pgcroc

Thanks for the double junction details. I had been using the Windows emojis. That's where I have been going wrong. Another one to search for Zomboid. Thanks Cheers Pete

Thanks Harlequin. I will try and find these 2 locations to see what is meant by this. Cheers Pete

Many thanks Chimer for taking the trouble to draw your take on the layout. It certainly looks a lot better than my miserable effort. I will certainly use it on my redesign. Mine looks a bit 'boxy', all straights and corners, no real interest. My knowledge of goods yards and MPD's is 100% less than yours! I continue looking at pictures that I find on the Net trying to find something that gives me a light bulb moment that I can use as a base for mine. If I knew then what I know now I would have done some sort of railway apprenticeship instead of going to sea as an engineer. ps. How do you get emojis into your text. It does not allow me to do it? Many thanks Zomboid. I have no idea what a conventional double junction is. No doubt I have seen many of these on my journey into this hobby but not realised what they were. Cheers Pete

Hi Keith Many thanks. On the layout I first posted, all the points were Electrofrog Streamline points. On the above revision you are correct, I used Setrack curved points. The reason was was that's what they looked like on a Harlequin design I was using as a guide. Perhaps I have got this wrong and he used Streamline. I will revisit this. I was just trying to get long flowing curves of the maximum radius I could. Will change the arrows. One day I might get this right! Cheers Pete

Hi All Spent the last couple of days on the loco storage area. Pinched ideas from one of Harlequin's designs. Not as good as his though but better than I had before. Never used curved points before. Shame they are insulfrog. Can you get electrofrog? Can't find any on the Peco website. I'm trying to keep points off the lift up section. Anybody have any comments before I try and carry on trying to get a goods yard and loco shed area? Cheers Pete

I did have a high level through station over the FY/Loco storage area in a previous incantation with the line coming down to grade on the south of the layout and connecting to the purple line but it was getting a bit complicated! I don't know if I have the same book but I am assuming that you mean TP7 and TP8? I can see the goods area in them both. Thanks. I have started redesigning the loco storage area, (no more FY), by pinching part of a design by Harlequin. Full redesign in progress. I will post it when I 'think' it is done. Good news - my local bar opens on Monday. Yippee. Thanks to everybody. Pete

This is where I am obviously wrong. I considered the yellow line to be one of the 3 running lines. Yes, for any of the other 2 to access the north station they would have to run around the layout one and a half times. I see that now. However, I have now decided to only have 2 main lines. Yes, once again you are correct. I was aware of this but thought it would a bit more interesting. I knew that the goods yard was minimal. I left it like that so I could do something with it once the rest has been done. I've had a look at CJF's small booklets I have with me but other books that have been delivered on goods yards are at home. No access at the moment. Really, other than the tunnels, OO gauge, and DCC I am not too bothered what I have as long as it's interesting. I will start on a new layout tomorrow. Many thanks Pete

I appreciate what you are saying Zomboid. As I said in the beginning I have no experience either in the railway real or model worlds. I'm not looking for somebody to design a layout for me. Looking again at my design again I suppose it does look a bit like a trainset rather than a layout. There are many pictures on my computer of real and model railways that I look at. Perhaps too many. As you, Harlequin and David have said maybe 3 circuits are too much. I will start a new simpler design. Thanks for the kind words Keith. 1) Yes, I have seen this over the last year or so of lurking on this forum. I suppose I am guilty of being a newcomer of trying to get as much track on the board as possible. You should see some of my early ones! I am not trying to replicate any real life situations. A fictional one will do me, bits of which will probably be plagiarised from other people's efforts. 2) Yes, I see that suggestion repeated over and over. Less is more. This is now what I shall follow. 3) This has already been done, (unless my wife has drunk it all). Once again, many thanks to all. Back to the drawing board. Pete

Many thanks Harlequin. I might scrub the lot and start again bearing in mind David's and your comments. At least I don't have to redesign the baseboard - as you said it is what it is. There is at least nearly 4 more weeks here. Once again, thanks. Pete

Thanks David, (and Harlequin). It was done in SCARM. I have looked at all of Harlequin's designs and very good they are too. Perhaps I am asking too much with 3 roundy round lines. I will go to 2. I think I need to go back to the drawing board. Here we go again with revision 23,567! Thanks to you both for taking the time to review it. Cheers Pete

Hi Harlequin Many thanks for your comments. Appreciated. I intended to make high level scenic sections in one piece for the 2 right hand corners and lift them into place. Should not have to move them again. Then it is only around 30" to the outside track from the well. Perhaps I should not have said fiddle yard. Yes, storage yard for the 'night trains', fixed rakes. I thought that I would put open arches at the top to hold up the houses and road. I have to investigate how big the openings are to get my hand in if required. I think (?) I know what you mean regarding your first suggestion. I assume you mean the north and east scissor connections in your second suggestion. I am not clear about what you mean in your third suggestion. I am quite happy to have longer and curved platforms although I cannot see where I can put in more. I was hoping to get 3 running lines. If you have some time could you mark up my layout to show me what you mean please? (A bit cheeky I know) Many thanks Pete

Hi Harlequin Many thanks for your comments. Appreciated. I intended to make high level scenic sections in one piece for the 2 right hand corners and lift them into place. Should not have to move them again. Then it is only around 30" to the outside track from the well. Perhaps I should not have said fiddle yard. Yes, storage yard for the 'night trains', fixed rakes. I thought that I would put open arches at the top to hold up the houses and road. I have to investigate how big the openings are to get my hand in if required. I think (?) I know what you mean regarding your first suggestion. I assume you mean the north and east scissor connections in your second suggestion. I am not clear about what you mean in your third suggestion. I am quite happy to have longer and curved platforms although I cannot see where I can put in more platforms. I was hoping to get 3 running lines. If you have some time could you mark up my layout to show me what you mean please? (A bit cheeky I know) Many thanks Pete

Hi Everyone. This is my first, and probably last, attempt to build a layout. My knowledge of actual railway workings is miniscule. I have decided to go public with my attempt after a lot of head scratching and fear. I retired in 2011 after working abroad for 35 years and need something to keep me out of mischief. I joined RMweb in January last year and have been lurking here ever since trying to pick up ideas. Collection of locos and wagons started around 16 years ago so I have some ‘old’ stuff which may have to be sold. It was planned to build it in a spare bedroom after the kids flew the nest but as all plans we make, it went awry. Kids got married, had kids and SWMBO decided to repurpose one spare room for overnight stays of small kids and the other for our large kids. However, I have managed to get the garage after selling my car which I was hardly using and costing me loadsa money. Refurbished said garage and had the baseboards built and installed. Since last year I have been trying to come up with a layout design. I have changed it so often that it is driving me nuts! It will be 00 gauge and operated by DCC, sometime around 1965/7 with GWR steam but with some modern oil burners coming out at night when nobody can see them All curves are a minimum radius of 20” but most are 22” plus. I have put in 3 tunnels as ordered requested by SWMBO. She has a thing for tunnels – do not ask! It has been ‘designed’ using SCARM. Now I am stuck in Cyprus. I should have gone home 17 days ago but the flight was cancelled. My next flight is 6th July (?) so I thought I would try and get the layout design finished by the time I get home. Then full steam ahead! It is obvious that many on this forum have a level of knowledge that I will never attain so would be grateful for any suggestions/brickbats. I will not be offended in any way. Pete

You are correct Bob. I did not think of that. My apologies.

Philip, probably not a good idea to leave the Santander letter in the picture with your address on. Have a good day.

Nice to hear from you again Pete. I have been following your posts for a good while. I do not have the skills to do what you are doing but I am fascinated with what you are doing. Keep up the excellent work. Peter

Hi Chris p Bacon Could I have the GWR book please. Cheers Pete

I'm in Cyprus, arrived a week ago. The Government has just announced that all bars, restaurants, Malls, department stores etc will be closed from 06.00 today for 4 weeks. I am here until the end of May so I am self isolated! Stocking up with essentials, beer, vodka, tonic. Luckily I have a full TV service and plenty of books. May even finally finish my track layout design! Keep safe everybody.

Hi KM Surely a can of varnish will last for more than one model bringing the cost per model down. I have not made any buildings yet but they are on the radar.

Hi If you go to Print and set the Print Scale Ratio to 1:1 then that will print it out all full scale. Tick the Suppress Empty Pages box also. Tick Print Alignment Numbers and Print Page Numbers. Note that a 12' x 6' layout takes 130 pages. Some pages may only have a tiny bit of track on so it's worth playing with portrait/landscape setting to get the fewest. Following this thread with great interest. I am just trying to sort out a layout for mine 16' x 9' in my garage. Hope this helps

Agree totally. Fair prices and very quick deliveries. My go to dealer.