oneandahalf

We got all set up Chris, had to go and pick up the two Y-points which we did yesterday.....it seems to be working well, he had fun playing last night, so once again, many thanks. NittenDormer, thanks for the tip about the decoupler, that worked really nicely!!

Chris, you're a star, I'll give this a go tomorrow. In terms of location, you said not particularly urban, is that because of the "sprawl" of the layout? I assume an urban setup would be tighter and much more parallel or were you alluding to something else? I'll definitely give cassettes a go, I'm sure I can knock something up! And thanks finally for the shunting puzzle info, I was never really sure how the "card" system that people mentioned worked and you've made it perfectly clear. I'll let you know how we get on.

Don't worry, they all know better than to buy without consulting me once i get my head into something. You can imagine, I'm a nightmare to buy for at Christmas time!!

Thanks Chris!! It would be nice to do a scheme that was a bit more urban, I'm not sure if you caught my earlier post as we both put replies up simultaneously. I'll repeat it below, just so it gives an idea of our current thinking (which obviously changes daily as I lie awake at night thinking about it!!)

I think if I got rid of the small siding before the platform I could get two coaches in and just about run around them. The fact that I am now running two trains independently means I possibly don't have a need for it. I have a 2-6-2 that can just squeeze in there.....not planning on getting a flying scotsman anytime soon either!!

OK, got it sorted, you were right Chris, wrong size curve! How does this look now? Would it work as you were suggesting? With regard to the goods yard, you suggested a goods train would pull into the left hand siding, I assume you are therefore suggesting that goods and passenger trains would be independent, we wouldn't see a mix of passenger and goods with the goods wagons then being moved and shunted around the goods yard?

Chris, is this what you meant? (see attached) This works for me in that it means we run a single carriage train back and forth to the fiddle yard and have a separate diesel shunter working the goods yard. Also, I cannot for the life of me figure out how to make the runaround join!!! The parts I have are either too long or two short but I'm sure there must be a combination that works!! HELP!

Hi Chris, thanks for your reply, it seems you an I were both writing at the same time!! I'm going to need a bit of time to digest everything you said......the language still throws me but it funny as your response, i think, answers many of the points I raised in the second post. Let me see if I understand you correctly and I'll sketch something up. Many thanks!

OK, back to the drawing board I think.....the above doesn't seem to work too well for shunting wagons about, I think because of the the lack of a runaround? I'd like to break it all down again if possible, get some best advice from all you knowledgable people so here is a breakdown of requirements (of sorts): General: 1. It has to be fairly portable so the max size, including a fiddle yard will be 8'x2'. This doesn't need to be broken down, it just means that it can sit in the guest room until such time as that room is needed at which point we will move it temporarily somewhere else, then bring it back. 2. Another reason for keeping it small is because this is my first time modelling a scene like this and a big oval has too much in it and the idea of modelling something so big terrifies me to paralysis! 3. I know nothing about trains! The set was a gift to one of my elder sons, he never really played with it but the 6 yo loved it so we have expanded it. I have no idea about how trains worked in real life, most of the language used on here baffles me and I have no particular preference to one of the big four. Having said that, I was born in the mid 70s and spent my schooldays walking through Victoria Stn so pre-privatisation British Rail, blue engines, the zigzag symbol thing all bring back memories. I also used to travel to the midlands by train from St Pancras so the Intercity 125 to Leicester makes my eyes a bit misty. I think if we were going to stick to an era I'd like it to be this. For the 6 yo: 1. He has to be able to play trains. This doesn't mean it has to be a roundy roundy but he has to be able to do stuff. He is more than happy flicking points and shunting wagons about. 2. He seems to be more interested in diesel than steam engines 3. He likes the idea of passengers not just goods For the 42 yo (me): 1. I'd like to be able to play trains with him! (and on my own ) The puzzle side of things interests me most, and I'd like to learn more about actual operations, how trains were supposed to go in and out, how signalling worked etc. 2. I'd like to start doing some modelling, make an actual scene. However, the whole idea fills me with some dread, more because I have no idea WHAT I should be modelling rather then the actual model making process itself. So, with that said, I think something simple is best. 3. I think to save my pocket we will stick with DC and hand of god. So, for the umpteenth time, here we go again! Thanks again for an advice.

Hello again everyone! So unfortunately the home management department decided that all the layouts we were going for were too big, everything got dismantled and put away. The set came out again at Xmas, we set up and ran Bredon and then it was all put away again. Come the summer hols and the little one was begging to play again. So, we have been allowed a temporary home, i.e. it can stay up until the spare room needs to be used, at which point we might have to put it away for a while, though hopefully no more than a week, so it's a semi permanent position. I got myself a sheet of 3/4mm MDF, 8x4ft and was going to do some sort of roundy roundy but the board is just too big and heavy to lug around and have therefore decided to go for an 8ft x 18-24" design. Now the little one is 6 but he is happy enough without an oval. He likes the idea of shunting trains about and has his heart set on getting some sort of diesel shunter (an 08??) but he also loves his long passenger carriage. Correct me if I am wrong, but I have explained to him that we just don't have the space for a station capable of taking a long carriage and making the layout fun to play with so we have decided on some sort of goods yard, ie. mixed goods shed, coal and possibly some sort of small factory. It also means we can somehow incorporate some of his cars and vans into the scene. OK, enough of my rambly chat, here are a couple of pictures of what we have laid out so far. It is a slight variation on one of the PECO layouts (a dock). My thought is it is a goods yard off an urban branch line (is that a thing??) so the top track is the single line in, the pilot loco would do the shunting to allow the main loco to leave again. We would do our thing and then the loco could come back to pick up again. What do you all think? Thanks in advance!

So......baseboard made, erected and then thoroughly rejected by the powers that be for being too big! Grrrrr. So, I'm back to square one, up in the loft conversion. Here is my original design, incorporating David's suggestions, though I'm pretty sure the enlarged end sections are going to get criticised!! Any comments?

Thanks guys for all your comments. I'm going to see if I can create David's suggested plan in the software but in the meantime, I think I need to just get a few more bits and start putting it together. The baseboard (6mm ply on 2x2s) should be ready by tomorrow!

Thanks David, I'll see if I can get something like that to work. Operationally, how do you usually treat a double track? Does it simply give you the opportunity to run two trains in opposite directions? Or is it something more complicated than that?

Thanks again everyone for your comments. Anglian, I had a look at some of your suggested layouts and realised that Bredon was in the Peco Setrack book I have and was one I had considered setting up previously. I have taken inspiration from it (i.e. stolen) the station part of the plan and incorporated it. Thoughts? One question though.....how does that station work operationally? Anglian, I also appreciate your thoughts on thinking of the idea as a whole....it's the bit I'm struggling with the most. I suppose that is just lack of experience, with both model railways and railways in general. It's only taken a few days from taking out the box after xmas purely to set up something for the boys to play with to being completely overwhelmed by what is being created by people. I had all sorts of ideas and have tried to almost take a step back and to take it bit at a time. So start with the play part, see what he (and I) enjoy doing, what sort of ideas we come up with and then consider a possible new design which would be more thematically designed.

Ok, so I've been having a play around. Bear in mind, I am currently only looking at this from a layout point of view. Scenery will most definitely be shoehorned in; it has to be fun to play with for the 4 year old first and foremost. Be ultra critical with it. I'm a complete novice so constructive criticism will only help the learning process. My aim with the layout was to have some sort of goods yard type area and a station area. Many thanks again for any contributions.