First Alpine railroad

[kokomo]

Hello everyone!

i am new to the forum and I arrived here from a link at other website.

i would like to see if I get inspiring ideas to help me design my new layout, which will be based in the Alps, where we will be able to see Swiss and some German trains too.

 

Ok, I do have a room for myself, of which I attach a rough plan of it.

I also attach some photos of the room itself so you can take into consideration where windows and door are located

 

 

(the desk and plant are going to be removed, all I have the room all for myself)

 

So, what I had in mind was the following:

 

Era: 1960/70

Medium sized station with a goods yard

Industry (lumberyard?)

An underground level (accesible via Helix???) where I could park trains and turn them around

A superior level where mostly the train will cross mountains and viaducts, perhaps a small rural station

I would go to DCC

 

And that's it... all that I recall as of now

 

How do you judge my intention? Does it look reasonable? Am I too pretentious?

 

I do not like long trains, I think more of short trains and perhaps railbuses too.

I would like a continuous operation with some shunting movement at the yard. I envision only 2 or 3 at the most locos at the same time

 

sometime ago I found this plan on a book, where I think it looks nice since it allows continuous operation and some shunting as well. It will need access for the -1 level (parking lot)

 

 

Thanks so much in advance!

[DIW]

Hello Kokomo!

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

I like your plan, and it is really good to have the room set aside straight away. The timber yard idea is good - although since you have a double track and intend to locate the layout near Germany, you have the opportunity to have freight train consists of - well, whatever you want to run. Block freight, trains of mixed wagon loads; you can run them all.

 

You may have a little bit of difficulty in finding much brand-new rolling stock and locos for the era you indicated. Certainly there is some made for that era, but I find that the vast majority of presently-made stuff is centred on the present-day collector. For example, HAG produce may of the colourful temporary liveries applied to the SBB and BLS Re 46x locos, but to find a BLS Re4/4 without the name badge (i.e. to suit your era) is not so easy unless you look towards the market for second-hand items!

 

I have a similar problem with modelling 70s/80s with the BLS coach colours and with the SBB coach logos, so I would suggest that you pick up the items you need as and when you see them on offer.

 

Have you considered whether you will use the normal HO track system (2-rail) or the Marklin (stud contact)? I'm curious. Whose catenary system will you use? That is another item of interest. Your modelling location of near Germany helps here; there is a good availability of catenary to suit both SBB and DB.

 

I expect there will soon be more comments from the other members interested in this region.

 

Thanks for sharing your concept with us

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[PaulRhB]

What gauge is it? In HO it's going to be quite restricted but loads of space in N gauge.

I've flipped the plan and suggested an alternative junction that drops down to hidden sidings so the other line can be scenic and even cross under the higher line on that side by bridges or tunnels.

The advantage of flipping it over is that the small station on the higher line could also be operated from the doorway if you hang the doors to open outwards.

[Horsetan]

.....could also be operated from the doorway if you hang the doors to open outwards.

 

How about replacing the doors with a sliding one? Would that gain some additional space?