Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:52 am Post subject: Trouble with layout
Things have been quite idle with my layout recently as I've been over run at work, so not had much time.
I've kind of reached a impasse as well. I only have a small area - approx 1.5m x 1.1m. I've got plenty of track, pretty much more than I need and I don't mind buying a bit more.
I'm just stuck as to what to layout! Obviously, it will need to incorporate ovals, but I'd like it to be a bit more interesting than that. I've tried sketching some ideas out, but they are usually too ambitious for the size of area when I come to lay track out.
Any ideas at all? It could be an unofficial competition! Best idea gets to be laid out! _________________ The Thing (aka Hugh)
A quick visit to Even Older Tom yesterday and a trawl thru the 50 copies of Steam Railway I got from Freecycle.org has really fired my enthusiasm to get going again.
A quiet day a work (for once) has lead me to play around with the track a bit and I'm finally coming up with a layout I like: -
A general view from as far away as I can get in my cramped space.
Class 31 275 coming out of the train shed.
A closer view of the 'industrial zone' as is. The track work here is a little tight (!) but I only intend it for shunting goods wagons, so no real problems here. Yes the signal gantry does have 4 arms and there are only 3 tracks. What you cant see is the redundant siding that has been reclaimed by grass and weeds...
The main station is in the far right hand corner. Might need to do something about the platform though!
The halt will go in the opposite far corner.
Closer view of the signal gantry (which needs soldering) and the back of the signal box.
Closer view of the 'industrial zone.'
My splendid Guagemaster Series E controller (another freecycle!) and possibly another halt.
(Remember, it's my first layout, so please be gentle with your comments!)
I'm rather buzzing about it! _________________ The Thing (aka Hugh)
Layout looks fine to me. Can't see much else you could do in the limited space you have. Only suggestion I can make is for you to replace the straight platform sections with curved ones. _________________ Get off the line Bobby!
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t184/Poliss_album/
Good point though poliss, thanks for your feed back. Curved platforms will look better and be more benificial space wise. _________________ The Thing (aka Hugh)
You've managed to squeeze an amazing amount into a very small space - good one.
You might want to put some low hills in the larger area to break up the scene but other than that, you're nearly there! _________________ OK, so now what do I do?
On my old layout I painted the top of the platform with satin dark grey and the the brickwork erm.. brick red. Makes a massive difference to how they look. Maybe using one of those correction fluid pens for the mortar might work too, didn't try it myself, so not sure. _________________ Get off the line Bobby!
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t184/Poliss_album/
Looking good Hugh Like has been said , a painted baseboard works wonders , I did that with Ryans and it looks okay . Don't worry about the signal as its a two track one Red one is a home signal yellow a distance one _________________ Experience is something you don' t get until just after you need it .
In addition to ppoliss' proposal, I'd look for some styrofoam with a thickness a tad lower than your station platform.
This stuff is used as insulation material for walls and roofs and is available in home depots at relatively low cost (and in various thicknesses).
Back home, you start building your own curved platforms like this:
Place a piece of cardboard undernetah your track and pin it down. Next, grab the longest waggon or locomotive (whichever is longer), tape a pencil to the outer edge of it. The pencil must of course touch the cardbord because you want to trace the edge of the platform with the pencil. Now run the wagon through the curve until the pencil reaches the end of the platform.
Cut the cardboard with a very sharp knife along the trace line. Now you have a cutting jig for the styrofoam. Place the jig on top of the styrofoam and cut along the inner (curved) edge.
If you want to integrate your station building into the new platform, slighty press the basesplate of the station on top of the styrofoam and cut along the outside of the left marks. Use white glue full strength to glue the platform to your layout and also to glue the station into the platform.
Now for the platform surface:
I use thin photo cardboard to simulate the platform-deck and glue that also down with white glue. The cardboard brings the foam platform to the same height as the plastic station platform. DON'T USE ANY SOLVENT BASED GLUE as it will virtually "eat up" the foam. You can try this out on a scrap piece of foam. Gives some funny results
Well, and for the rest: detailling your platform is of course up to you... _________________ Modular Railroading in N-scale
Good idea about the hills, Tom. I'll pop a gently rolling down in the central section to break up the flatness.
Bando1, fantastic info, thanks for that. I'll be looking into that.
And if you are going to use Erhard's idea with the styrofoam, you could use a bit of it to make the 'downs' if you sculpt the edges to a shallow incline.
Win-win! _________________ OK, so now what do I do?
Cant reccomend highly enough Erhards idea of the insulating foam ......... i wouldnt contemplate doing scenics without it now far better than paper mache and plastercloth and quicker build up time ......... as Tom said it can be carved very easily with a hacksaw blade a knife cut across horizontally can give rock strata outcrops for more interest. _________________
Not easy to fit it all in the frame - these are taken with the camera held at ceiling height! Also, the centre of the layout is my current storage facility for stock!
Track work has progressed a bit - I've added some more sidings around the industrial zone to give me a bit more shunting action. I think it needs a tiny bit more - another point and a couple of curves - give me enough room to move stuff around.
The remaining track is all tickety-boo though! I've sorted the derailing points out and the flat spots, soldered some feeds on here and there to give power all over. All the locos seem to run round quite nicely and smoothly at last. There are a couple of areas that still cause a bit of a slow down with some of the locos - the Crab in particular, but the track rubber should see them off! _________________ The Thing (aka Hugh)
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Makes a massive difference to how they look. Maybe using one of those correction fluid pens for the mortar might work too, didn't try it myself, so not sure.
Red one is a home signal yellow a distance one
