layout I haven't worked on the layout for a while but I plan on getting back to it. I did manage to squeeze in some time to build a Bowser HO K4 loco kit. It is ready to be sprayed. I just have to get some paint for the airbrush. It is in primer now. Polly scale paint is expensive to order when you factor in shipping. I have to see if anyone local can get it. I will post pics if anyone is interested.
Layout update I have lots of rolling stock and engines and still haven't laid a track. I have no idea what I want to do. I am considering tearing it down and doing a HCD layout...lol. Oh yeah, Mark (aka mystere) if you have any motivation for me fire away...lol
Haha, well, I'll do my best... (In case you havent already noticed, I decided to change my username. ) Actually I was hoping we'd get an update after I saw you were online yesterday. If you have any of the bench work assembled yet then I wouldn't tear it down. I'd just pick my favorite spot and append what is necessary to get the HCD size for a small layout. With that you can have your little slice of paradise AND still have all that work from before saved for when you realize that with all that space, the HCD is just not enough. I think once you get some track laid, and enough to where you can run a train at least back and fourth several feet, you'll find the Train Bug biting down hard. Before you know it, you'll have a fully operational layout. Take care, and keep us posted!
thanks mark Thanks for the advice. I think I remember why I got sidetracked. Xtrakcad is tough to learn. I think I have an idea of what I want to do but getting it on the program....wow!!! lol One thing I am concerned with are the radius for curves. I have been purchasing all of the micro-trains circus cars. I got one of the sets of the sleeper cars and i am sure that the radius needed for these will be higher. I am practicing...Here is what I have going on below... the outer tracks are supposed to be on the hillside/mountain (haven't figured out how to do the elevations etc.) and the lower ones are the main line. This is not exactly what I had in mind but I wanted to practice a bit. I should just draw something out on paper. Even then, I don't know if I can show what is in my head...hahaha
trying to stay focused Does anyone out there have any #6 turnouts they would like to get rid of? I figured I would check here and maybe save a few bucks. If you haven't been following along, I am looking for n scale. Would also be interested in flex track also. Let me know. Thanks. I think I am going to go down and do a little more construction. i have an idea in my head. Oh yeah, Mark...i see you are selling your layout. If I weren't on the other side of the country, it would be sold.
almost ready to start laying track...can someone tell me the track spacing for a double mainline...I am thinking of 1.5" on center. Also, still looking for code 80 #6 turnouts...let me know what you got if you have any to get rid of.
I don't have any turnouts for you, but I am fairly certain that if you butt the diverging routes of two Code 80 #6's to each other you will get about a 1.25" track center spacing. I think that the 1.25" center spacing is a good compromise between appearance (don't want the tracks too far apart) and usability (need to get 1:1 fingers between those 1:160 scale cars to address "minor operating mishaps").
One other question for you all, should i put either foam or plywood over top of the luan that i have down now?
going to build a little more benchwork I have a lot of wasted space in the room so I think I am going to add on to the original benchwork. This is what i am thinking. Any suggestions, comments, criticism...all is welcome. Ignore the tracks I was just trying to learn xtrakcad. Also, still wondering if I should put thicker plywood or foam on top of the existing luann plywood.
If the luan is as thin as I think it is (1/4" or less) I'd recommend 1" or 2" foam for rigidity. On a layout such as what you seem to have in mind, rigidity becomes an important issue. As for XtrkCad, it's worth the time to play around and learn it. For elevation, look under the "Change" menu. Some way down on the menu you will see two options for elevation. Good luck!
need some encouragement or advice Ok, I give up..I can't come up with a track plan for my room. If you notice, this thread has been going on for a while. I actually built a lift out to span the door opening so that I could start laying track but I haven't laid a track yet. Does anyone know of a good plan I can use for my space. I can rebuild the benchwork. I saw a book on building the burlington northern in nscale and considered that. I really wanted to do my own thing but I just can't seem to put it all together. I considered just starting to put down track and make it up as I go but I am afraid that would be a bad idea. I need to have some sort of plan. Give me some opinions or inspiration to continue on. Happy Thanksgiving All!!!!
Ya know, I've got nothing to do today, so if you want, attach the xtrakcad files to this post and i'll be happy to take a poke at it -- Just in looking at your plan I've got a few ideas. What track are you using? If you already posted this I'll read back thorugh -- I typically find that using sectional track makes my planning easier. I also have a TON of kato unitrack that I use for planning purposes, so lay out a section at a time, run it, and see what works/what doesn't. Once I get done with my planning I'd be happy to sell it for what I've got in it (I primarily buy used so that its quite cheap.) -Rob
trains Hello I have read this thread and skimmed the other one and I still have a few questions. Do you have a particular time frame that you want to model. You mention current generation power at one point. Steam at all? The era tells us a lot about what kind of traffic there will be and what not. Place? What area do you want this to represent? If you dont have a preference then where were you when you first fell in love with trains? What were you seeing at that time? Do you have a favorite road name? Do you like an older roadname but want to model it in modern times? (this is fun but requires custom painting, search on fantasy paint schemes) I love this modern Southern paint job. I cant afford to buy and paint the locomotives necessary to put together a consist like this but if I win the lottery you know where some of that money is going..LOL Do you like mines and coal? Do you like prairies and grain hoppers? Do you like deserts and intermodal traffic? Do you like ports and ships and docks? Do you like to switch cars and operate or see made up trains run through your scenery? Do you like logging or paper making? Steel furnaces? Ore trains? (I love those short hoppers, but not enough to abandon my Southern Railway roots) Do you want to run passenger trains? I see you were getting the circus set, do you want to model an actual circus on the layout or just have the circus train run through? As a general rule if you model an older time frame you will have more trackwork with tighter and more complicated design and more numerous but smaller rail using industries. Come into the current era and you have much less, and much less complicated trackwork, fewer rail using industries, with those that are left being much larger. Use bingmaps and it's birds eye view to check out some places as they currently exist. In the cities and suburban areas bingmaps has high enough resolution to pretty much read street signs. If you like coal and its associated fun look at this site, Appalachian Railroad Modeling - Home Give us a little more direction and I am sure we can come up with a plan you will like. If anyone has thrown that room and benchwork into xtrak yet can you post it up? I would have a go at it as well.
Ok let me try to answer some of the questions. As far as road names. I am fond of conrail/Norfolk Southern and New york central. i have no plans of doing steam. You asked where I was when I first loved trains. I grew up about an hour from altoona (Mt. Union, PA) and the conrail trains came through town all of the time as one of their mainlines goes that way. I could see them from my parent's house. It was great. To explain what I am looking to do: I want to run trains. I am not too concerned about switching. I want a long double main and a big yard. I would like some sort of engine facility. Basically, i am one of those people who like to see trains running. I would like to have a town or two, some mountain/forest areas, a few factories and maybe even a steel mill. As far as the circus train, I never thought about actually modeling the circus. I just got them because I liked them. Modeling the circus would be interesting. A guy suggested that I have a bunch of different scenes (see attachment) I would need to build a little more benchwork but that isn't an issue. You mentioned that modern trackwork isn't as complicated. I would rather do the modern trackwork. I think it is obvious that I am not a rivet counter and that I don't need this to be exactly to prototype. This will be a world that was created not something that already exist.
Here are some other ideas that have been contributed...thanks to all who sent. how do I put an xtrakcad file on here.
yard Here is a primer on yards. Yards--freight and passenger - LdsigWiki another one Yard Design Everyone should have these bookmarked somewhere. I think the yard should be on the 11 foot wall opposite the furnace room bump. That would give you long enough yard tracks to have 20-25 car trains. You will end up wrapping the lead around the corner but that wont be a big deal. There will be major engine service facilities there as well. Here is a link to my tinypic album and you can see a bunch of Roanoke VA yard and engine facility pics there. Also take a look at the place with bingmaps, they have excellent close ups of the entire area. Trains - Album - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing Video Hosting I hate to link off site but this thread here has a lot of info in this section about engine service facilities and a detailed track plan of one with the resultant built facility pics as well. my layout and trainworld Check it out.
Make it a high-nose unit, and I'd believe its plausability. Just kidding- whoever did this, did a bang-up job
yard Here is a quick and dirty yard for that 11 foot wall to give you an idea about what can be done. On the top the yard lead crosses the door space on the liftout along with the two mains. Under that is a three track loco service area. There is a two track fuel and sand area before that with a passing track that allows locos to leave the engine service area without interfering with the locos being serviced. With it wrapped around the lower corner you can fit a few pretty long trains in there. Probably 30-35 cars. Back it up to only on the 11 foot wall and the train length would drop to about 20 cars max. Just depends on what you want as far as train length. You can put a rip track in the area closest to the aisle if you would like. I can send you the xtrak file if you would like it. With a yard on one wall the rest of the layout could be some pretty open and sceniced simple mainline running. An industry or two here and there and you would be set pretty well.
yard Here it is with some quickly scrawled notes. Use this yard with this general map and you are halfway there eh?
