The best train set layout you ever saw

[TomJ]

I rather like the plan with the high level terminus and circle underneath. It would make a perfect home for Thomas and his friends. It would also be easy to turn it into something more prototypical as the child grew up.

Depending on what Father Christmas brings my son tomorrow(!) I might even give it a go.

[RJS1977]

That plan has a lot going for it - though I would dispense with some of the irrelevant spurs that just seem to add a place to park a spare loco/wagon and not much else - adding track just for the sake of it. I also think that the 24" limit is still an imposition that has nothing to do with portability or stowage - just simply that the timber merchant cuts boards in 24,48,72 inch dimensions.

 

Besides what is really so bad about joining two pieces of wood? For the sake of a couple of inches a good plan is compromised by non-negotiable curves or track deformation. The bigger limitation is one of weight. I also would guess the vast majority of layouts stay in the room they are built. If it is of exhibition standard then a single operator will be one too few and a van can always be hired.

 

Of course I wish I could say I follow my own advice - but of course not. All could have done with more board than track and although open frame design they are all a challenge to get through the door.

 

If memory serves, I think the reason the Winter Layout was 4x2 was that it was designed to fit in the alcove next to a chimney with the possibilty of extension across the mantelpiece.

 

Joining wood isn't so much the issue - it's joining tracks across the join if the boards are to be separated.

 

Van hire isn't a panacea - not only do you have the added hassle of collecting/returning the van, at £100 a time it will put the layout out of reach for many smaller shows.

 

Richard 

[Kenton]

 

Joining wood isn't so much the issue - it's joining tracks across the join if the boards are to be separated.

 

Van hire isn't a panacea - not only do you have the added hassle of collecting/returning the van, at £100 a time it will put the layout out of reach for many smaller shows.

 

Richard 

Joining track (especially standard OO or N) is not so great a problem - even on 2 levels - it is all about securing the track on a solid immovable bed and good board connectors. A more serious issue is disguising the results of the earthquake a visually unattractive straight gap between the boards. But this is a trainset rather than an exquisite model and we put up with it on superb fine scale models so why not here?

 

I accept the van hire is a cost that a small trainset layout and two operators is unlikely to recover, but these are also layouts that are very unlikely to be invited to an expo in the first place. Being built probably by a novice (and almost certainly unknown on the expo circuit), not being club based, and about as far removed from fine scale as possible. These are almost without exception going to be home based. So all the arguments on portability fall to irrelevant.

 

The important thing is that they all achieve that essential essence of the train set in a workable space. I hope that many a young person with a Xmas present gets help from a parent in the household to build such a board to run the new "set" on and start modelling. I also hope that many of us can follow, inspired by these and other plans.

[Pacific231G]

I rather like the plan with the high level terminus and circle underneath. It would make a perfect home for Thomas and his friends. It would also be easy to turn it into something more prototypical as the child grew up.

Depending on what Father Christmas brings my son tomorrow(!) I might even give it a go.

I think Pint Pot  or something like it would make an excellent layout for a youngster as they could watch the train going round and round but also be able to carry out some proper operation while the different levels and hidden track would make it far more visually interesting.

 

Kenton Wrote

The important thing is that they all achieve that essential essence of the train set in a workable space. I hope that many a young person with a Xmas present gets help from a parent in the household to build such a board to run the new "set" on and start modelling. I also hope that many of us can follow, inspired by these and other plans.

 

I agree and have just remembered that if you take the low level board without the terminus, in other words a loop with a reverse curve and one or possibly two sidings inside the loop, that was the Hornby Dublo layout I was given when I was about three or four. I think it was about five foot by three foot and leaned against the wall in my bedroom when I wasn't playing with it.  Of course with HD three rail you didn't have to switch the polarity to use the reverse curve.

 

Without a terrminus it was a fairly impractical plan because once you'd used the reverse curve to make the train (Dutchess of Athol with three coaches  and two wagons) go in the opposite direction you couldn't use it again without backing the train through it.

 

Because my mum bought the layout from a colleague at school I never did have a train set on the floor and the layout even had a degree of sophistication in the form of points operated by wire in tube from a single frame. I don't remember if there were any signals.

 

It was almost my best ever Christmas present only beaten by a no 6 Meccano set a few years later.

 

What I liked about Mike Bryant's "Pint Pot" articles in MRC was that he showed how what might seem quite a complex layout for a beginner to attempt was actually fairly straightforward to build and a beginner could just follow his instructions and end up with a working layout.   

Edited December 24, 2013 by Pacific231G

[steve1]

Apart from the 'diagonal track', the track plan looks surprisingly similar to the display layout that accompanies the Farish stand to Exhibitions...

 

 

 

That might have something to do with the fact that we built the layout as a commission for Bachmann...

 

steve

[MarkC]

Does anyone else remember the layout in Watson Prickards, Liverpool?

[Harry2013]

THANK YOU yes I do !!!

Was Googling for it the other day cause I could n't remember the store name.

 

We used to go there for school unfirom, a western ie cowboy layout in my time I recall.

[RJS1977]

 

I accept the van hire is a cost that a small trainset layout and two operators is unlikely to recover, but these are also layouts that are very unlikely to be invited to an expo in the first place. Being built probably by a novice (and almost certainly unknown on the expo circuit), not being club based, and about as far removed from fine scale as possible. These are almost without exception going to be home based. So all the arguments on portability fall to irrelevant.

 

 

I would argue that there is a place for a well-built "trainset" type layout at shows, certainly at the more local end of the exhibition spectrum, to demonstrate what is possible in a small space/limited budget. Those are the sort of layouts that encourage "dad and the kids" to say "We could do something like that!" and build one themselves.

 

If there's anyone in the Thames Valley area who has or knows of any layouts of that description that don't require a van to move them, I'm always happy to receive details!

 

Richard

[ThePurplePrimer]

Hi Richard

 

I think as a newcomer you have a point about " we / I could do something like that "

 

I have seen some truly fantastic layouts at shows and some smaller achievable shunting style layouts but nothing that felt like a 'full' model railway that was affordable and achievable by a beginner

 

As a side point what is considered to be the maximum board size usually suitable for a family car ( yes I know cars come in all sizes )

[Titan]

I would think 4ftx3ft would go in all but the smallest of cars with the rear seats folded down.

['CHARD]

I would think 4ftx3ft would go in all but the smallest of cars with the rear seats folded down.

 

How big's a mattress?

[MikeOxon]

How big's a mattress?

I remember that 6' x 3' layouts used to be referred to, somewhat derisively, as 'single bed size'. Remember that a mattress is a bit more flexible than a baseboard when it comes to loading into a car!

[Kenton]

I used to have a Volvo estate and you could get a 6x4 into that. My current car is also an estate but the wheel arches protrude in so much you are lucky to get a suitcase in! So the car/van/estate makes a big difference.

 

The most important thing to remember is that the size of the car doesn't have to limit the board size. Simply stop thinking of the size of sheets of plywood as cut but BBQ and start to think more modular. If the back seat will only take 39inches how many boxes of 39inches can you stack there? 3 or 4 ? that will produce a layout of well over 8ft with FY. You are allowed to join boards.

 

But all this talk of transporting a layout to a show is pretty irrelevant if you don't produce a layout of exhibition standard (whatever that is) and even more irrelevant if you don't even build a layout.

 

Maybe the best first step is to build a train set layout, learn from the experience then plan the next one to be bigger & better and worry about transporting it.

 

With that first layout you are probably going to worry more where are you going to put it (spare bedroom/garage/loft) and even can I lift it on/off the spare bed and hide it in a cupboard.

[Harry2013]

I remember that 6' x 3' layouts used to be referred to, somewhat derisively, as 'single bed size'. Remember that a mattress is a bit more flexible than a baseboard when it comes to loading into a car!

 

Single bed/Double bed are useful 'units of measurement'

[rodshaw]

The Tomy train set I got my kids when they were little was just about perfect - a figure of eight, a separate oval, a spur, lots of points, a station, a loco wash and a goods shed. Not to mention the incline and the tunnel. I got it out over Christmas (for my granddaughter, you understand) and was disappointed that the engine had stopped working. Must have a proper look one day - and take some pictures.

 

Looking online to see if I could find a spare engine, and all I can find are ones from Thomas. Having said that, the set is over 20 years old.

[steve1]

At ERFG we were at a loose end at the beginning of December, so we thought we would use up some odds'n'ends we had lying about and build a junior layout that we could sell.

 

It would be something that was just a bit further on than a basic train set but still ideal for children/grandchildren to operate. It was to offer operating interest in a reasonable space but robust enough to withstand a lot of use.

 

This is what we have come up with:

 

 

 

 

The layout splits in two for transport/storage and has built in legs. The controllers are fixed and all the wiring is done and working. There is still a few scenic bits t sort out but basically it's all there.

 

steve

 

[Rob T]

Resurrecting an old thread whilst searching for something completely different…

 

A layout that I haven’t seen mentioned but that I think fully fits this thread  (although I’ve only seen it in print form) would be an 8’ x 4’6” layout by Saffron Walden MRC that was Railway of the Month in Railway Modeller December 1971 - I would challenge anyone to fit a longer run into the space…  

 

My copy of the magazine disappeared during a house move some years ago, but I’d love to see the layout again!

[RJS1977]

16 minutes ago, Rob T said:

Resurrecting an old thread whilst searching for something completely different…

 

A layout that I haven’t seen mentioned but that I think fully fits this thread  (although I’ve only seen it in print form) would be an 8’ x 4’6” layout by Saffron Walden MRC that was Railway of the Month in Railway Modeller December 1971 - I would challenge anyone to fit a longer run into the space…  

 

 

Unfortunately I seem to be missing that one, unless it's been misfiled, or my father has it.

[BernardTPM]

Yes, a very clever, two level scheme.

[Joseph_Pestell]

4 hours ago, Rob T said:

Resurrecting an old thread whilst searching for something completely different…

 

A layout that I haven’t seen mentioned but that I think fully fits this thread  (although I’ve only seen it in print form) would be an 8’ x 4’6” layout by Saffron Walden MRC that was Railway of the Month in Railway Modeller December 1971 - I would challenge anyone to fit a longer run into the space…  

 

My copy of the magazine disappeared during a house move some years ago, but I’d love to see the layout again!

 

And housed in the club's HQ, a lovely restored carriage.

 

Probably best trainset that I ever saw (and played with) was a German friend's layout. Quite complex with the features such a roundhouse with self-opening doors, two levels etc.

 

Marklin, so it all worked beautifully. Might not be so appreciated by the occupant of the flat below. Cast metal locos running on tinplate track with skids for pick-up make a lot of noise. 

[PatB]

16 hours ago, Rob T said:

Resurrecting an old thread whilst searching for something completely different…

 

A layout that I haven’t seen mentioned but that I think fully fits this thread  (although I’ve only seen it in print form) would be an 8’ x 4’6” layout by Saffron Walden MRC that was Railway of the Month in Railway Modeller December 1971 - I would challenge anyone to fit a longer run into the space…  

 

My copy of the magazine disappeared during a house move some years ago, but I’d love to see the layout again!

I've always liked that one a great deal. IIRC the article was titled "For Amusement Only". I do have the issue somewhere, but I think it's in a box buried under a hundred others, so it might as well be on the moon. If I was going to be overly critical, I seem to remember that the platforms of the terminus station were so short that 2 coaches and a GWR 4-6-0 (Dublo Castle?) overhung the ends by a substantial margin, but that's not really the point on something like this, is it?

[Rob T]

On 18/06/2021 at 04:43, PatB said:

I've always liked that one a great deal. IIRC the article was titled "For Amusement Only". I do have the issue somewhere, but I think it's in a box buried under a hundred others, so it might as well be on the moon. If I was going to be overly critical, I seem to remember that the platforms of the terminus station were so short that 2 coaches and a GWR 4-6-0 (Dublo Castle?) overhung the ends by a substantial margin, but that's not really the point on something like this, is it?

Yes, the train lengths may have been rather short. Whilst I suspect the frequent tunnels on the lower level might have given the illusion of longer trains, there would be no hiding on the upper level.

 

@Joseph_Pestell I had totally forgotten about the restored carriage clubhouse, so much to enjoy in the article … I must source another copy (oh for the return of exhibitions).

[PatB]

43 minutes ago, Rob T said:

Yes, the train lengths may have been rather short. Whilst I suspect the frequent tunnels on the lower level might have given the illusion of longer trains, there would be no hiding on the upper level.

 

@Joseph_Pestell I had totally forgotten about the restored carriage clubhouse, so much to enjoy in the article … I must source another copy (oh for the return of exhibitions).

Many of Freezer's rather appealing tailchaser designs assumed a maximum train length of 4 (or even 3) coaches, so the layout in question was not so very far from the norms of the time. 

[Torn-on-the-platform]

There was a OO shed layout called something like Chiddleton/Chiddlington in a Railway Modeller in 2003 or 2004. I wonder if anyone else remembers it?

 

I've got rid of all of my RMs so I can no longer reference it, but it was my most read edition as a child!

 

From memory it had a large station and depot on one side, a smaller mainline country station on the other and and incline up to a further set of sidings.  Stock was mostly southern region steam but there was modern image too. 

 

It was like a personal version of my club, Rusper, which has a series of stations across 6 sheds.

 

I remember the last time I looked back at the article, it hasn't aged so well compared to the many layouts seen nearly 20 years later, but it was exciting at the time to a young teenager!