Joeh260

Unfortunately it will be extremely difficult to put wheels on the fiddle yard and actually roll it around with stock on as the floor is very uneven. It is possible to put wheels on the fiddle yard however the legs will be higher on one end compared to the other. I fear if I tried to move it with rolling stock it may roll off the fiddle yard or the fiddle yard may topple with the uneven floor. Regarding running older stock on new track, I have ran various 1970s locomotives on peco and Hornby track and they work remarkably well on them and I have had no issues with points on other layouts I have tested them on. I haven’t tried them on code 75 but from what I have been told here and by others, the flanges are too large and sit on the chairs.

Unfortunately actual room is filled with pipes that run a few inches from the floor. The boiler and meter are also both in the room meaning some pipes are only centimetres away from the baceboards. The layout isn’t really in the ideal room but it’s this room or no layout at all. Although it will be rather annoying I think the way I will have to store most of the stock is by running it all onto the permanent boards when the layout is not in use and the fiddle yard is put away.

Thanks for the reply, I think I am probably best putting the older locomotives away for now as it sounds like a lot of work to change them from Dc to Dcc. I had considered the fiddle yard on wheels to move it easily however the floor is not level at all, it was intended to be a utility room when the house was Purchased But as the room have never been renovated the floor is inches higher on one side compared to the other so having the fiddle yard on wheels isn’t really an option at the moment.

Thanks for the reply Unfortunately the fiddle yard Has to be removable as the main radiator is there and the room already gets very warm Due to all the pipes that lead to the other radiators throughout the house. Also that area has other uses at the moment. I think I’ll be better just put the older stock away for now as I have already spent quite a bit of money on dcc locomotives. Regarding the code 75 and 100 track I think I’ll probably be better off just using the code 100 for the fiddle yard and the code 75 for the scenic areas.

Thanks for the diagram. It shows the dimensions and size better than mine. Not sure if it will be double track yet but perhaps the station may be better joined up with the fiddle yard. If I halved the 4ft radius curve I could add some points leading into the fiddle yard. So at least 2-3ft of the train will be visible in the station and the rest could be in the fiddle yard. Or a similar type of station on the other side leasing onto the removable bridge.

Thanks for your reply To answer your questions 1.the removable bridge in the corner is required as easy access To that corner is required at all times 2. The is not an actual opening door it is just the frame 3.the distance between the wall and the fiddle yard is 12inches as the is a radiator in the way 4. Not sure how to answer this one 5. The fiddle yard is only 14inches wide As it needed to be very easily movable however the start on the fiddle yard on the bottom right may be widened to 20 inches for the first 2-3ft

Thanks for your reply, It is quite long for a station I think, it is one of the main problems I am having. The only idea I had to make the station smaller is if the station is connected to the fiddle yard and only around 3ft of the platforms being visible. That would mean the other 5-6ft would be hidden away in the fiddle yard.

Think this is the correct place, I have recently just set up new baseboards for a new 00 gauge layout. However I haven’t been able to find a track plan I have been happy with. I have not yet decided on which period I would like to model yet as a plan to purchase the locomotives and rolling stock once I have decided. Most of my current rolling stock are mk2 br blue coaches which are quite old but are still capable to run on both code 100 and code 75 track and may look ok if weathered. Some Locomotives I currently own are older triang br blue locomotives with a few newer Bachman locomotives in br green and coal sector. I plan to do the layout in dcc so I am not sure if the older locomotives can be changed over to dcc or if it’s worth changing them. (The Bachmann locomotives I own are already dcc fitted) I have attached an image bellow of the dimensions of the layout my initial plan was to have a 4ft radius curve and a station of some sort on the strait section however I haven’t been able to find any sort of track plan that I have been happy with. some things I want to be included is at least half of the 4ft radius curve station that can hold or looks as if it holds 5-7 coaches most of the points being large or medium radius ideas that could be included locomotive shed sidings (in use or disused) tramway Any other ideas are appreciated Not sure if anybody could help and make a track plan or suggest any ideas. As you may see a more effective way to use the space than me. Also any help on signing would be very helpful. One last thing as I have both code 75 and code 100 track is the any ways to utilise both? I have quite a few small peco code 100 points that may be useful for a fiddle yard. Image with layout dimensions below Thanks Joe