Help withbLayout & Track Design

[alangdance]

Hi

 

I am not the best at coming up with Layout & Track Designs, so does anybody know a good company or person who could help at a reasonable price.

 

Regards

 

Alan

 

[TonyMay]

Give some more information and people here will help.

 

How much room do you have?  Measure the area with a tape measure - for specific plans it'll need to be to the nearest millimetre.  Where do the windows and the doors go?

 

How portable do you need it to be?  Do you have preference for end-to-end or roundy-roundy type?  Do you have preference for modelling specific elements?  (e.g. main line, branch line, MPD, goods yard, etc, etc).

 

What scale/gauge is your preference for?  On a scale of 0 to 10, where do you want to go on the scale 0 is "I don't care at all about the prototype" and 10 is where you're obsessed with prototypical accuracy to the point of being nauseating?  If the answer to that is anything above 2, do you have an interest in a specific prototype region/era?  

 

Depending on the space above, do you want a small quickie to develop key skills, or are you confident enough already to erect a large one?  

 

Those are the main questions to be starting with, looking at the major considerations.  After that, there are other questions but I don't want to flummox you yet.

[Barnaby]

After reading Tony Mays very good advice you can nip out to the pub put a pint in then split a beermat and start the design process searching for ideas. Once you have some get back here post the beermat design, sit back and watch and wait.

 

Good luck

[alangdance]

Thanks for the replys.

 

I have an area of 5975mm by 2050 available to me. I have a door about 1800mm to one end of the long side were access will be required.

The layout will be 4mm and will not be portable. I would like a roundy - roundy layout with a fiddle yard on the wall with the door.

I want a urban layout with track above street level with some thought of medium size loco or goods yards so I can have some shunting.

Needs to be a 2 track main line that goes into 4 lines and back to 2.

This is were I get struck as I am not good at designing how I want it. This is the reason

for trying to find someone to help.

 

Regards

 

Alan

[Ray H]

Alan

 

Any chance you could sketch out the room so we can establish exactly where the door is?

 

Do you want the door left clear or a lifting flap over it? Does the door open in or out?

 

The more information you can give, the more assistance you're likely to get.

 

Do you have a region/area in mind? How about the timeline for the model? Steam, Steam/Diesel or Diesel (or even electric)?

[jetmorgan]

I have a very similar problem, the best place for advice though is right here and it's all completely free. Just give us some ideas of how much room you have and anything you's like incorporated into the design and you'll get lots of ideas and inspiration.

[alangdance]

HI Ray

 

The will swing out. Would like lifting flap. To be set in the 50s and 60s. Region not important.

Hope this helps.

 

Have attached a plan of room.

 

Regards

 

Alan

[alangdance]

Sorry forgot to attach file

 

 

 

 

[jon_1066]

Here's a starter for ten to give you an idea.

 

 

It has a station with four platforms long enough for at least six carriages plus a good sized goods yard.  There is space for some scenery - low relief buildings behind and a good sized station building in front.  You can get some arches or an embankment in to give you the feel of an urban railway.

 

[alangdance]

Here's a starter for ten to give you an idea.

 

6 by 2 v3.jpg

 

It has a station with four platforms long enough for at least six carriages plus a good sized goods yard.  There is space for some scenery - low relief buildings behind and a good sized station building in front.  You can get some arches or an embankment in to give you the feel of an urban railway.

Thanks for this start. I was not intending to have a station but this will be a good start.

 

Regards

 

Alan

[Barnaby]

Great start plan Jon well done and it contains all the requested elements.  Alan you say you were not intending to have a station so what were you going to have at the 4 lane track area. 

ideally you want something there as it will serve as a reason for being there and give some operational purpose.  Much better than what would otherwise be just a bare oval. 

But rule 1 applies you have what you want it's your railway.

Keep us posted an your progress.

 

Regards

[alangdance]

HI Barnaby

 

I thought as it was to be in a city area the station was not need and the reason for goods or Loco yard was for operational interest.

 

HI Jon

 

What software have you used.

 

Regards

 

Alan

[Barnaby]

Alan A free plan making prog is AnyRail.  The free version is limited to 50 pieces but you could draw it in a couple of plans and place them together when printed out.

AnyRail is quick to pick up and is very intuitive to use.  Their forums also have a wide selection of plans available to view.

 

AnyRail here >>> http://www.anyrail.com/download_en.html

If you look in the left hand column where it says EXAMPLES click on it to view. 

 

have fun

 

Regards

[jon_1066]

I used Scarm. Its got a handy 3D feature to help visualise the scenery.

[maunsel]

Thanks for the replys.

 

I have an area of 5975mm by 2050 available to me. I have a door about 1800mm to one end of the long side were access will be required.

 

 

 

 

Blimey, What's that in old money?

 

 

Eric

[Barnaby]

Well in old money Eric it is 19ft 7inch  x  6ft 8inch -- ish
 
Regards

[Grovenor]

Or perhaps. 19' 7" x 6' 9"

(Not all calculators are equal!)

Keith

[alangdance]

Thanks for everybody's comments. I have found someone to help for a reasonable cost.

 

Alan

[alangdance]

After many hours of playing around I have come up with this design. Please leave comments

of what you think and any suggestion for improvements.

[Kris]

I would be tempted to extend the loops on the main line so that they can hold a longer train. I think that for me I would do this by having 4 lines coming out of the fiddle yard. Additionally to this I would add in a training crossover at one end of the loops. 

[alangdance]

Thanks for your suggestion. Due to the width a think going for 4 tracks around the tight corners is

not advisable as this would make the radius of the inner curve around about 24". The outer lines will hold a 6 coach train

so I think that this might be the best solution. If you can show me different I would be most grateful.

 

 

Regards

 

Alan

[alangdance]

After Kris comments I have made it into a 4 track main line. Any comments please.

 

Regards

 

Alan

[alangdance]

After building the bottom layer baseboards and trying out the top layer before cutting I have revise the track plan.

Let me know what you think