Gavinn

Well at least the track is starting to have the desired result - the little guy has started playing with it although no where near ready. And I even got a hand getting the track straight! Oh, and some lovely black drawings all over the tracksetta as well. And once again came the plead ‘more track daddy’. And then after grabbing a plastic train there was a very excited ‘express coming through!’ as it zoomed down the hill! Happy daddy

Haha. I thinking a decision to exclude the diamond crossing might be a good idea for the maintenance budget! Might get one for the wooden set though! The Lego movie is cool! But yes he needs to be able to play properly!

Hi Guys, Sorry for the delay. Things got a little busy. But finally the baseboard is assembled and seems to work. The ply isn’t fixed in place yet but with some standing on it it appears to follow the grades pretty well. I do need to put in some trimmers in a few places once the top is in place but that won’t take too long. Before the end of the weekend I hope to have the top fix and track fully laid out. I should have drawn the track centreline at the beginning. Stuffed up there but fixing that soon. Due to the lack of shops and internet ordering I also seem to have bought cork trackbed without chamfer or the centre split. Oops. I do have a mirror cutter for picture frames so I’ll be trying to split it myself. That’s the next task. Then hopefully some track!! The little guy is getting a little anxious, well daddy too really. Cheers

Just starting my own layout and a colliery is what I would love to do. Shall keep on eye on this one! I have the Hornby J94 with a Tsunami DCC decoder jammed into it. But in need of something a little larger as well. The headgear is the fun part! Lots of tricky scratch building

Hi Guys, The soldering iron is getting ready! Sounds like a good way of track long it. I have a mix of insulfrog setttack and electro frog streamline points. So tackle them all like electrofrog sounds easy. Some relays for frog power needed - have a idea on that, more later. Most of the grades are 2%, one small part at 2.4%. Still go the PowerBase? I take it it’s a long electromagnet pulling the love down to get more traction? Have to see if I can find some around somewhere!

Hi guys, with many thanks to Jaggzuk for allowing me to use his track plan and a bit of fiddling, I have a new track plan. Back to an 8x4 layout. I am planning to use the cookie cutter method of cutting the ply base to get smooth grades and transitions. As a bit of a test, I have printed out the track plan made a (very) rough cardboard mock-up to see if it will work and I have the cuts in the right place. All looks good for the track but the road may need some re-aligning, shall leave that for when the track is cut out and see how it looks. A trip to the closest model shop, 200 km away, and I have a bag of goodies, enough to complete the two inner loops and I think the outer loop. I may be one point short but the extension is for future, I could run the flex track around to get all three loops going. I also have a plie of A3 printouts ready to place on the 12mm marine ply in the shed. I found a clearance diagram at https://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/Hints%20&%20Tips.html as well as heaps of other useful info for newbies like me. From this I am planning to run the cut lines in the ply 27mm off track centre line or the track that is elevated. This will allow for a wall before the batter slope. The lower track will have extra width to allow for retaining walls or a rock embankment (work that bit out later). I have 90x19mm pine framing for the base supports. the plan is to make the base flat. This will be the platform section height of 40mm, the green bits. Then cut away the framing for the lower sections, cyan descending below platform and blue at 0mm. Next to work out - DCC wiring!

Hi Jaggzuk, I been using SCARM for the layout. It’s pretty good now I have figured out how to do a few things and also found some standard track layouts. And the couch is pretty good late at night with a warm cup of milk. I would appreciate a copy if that’s ok. I’ve tried to follow the image plan but can’t get it quite right. Pretty well limited to Peco track where I am so I’ll need at adapt to that. I think allowing for it to be extended is that way to go. If I like the way it turns out I’ll expand. If my modelling skills start a little too ordinary, I’m sure the little guy won’t mind at all having the track to himself. I had a good look through you build. I am keen to try a folded plywood (I think that’s the term) for the base. Essentially cutting the ply and raising / lowering sections to get the grades. I think the transitions will be nice and smooth and worth the effort. The woodworking skills aren’t too bad. Probably 9mm marine ply for the base. Public holiday here so maybe a hardware store trip later. I’ve already made the hot wire cutter and experimented with a few parts of buildings and platforms. Cheers Gavin

That’s caused a lot of thinking ... again! And I have almost a conclusion! The track above was something I was looking at as a compromise between an 8x4 and a much larger layout. But the need and want to get something going quickly for both of use, and to be honest a practice too, will probably lead to an 8x4 layout. This means I can get it going quickly and work on scenery techniques along the way. Leave the larger layout for later - I really want a colliery and a few other things an 8x4 can’t offer. I had a look at your layout Jaggzuk. I rather like it! It gets around a few thing I didn’t like about others. The flyover, tunnels and curved station really appeal to me. Would you mind if I borrow the plans as a basis for my layout? I am going to keep planning the next layout because let face it, that’s part of the fun! Itching to get at least the first oval running

The asap aspect is high on the importance list at the moment that is true. Running trains is needed I think to keep him interested. The scenery will take a while and I’m ok with that. Shall do some thinking. Maybe look at planning the above layout to start with. Then remove one end and extent along the wall later. Always good to have a plan. But I do want to get it running Thanks

You have me thinking... I started thinking a complicated 8x4 layout (had a Granite and Northern track) in mind. This started to look to busy for me as I started looking at layouts from the UK (in Australia here). I loked the open space a ability to get some great uncluttered scenery on the layout. This evolved to the track above. But based on peoples comments, Does a lot of this get solved by going to an around the wall layout? 600-700mm wide for access to everything, long tracks for gentle grades, expansive scenery and a few more. Whats the thoughts on going to an around the wall layout versus the one above? Thanks

Hi Paul, Really appreciate the feedback - lots to think about! This is my first real layout, plat with model trains as a kid but that was a few years back now. I’m a mechanical engineer so playing with electrical and mechanical items is just plain good fun. And may as well go all in if I’m going to do this. It’s been in the back of my brain for many years now.. The room that the track will end up in is 5 x 4.5 meters. It’s a storage room of sorts in a new house being built. Well a room planned for a model train called a storage room until my wife found out and then told me she would love to help too, so a family project now. Originally planned for a corner but after reading you comments, now maybe on castors with the left hand side against one wall and access around the other three sides. 1 Steam is just a love of mine for many years. Diesel could make an appearance. Maybe some fast trains could be good. 2 Part of my reason for JMRI is Withrottle. Little guy has worked out the sounds and movement on this already. Just not where the end of our straights are at present (insulated joiners and dead zones coming this weekend). Additional throttles won’t be an issue there. 3 slightly ocd and pedantic my describe me. So scenic perfection with be a little issue for me. I am thinking this is a real long term project tho. Get it going, add some buildings, perfect the operation then go back and ‘fix’ the scenery over time 4 this will actually bring together all the things I enjoy. Just hoping little guys does too. 5 ahhhh. Yep 6 the sound is a big one. The sound on the Tusnami is brilliant. Will play that that a bit! Lots of lights to come too A maybe rearrange the top of the layout and include a fiddle yard? And not have this on a wall. B Need - want, who knows. Was a thought to make it a little more complicated, needing planning. A flyover would probably be easier without it though C was wondering about that. Thanks. Shall stay now. Should I extend this in top right or keep as single track? I like the idea of forward planning. But little guy might not. D looks like a new purchase soon then! Bigger for the express or freight m thinking E more siding needed do you think? If so any locations suggestions? F definitely an engine shed on the way. My second building - water tower first for practice. Dual? G good point. Some thinking to be done H forgot all about a flyover. Concentrating too hard on tunnels. One to come, somewhere I I’ll open the back side for access J lots of thoughts. I’ll put n plan soon after a few track fixes L. Ohhhh. Had some at 4%. Redesign to come. Should be fine with some planning M I had a grand plan of using servos and push button and dcc for the points. Might leave that then. Manual via wire controls to the front panel for easy access? Thanks Paul. Some coffee and track planning session ahead I think. Cheers

Thanks guys! Must agree Chris with the branch station. I think I will move the corner station to the top of the hill and flip the branch to access from the other side. Would giver better running length, especially with a loop around the outside before going to the branch station. Will add a platform at the colliery as well, sounds like a good idea as I want some small cottages there too. The grades were a bit steep Pete. It doesn’t show on the print but I’m planning to have the junction station and front of the track at +35mm, dropping into the tunnel at 0mm. The track over at +80. Hope that gives enough clearance. Ah, might mive that point to the tunnel entry - didn’t think of getting to it! And missed the return loop! Shall make a note of that. Thanks gents! Much appreciated Gavin

Hi All, It has been a long term wish to put together a model train layout. My 2 1/2 year old son has fallen in love with trains with thanks to Thomas. I have a few test sections of flextrack and one J94 that I have fitted with a Tsunami TSU-750. He is now old enough to carefully set points. His first comment on seeing his first short trial run was 'more track daddy!' So its time to fulfil my dream and give the little guy some more track, a lot more track! I am after any comments on the layout I have put together. It may be all wrong as I have joined a few plans I have found online to try and achieve a few objectives. My initial thoughts on the layout are: - OO Gauge - Steam only - DCC control (electronics control is a hobby and work so thats pretty easy) - JMRI control - Some shunting areas to keep daddy occupied having fun - Ability to have trains continuously running to keep the little guy interested. - Post war period, say 1950's - At least two stations - A colliery (so I can build a motorised head frame) - GWR for the easiest to research in the antipedies - Nowhere specifically - Must have a decent tunnel I was after any comments on the layout. Should the junction station be on a straight with the point closer to the station? Thanks in advance Gavin (daddy)