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A newbie looking for feedback on my track proposal [Updated + Finalised with Video]


Will Hay
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7 minutes ago, Will Hay said:

Thanks again, Zomboid

 

I now see what you mean with potential crosses with my diamonds, silly of me.

 

I've added a crossover from blue to green at the bottom.

 

I've also increased the area of the sidings, if only to add more space for decoration, less used stock.

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3 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

That is very peculiar. All your other ones are working for me but not that

 

Try this.

I've since reverted back to my original sidings proposal. [but have attached all designs].

 

As far as crashes, surely that's always a risk?

 

I can see my original interpretation of your diamond proposal was a greater risk, but if I'm running multiple locomotives at the same time, as is my intent, then that's a huge risk?

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Edited by Will Hay
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I can see that now. That'll get trains around to where they need to be, if you could fit one in on the right to let blue trains run directly to/from the sidings that would be better still, but if not it shouldn't ruin it.

 

If you're running 2 or 3 trains per circuit then there's a crash risk, and probably a greater one than however you do the crossings. But the two parallel diamonds as you've got them now are a formation that you can find on the real railway.

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Be careful with those diamonds in your sidings area. You can only go straight through, so the one at the bottom prevents you from running a train through onto the back exit, and the one at the top makes getting to the second siding from the top a right nightmare. Better to just have the kickback from the outer roads and then whatever kind of fan you like.

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That doesn't do any harm, but what I meant was move the crossings on the right up by one R600 and then you'll have space for a blue to green crossover before the sidings branch off. Therefore a train on the outer (or indeed inner) blue line could run straight into the sidings without reversing or running a lap of any of the other tracks.

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1 hour ago, Zomboid said:

That doesn't do any harm, but what I meant was move the crossings on the right up by one R600 and then you'll have space for a blue to green crossover before the sidings branch off. Therefore a train on the outer (or indeed inner) blue line could run straight into the sidings without reversing or running a lap of any of the other tracks.

 

Gotcha, very good, thanks.

 

 

 

Screen_Shot_2020-05-10_at_16_13_59.png

Edited by Will Hay
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Yep, that's what I meant.

 

One last thought- are the R621s flexible track? The one bottom left will need smoothing if so. Rather than using loads of those really short straights, I'd use flexible track for the straights if the lengths don't work exactly, and given what you're trying to do, I'd fill the arc bottom left by extending the sidings a bit.

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3 hours ago, Zomboid said:

Yep, that's what I meant.

 

One last thought- are the R621s flexible track? The one bottom left will need smoothing if so. Rather than using loads of those really short straights, I'd use flexible track for the straights if the lengths don't work exactly, and given what you're trying to do, I'd fill the arc bottom left by extending the sidings a bit.

 

Yeah, I'm intending to do exactly that.

I've only short lengths [orange] to remind me where my gaps are.

Cheers.

Screen_Shot_2020-05-10_at_19_43_55.png

Edited by Will Hay
Typo, and upload of final design
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6 hours ago, Zomboid said:

Is part of the left edge a lift up/ out section to allow for the ladder? Do you now have points/ curves over the joins? That kind of thing is a recipe for derailments, especially points over it.

 

Hiya,

Yeah, I'm acutely aware of that :(

 

I'm pretty nervous about having to create a track and constantly re-connect part of it.

 

In all honestly I doubt I'll add points at that exact point, but until the baseboard is up I won't know how much tolerance I have to move the entire thing down a touch so that only straight lengths are sat on the access square.

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The best way to deal with that kind of thing is to cut rails and have them permanently attached to the removable section. I managed to solder them to screwheads either side of the gap and then cut the rails at the gap. I'm dreadful at soldering but it works fine.

 

I'm sure there are better ways to explain it than that. Constantly making and removing the tracks won't do a lot for their lifespan.

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1 hour ago, Zomboid said:

The best way to deal with that kind of thing is to cut rails and have them permanently attached to the removable section. I managed to solder them to screwheads either side of the gap and then cut the rails at the gap. I'm dreadful at soldering but it works fine.

 

I'm sure there are better ways to explain it than that. Constantly making and removing the tracks won't do a lot for their lifespan.

 

Having learnt quick I'm happy with my soldering, my concern is how to maintain current across the gaps.

 

When I said 'I'm pretty nervous about having to create a track and constantly re-connect part of it', I meant as far as the current passing along the joint, I never intended to constantly remove and relay track.

 

 

I like the idea of a countersunk screw beneath the joint in the track, passing the current.

Thanks.

 

EDIT

I've  no idea why my text is appearing with a strike through.

I'm on my phone and it certainly isn't intentional.

Edited by Will Hay
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Ah ok, well that's easy really, you can use banana plugs or any other kind of plug and socket to connect from the main bus on the fixed boards to the removable section.

 

Unless over misunderstood what you're getting at of course.

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1 hour ago, Zomboid said:

Ah ok, well that's easy really, you can use banana plugs or any other kind of plug and socket to connect from the main bus on the fixed boards to the removable section.

 

Unless over misunderstood what you're getting at of course.

 

I'm referring to the best method of ensuring that there's 12v power across the track joint, at the split in the board between the fixed panel and the removable panel.

 

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You're using DCC, right? You just need to get a connection from the main board to the removable section, which can be any old plug & socket arrangement so that on the removable section the inner rail on each track is connected to the same bus as the inner rail on the main bit, and the same for the outer rails.

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3 hours ago, Zomboid said:

You're using DCC, right? You just need to get a connection from the main board to the removable section, which can be any old plug & socket arrangement so that on the removable section the inner rail on each track is connected to the same bus as the inner rail on the main bit, and the same for the outer rails.

 

Thanks.

<if I could find a thumbs up symbol I'd insert it here>

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We had an extension built a while ago.

At the time we wanted steps leading to the garden in the centre of the patio, because that's where they were before we remodelled.

 

The builder suggested we move them to the left to maximise patio space, which we did.

 

To this day I think about it often, i.e. a very close shave as a result of my limited imagination.

 

This feels like a similar moment.

 

Thanks to all who suggested the square layout in my 11' x 9', rather than my initial L' shape.

 

That would have been a big mistake and, like my patio, a wasted opportunity.

 

Special thanks to Zomboid for his ongoing and invaluable assistance.

 

After two, twelve hours days on my own at this due to social distancing by someone not overly proficient at DIY, I'm about to undercoat [I didn't have grey, and couldn't wait] and hope to be playing with track layout tomorrow.

 

20200516_164500.jpg

Edited by Will Hay
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  • 2 months later...

Any track progress on this one?

 

i know it’s a bit ‘trainset’ and not to many on here’s tastes but it’s right up my street! Four sets of continuous loops and an attic space is exactly what I’m aiming for. Although mine is D.C.

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On 12/08/2020 at 09:08, MiniMan64 said:

Any track progress on this one?

 

i know it’s a bit ‘trainset’ and not to many on here’s tastes but it’s right up my street! Four sets of continuous loops and an attic space is exactly what I’m aiming for. Although mine is D.C.

 

The truth is, since my last post, I've been laying track, playing, taking up, redesigning [my latest proposal, as of this evening and yet to be implemented, is attached. Green is clockwise, blue is Auntie Clock Wise and orange is shared].

I'm still not there with my final layout as, put simply, it just doesn't yet give me what I need.

 

The fact that I don't have automated points is rather rather restrictive, coupled with the fact that I fourteen locomotives and umpteen sets of wagons and coaches.

 

It's always laid in some form [five loops at the mo!] and I'm always chugging something around but at the minute I'm trying out the Roco z21 system I bought [magnificent] and constantly putting together Metcalfe buildings!

 

EDIT.

One massive change I did make was I hated sitting in the middle.

It took me weeks to realise why I wasn't enjoying it as much as when it started in the dining room and moved to the rear extension floor.

It was because I wasn't seeing all of it, at once.

 

As soon as I modified the layout slightly to be able to sit at the very far end [and be able to see the entire layout] my enjoyment was magnified.

 

Screen Shot 2020-08-17 at 00.01.25.png

Edited by Will Hay
further clarity
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9 hours ago, Will Hay said:

It took me weeks to realise why I wasn't enjoying it as much as when it started in the dining room and moved to the rear extension floor.

It was because I wasn't seeing all of it, at once

Now that's an unusual viewpoint. Most people want their trains to "disappear" to give the illusion of going somewhere. And operating from the middle puts everything within easy reach. But if you don't like it, you don't like it and that's that.

 

Still, I think you could use the "horns" at the top of your new arrangement for parking trains, rather than as blank space.

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On 17/08/2020 at 09:34, Zomboid said:

Now that's an unusual viewpoint. Most people want their trains to "disappear" to give the illusion of going somewhere. And operating from the middle puts everything within easy reach. But if you don't like it, you don't like it and that's that.

 

Still, I think you could use the "horns" at the top of your new arrangement for parking trains, rather than as blank space.

 

The horns will eventually consist of terraces, shopfronts, footpaths and roads, but seems a long way off at the minute.

20200810_181426.jpg

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  • 3 months later...

Hello.

A bit of an old thread so sorry for that, but I'm nearly there with pinning down after months of playing and testing etc.

I'm having trouble with Hornby diamond crossovers, specifically that just one of my numerous locomotives don't like them.

Can anyone recommend an alternative?

 

As you can see I have four loops, two are clockwise [3 & 1 in blue] and two are anti-clockwise [4 & 2 in orange].

I want to be able to maintain a link between loop 4 [outer] and 2 and 3 and 1 [inner] with diamond crossings.

 

A couple of helpful folk have recommended either a couple of Y's toe to toe, or a slip joint.

Despite playing with my track software and looking at countless images on google of real tracks showing the slip joint, I just can't seem to fathom it.

:blush:

 

I've posted this on another forum that I've pretty much decided to give up on, so if any of you inhabit both forums and have responded already then I'm sorry.

 

As far as my layout, the video clip [link below] should give you an idea of where I am so to those that offered invaluable guidance earlier this year; you have my sincere gratitude.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2na7zpy8ox7szr1/20201128_215954.mp4?dl=0

 

 

 

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Edited by Will Hay
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