You could leave it in...but IMHO you would need to isolate that piece of straight track...and leave it unpowered ;-)
I actually really like your plan you posted above. I might consider that, although I already have all the cork and track laid and the reverse loop module. I will give this some consideration though! Either way, a lesson learned for the next layout. Part of me actually wants to start drawing up rough plans for the next layout as things are fresh in my mind. I am guessing that that layout is still about two years away, but then I can tweak the plan as I go. Any thoughts on that? Or just continue working and focusing on this layout and worry about the next when the time comes?
If you have the AR module you should be ok....I think IMHO...draw the plans for the next one and stick em in a drawer somewhere. Concentrate on this one...scenic it...run trains on it...enjoy it. You will most likely pull the plans for the next one out of the drawer a hundred times in the next few years...to refine the track plan before you actually build it ;-)
This x1000!!!!!! Whatever you do, don't tear this one down until your bigger one is completed, you will regret it! Enjoy this one and avoid trying to salvage turnouts and such. It will relieve pressure on you when you start the bigger layout, so you don't rush to get trains running. I know from experience. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Why tear it down at all? Why not use the time between "finishing" this layout - my use of quotes is intentional here, because a layout should never be "finished" - and constructing the next one, to figure out a way to integrate this layout into the larger one? I like your plan, especially with the reversing loop (if you can scenically disguise it). if you plan to use DCC (I admit I don't recall if you specified your control system), a reversing section is simplicity itself. If you build this layout to a high enough construction/operation standard, then I see no reason to throw away hard work. Like many other things, layout components - hell, even whole layouts -can be recycled. When I started building my current 80x36 double track loop layout in 2009, I did it with the full intention of figuring out how to merge it into something bigger. I think I am now at that point, after countless hours of doodling, and numerous layout iterations. That was actually fun in itself. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. Paul Ristuccia
SNE & Ristooch, These are both very good posts. I am not sure what I will end up doing in the end, whether I work on this layout for 10+ years, expand it or start over. At the very least, i want this layout to be scenic-ed and fully operational before I look at expanding or starting over.
Tonight I was able to install my Digitrax PR-3 to the layout and set up JMRI to allow for controlling my trains. I now have WiThrottle installed on my old iPhone, so I have more throttles beyond my Zephyr. I'm impressed. The UI of WiThrottle has a lot to be desired (this coming from a web developer), but I like it and it's functional.
That's awesome your using the wi throttle!! At The layout I operate on, the owner does the same ad well ad dispatching and turnout control as well! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Looks like you've got a solid start there, and I echo what the others have said about building and learning from this one, and if it works well enough, incorporating it into the next! Or not. Enjoy!
This weekend, I finally got the tracks installed inside of my Back shop. It was much harder than I thought it would be, mainly because I was having a hard time getting the glue to hold the rails. I think next time I would do it either before I put the walls up, but at the very least before I put the trusses in at the top.
As others have said, don't tear it down but rather figure a way to integrate it into a larger one. I started out with a HCD-sized layout using a track plan I found on one of the Kalmbach books. I have since added an L-section on one end after tearing some track and revising it. I'm now planning on tearing some track and add an extension on the opposite end. You have a great plan there.
The trick to buildings with rails inside is to build it completely without glueing the shell to the base. Set the base in its final location and glue or otherwise lock the base in place. Now run the rails into or through the building(s). You can then drop the shell in place. You may want to keep the shell removeable until you are finished with interior details and you run on the rails enough to make sure there are no issues. Who knows, you may want to add lighting etc as part of your scenery learning curve. Whatever you do, enjoy and have fun.