As an addendum to Fred's post, my own, "Final, this is the way it'll all go together," track planning is done full size with flex track on cardstock (Pinned through to the sheet of 1.5" extruded foam I use for a work surface.) The cardstock is marked along the tie lines, then cut out and secured to the roadbed with latex caulk. With that full-size template in place, I can be certain that the flex track will go exactly where I have determined that it has to go.
If you are going to use commercial turnouts and other specialwork, get either a template or one sample of the product, then photocopy it and use the photocopies to determine exact placement and how much trimming will be necessary to get things to fit.
Happy tracklaying!
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - on flex track with hand-built specialwork)
Jermie Arnold So I found a track plan that will work with my avalible space in the 102 Realistic Track plans special issue of MRR. I have the track plan from the magazine, but I am not sure what the next step is. Are their more detalied plans of these layouts anywhere? I'd like to start construction soon, but need more detailed plans on how I should begin. Any ideas?
So I found a track plan that will work with my avalible space in the 102 Realistic Track plans special issue of MRR. I have the track plan from the magazine, but I am not sure what the next step is. Are their more detalied plans of these layouts anywhere? I'd like to start construction soon, but need more detailed plans on how I should begin. Any ideas?
Jermie
The 1st step is to get ahold of the original article or magazine issue. The issue that the plan 1st appeared in is given in the plan description in 102 Realistic Track Plans. Copies of the article or the back Model Railroader issue itself are available through Kalmbach, the publisher of Model Railroader and the owner of this forum. My reason for saying this is that the advertising for 102 Realistic Track Plans states that the text is all new. The original article should have additional info.
An example of this extra info being critical is the Turtle Creek plan (one of the plans in the plan magazine). This was built into a Model Railroader project layout. The original article mentions that the turnouts had to be cut to fit, and gives the cut dimensions in a sidebar.
That said, unless the plan was built as a project layout, most published plans cannot be built exactly as shown. If the published plan is a design submitted as a good idea or an article, it has never been built by the designer. Chances are that there are a couple of gotchas that went undetected in the plan. I have a John Armstrong example (published in 1953) that forgot about clearances at several overpasses. Some of Iain Rice's plans have clearance or substandard radius issues, too. And both Rice and Armstrong are considered noted layout designers. OTOH, if the plan is for a layout that was built, chances are very good that the plan was the layout owner's initial plan, and not a scale "as-built" plan. In my line of work, properly maintained as-built drawings are the gold standard, and pre-construction/installation plans are next to worthless, because of the changes that occur during the construction/installation phase.
The other problem with published plans is that they seldom contain information on their drawbacks or limitations - some of which may be critical to the potential builder. An example of this done right is the Heart of Georgia plan (found as a 4x8 alternative on the web). With the description is a list of pluses and minuses - one key minus is that it has a duckunder. The designer also lists the practical limits on train length and equipment.
And has been mentioned by Chuck, commercial turnouts vary in their geometry and key dimensions. You need to know and use the same turnouts to build a real replica of the same plan. Without the turnout information - or if you plan to use different turnouts than the plan - you have to redo the plan one way or another.
You can redo the plan using track planning software. Atlas RTS is easy to use, and is a free download, but has only Atlas track libraries (naturally). The other free package is XtrkCad. XtrkCad is an open source program with a devoted users group that updates the track libraries frequently in files available at the users group. The downside of XtrkCad is a much steeper learning curve than Atlas RTS.
Or you can do things the old-fashioned way - which works particularly well for smaller layouts. Simply lay out the actual track full size on the benchwork or on the floor, using your chosen track plan as a general guide. Start with the 90 degree or greater curves and the areas where there are several turnouts in close proximity. Then tie the track groups together (flex track is great for this), and rearrange until you are happy with the result. Even with CAD drawings, most layouts end up getting laid out full size, and changes being made at that point.
Hope this helps. Remember to feel free to customize a track plan to suit your desires and situation. And even commercial turnouts can be shortened or (gasp!) curved to better fit your needs.
Fred W
Hi Jermie -
I'm also a newcomer, unless you count the HO layout my Dad and I built 40+ years ago. These days, I am about to start construction on a small layout of my own, so I'll tell you how I approached it. I have no idea whether my way of doing things is the best way. Whatever you do, don't immediately start buying things! There is a great deal to learn first.
Like you, I first found a track plan that I liked. My next step was to start reading as much as I could (on the web) about different ways to build a model railroad. Forums like this one are a great place to read about such things, but there are also lots of web sites and blogs where successful model railroaders share their expertise. I found about a half dozen discussion forums and read everything I could find pertaining to building techniques, benchwork, roadbed, track laying, etc. Often, the forum discussions include links to other web sites where I could find more information. I also used Google to find lots of useful information.
The more I read, the more convinced I became that for my small layout, a wooden frame supporting a piece of extruded foam would be the ideal base for my model railroad. It is only one of many good ways to build the base for a model railroad, but I have found examples on the web where extruded foam techniques have been used to build model railroads of all sizes. There are many forums and web sites where using extruded foam for model railroads is discussed. But remember, it is only one of many ways, all of which will work.
Another thing you'll need to decide is what scale you will use. The two most popular are HO and N. For decades HO scale was by far the most popular. Nowadays, N scale is catching up in popularity. Its smaller size allows more railroad in the same amount of space. Just because a track plan is originally designed for one scale doesn't mean it can't be used in the other scale. You only have to scale it up or down.
At the same time I was reading about construction techniques, I began trying out track planning software. These programs allow you to work with accurately rendered pieces of track and even provide a list of the track you need to buy for your layout. One thing I learned is that the track plans in magazines and books are not always easy to duplicate with commercially available track. Turnouts, especially, often take more space than they appear to take in those nice drawings in magazines and books.
I ended up using the program called XTrkCAD, which does what I need and is free! But there are other good (and perhaps easier) programs available. Using track planning software is helpful because it allows you to change, add, and remove things as often as you want until you have a track plan you really like. Then you can print out a shopping list of the track, turnouts, even the buildings that you need. You can even make a full-size printout of the layout if you wish. You can do the same thing with a pencil and graph paper, but for me, the software is easier.
When it comes to actually laying the roadbed and track, again there is endless information on the web. You must decide whether you will use sectional track (pieces of track that come in fixed sizes) or flex track (track that can be bent and curved into any length or shape you like). There are advantages to both, and you can find lots of info about them on the web. The same goes for scenery, painting, wiring, and structures -- endless info is available and lots of decisions must be made..
Of the hundreds of web sites I have visited and bookmarked, here are a few I have found to be especially helpful and/or inspiring.
John Allen's Gorre & Daphetid (the ultimate inspiration for me)Another G&D site
Micro/Small Layouts for Model Railroads (amazing layouts in tiny spaces)
Spookshow Model Railroading, especially the Layouts
Mike's Small Trackplans Page
Space Mouse Rail Systems (no-nonsense advice)
ModelRailroadForums.com
Trainboard.com
Joe Fugate's Siskiyou Line
Atlas Model Railroad Forum
Good luck,Jeff
I'll try to make this brief. But I too like so many people, have gone to bed at night wondering what the heck is next. My approach was many condsiderations. But since my table/layout was to be in the Living room, I thought it might as well look nice, and be functional.
My approach was to try to make it simple. I bought four 4'x8' pieces of high grade plywood/birch finish. Twelve 'Turned Posts', various 'double end wood screws to tie the legs to the posts, going straight through the wood and securing both ends. Some tapered 2 1/2 inch screws to tie in the top to the posts, as well as making it a 'flush mount' finish for the very table top. I also installed molding around the table to give it some class, as well as in the making of applying finish wood tape to the ends of the table/shelves to cover of the cut/plywood look. The wood tape is easy to apply with a hot iron, but I would suggest doings so after the major wood woring/modeling is almost complete.. so as to not scraping it off with your shoes or clothing while working. One other consideration was not spending time on finishing the wood, so I went with the Watco Stain, which needs no further staining or laquering. Its an oil, that one good application should be fine, but I would suggest to make it a good 'One application'. And that is all the finish you'll need, but if you ever wanted to touch it up, a simple mild application of the stain would suffice.
Ok.. you got my main approach, I hope this has helped. Here's my link to photobucket, and I am new about posting items. So here goes.. and good luck.
http://s628.photobucket.com/albums/uu9/Blazzin55/
Blazzin
Welcome aboard.
Working with a published track plan, the first question is, "What am I trying to model?"
Question 2: "What adjustments do I have to make to optimize it for my space and the products I plan to use?" Things that enter into this are:
Question 3: "What kind of foundation will be under the ties (or plastic ballast?)"
Question 4: "What kind of electrical control system - analog DC, DCC???" (See the Electronics and DCC forum for an overview of this can of worms, which I prefer to leave unopened.)
As you can see, this is only the tip of a very large iceberg. I have my own answers to these and many other questions - most of which fly in the face of conventional thinking. With six decades of experience, I can do that. OTOH, I wouldn't recommend most of my techniques to anyone less experienced. I DO recommend that you pick up books on benchwork and electricals from Our Gracious Hosts (click Our Store at the top of the page, either to buy or to find titles to look for at your local library.) And don't hesitate to post other, more specific questions - the kind which can be given more specific answers.
Once again,
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)