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Don't know where to start with a plan!


fffrank
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I have limited space, limited budget, and limited time on my hands. All together, that means 00, in my shed - something the kids can get interested in over time (currently 5 and 1). It's an ~9x5 (274x149cms) shed, but also has to contain all my tools. So realistically I have a roundy-roundy shelf layout. Where to begin?

 

 

Screenshot 2020-11-25 at 18.45.14.png

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2 minutes ago, fffrank said:

 Where to begin?

 

Start by listing what you want.  Do you want this to be single track with passing loops or a double track line?  Will it be a freight or a passenger railway?

 

What width is the shelf?  The wider the shelf, the more gentle the curves can be in your four corners.

 

What height will the layout be set at?  Low would be best for the children, but that will make it difficult to duck under, which means that you'll need a lift out section.

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Thanks David. Reality is that I want it to be fun! I want to run my Hornby Mallard with a couple of coaches, and I want to do some shunting. It's a train set with pretensions of being a model railway. I also love modelling scenery, so a nice scenic run/break/tunnels etc are all in grand plan.

 

The section by the door will be hinged/liftout, carpentry not too much of a problem.

 

Shelves can be an absolute maximum of 40cms (on all 4 sides of the shed).

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Work out what you want to do as @Dungrange has said. You have a space available but unless you already have rolling stock the choice of N or 00 is open. Why do I mention that - a double track main line in N would have the same radius curves but look better that a 00 equivalent. As an industrial site with 0-4-0 and 4 wheel wagons you might even squeeze in O. However, if you went for the latter, but then find you really wanted a main line you would be disappointed. 

 

Do you want out and back with a continuous run option available; by that I mean a U shape with stations on opposite sides of the room and some form of Denny style line for running in? If yes you start with an L and get one part running before expanding.

 

Do you want a scenic one side with the other an open plain track fiddle yard?

 

Edit - as I have now seen your reply above that came in whilst I was typing try a contemporary preserved setting.

 

I can't stress enough decide what conceptually you want out of a finished layout before commencement of planning and stock purchase. If the key is keeping the children involved work around that.

 

No connection to them other than as a reader but the three track plan books by Paul Lunn are good as they show examples from the basic upwards and all can stimulate ideas for a personal approach.

 

Also wise with a shed to think about adding insulation and for any layout make the sections splittable; you may not want to move it but at some point, perhaps for wall treatment you might have to.

 

Edited by john new
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I've had a quick play. I'd go for something like this. 

 

I've left the sidings as stubs but these could be extended. 

With the exception of the goods yard head shunt there is nothing less than 2nd radius. 

All track is Peco set track. 

 

1662687943_Screenshot2020-11-25at19_45_42.png.9c06d54a0843d118f82a0aa6624d8d70.png

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I think the most important thing for the kids is 2 tracks. And a tunnel.

 

You can have realistic track formations and enable fairly realistic operations for times when they're either not there or if they get interested in such things, but you need an idea of what you'd be emulating. I'd probably stick to steam/ pre 1985ish diesels for interesting realistic operations. You can just apply rule 1 if the kids want to run voyagers etc...

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Here's a variation on @Kris's plan.

fffrank1.jpg.70e9a3a5df2cd40fec258c47ca006043.jpg

At the top is a reasonably believable goods yard, that you can aimlessly shunt, or build up/ break down trains. The station is designed so that loco changes are possible in the outer roads using the sidings in front of them. It will also play the role of storage loops. The green bit is the tunnel.

 

You could probably  operate it pretty realistically when the kids are elsewhere, but it's probably more skewed towards kids than grown-up operation.

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1 hour ago, Zomboid said:

You could probably  operate it pretty realistically when the kids are elsewhere, but it's probably more skewed towards kids than grown-up operation.

 

I like it a lot and it's reasonably complete for the kind of traditional era working you suggested, given the limited surface area available.  Possibly I would omit the middle platform and put a crossover in the station, but I'm not sure how the youth vote would go on that.  Would curved points work to squeeze a bit more platform length or are they better avoided?

 

Also, the crossover into the goods yard would be better moved leftwards to increase the length of the reception road.

Edited by Flying Pig
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I put the middle platform in because a passenger train standing on a through line whilst something else runs through the platform line would have bothered my 10 year old self, never mind now... But it could be done

 

Curved points would improve platform lengths, but the set track geometry gets a bit difficult as they go in from a 3rd radius/ out from a 2nd radius. There might be something in another range of track that would help. I didn't have time to work it through properly.

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32 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

I put the middle platform in because a passenger train standing on a through line whilst something else runs through the platform line would have bothered my 10 year old self, never mind now... But it could be done

 

It also means a train can be parked in the station (how else do you describe it to a 5 year old) whilst the other train on that circuit does loops.

 

Kids are probably not bothered about a couple of through lines Doncaster style - they want to imagine people getting on and off the train.

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4 hours ago, Zomboid said:

At the top is a reasonably believable goods yard, that you can aimlessly shunt, or build up/ break down trains.

 

I don't know, I reckon that could be pretty aimfully (?) shunted with the help of a dice and a pack of cards, especially if different wagons had to be spotted in specific places.  Though I might squeeze in an extra siding, and take the hit on not being able to turn a horse and cart round between the tracks .....

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I thought I'd investigate using curved points for the station. The geometry will require some flex for the straights and the alignments on the end, but it doesn't look like it would be ridiculous.

The middle platform line is reversible, which could add to the play value, but the through line is inner circuit only (or maybe it's a run-round for a train on at the reversible platform).

fffrank2.jpg.f08ae77a029d730892a3bc921e774c6c.jpg

 

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5 hours ago, Zomboid said:

The middle platform line is reversible, which could add to the play value, but the through line is inner circuit only (or maybe it's a run-round for a train on at the reversible platform).

 

You could alternate two passenger trains on the outer circuit and a goods and passenger on the inner, the goods using the through road.  The yard is set up for anticlockwise trains anyway.

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You would get lots more train for your space, however n gauge is not nearly as (small) child friendly as OO. My children struggle to rail OO gauge trains, they find my n gauge one another magnitude harder. Saying this, it is not impossible. Get a re-railer and it can be made a lot easier. 

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Also important that your shed is well insulated and waterproofed. Provide some form of heating otherwise it will be just too cold for a large proportion of the year. Keeping damp or is really important!

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12 hours ago, fffrank said:

Just to throw in a curve ball, let’s say I traded in what little 00 track I currently have, and went with N gauge. How much more train do I get for my space?

There’s also the added cost to consider with N. I guess one could debate whether individual items are more expensive (as an 00 user, I’m only an N spectator) but if you use the added space with N to make the track plan more complex, that’s more track, more points, more point motors(?) , etc. Unless you were pretty disciplined in your planning, and managed to maintain lots of wide open spaces.

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As others say, you'd get a lot of N gauge layout in, but are your kids capable of playing with something that small?

 

Or is it not really for them at all? You could always do the old multilayer thing, with a child-friendly train set at low level and a shoulder/ eye level N gauge above it. But that's more expense and time and so on (but it wouldn't have to be a circuit). To be honest I wouldn't do it, but if your time and money budget allows, you could.

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On 30/11/2020 at 09:32, Zomboid said:

As others say, you'd get a lot of N gauge layout in, but are your kids capable of playing with something that small?

 

Or is it not really for them at all? You could always do the old multilayer thing, with a child-friendly train set at low level and a shoulder/ eye level N gauge above it. But that's more expense and time and so on (but it wouldn't have to be a circuit). To be honest I wouldn't do it, but if your time and money budget allows, you could.

I think I’ve been rumbled! It’s really for me, maybe I can just slap down some 00 track on a 6x4 for the kids and leave the N gauge to me!

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