Newbie & layout

First off let me say hello. I have been scouring the web for information the past two weeks and must say this is a one stop shop for a plethera of info!!! kudos to this site!!!

Second I have a layout I am working on. I downloaded a cool FREE program from atlas to help design a layout. Unfortunetally it does not tell you if it will work.

To describe my layout. It is 3' x 4' on 7/16" OSB I plan on topping that with 1" foam then using AMI instant roadbed ( I like the idea of the tackness) I have a BMP image but have to find a spot to upload it to. What I am basically seeking is some help and advice on clearances of my turns.

I am not as hardcore as most of you yet.. my desires of my layout are simple:

I want 3 areas (they will be small)
a small city, a farm, and an Industrial area.. I also have a plan for a mountain with a tunnel, waterfall into a lake.. into a small stream...

I have the plans for the sceanery pretty well mapped out in my head and I am fairly good at details from previous model, airbrushing experience. The one thing I am totally lost on.. is what company the trains will be (what line?)

I am in Michigan and would like to incorporate home (detroit suburb) with its car transports and such yet have the beauty of northern MI... as you can see I am tossed up on the actual cars and functions...

I want something that I can "play" with yet looks fairly functional

sorry about my rambling I am just kinda excited about this and I am dying for guidance help etc etc..

like I said I have the BMP if anyone wants me to send it to look at or they can post it for me.. thanks a bunch



[ 24. January 2003, 05:48: Message edited by: Colonel ]

 

sent bmp.. thanks a bunch

 

Welcome to our railroad family here on the TrainBoard! You say it is a 3' x 4', but it is drawn to 3' x 5' and looks great for what you describe you wanted. Probably normal "N" curves would work OK. You have continuous running, switching, and areas for industries and a tunnel or two. I could spend hours just switching cars around, making up trains, running them a few loops around then breaking them up to re-make into a "new" train again. You will have to have at least one road engine and one switcher of course.

Now I just happen to have for sale......! HA!

 

OOPS!!! I meant 3x5 err musta been tired when I posted that.. Ohhh I have another huge question that popped up.. I know for right now my layout will be analog (no need and no cash for dcc) Should I Isolate the industrial areas from the other parts since i won't be using dcc?

I should also mention that the only things I have for my layout is the OSB... and a few pieces of sectional I purchased to get a perspective on size.. other than that it is a brand new project with no ingredients as of yet... I figured I mind as well start the layout with the track and basic sceanery (mountain, tunnel) before I bought any trains.. Trying to prioritze my funding and plan things so they go smoothly or so I hope

[ 24. January 2003, 17:21: Message edited by: Strthoky ]

 

JUst a side note... I thought it was pretty humorus that I am doing this project in "N" scale while I live less than a quarter mile from the Lionel factory headquarters now if they would go into n-scale I would be happy

 

You want to give that some serious thought. Make certain you can easily reach inside any tunnel to retrieve a train that might (and will) derail in there.

The expense of starting out with DCC will probably pay off for you in the long run, because you will have a far easier time of laying and or changing your track. You would be ahead of the game later on.

Consentrate on laying really good flat smooth track first of all. Make sure your turnouts work perfectly, I mean hone the points sharp and try them several times to be sure. Use ONLY nickle silver track. Get a passenger car for now, and use it to test the track and all switches. You will learn fast as you go.

You can put masking tape over the tracks and do scenery later on. Peel off the tape after a day in the summer time, and a couple of days anytime.

You can still have blocks, if you like, but they are not necessary with DCC.

Watch on eBay and get a cheap diesel engine and use it for test, even if you go DC, then later on you will have learned enough to pay the bigger bucks for a really good one. One of the guys missed a good one for $25.00 the other day, no one bid on it. Its sells for $145 at the local Hobby Store. He must have thought it was too high.

You can always use the cheapy to test with, don't risk your big guns.

Anything wortrhwhile is worth waiting for, just like a good wife, don't be in a hurry.

 

Well, dcc for what you have may be cheaper than you think. And if you haven't spent money yet, getting into dcc now may be a whole lot cheaper than going dc, then dcc latter.

First your needs aren't demanding and the simplest of dcc systems is all you need (some will tell you it isn't great, but the worst dcc is better than the best dc).

Look for a USED MRC 2000 dcc unit. It comes complete with power and three throttles. You should be able to find one for around $50 American. With two decoders (they are getting really cheap now) you can be into dcc for less than $100.

Now before you roll your eyes, remember that you will probably buy one MRC power pack and the Atlas gizmo's to run your trains in electrical blocks. Then you will decide you need another power pack so that you can run a second train. When you add all this up, you are very close to that $100 dollar mark, or slightly under.

What usually happens is that the person then decides they want to go dcc, and end up with two spare MRC power packs, and the Atlas gizmo's being primarily irrelevant.

So why not skip this stage and go directly to dcc.

The MRC will support up to ten engines running on your layout, more than enough I'm sure you will agree.

Also consider dividing your layout into two areas, with a view block down the center, either running parrallel or diagonal to the layout - thus making your layout feel larger.

[ 24. January 2003, 18:45: Message edited by: rsn48 ]

 

What do you mean by this??

 

Hmmm... how will I describe it. Visually you are blocking your layout into two areas, and the only way you can see the other side is by going around to it. Now imagine a rectangle representing your layout. Lets keep with a 4 by 8 (size is irrelevant). So one way you can divide it is to have a piece of plywood eight feet long and about two feet high run right down the middle of the 4 by 8. So this piece of 2 by 8 is standing on its side, held up by L brackets dividing your layout into two 2 by 8 layouts. So now the only way you can see the other side of the layout is to walk around to the other side.

Visually this extends your layout, you don't see it all at once.

 

So what you are saying is.... If I make a seperation that would cause you to go to the other side it would look bigger?

I can't do that because it is going into a corner
I am utting casters on the legs so I can move it out with ease

 

I'll have to agree with Watash,your first priority would be to get your track in good and solid and make sure it all works, then you can go on to scenery. Also I would recomend going right into DCC . Since your just starting you might as well start out right!!

 

ok that gives me another question.... I can understand why it is important to get the track down right.. But my concern with that is... if I put the foam over my osb.... then my road bed... then my track ... from what I have read.. you put that plaster coated gauze over the foam the go from there.. if I put the track in before that I would have an unnatural lump wouldn't I? Sorry if I am being dense.. I am just trying to work this out in my head and on paper to make sure I have the best results

 

You will learn by experience as you go.

Once you have your track plan down, draw it on the foam full size. Do the center line first, then mark out the width from ditch to ditch all around including the turnouts.

Mark each bridge, building, etc. Now you know what fits where. the area left is what you sculpt into uneven ground, or build up into a mountain.

If you build a mountain first, you got to hire some tiny guys to blast the tunnel through, then get in there and lay track, good track!

I have good luck laying track, run trains for awhile, then cut a mailing tube in half, cover the track and build the mountain over the track. Remove the tube, peel the masking tape off the rails, and I'm ready to run again.

Tunnels are good places to leave your engines when not operating, it protects them from dust and smoke, your "smoky" engines as well as ciggarrette type phew!

[ 25. January 2003, 02:29: Message edited by: watash ]

 

awesome thanks for the great info... now the layout up there is made with section track... would flex track be easier? cheaper?

 

Easier in that it is usually stiffer, but you have all those joints to solder, plus sometimes you have to give a light slide of a tiny flat or 3 corner file to take off any cutting burr so the rail foot will slide into a joiner. You do get the wheel clickety-clack sound some people like.
If you buy from eBay or mail order you may find some for less than advertized cost.

Shop around if cash is a problem. Check out Internet Trains first though, they are one of our sponsors, and have had some good deals.

Flex track is easier if you are in the mountains and have lots of curves of varying radii to contend with. If you get Peco silver rail it will stay where you bend it. If you get another brand, it may be a little cheaper, but you get what you pay for (not knocking any particular brand) just a fact. You only have the two ends to solder, and you can always nick the rails every 40 feet to get the clickety-clack if you want it. I have found Shinnohara track to be wide of gauge, and pretty stiff, so can be a problem when bending for curves, and harder to cut.

The clickety only works if you have metal wheels, it wont work on the cheep cheep cheap plastic ones. (I don't like plastic, but don't tell anyone! SH-h-h-h)