New layout suggestions & help

[Anonymous]

Here's a simplified drawing of our first layout.... any and all comments are appreciated. We are doing it in n-scale with kato unitrack on a hollow-core dorr + foam.

In addition to general comments & suggestions, we'd like some help in understanding where we need to add insulated joiners to 1) be able to run two locos using block control and 2) to keep the whole thing from shorting out. Obviously adding the appropriate power drops will probably become obvious when we understand how to block the layout.

Thanks for any and all help & suggestions. Hopefully we can add back to this community as we get a little more experience as well.

[SpaceMouse]

Can you reduce the image size to somewhere below 1024 x 768? It is hard to understand what i going on if you have to pan back and forth.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

apologies.... here's a much smaller version.

[tstage]

malexenko,

Looks like you got the pic posting figured out...

Tom

[Anonymous]

Yup, thanks for all the help & patience.

MikeA (& Nik)

[dehusman]

Any track where there is a frog on either end should have gaps.

The scissors crossover should have gaps minimally to separate the two straightaway moves, optimally to separate each switch.

Starting from the top of your diagram, I would put insulators:
- Both ends of the main between the switches of the siding.
- Both ends of the siding,
- In the crossover to separate the two switches on the inside track
- In the crossover in the crossing to separate the two loops.
- in the crossover to separate the two switches on the outside track
- Both ends of the siding on bottom.
- Optionally both ends of the main between the switches on the bottom.

In addition you could put a insulator in the spur tracks just past the switches.

Dave H.

[SpaceMouse]

I have no criticism of the plan other than for N scale, you don't have very much track. Now some people like having just a smattering of track because they like to model structures and scenery. Others look at the cost factor and "start" simple with the idea of expanding later.

If you are of the second group, I suggest you check out a book called 101 Track Plans by Linn Wescott. I got one (two actually) off of eBay. There are some excellent pans for your size layout. Ones designed by professionals that will provide you with hours of operating fun.

You can then layout the mainlines and add in spurs as you go along.

I built a very similar layout through smaller, 4.5 x 8 in HO, which after months of work my kids got bored with it almost immediately.



Since I seem to have two of these, email me and I'll send you one to look at.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the suggestions.

We are walking a balance of track vs scenery... it's my 6-yr old's layout, and he's just as interested in the layout scenery, detail, etc as he is the trains.

We tended to use wider radius curves, unlike what alot of the plans we saw in books called for. We tend to run alot of longer cars (The California Zephyr set some bullet trains, other passenger cars).... so tight radius curves weren't as much of a option as I would have liked. I'm hoping addition #2 will be a mountain/frieght scene where we can pack some track in.

What's not shown in our diagram is that the upper right corner, the tracks all go under a hill where there's more buildings and an indepenedent trolley line.

I'm like you, I originally had alot more track and cutoffs, but needed to pull them to make room for the urban planner (my 6 yr old).

I'll try to post some images of the plaster work in a few days (so far) so you all get an idea of where we are headed.

We are also hoping that "mom" will let us have more room later this year and wecan make use of those spurs.

Thanks again.