imt

I am not sure what you are after, but I use Uhlenbrok 67600 relays in my control system - 2 DCC signal addressses change 2 SPDT switches see http://www.dcctrainautomation.co.uk/uhlenbrock-67600-sd-2-switching-decoder.html

Try this thread: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/126780-layout-design-in-illustration-software/

Herewith another quick slash at the problem. Note the board is set at 4ft by 10ft and I have greyed out the difference between the 32" and 48" witdths. I have put an R3 half circle at both ends, and an R2 at the right. As I say I don't think your locos will go round it, but try it in real life when the rail arrives. If you PM me your email address I will send you the Anyrail file, I cannot load it here.

I think you have to face the fact the the Roco track R2 at a radius of 14.09 inches is somewhat less that the Hornby/Peco Setrack radius 1 at 14.61 inches. Most large locos will NOT go round Hornby R1 - they require R2 which is 17.24 inches radius - so I doubt if the small Roco stuff is any use to you. I do not understand how you have a Roco R2 semi circle on your current layout which would require a diameter of 34.22 inches which is wider than your claimed 32"???? Maybe you need to re-measure or check the rail numbers OR Anyrail has it wrong (it is usually right). R1 is 61122 and R2 is 61123 and I expect it is moulded into the track somewhere underneath - for Hornby/Peco it is anyway.

I have just bashed this up using Anyrail. I have no idea what track you have or the exact dimensions of your baseboard or even what you want. I guess a loco servicing point with engineers sidings - though waht you do with the Virgin passenger kit I don't know. You can see the names of the pieces I have used and how easy it is with this kind of software to put things together.

The thread is still there - nothing has been deleted. All that advice is still readable and remains good. You have enough space for a return loop at the wider end of your board. We have been through the discussions of hidden fiddle sidings and how you get to access them. IF you had access all round you have space for a station of other railway installation (goods yard, engineering yard or whatever or some kind of mash up) at the front and a set up area (fiddle yard) for trains at the back. You cannot reach through scenery or over more than 2 feet width without damaging yourself of bits of railway. There is nothing wrong with the track you have to start with - though you may need more. Its modular, so some software like Scarm or Anyrail will allow you to place bits together and get some idea of what you can build. I have had a look at my Anyrail and it has Geoline track shapes in it.

I assume this is a rerun of http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/126899-some-advice-needed-please/ by royalmail. I am not sure why you didn't carry on from where you left off (you could have posted to the old thread I would have thought) or maybe all that was no longer relevant. Mind you the problems seem the same? If you want design software look on the web for the type of computer you have. Most of it is now chargeable (Scarm, Anyrail) but there is some free stuff still XTrackCad, and Anyrail allows for 50 pieces of track/points for free. You have rejected 2 levels now and in the past.

Well each to his own of course. I expect these modellers you refer to don't care if their loco has the right number of rivets, their stock is painted the right colours or their buildings are inappropriate for the location, era or whatever. Or maybe the bores that tell me those things are just mad signal freaks too? Of course we all tend to "model" those things that interest us. It just saddens me when I see beautiful scenery, carefully crafted buildings, exact replica locos etc. etc. Then you see unlikely stock rakes running past signals that don't work or are incorrectly sited. Yes they get great enjoyment from what they do, and so they should. But if you WANT a prototypical railway why not go the extra mile. Mine is a mess but I just love the operational aspects. I cannot make buildings for toffee, I cannot be bothered with static grass dispensers, but I like other aspects of the hobby. The problems would arise were I ever to take my mess to an exhibition and try to pass it off as a model of a railway.

Well there's your first mistake! As I have had ground into me, railway signals are NOT traffic lights and do NOT mean the same things. In the UK signalling is largely about routes not speeds (as much of the Continental signalling systems are - look at Swiss signalling which is fascinating and entirely different, like one starter for a 3 platform station).

Firstly that is a very good point, and secondly if you intend to use Tortoise or Cobalt point motors (or similar) you need a depth of side rail to protect them. My baseboards (made for me) are 9mm MDF (I hear the groans but mine is indoors in a warm house!) with 90mm deep 12mm MDF rails supporting them at 300 mm (roughly) centres. You need to PLAN your cross members to avoid where you intend to place your point motors - else disappointment ensues (sorry its the silly old fart that keeps banging on about planning things!).

I looked at this yesterday and thought "I'm not sure what he's after or why it's like that". The absence of replies may mean that others feel as confused as I am. My initial reaction would be cut the turntable and buy a couple of Peco loco lifts if you want to lift/turn loco's in a fiddle yard. If you don't like their femmer sides use some strip wood to replace it with - 40/50mm by 3mm does nicely - it's a push fit so everything is very sturdy. I can understand a turntable on a layout - excellent scenic feature, especially if you can make it work effectively - but not in a fiddle yard as it becomes very fiddly!! I can see that you want some roundy roundy tracks - good idea if only for testing, I don't have room and have to put a circle down in the dining room on occasions. It looks as if you are going to have trains coming in, stopping, being reversed buy moving the loco front to back or by attaching a new for it to go out in the way it came in. That is to say your through station is going to appear to be between two separate fiddle yards, with the option of bypassing that sometimes. Whats the problem with double slips? I have 2 and they work fine. Do I have this right? If so what exactly do you want to discuss - the number of roads, the way to control them ......

I would agree, UNLESS a) you have/want something like a traverser for your "fiddle yard" which may not fit in that configuration (you would have to raise the viewable area to allow for the traverser transport mechanism) or b) you want a roundy roundy in some way (where the fiddle yard was at the back with (say) a lift up flap to provide access). Edit: just thought you could have a reversing loop in 2ft in N gauge. Lots of ways of providing return traffic. Basically an excellent idea for an N gauge model.

There are ways of doing magnetic uncoupling with tension locks - it involves "sticking" closed staples at right angles on the down droppers of the hooks and using magnets to repel them - hence lifting the hooks. There is a video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbk9xo19un8&pbjreload=10 - but I haven't found the simple instruction sheet I once had. Another method without adaptions is: Edit: found it on RMweb archive: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35605&start=50

Indeed, the whole idea of the kind of operational opportunities available in a small space fascinates me. If only because then I only HAD a small space. The thought of being able to fold things out of the way into a box to keep clean and safe was very interesting. Paul's idea of a folding Minories is excellent - even more so in N gauge! Sadly I cannot see N gauge any more. Have you seen: http://www.carendt.com/ Which gives even more ideas.

I found the name of the box (Apa) and several examples of their use on RMweb - this is an example: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/81699-apa-park-n-gauge-in-an-ikea-box/ There may be some ideas in and around this and similar threads for you.

This was once all the rage with Ikea storage boxes. I have tried looking for them but cannot find them. They were ottoman/blanket box size and were ideal for small layouts.

Apart from being supportive and encouraging in general, I find it difficult to help in detail since (to be brutally honest) your layout doesn't tick many of my boxes. As I remember it way back this was what you wanted - a mainly freight layout with loco facilities. I thought that was where you ended up. The only bit I like is the upper station - but that's because I like running trains and timetables etc. My personal opinion would be that if you take out the upper station there is no interest left, but this is YOUR layout. Apart from having the upper station over the top of a back scene which shows a port (as you say a bit difficult to come to a visual appreciation of) what's the problem? Is it that you cannot effectively operate the upper station (reach or lack of facilities?) or you cannot imagine how it interacts with the lower level (which is my problem). I don't see how this hangs together as a railway system - why does stuff go from A to B, why do you Marshall train in some way or other - where's the contents (people, goods) going to? I am also finding it difficult to understand where this station on the lower level is (all I can see is fans of sidings all over the place) and how passenger trains get from it to the upper level. To me a layout has a place in the greater scheme of things: stations and goods yards were built in the places they were put because they had a purpose and connected with traffic flows (people, goods) to other places which had a demand. This is why lots of layouts have "fiddle yards" which represent these sources and destinations, so the visible bit has the purpose of building coal trains for "X" or stripping out goods for "Y" from larger trains, and then releasing the main train before forwarding the "cut" up a branch (real or imagined). I think you chose not to have hidden "fiddle" areas - but I'd have to re-read everything to check how we got here.

I got intrigued by something similar (see post #3 above). I looked at programming solutions, and thought hang on that's expensive. What I used were a couple of Programmable Logic Controllers from NCE (£38 each - they call them Mini-Panels or even Programmable Throttles - even less descriptive and helpful), two programmable relays from Uhlenbrock and a TrainTech LFX module for the lights. Those plus a few lights and switches made up a control system for Tokenless Block (plus a One Button Route Controller). Now I haven't done the logic, but I don't see the problem in theory of making it a full Block system any more than the bright lad talking about using an expensive hand held general purpose computer with a sexy display at £340 each. Now I appreciate that what I did was idiosyncratic, but it wasn't (that) expensive - maybe £100 in total. The switches and light controllers for the points control and signal mimics cost a good deal more - nearer £300. Now if there was a discernible market (and there may well be) your idea is a solution that those who don't use NCE gear and have iPads/iPhones etc available. Again (in theory) since the NCE stuff only exports DCC commands it should be possible to link it to any other manufacturers system. There may be more than one way to get where you want to be. I really would like to hear how you get on with this and where it goes. If you don't want to post it then PM me. Good luck - happy to help if anything I have tried could be useful.

No it's not, it's pure Shakespearean blank verse. I could listen to the beautiful BBC voice's measured and mellifluous tones even when I hadn't a clue what it was about.

That sounds OK in theory - but how do you pick up a (say) 4 line tray full of stock and about 5ft long??? Honestly, and I am not trying to spoil the fun or be rude BUT I have made all these mistakes myself and ended up with useless layouts which I lost interest in because they were (however pretty and/or clever) totally inoperable. Planning for operation needs to be realistic and practical. That idea (in my sad experience) just isn't.

Think about that one again. Firstly if you are going to operate this as a passenger layout (that includes mail trains) you will want to be able to assemble several trains and receive several trains over a period. You need as many "train size" tracks as you can manage. You can hold several trains/locos on one fiddle yard siding as you like. Easier on DCC but with DC you split the siding up into manageable isolating sections - maybe 2 cars long so you can hold a DMU or two or locos. Another approach is to use LocoLifts or cassettes. Lots on RMweb about that kind of thing. I manage a fairly intensive operation with 4 FY sidings. But mine are "to hand" - more about that later. Operationally the FY design, capacity and accessibility is almost as important as your "on-view" layout. Final question. If the FY is against a wall behind scenery how do you intend to get at it to set up and remove trains? Maybe think of bringing the station to the front so the gap is at the back so you can duck under to get to it every now and then to set up trains etc. That would mean a redesign but if you like the idea that won't be too difficult.

Absolutely agree with that. My layout wired completely using them. Much easier than trying to solder to nickel silver rails without melting the plastic sleepers. I have had no trouble with them. I use DCC but DC would be little different. Underneath the board there are connectors (3 amp choc blocks) through which the main feed is threaded and to which the droppers easily attach. Photo below will give some idea of what I mean. More/better explanation if you want it.

I am not sure what you mean by extending the top, if you mean the top stub line then think twice. Minories is a very special design for a busy passenger station, the stub is a loco standing area so train pulls in loco comes from stub pulls out train again, loco at head of platform goes to stub. Repeat with variations. This is a dual line station i.e. an in and an out line. The stub is only attached to one of these lines - so is little use as a platform. The lower platform is needed for a busy passenger station - but could easily be used for a head shunt for (say) a parcels depot or similar. There are whole threads on Minories and how to expand it. The main thing is that unless you want to use Hornby/Peco Setrack then using Peco Streamline can be just as efficient. If this interests you look at: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/60091-00-minories-track-plan-wanted/ This is a classsic layout and there are plenty of other threads about it too.

I have had a go at your Bristol Park St. using AnyRail - which I understand. It isn't as clean as yours, but was as an exercise only for somebody looking for help elsewhere on the forum. Bristol Park Street.pdf

Just to show you what I am talking about, which of course may be of zero interest to you, I add a layout in 00 gauge drawn in AnyRail. It's an attempt to copy Harlequin's superb design in his "Using illustration software" thread in the same area as this thread. See http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/126780-layout-design-in-illustration-software/ This could be worked up into a fantastically detailed model (if that's what you want) and give plenty of operating pleasure. I have taken your 10 by 4 feet and said I don't want all of that - so the used (non-shaded) area is 18" wide on all sides. You could stick a little fillet in at A to support the head shunt if it's too close to the edge.You also need a fiddle yard following on from B. I have mine on top of a table used for other things, there are levelling feet for their obvious purpose and to protect the table. You could have a chest of drawers or have it as one shelf of a bookcase if that's what is there. How you design the fiddle yard will depend on available length and width. The station will easily deal with 4 coach trains with a loco at each end (one pulls the train in another comes from the little siding at the left to pull it out again. in which case you would need a 4ft fiddle yard - which as I say does not have to be permanent but only erected when you are playing (sorry operating your railway!). Harlequin's "goods yard could be a parcels/mail depot and an engineering siding. Mix to taste? Hope that helps a bit! Bristol Park Street.pdf