N Gauge design help....

[Edwin_m]

Burying the bottom of the code 55 in the sleeper base means that the visible fixings on top of the sleepers only need to be cosmetic, unlike code 80 where they have to actually hold the rail in place. Hence the "fixings" in code 55 can be much smaller, which makes them look more realistic but also means a deeper flange can be used than if they had used a genuine code 55 rail.

 

All in all a clever bit of design, the only major drawback I can think of is that the point blades revert to code 80 and are therefore a bit conspicuous. Minor niggles are that shiny bits of the "hidden" rail show up in gaps in the webbing, and are difficult to paint, and that you can't run orange cable pipes underneath the rail.

[Sir Madog]

oops...how bad do i feel now!!! Sorry to hear that, hope you fix up soon. Ribs are not good as my uncle will testify...

 

i am using code 80 tyrack but was told to use code 55 points

 

No need to get a bad feeling - it was just me own clumsiness which took me down

 

Today, I was able to spend some time at my desk, as sitting down dos not hurt that much anymore. I played a little with my track planning system and this is the result:

 

 

Hope you like it!

 

You should go for code 55 track - it is the much better looking track! I used medium sized points in the above plan.

[Ian_T]

thats really good and certainly shows what i want to achieve.

 

Is there a bit of room do you think to add a 3rd running line through the middle of the station???

[Kris]

thats really good and certainly shows what i want to achieve.

 

Is there a bit of room do you think to add a 3rd running line through the middle of the station???

 

Looks like there is room but I think you would loose some of the feel of the layout. I would also be tempted to loose the facing crossover, maybe moving it off scene to the left to allow better use of the bay.

 

 

 

[Sir Madog]

I will see, whether I can incorporate those two ideas - but not today anymore. I will come back to you tomorrow!

[Chinahand]

Looks like there is room but I think you would loose some of the feel of the layout. I would also be tempted to loose the facing crossover, maybe moving it off scene to the left to allow better use of the bay.

 

The station cross-overs will become quite complicated if you introduce a third track into the equation.

[locoworks]

The station cross-overs will become quite complicated if you introduce a third track into the equation.

 

 

you would need to go down the route of slips and/or diamond crossings.

[Edwin_m]

I think you should shorten the bay a bit and move the facing crossover to beyond the points where the bay joins the through lines. This will allow a train to enter the bay in order to reverse there. Otherwise it would have to drop its passengers in the top platform then shunt. There are precedents for this (Lincoln until recently) but for a modern layout the direct running option is far more likely. Sorry I seem to have been banging on a lot about bay platform crossovers on this thread!

 

I'm also not sure the trailing crossover is needed and I still don't like the crossovers in the middle of the platforms. If the sidings going to the right are goods then it is far more likely they would face the other way so a goods train going anticlockwise could shunt in. The TMD could be on a "kickback" arrangement instead.

[Sir Madog]

My ribs keep me from sleeping, so shortly after midnight I was back at my desk again. Used the time to play around:

 

 

 

 

Back to bed now, in the hopefully not futile attempt to get some sleep!

[Ian_T]

thanks madog-thats looks a lot better

 

i hope you get well soon mate-sadly as i am sure you are aware ribs can take weeks and months to heal.............

[locoworks]

as you are using steamline trackage i would change the storage loops at the top so the 2 points on the left are right hand and the 2 on the right are left hand/ the actual curve of the point completes the curve/arc of the loops nearer the backscene and then a curve is put on the straight exit to briung things parallel. doing it this way removes all of the reverse curves in the storage area and makes the loops sligtly longer. there is no need to complete the curve in plain track and then fit points on the straight bits. you could even use curved points instead, but you may want the track seperation that the straight points will help with.

[Kris]

Creating the loop is a good idea and will add to operational flexibility. The use of a scissor crossing is an unusual feature for a UK station.

[Revolution Mike]

The use of a scissor crossing is an unusual feature for a UK station.

 

Agreed - you wouldn't normally see a scissors in a station like that (particularly in a modern station).

 

Personally I prefer the crossovers, but I would move the LH crossover further left.

[Sir Madog]

Agreed - you wouldn't normally see a scissors in a station like that (particularly in a modern station).

 

Personally I prefer the crossovers, but I would move the LH crossover further left.

 

I agree - I am not much in favor of those scissors myself. If thesludge had a foot to spare, I´d move them out of sight into the "tunnel at the right side of the layout. I would not want to sacrifice the sleek look of the track arrangement in the station area.

 

Edit: A minor surgical opeartion on the layout resulted in this:

 

 

I must admit that I have reached the end of my wits to what can be accomplished within the limitations of those 3 by 7 ft.The crossovers are made up of small points.

[Flying Pig]

A plan based on Sir Madog's idea with a few small changes.

 

 

First I've included the facing crossover. The extra length I've stolen for this and a more sweeping curve at the left has meant I've had to hide the right hand end of the station off-scene by putting the buildings on an overbridge. This does mean we don't need to worry about what type of crossovers are used

 

There needs to be an additional crossover in the fiddle yard to allow trains to return to the bay platform on the correct line - I forgot to include this and have had to sketch it in afterwards.

 

The bay road is wrong as I've drawn it and should be further from the main line to allow a decent width of platform between them (and it now needs to fit in a stairway from the station building).

 

The loop is meant to be freight and locos only so the adjacent platform should have a fence or wall along the back. There should be a trailing crossover on the main line to allow trains to rejoin the clockwise circuit, but this isn't really feasible on the curve. In practice, the trains can run off "wrong line" and cross over in the fiddle yard.

[Ian_T]

looking really good with peoples input.

 

Can i say a HUGE THANKYOU to everyone with their input and help and advice-i really do appreciate it.

[Sir Madog]

You are welcomed!

 

Keep us posted on the development of your layout!

 

Here is my (pre-final) version:

 

[Ian_T]

i certainly will!!! Been to model shop today and bought more ppoints and a few bits and pieces

 

Going to do a bit over xmas ie extending the baseboard, adding 50mm jablite foam on the top and then i guess start to try and put some track down etc.

[Kris]

Just had a look at the developments of this. The use of the scissors got me wondering if you could use them off scene, so I tried it. An extra 6 inches of width would help and make the fiddle yard easier to work but you can just squeeze it in in 7 x 3. What this did mean was that I was unable to satisfactorily replicate Sir Madog's TMD, a nice feature. So in lieu of this I put in 2 fans of sidings. I would assume that the one on the right could be the TMD and the one on the left the unit servicing depot.

Using 2 pairs of scissors off scene would make this expensive but solves the run round issues and gives access to all lines of the fiddle yard from each direction. I have also increased the fiddle yard from 4 to 6 lines to give greater stock storage. The points are mostly medium radius with a couple of curved points and a long point checked into the mix. There are a couple of Y's in the fiddle yard.

 

[ste234]

On the track plan on Sir Maddogs post (#67) I would be tempted to make the backscene more "sweeping", maybe open up some of the curves a bit, depends how tight they are. I would also be tempted to have more track in the fiddleyard, just to give that extra storage space.

Ste

[Sir Madog]

On the track plan on Sir Maddogs post (#67) I would be tempted to make the backscene more "sweeping", maybe open up some of the curves a bit, depends how tight they are. I would also be tempted to have more track in the fiddleyard, just to give that extra storage space.

Ste

 

Ta da!

 

[Sir Madog]

As I am still not able to do some "serious" work, I played a little with that track plan idea.

 

I reduced the size of the layout slightly, so it now fits on a standard 30" by 80" hollow core dore, and I tried my hand in putting some scenery to it:

 

 

The station is in a cut, which adds another dimension to the look of the layout. The curved backscene makes it a little difficult to put an urban setting to the layout, but probably gives the layout a much "bigger" look.

 

Heck, if I were into N scale, I´d build it myself!

[Ian_T]

now i am getting really excited...

[Ian_T]

Just had a look at the developments of this. The use of the scissors got me wondering if you could use them off scene, so I tried it. An extra 6 inches of width would help and make the fiddle yard easier to work but you can just squeeze it in in 7 x 3. What this did mean was that I was unable to satisfactorily replicate Sir Madog's TMD, a nice feature. So in lieu of this I put in 2 fans of sidings. I would assume that the one on the right could be the TMD and the one on the left the unit servicing depot.

Using 2 pairs of scissors off scene would make this expensive but solves the run round issues and gives access to all lines of the fiddle yard from each direction. I have also increased the fiddle yard from 4 to 6 lines to give greater stock storage. The points are mostly medium radius with a couple of curved points and a long point checked into the mix. There are a couple of Y's in the fiddle yard.

 

 

 

liking that also

[Sir Madog]

You´d better

 

Frankly, I am not very much in favor of those scissors, especially when they are in the back (hidden part) of a layout. They tend to be out of reach and can be a cause of constant trouble. I doubt, if they add any to the operational interest in this design. And they are quite expensive...

 

This is a nice little layout now, with a lot of atmosphere and character. You can run up to 8 different trains on it, if you use those two lower tracks for DMU´s, shuttling back and forth. Layouts like this one are display layouts - they live of the detail and atmosphere, not so much of shunting. They are made to display trains running in an interesting scenery. Adding more track to capture more "operation" will only distract from that.

 

At what height do you intend to build your layout?

 

I can only recommend to put it up high, close to eye level. This will allow you to capture the atmosphere much better than the usual bird´s eye view.