Delorean1984

Wow, many thanks for taking the time to do this, its very much appreciated. I initially thought of doing a lower part ECML layout but never thought of doing one from up in the North and like the say Berwick is got a lot of character. Is it worth still transferring this to my layout computer program or just print this out and go with this as a starting point? This is exactly what I am looking for and you have managed to get it to look more realistic then I could so far. Some newbie questions coming up, is the view blocker just that, blocks the view of the fiddle yard? Basically this will be in my garage and the top of the layout where castle would be is up against the wall, I would have access to the sides for building the layout and operation etc. I have two doors on the garage, one either side so the fiddle yard basically will be the front of the layout with the odd person doing stuff in the garage walking past, should be plenty of room. I am glad you have been able to fit a fiddle yard in. I'm building it more for my daughter who likes trains at the moment so she can stand in the operating well with me when operating it. Thank you again for doing this, very much appreciated.

Many thanks for the feedback, much appreciated and ideas too. Is it just not worth doing a gradient anywhere on this layout? I wanted to fit a couple of bridges/viaduct on a dropped board on right hand side, the goods loop sound like a good idea, also wanted to have few through platforms, do you still think thats achievable with a bit of fettling? Wanted a tunnel possibly somewhere. I look at replacing the points with small streamline ones, is it also worth trying to get some sweeping curves with flexitrack in places? I want to try and keep it reasonably simple for my first layout, yeah also thought I'd only get short formed trains, not sure I can get a larger size board in the space I've got. Would be interested to see what ideas @harlequin and others also think? I'll work on it a bit this weekend. Planning it on computer gives me a rough idea before buying track but I'm sure it will change as I start laying it.

Still a work in progress, open to any tips or suggestions to improve it. I've just used set track at moment but would like to use flexitrack more in places if possible to make it look more realistic. I want to use the larger streamline points but find the spacing between the parallel track is different say if I use set track points compared to the streamline points, how do you guys tackle that? Seems narrower with streamline. The gap in middle I want to go for a ECML style station layout, any ideas? The top line is an incline but not sure what max incline I can do or even if it's possible here? The size board is 10x5ft.

It's come to designing my layout now and I'mtrying to use Rail Moddler Express to design my layout on my mac, it isn't very easy and not enjoying the experience designing it on computer. Struggling with getting the track to fit and getting right geometry, is there something I'm doing wrong? Should I just buy load of track and place it down on the board once laid out and see where my imagination takes me and do it freehand? If I did it that way I'd be uncertain how much track I'd need though. I've got an idea and plan already from free track plans, this one http://freetrackplans.com/652-East-Coast.php But trying to convert this into Rail Moddler Express is a right headache as the plan doesn't show what size pieces of track they are unless I'm missing something obvious? Also trying to put this into my layout which is 10x5ft with a 5ftx2.5ft operating well is proving difficult as this is on a 6x6ft board.

Right I'm going to go with the east coast layout. Unfortunately I'm that plan on the website it doesn't tell me what size track and curves etc. Is it best to plan it in a program as close as possible and adjust accordingly to the size layout I got or just print it off and buy the track I I think I need then plan it on the layout board just moving the track around until happy. I use a Mac so limited to what software if any I can use.

Awesome, that's good to hear. I'll try and give it a go to see if it fits it as I think this layout gives me good starting point to build from and gives me exactly what I want too.

Yes your correct, I've decided that I should definitely go DCC if I'm starting out so gonna go that route. Thanks for the tip, I'll have a look into that. It's got me thinking whether that ECML layout I posted earlier can be shoehorned into this space, that would be more than plenty for me. It's on a 6x6 plan but rotated round, do you think it could fit? Probably have to move the operating well into the middle more. Gonna sketch a few ideas but I feel I'm getting somewhere with ideas now. Yes very true, just see if I can plan one, if not I'll not bother. Yeah I do like the look of that layout, has everything I'd want. Only problem is if it will fit on my 10x5 with that layout being 6x6, what do you think?

Yes very good point, didn't think of that. I'll get my notepad out and start sketching few ideas down or download program and design something. Do you think there is any chance of getting a tiny FY in somewhere? The town and sea theme was one idea but do have another theme of doing like ECML style layout from the 90s/modern day so a yard might be in keeping with this theme although with it being my first layout I just want to enjoy it rather than get too bogged down with theme accuracy at moment, that could be something I do as I get more confident and comfortable building the layout.

Just thought of a good use of the that thin red part that might be good, a viaduct or tunnel perhaps. You mentioned that no room for fiddle yard, I suppose I could fit some sidings somewhere?

Thank you for your help on this one. I'm definitely gonna have to think carefully about this but your plan has given me an idea. Just quick question but is the thin bit with duck under idea be the back of the layout or the front? What would you recommend. Basically this board would be tucked up to a wall on the backside with plenty of space at the front as it's gonna be in a garage. I suppose it makes sense for the duck under to he at the back of the layout and closest to the wall? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Is this something you mean? http://www.freetrackplans.com/0103-Double-Oval.php Does feel a bit simple and don't want to build this and then build another after. Am I best maybe putting this down on the board when I get that built then adjust add and remove until I'm happy?

Ah see what you mean by reverse loop, didn't see that, I suppose I could remove that and simplify it somehow.

Thank you for the advice, ah it's a shame that these possibly are all bit complicated. Is there anyway in simplifying them? Any links to a track plan showing what you described with your suggestion? Just a double track loop with some sidings and station? Yeah get what you mean about getting the layout built. Plan was to get layout board done and get something laid down roughly and see if it works and the adjust it until it works. Our of all the plans I have posted above, the sea and town one takes my fancy the most, is there a way to simplify it? What makes this one complex for a newbie like me?

That's great, thanks for the tips. I've only got two locos that are non DCC, virgin class 90 and Virgin xc HST, how easy are these to convert? Yeah will be going to York hopefully, will see if we have local club and pop to a loco model shop we have in Scarborough

Many thanks all for your advice and comments. A little bit of the terminology is lost on me being new to hobby but think I'm getting the idea. I'm mainly building this for my daughter who's mad about trains, she's only 2.5 years old at moment so would love this and accuracy to detail and era maybe not as important and probably loosely base it on the 90s. I think she would prefer a oval/circular layout as I think she would find it more fun than a back and forth layout. Sorry should have put this detail in original post. Some people are asking what my thoughts are on the layout front, I've seen these that I like and may go for and adapt for the size I've got. First one I like is a 9x5 town and sea plan with living near the coast here in Scarborough. http://www.freetrackplans.com/929-Town-to-Sea.php I know it's missing a section but I could plan something in here, any recommendations or plans that I could do here? Maybe a DMU cleaning shed or freight area? If you were building your layout based on this one, would you go DC or DCC? With regards to locos running on layout, probably start with having maybe 4 with maybe 1 or 2 running at one time. Currently got HST and class 90. Second and Third plans I like are very similar but like these too but would I be able to adapt these by removing the extra foot on the width? http://www.freetrackplans.com/836-Bankbridge.php http://www.freetrackplans.com/817-Nevilles-Green.php Next one I like is this east coast one, looks reasonably simple which I think should start simple on first layout http://www.freetrackplans.com/652-East-Coast.php These are the ones which have taken me fancy at moment and keen to see what your thoughts are regarding DCC and DC on these choices and also if they would be suitable for my size layout.

I'm based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. I think there is a club here and the York show won't be too far away now. I think DCC is the right way to go, is eBay the best place to look for chipped DCC locos or is there anywhere else you recommend? I'm open to going second hand or new. I feel trying to force a DC loco on DCC track doesn't sound great and I'm pretty confident I can do the soldering. How easy was it to do the 90? I think I need to stop buying locos I like look of (which is a shame as that's part of the fun and have big choice) and buy DCC ones or DCC ready ones.

Many thanks for the reply. I'm gonna have to have a good think about this and not buy anymore locos until I've decided. I know the HST is quite easy to convert but do you know if the class 90 is? Even at 10x5 it's a squeeze? The theme I was thinking was a 90s theme rather than specific route like wcml. The scenery I was thinking at the moment until I change my mind was a town/sea or city/sea theme set in the 90s. I do quite like locos and the 90s era (basically the era I grew up with). Any other ideas for a 90s theme?

Hey guys. My very early stages of building my layout has just started. Bought a few locos already which I have few questions about which I'll come to shortly. Firstly I've got a couple of ideas for my 10x5 layout. I'm gonna have an operating well in middle, I was thinking of 5x2.5ft well, what do you guys think to this? Anyone else have a 10x5 layout they care to show their photos of? Now problem I think I've got now is to decide if to go DCC or DC route. The two locos I've just got off eBay, Virgin class 90 and Virgin HST take are I believe non DCC, as you know cheaper than there DCC counterpart's. How easy is it to convert these to DCC and future purchases? I've heard the Hornby class 90 can't be converted due to the pantograph, I might be wrong though. So basically this is the time I should make a decision which direction I should go but wanted to see what you guys thought. Oh can DC locos run on DCC layout or is it DCC locos can safely run on DC layout?

Just started designing the track layout. Layout is definitely now gonna be 12ft X 5ft with 8ft by 2ft operating well in middle, thanks for all the help btw guys. I'm wanting a terminus station in the top left hand corner of the layout which then leads onto a couple of main loops, is it best to keep it reasonably simple? It just seems a bit simple. Probably have a through station with couple of platforms at the front of layout, what I'm also struggling with is a sidings area or place to store locos, not sure how I will fit that in most effectively due to having the operating well. Is it best to just to try and spread it all over the layout?

Thank you for explaining, much appreciated.

Right guys, I'm thinking of a design and notice in using track design software that I have the choose of using setrack and flexi streamline. This might come as a dumb question but with Flexi track when I come to lay it in the future how do I get the right angle and radius of the curve so it all looks right and I cut the Flexi correctly?

Many thanks again, I thought that might be the case. The video that confused me was from EverardJunction In this video, Can you see the gaps he leaves between the joining track and he seems to remove sleeper to do that but why does he leave a gap like this as when you ballast it you won't have sleeper in this area and just have a large bit of ballast? Yeah I think I will do that with regards to providing a feed to every track, more for reliability. I'll be doing DCC so from what I understand you mean is wiring it to the bus wire? I hope I'm learning here lol. I thought that might be the case with regard to soldering and temperature fluctuations. I'll avoid doing it. I think streamline is the track I want to go for, sounds like although it will take bit more thought for laying, it will be better in the long run.

Ah just done more research on this and it's little bit overwhelming lol. I think I want to go for code 100 for sure. The next decision to make is the type which I didn't fully understand before but do now. I think the streamlined stuff will be better for me but the next question I have, even after watching countless videos on YouTube is how is best way to join this stuff up? People look like they remove sleepers at ends to allow for joiners/fish plate to go in, is that right and next question is do I solder these or not? I always thought you wouldn't as it wouldn't allow for expansion and contraction?

Many thanks again. I presume you can get electrofrog points in code 100 too? I think it's looking like code 100 that I'll get. I presume code 100 is better for temperature fluctuations too as my layout will be in the garage? Cheers for tip on NCE, most people say that's one to go for. I presume I can get electrofrog points in code 100 too? I'm not too worried about wiring them, will give it a go. I would go for 75 but I've heard it's not as good in great temperature fluctuations? If thats the case I'll stick with 100. Haha yup it probably will take me that long to master. What's difference between streamline points and normal ones? Not sure if I'll use Flexi track yet, will have a think. NCE seems to be good sensus, will check it out. Yeah will keep everyone informed on my building journey.

Ok thanks all again for the advice. I'll probably go for Peco 100 on all of your advice. What's the difference of between the 75 stuff and 100? Is Peco considered the best track out there at the moment? Will go DCC as it makes sense starting out. Is there any particular controllers to go for? I've been advised to steer clear of the Hornby ones. I've got no locos yet but will keep my eye out for second hand stuff although will have to be DCC unless pick up a cheap DC loco and I convert it. Rolling stock I need to buy too. Thanks for this tip, totally agree with you on all the points you mentioned. Don't want to over complicate my first layout and want something my daughter can enjoy.