Transfering track plan to layout

[soumodeler]

I am having problems drawing my trackplan on my layout. I am using a "yardstick" with radius marks on it to draw curves, but it is not working right. What is the best way to do this?

soumodeler
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The Southern Serves the South!
http://www.trainweb.org/mgr

[Anonymous]

Try making poster board templates. Draw several curve pieces for the various radii you plan to use. Do the same for ladder tracks. Trace a turnout on cardboard, mark the center lines. Then make several copies.

[bgrossman]

I had similar problems transferring track plans to my table. I think part of the problem comes from the errors that normal creep in when you try to convert the scale distances from a small piece of paper to the true size. So, if you make small errors locating the center point for a curve, then things are goofed up a bit.

I ended up doing the best job I could laying out the curves, and then I connected them with the straights. I'm sure I will have some problems later, but, hey, this is where the fun comes from and how we learn. It is also why surveyors and civil engineers get the big bucks.

[RedLeader]

I did mine using a track planing software, when finished, I plotted them. It took about 10 sheets of paper of 24"x36". Then all I did was paste the paper sheets on the top of my table. Next step was to lay the roadbed and track just over the printed paper. Scenery will later cover the white paper. You can also use some kind of CAD and print sections of track. Paste the printed paper over some cardboard and trim it. This way you have templates you can use to draw directly on your table top.

[soumodeler]

I tried this and it seems to work well for one curve: Measure out the ends of the curve and plot them on the layout. Take a piece of flextrack and bend it between the two points. The curve it takes seems to follow the line on the plan fairly well.

soumodeler

[Adelie]

I designed mine on Cadrail, which is good about giving exact dimensions. However, since my tools don't go to the 1/1000th of an inch, the construction department does its best to follow what the engineering department provided, improvising where necessary. I do use easement templates for joining curves to straights, and turnout templates. Curves I draw with a yardstick.

My advice: Layout the space-critical stuff first, then your essential curves and loops (if they weren't in the space-critical category). Then join them up with a willingness to improvise.

After building the staging area, I decided to lay the critical subroadbed first, followed by the connecting subroadbed. My reasoning is to make sure stuff fits before I commit roadbed and track, but also, things look different in a 1:160 world when viewed at full scale size in 3D, than they do when viewed on a computer screen at some level of reduction, even in 3D mode. Spurs, passing sidings, prospective scenery are a lot easier for me to visualize on the full-size version. If I change my mind on something (adding a river or valley somewhere that isn't on the plan, for instance), tearing out a section of subroadbed (cut plywood with pencil lines on it) is easier and cheaper than removing track, sacrificing roadbed and tearing out subroadbed. For me, it has taken it from an exact science to a bit of exact science followed by stepping back and using the "mind's eye." It is more fun for me this way. The challenge is to remain within the guidelines of the original standards, givens and druthers.

And yes, I do update the track plan to reflect any changes!

[tigerstripe]

Try using a yard stick "C clamped" to a camera tripod.
Drill holes in the yardstick at your desired track radius.
Put a pencil in the holes in the yardstick, and swing out your arc from that.

[soumodeler]

The triod that I am using moves a lot as I am turning the yardstick. I cant seem to get it to stay in one spot.
This is my track plan (a little blurry):
[img.nr]http://www.trainweb.org/mgr/sou/trackplan.jpg[/img.nr]

soumodeler
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The Southern Serves the South!

[selector]

I cut out cardboard templates with the curvature and bed width that I required, and just kept using it until my length of curve was drawn onto the layout. Note that virtually everyone has to make minor adjustments, usually by cutting track or by increasing or decreasing the radius at a certain point to get the final join, or crossing to meet. At least, you will with EZ Track, and even then you may have to fill in some especially large gaps with solder.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by soumodeler

...The triod that I am using moves a lot as I am turning the yardstick. I cant seem to get it to stay in one spot. ...

I hang bricks in bags to hold down my backdrop stands when I photograph animals. Every once in a while a cat will try to climb up the backdrop.