N Gauge Bredon 2x4 Layout

[dunkandegg]

Hello! Long time reader and first time poster here! I'm a lifelong model railway fan, getting multiple Hornby trainsets when I was younger but never actually taking the step of creating a proper layout.

 

After a lot of thinking, I've decided to start creating one, and for reasons of space it's going to be N Gauge -  my other big hobby is Lego and I need space for that too! I have had some N Gauge track and stock before so I know what I'm getting in to, I just want to pin down the track plan before I get started.

 

I'm going to be basing my layout on the well-known Bredon layout which has been around for a few decades now. The track plan comes from the modified version appearing in the OO Gauge setrack plans book from Peco - I've taken it and swapped it to N Gauge, deleting a few things. The first design fits perfectly on a 2'x4' board (ideal as I can get plywood in this size and avoid cutting) and avoids first radius curves (apart from the setrack points). The only problem with it is the short loops in the fiddleyard, only long enough for a two coach train + loco. This isn't a problem as such, but if I want to run anything longer in future I'll be in trouble. For this reason, I've come up with a few different fiddleyard designs that I'd value some feedback on.

 

The one below is the same as the first plan, just minus the yard in the centre (as the free AnyRail only allows 50 elements!)

The second design uses first radius curves on the right hand side - this makes the loops much much longer and allows longer trains. The single siding in the fiddleyard would hold a railcar or autotrain that could shuttle through to the bay platform (see first design).

This final one is similar, but uses 2nd and 3rd radius curves in the top right. Because of that the board increases to 1'3" - I could have gone with only an extra inch, but the space would allow a second (technically third) platform in the station which may be more prototypical.

I'd love any advice people may have! Thank you for reading and I'll try and update here when(/if) this comes to anything.

 

Thanks,

 

Will

[ITG]

I’m not a N gauge modeller, but if you can widen the board by the 3” you mention, then would that allow your first layout fiddle yard loops to become longer, by starting the loop with the (why not a curved?) point at the left end being part of the curve, rather than part of the straight.

Could you move the point at the left side of the station further in, and then curve your backscene towards the front at that side, so the fiddle yard could start on the curve sooner? Its important that platform and siding lengths have some alignment with fiddle yard road lengths, so you’d need to weigh that up.

Are set track points really first radius? In OO, some stock will not handle first radius curves; is that true in N?

 

Overall, I much prefer layout 1.

[AndrueC]

My first piece of advice would be to avoid first radius curves if you can.

 

My layout is n-gauge built from 2nd radius curves and Setrack turnouts. Most of my diesels are perfectly happy but I had to remove the buffers of the class 58s because they would foul their couplers or wagon buffers. My class 56 (triple axel bogies) sounds a little piqued running round the curves but I pretend it's just the sound of it 'working hard'

 

My single steam loco - a 4-6-2 Queen Elizabeth - was quite unhappy with the turnouts and not keen on the curves until I sent her to be serviced. Having come back with corrected B2B she's now a lot happier. Meanwhile a Hall I bought to replace her simple won't run on my layout at all.

 

I also prefer layout 1 although I sympathise with the length of siding issue. One of the things I love about my layout is being able to run almost metre long trains. But then my board is the size of a double bed

Edited July 23, 2021 by AndrueC

[AndrueC]

18 minutes ago, ITG said:

Are set track points really first radius? In OO, some stock will not handle first radius curves; is that true in N?

Yup.

 

https://peco-uk.com/products/turnout-1st-radius-right-hand-2

 

My 4-6-2 can handle a single one now that she's been adjusted but one of my sidings has two back to back because the entrance to the siding is a curve and she still can't handle that. Luckily the other sidings are 'back to front' so she can go in any of those.

 

You can of course mix Setrack and Streamline but doing that with turnouts mean you lose the inherent geometry in which case you might as well just go all Streamline. That's what I'm going to do on my next layout but it does seem to consume a bit more space.

Edited July 23, 2021 by AndrueC