Dan Y Graig

[Earl Bathurst]

Hi

Im new to building a layout and im looking to build a small Western/LMR region layout 5ft x 2ft scenic section and a fiddle yard not sure what type of fiddle yard yet. I have included a drawing of what im looking to include which is a small station for about an engine and 2 coaches maybe 3 coaches, goods shed and sidings and maybe a small rail served coal yard, was woundering if anyone can see any problems or give any suggestions, any advice or different track diagrams or if anyone can see limitations from operating the layout help would be much appriciated.

Sorry for the drawing it is not the best.

Thanks

Scott

[Kris]

Having 3 sidings in the goods yard is going to make some of these very short especially if this is in OO. To get over this I would suggest having the point at which the goods line comes off the main line off scene.

[Kenton]

Hi Scott

I agree with Kris.

You have fallen for the age old issue of drawing points shorter than they are possible as a 45' angle off a straight line.

The best thing to do when planning a layout in a small space is to use a printed point template or use one of the free software packages. You soon come to realise that a run of 3 points takes up much more space than first imagined.

[Earl Bathurst]

Hi

Thanks for the replys.

What type of free sofware is available to design a layout?

Or do you no of a small track plan similar to something im looking for that you can suggest.

[trainset1]

Hi Scott,

 

What gauge/scale is the layout going to be and have you decided what make of track you are going to use ?

 

Steve

[marc smith]

Hi Scott,

 

Yes, it's easy to underestimate the length of points,

and you must remember to add clearance for uncoupling wagons.

This adds up, especially when you're using several points, and are short on space.

 

You could always have one less siding, or use a 3-way point?

3-ways are a bit harder to wire up, but they can save a lot of space!

 

Also, I think you've got a lot happening in a small area.

My advice is, don't be tempted to squeeze to much in.

 

Do I take it that you've got the station on a higher level,

than the goods yard?

This can help make a small area appear larger,

as split-levels tend to fool the eye, and make an area look bigger.

But remember, if you do this, you need a 2 level fiddle yard.

 

Don't forget to post some pics, or a design of what you decide next.

 

Best of luck

Marc

[Stubby47]

Hi Scott,

 

The Peco website has printed copies of the points they sell, to allow you to play around with track layouts before buying the actual points.

 

You'll find that a small point is at least 9" long, and allow at least 12" for a coach or loco.

 

Stu

[Earl Bathurst]

Hi

The layout is going to be 00 and will use code 75 rail. Also im Using DCC on the layout.

Making thestation a bit higher than the yard sounds a good idea. Looking at the plan now do have a lot going on in small space. (Got a bit carried away )

Thanks for the peco templates just downloaded some will have a play around with them tonight to see what i could achive in that area.

[Earl Bathurst]

Had a think and moved a few things around.

Not to sure what i could do different to add more shunting in the yard. Anyone got any suggestions:)

[Kris]

Scott, I think that you are still making your points to small, and are underestimating the length that you need for a platform. With the plan that you have at the moment you would get a single coach train in the platform but no more.

 

I have had a bash to redesign the plan. I lost the bay platform to gain space on at the platform. I have also assumed that the end of the loop is somewhere off scene (in the fiddle yard). The platform will take 2 coaches with ease and might take 3 if they are short coaches. I considered adding a second platform against the loop line, but this did not give enough space for vehicles to access the goods shed.

For the goods yard I have added in a kick back siding to a coal yard. Operating the goods yard assumes that there is a loop, again off scene for the shunting of the yard.

 

 

 

The point work is all based on Peco, code 75 medium points.

[Earl Bathurst]

Hi

Thanks kris for the plan its good like that idea, looks like there is plenty to do on the layout to keep me busy:) Pity second platform would look good.

thanks again

[marc smith]

Hi

Thanks kris for the plan its good like that idea, looks like there is plenty to do on the layout to keep me busy:) Pity second platform would look good.

thanks again

 

 

You could always add a bay platform, at the rear?

Something along the lines of "Llanastr" (which was in MRJ very early issue -

I think number 5 or 6?)

 

Llanastr has only 2 points, but has a main platform,

a bay, a loop and a single road goods depot.

All in 6 feet, including fiddle yard!

 

It is essentially in the style of "half a station" -

and utilises a sector-plate fiddle, to do the other half of running round operations.

It's a nice simple plan, but you could always extend it later,

and build the un-modelled half as an extension.

 

Neil Rushby did a similar layout called "Abergynolwen", which was in Railway Modeller a few years back - that was a stunning little layout too!

You could also add an extra siding in the yard....

I just thought you may like to look at some small plans, to start you off.

 

Also, take a look at Paul Lunn's excellent book on Micro Layouts,

there are some good ideas in there, for those short on space,

or wanting to build something small - it's a good starting point.

 

Cheers

[Earl Bathurst]

Thanks for advice. Do you know how i can get my hand on back issues of the magazines. Will have to look out for that book, does it have plans in the book?

When u say half station what do you mean?

 

I want a layout that i have got plenty of operational interest and can operate on my own? But also looks something like the prototype?

 

Cheers

[marc smith]

Hi there,

No probs with advice - that's what rmweb is all about!

Of course, you don't have to take my advice, it's always best to listen to as many folk as you can, and then make your own decision.....

 

I recently bought a copy of MRJ, with Llanastr in it from ebay.

At some shows, there's often someone there selling back issues....

Paul Lunn's book is still available in most good book shops,

like Ian Allen for instance.

 

There are plenty of plans in the book, and it has a picture of Neil Rushby's fabulous "Shell Island" on the cover. If that doesn't whet your appetite for small, simple, atmospheric layouts - then nothing will....

 

I've always thought that building a model railway takes ten times longer than you originally planned

So my first bit of advice is always to start with something fairly simple.

If it's well planned, you'd be surprised at how much operating potential you can get in a small area, and with a relatively simple plan.....

 

The "half a station" idea, is well illustrated by Llanastr - it's basically a loop,

but one half of it is your fiddle. This is usually a sliding sector-plate, without pointwork, so you immediately save space.

 

Therefore, on the visible part of the model, you use points to run around your train, which then dissappears under a bridge (or behind a tall building) onto the sector-plate, which slides to one side, to allow the loco to run back, onto the other road....completing running around.

 

Some folk prefer not to use sliding sector plates, but may instead use shorter radius points in the fiddle..... the choice is yours, and will depend on preference and your own experiences. Also, there's plenty of operating potential without a run-round loop.

If you google the "Inglenook Challenge" you'll find a basic inglenook design, which is a simple shunting puzzle - again, it looks very simple, but it can provide hours of entertainment. You can set it in pretty much any setting you want.

 

A good example of this is in Ron North's superb "Littleworth" which was in Hornby mag a short while back....a smashing piece of modelling, I must say!

 

My advice would be to take your time over chosing a design, read as many articles as you can trawl this fine forum - there's plenty of excellent stuff here!

But, make sure you actually build something! It's the only way to really learn!

 

Cheers, good luck,

and keep the thread going, to let us know what you decide on!

 

Marc

[Guest Dave.C]

Hi Scott,

 

Good luck with the project, I too am building in 5 x 2 at the moment so fully understand your space constraints

[Earl Bathurst]

Thanks marc for the advice.

I really want to start building the layout, but dont want to start until i find a plan for defenate i really like, Kris put a nice plan onto this thread which is what im looking for but want to see what else is out there that takes my fancy because knowing me ill start one plan and find another which i really like so want to find as many plans as possible then pick one.

I have had so many false starts in past where i draw plan out then realise that it wont work or i dont like how it will look.

Anyway thanks again for advice marc much appreciated:)

[Kris]

Waiting until you are sure that you are getting what you want is a good idea, I've been considering my next layout for the last couple of years, and I suspect that it will be a further couple before anything gets done about it (beyond extensive research, site visits and dreaming). In this time I have had plenty of time to consider alternatives, and I still have not pinned down the exact details that I want. Problem is in the mean time I keep having other idea's. This has lead to various diversionary projects occurring. There is also the possibility that come time of build I will do something totally different.

[Stubby47]

I'd second those comments. I've been building a layout for about 9 months (it was supposed to be for the 2010 challenge...) and have started at 4 other projects in the same period. Part of me gives the excuse that these are 'practice' modules, useful for testing modelling techniques and acquiring new skills, but it's mainly because I can't make my mind up...

 

I'm also very tempted by the plan that Kris has posted in this thread.... (must resist, must resist!)

[Kris]

 

I'm also very tempted by the plan that Kris has posted in this thread.... (must resist, must resist!)

 

 

Go on you know you want to. With a little more compression and in 2mm you could fit it in a pair of box files with a 3rd for the fiddle yard.

[Stubby47]

I'm already building a 3 x boxfile layout.... SWMBO is already suspicious about how many boxfiles I need to 'file' things in...