A beginners shot at Kings Cross

[Adie89]

How it started in the 'New Members' Section

Posted 17 November 2012 - 00:57

Hi, My name is Adrian
I am British but work in Germany, hence my somewhat mixed collection of trains etc.
I am somewhat of a hobby butterfly so flit between this and several other time consuming tasks, like work, restoring two vw campervans and tuning/putting back together my own car.
I started out with an eBay special of a Flying Scotsman Hornby set because I liked the look of it. This progressed to another eBay special, an Intercity 125 because I remembered them as a kid (I'm 30 going on 3) Then I got hold of a German Roco DCC start set in a sale which led to converting the very old 125 to DCC and LED lighting (electronics is yet another hobby of mine along with watches, handy for the small fiddly stuff)
Then I made the inspired decision to model Kings Cross, something most of your members would be surprised for a novice. So Ive promptly built a series of baseboards, some 4mm cork floor tiles, bought loads of second hand lima track which is taking hours to clean up but is cleaning up, and decided Im going to have platforms 9 & 10 as a descending hidden run through in an arc under the station because I like to watch massive trains go past very fast, who doesn't?
The problems I am coming across all seem to have brilliant solutions described by your knowledgable members in one Forum or another. Problem is as a NOOB I have no idea what there talking about. I only just learned what a double slip crossing is, and how expensive they are, and the fact I need five so when members go on about trailing points, CO-CO, BO-BO, and ... stuff I have no idea what there saying.
Undetterred though, I continue. I now have a Bachmann Mallard which I've converted to DCC, because its famous and I remember it from school. Two Roco Deutsche Bahn diesels and a Roco BR215 I saved at a fair in Bournemouth which Ive fixed along with hods of carriages because I keep forgetting what I have and buy more on eBay/at fairs. Track laying is going well ish and i'm sourcing double slips from Roco via eBay because the'll fit.
Did I mention this is all in the last six months? and that I'm squeezing it in a 3.5m x 2.5m room in my attic? oh and my better half is distinctly baffled but very understanding as long as I dont ask her to look at stuff.

 

Posted 17 November 2012 - 22:19

That wiki is a good start. I was thinking more like this http://warhammer40k....hammer_40k_Wiki theyve made there own specific wiki and anyone can contribute. w2ith the knowledge on here it would become a powerful tool very quickly.
My current plan that I found on the web

my layout so far and a curious rake of lit DB coaches that I got for a steal. All crossings and double points will change out for double slips as I source them on eBay

 

[Adie89]

Where its at now.

Posted 13 August 2013 - 23:53

Well it's been nearly a year and I suppose I should have the good grace to continue. I've since ripped up all my Lima track and spent months scouring the Internet for cheap roco stuff as it seems to be good stuff but at £20 a point,new it's not cheap. The better half has given me the whole attics in exchange for her getting the spare room back. Progress has been slow over the last twelve months as being in the military I'm a little busy. But I've had a splurge and here's my latest efforts. All the boards for the station and runaround underneath are complete )
and I've just finished the 306th mock lay ready to start laying track.
I've bought all my cable and spent hours on SCARM to make it all fit. ( I found templot fascinatingly bafflingly brilliant, so I took the easier route)

I've also learned masses about dcc and been finding all sorts of stupid and awkward ways to make stuff work.
And got a dog and a new car
I hoping to run all this on a roco z21with 2 10764 command stations converted to boosters with a ARM hat has 4 'zones' with solid state relays. And the signalling turned out to be devilishly simple after I downloaded one of those simulators for free and studied the track plan.

I seem to have hit around the seventies (I think) steam/diesel changeover because I like A4's and Delitics. Without realising that's also the era I hit with my German stock (epoche III)

[Adie89]

Work is currently on hold as the MOT came up on my two campervans so that became a priority, and now i'm in UK for work for a few weeks before I can go home again. On the plus side I recently took the wife on her first ever steam train on the narrow gauge in the Harz Mountains, which to her surprise she really enjoyed!

[Baby Deltic]

Maybe if you are a beginner, you should try something a bit simpler than a huge main line terminus as a first attempt.

[Adie89]

Maybe if you are a beginner, you should try something a bit simpler than a huge main line terminus as a first attempt.

Where'd the fun in that be although I have found it a real challenge, I've found the problem solving particularly enjoyable. Although it looks complex, to my untrained eye it has been relatively simple. The biggest challenge was getting it all too fit, which is coming along nicely now.

I have definitely had a good head scratch over point motor wiring and signalling plan, but now i've got 24 cobalt motors (12 digital 12 normal) ready to get mounted up and 75% of the actual track wiring is in place and nailed down, it 'just' needs hooking up. The Roco code 83 track has turned out to be really electrically friendly with many of the popular mods to Peco turnouts already integrated (Although I did only discover very late in that Roco changed from code 100 to code 83 rail very recently, I didnt know what the previous sentence even meant a few weeks ago). That has made life a lot easier in many ways. but thank buggery for Google!

[The Nth Degree]

Well, if you're going in you may as well go in with both feet!

 

I really like your optimism and I wish you the best of luck. You've got quite a way already.

[mightbe]

Have you considered a branchline terminus? Or maybe a smaller terminal in a larger city? There's a project in 2mm right now on Bath's Queen Square, and that's a wonderful, realistically sized terminal. With your version of King's Cross, I would be concerned about compromises and compression to fit it in your location. Usually the larger a scene, the more it must be compressed. As always, it is your layout.

[chris p bacon]

I disagree, I say build what you want. Whether it has compromises or not what you build is something you want to operate, just because it is called "Kings Cross" doesn't mean it has to slavish follow the prototype in everyway but have a flavour of it.

I am also building a prototype location and for me a lot of the enjoyment is the building, so whether it will be finished....well we'll have to wait and see.

 

Have fun building this and if it changes along the way, then it changes, but whatever you do, don't be afraid to change things (as I've learnt) as it will be for the better.

[jonny777]

I disagree, I say build what you want. <snip>

 

 

I agree with that.

 

Why not make it a fictional London terminus that presumes the channel tunnel was built long before it actually was? After all, construction was begun in the early 1970s but subsequently cancelled due to the costs.

 

The idea that it was actually completed, and your terminus serves as the station for the continent and the north of England would enable you to run almost any European stock alongside those of British origin.

[beast66606]

Be wary of the simulator, it doesn't show slip points clearly.

 

www.simsig.co.uk also has a KX simulator, well worth a look - it's a lot closer to the real thing.

[forest2807]

I say go for it! You know more about DCC and electrics than me and I would imagine a fair few more on here, and to me that's the most difficult aspect of planning and building a large layout compared with a small branch line. If you've cracked the wiring, etc, who cares if the trackplan is a compromise, it's your layout. Think big if that's what you want.

[martin_wynne]

I've bought all my cable and spent hours on SCARM to make it all fit. ( I found Templot fascinatingly bafflingly brilliant, so I took the easier route)

 

Hi,

 

Templot is intended only for hand-built track. It's not suitable for commercial track, so it wouldn't have helped you. For ready-made commercial track use AnyRail, SCARM, XTrackCad, 3rd PlanIt, or several others.

 

Sorry I keep interrupting topics to point this out, but it seems to be a difficult point to get across. I don't want folks to download Templot and then be confused or disappointed.

 

Best wishes with your project,

 

Martin.

[chris p bacon]

Hi,

 

 I don't want folks to download Templot and then be confused

 

 

Martin.

I downloaded it and was certainly confused......

 

But Norman Saunders has his head around it so I'm ok there

[LNER4479]

On the plus side I recently took the wife on her first ever steam train on the narrow gauge in the Harz Mountains, which to her surprise she really enjoyed!

This should come as no surprise at all - all the best wives enjoy a trip on the Harz.

 

Next time you should introduce her to the Cabriofahrt(!)

 

I'm definitely in the 'go for it' camp with your King's Cross. You certainly give the impression that you'll be able to deal with the control side of it. And upgrading the track is a good move. I also quite like the above suggestion re incorporating a 'might have been' angle to allow you to include your continental stock.

[lash]

Now this is interesting, I'm a big believer in small layouts but I'm a bigger believer in actually having a go and building a layout rather than thinking about building one.

 

So this all looks ambitious , wonderful and totally bonkers .....brilliant and don't stop

[manna]

G'Day Gents

 

To me, the trackwork dosen't have to be perfect, but it has to 'feel' like Kings Cross, go for it.

 

manna