Sir Madog

Rob, I always wanted to ask you this question - are these wonderful buildings on your layout all built from scratch, or did you use any kits?

Andy, I really have to admit that I have fallen in love with your layout. It is so atmospheric and well balanced. I tend to put too much in a given space - my own attempt at drafting up a layout has more track and more buildings in the same and that may be just a notch too much speed. What I was wondering about is how rewarding it is to operate such a small layout and what a typical operation sequence would be. Does it keep the operator busy for half an hour or more? Please excuse my being so curious, but I have only little experience in the operation of such a layout.

Andrew - You´ve got me infected. Now with Dapol soon to release a Terrier at an affordable price, modeling O gauge (in a limited space) has come within reach. Keep us posted on the development of your wonderful layout.

Andrew, I am more than just fascinated by your work! It reminds me a little of a layout named "Dallington" as published in Nigel Adams´ book "Layout For Limited Spaces", but with a variation in the track plan. I have been trying to draw the track plan, using Peco bullhead track and turnouts, but somehow it does not work out. Do you have a track plan to publish here?

Mainly contemporary Deutsche Bahn electrics and coaches. Z scale has only a limited choice of rolling stock - unfortunately, none of the newer commuter EMUs is available.

David, I am more than just fascinated by your Cross Street layout - I am in love with it! A friend of mine donated his Z scale layout to me. Unfortunately, I have no room to put this layout, other than stashing it away in our attic, where it slowly rots away. I have decided to dismantle it, salvage all bits and pieces and build a new layout. Turning this: into this: Cross Street will have to be renamed into "Kaiserstrasse", as the layout will be set in present-day Germany. Do I have your permission to copy your design?

Phil - this is a wonderful layout you are building there! Very inspirational and truly a lesson how important scenery is for the atmosphere of a layout! As to the issue of things looking different when scaled down - that´s absolutely true! One reason may be the viewing angle and viewing distance. We are not as most as our scale people. I also found out that my layout looks much different on the pictures I take.

Cross Street is one of the best layouts I have ever seen - and I have seen quite a few! It is a slice of real life. You have captured that urban feeling in a wonderful way. I am looking forward to seeing your upcoming project(s).

Calling this layout brilliant or superb is an understatement!

Gary, I have been following this thread with great interest. I am not sure whether I have already commented it, but I dare to say, that your layout is the best small layout I have ever seen in my career of 47 years as a railway modeller -and I have seen many a layout. Is it asking too much to see more of it?

Looking at those pictures, I can smell Diesel fumes, oil and grime. I can hear the dark growl of a Diesel idling along, the clatter of a tool dropped to the floor. How much more realism can you ask for?

I´d like to take up that idea of a "sectional" layout. I used in in the design posted a few pages back in this thread. In case you don´t want to scroll back, here it is once more: thesludge - this layout idea was actually the basis for the smaller version I drew up for you. It is not 18 ft. long, just a little over 10 ft., but it is about the max. I would do with this layout concept.

Just a short recommendation: Stick with the scale you have already chosen. Only slightly enlarge the original plan or develop a completely different layout concept Build your layout in segments, as you plan to move in 4 - 5 years. Too bad I don´t see my little plan actually being built I have to admit that I prefer smaller layouts - I´d rather spend my time detailing a small layout than having to look for years at what our fellow enthusiast in the former colonies across the Big Pond call appropriately a "Plywood Pacific RR".

Some minor changes to the scenery: I really start to like it - should I venture in to N scale? No - it´s to small for my aging eyes

You´d better Frankly, I am not very much in favor of those scissors, especially when they are in the back (hidden part) of a layout. They tend to be out of reach and can be a cause of constant trouble. I doubt, if they add any to the operational interest in this design. And they are quite expensive... This is a nice little layout now, with a lot of atmosphere and character. You can run up to 8 different trains on it, if you use those two lower tracks for DMU´s, shuttling back and forth. Layouts like this one are display layouts - they live of the detail and atmosphere, not so much of shunting. They are made to display trains running in an interesting scenery. Adding more track to capture more "operation" will only distract from that. At what height do you intend to build your layout? I can only recommend to put it up high, close to eye level. This will allow you to capture the atmosphere much better than the usual bird´s eye view.

As I am still not able to do some "serious" work, I played a little with that track plan idea. I reduced the size of the layout slightly, so it now fits on a standard 30" by 80" hollow core dore, and I tried my hand in putting some scenery to it: The station is in a cut, which adds another dimension to the look of the layout. The curved backscene makes it a little difficult to put an urban setting to the layout, but probably gives the layout a much "bigger" look. Heck, if I were into N scale, I´d build it myself!

Ta da!

You are welcomed! Keep us posted on the development of your layout! Here is my (pre-final) version:

I agree - I am not much in favor of those scissors myself. If thesludge had a foot to spare, I´d move them out of sight into the "tunnel at the right side of the layout. I would not want to sacrifice the sleek look of the track arrangement in the station area. Edit: A minor surgical opeartion on the layout resulted in this: I must admit that I have reached the end of my wits to what can be accomplished within the limitations of those 3 by 7 ft.The crossovers are made up of small points.

My ribs keep me from sleeping, so shortly after midnight I was back at my desk again. Used the time to play around: Back to bed now, in the hopefully not futile attempt to get some sleep!

I will see, whether I can incorporate those two ideas - but not today anymore. I will come back to you tomorrow!

No need to get a bad feeling - it was just me own clumsiness which took me down Today, I was able to spend some time at my desk, as sitting down dos not hurt that much anymore. I played a little with my track planning system and this is the result: Hope you like it! You should go for code 55 track - it is the much better looking track! I used medium sized points in the above plan.

thesludge, sorry for not coming back to you, but an accident is keeping me from staying a longer time at my desk. Poor little me slipped and fell in the bathroom, resulting in a concussion and a broken rib. I will try to get something on paper, err - PC within next week. Are you going to use Peco code 80 or code 55 track?

thesludge, which track do you intend to use and what are the precise dimensions now? I will be able to draw a track plan for you on that basis.

Yup, that was the base for this plan. I willingly included the bottleneck of reducing it partly to a single-track line, just to add a little operation interest to it. The plan is also drwan using Atlas code 55 track, instead of the rather expensive Kato Unitrack. As the OP is a newbie to the hobby, I strongly suggest to keep the layout simple and straight forward, avoiding multi-level spaghetti bowls. That does not exclude an interesting layout, which is fun to build and operate. If you had a little more space available - this one was planned for running long trains and commuter trains: