I have been looking through the MR articles and videos and need a little help. My track plan is mostly done and my shelves around the room are done. How do you get the track plan onto the plywood from the graph paper? Just use a bigger scale? Help, and Thanks.
We start with a common point on the plan and physical layout. Kind of like a cornerstone. From there everything else is scaled. For multiple levels, we have multiple starting points. For very large layouts and recognition of "it's not a perfect world" we reestablish a common point where necessary, such as near yards or complex industries/turnouts, etc.
We use both a tripod and "on table" centers for determining radii on curves and may have multiple centers for decreasing/increasing radii. A drilled out metal yard stick or similar helps here. We also use a very large "T-Square" normally used in cutting straight sections of plywood to make sure we have square and tangent sections where needed. A lot of plans don't include curve easements, so now is the time to add them.
Another difficulty in this phase is also the transition between flat and elevated track areas.
Richard
This is one of those things where there is not a set rule. It really depends on a few things. Did you use a track plan right out of a book, or did you draw it yourself? Do you have the exact amount of space layout wise that the plan calls for, or are you designing your own?
In my many years of experience, no drawn track plan ever fits the way you expect it to. You will always have to move something or rearrange some track to make it all work.
So based on the above, here is how you can start. Since your track plan is on graph paper, it should be to some scale. If not, there is no need to go any further. So lets say your scale is one square equal’s one foot. On your layout, draw lines that are one foot apart in both directions on your layout. This now represents your graph paper but now in full size. Then start drawing your track lines and go from there.
But in the beginning, I said it might not always fit. So what I would recommend that you do is just start putting your track together as best you can and see if it is all going to work. Do not nail or glue anything down yet. Do not solder any rail joiners yet either. Use Tee-pins to hold things in place. Make any adjustments necessary as you go. If this is your first layout, I suggest that you use sectional track for your minimum radius curves. That way you will not have any kinks that would derail equipment. Once everything looks good, fasten the track down temporary and push some of your longest cars around on it. Again, making adjustments as required. Once you are satisfied, mark the center of your track every two inches or so. Take up all the track and draw a track center line using the marks you just made. This is the center line for putting down your roadbed material, which is the next step.
I am not going to go any further now because I'm sure that you will have more questions as you go along.
If you are not a subscriber to Model Railroader, and this is you first venture into model railroading, I suggest that you subscribe to it. That will give you access to the on-line extras and videos of the staff building different project layouts as well as some good information in the magazine itself. It is not a requirement to have a subscription to be on the Forums, but without books, publications, and videos, your learning experience will be restricted somewhat.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
There is a special corrolary of Murphy's Law that applies to your situation:
No small-scale paper track plan ever survives the first contact between flex track and roadbed unmodified.
My personal method is to lay out card stock on a flat worktop, then draw the track lines full size using flex track, a yardstick drilled for various radii (the pencil goes in the large hole meant for hanging the yardstick on a wall, the radius holes are drilled just large enough to clear the flathead wire nail I use to find the curve center) and a four foot carpenter's level (used as a straightedge.) If you are using commercial specialwork, you should have samples on hand to use in making the full size drawing. I draw the tie-end lines rather than the centerlines, since the tie ends make a much more useful reference when laying track.
Once drawn out, I cut the cardstock along the tie end lines, making a full-size track template. After sealing it with grey rattle-can primer (both sides) I secure it to the roadbed with latex caulk and lay the track right on top of it. The grey color will hide any holidays in your future ballast.
I personally prefer to secure flex track with latex caulk - but that's me.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I might suggest downloading Atlas RTS (a free track planning tool found on the Atlas site). Insert the various track parts/items into the plan, set the scaling at 1:1 and print out the parts/items on card stock if your printer will handle it.As the program will handle tiling across sheets of paper, even crossovers or yard ladders can be printed out. (Note: I am not suggesting that you translate your plan into RTS, although that would be a good idea).If you are using PECO track, they provide full size drawings of the turnouts on their website you can print for use in physical planning.
Of course you can do as described above and mock up the layout to tryout the plan (Lance Mindheim, for instance,) mocks up his layouts first in Atlas flex track then builds the layout with whatever if the final track choice).
Co-owner of the proposed CT River Valley RR (HO scale) http://home.comcast.net/~docinct/CTRiverValleyRR/
A friend of mine had a very good method of laying out turnouts. He used a copy machine to copy his turnouts. Then he cut them out and checked the copy against the real turnout to be sure the copy matches the real turnout. He can then make as many copies as he needs.
Once he has the turnouts copied he lays them out on his bench where he wants them. From here it is just a matter of laying the flex track between them. This way if he needs to move a turnout, just slide the copy till it fits. This could also save you some money since the turnout might be the wrong size or shape. So just buy one turn out of different sizes or shapes that you think you might need. Make copies of them and use the copies until you know just how you want the layout to look. You can also do this with crossover tracks. Once all set them count and buy the turnouts that you need.
Jim
Jim.....
That is a really good idea...... It is usually the approaches to the turnouts that get a modeler in trouble. There is a HUGE urgency to tolerate a kink coming off of a turnout. That is the least forgiving location.
Depending how much space is available, the turnout number (4-6-8 commonly available) will also be a deciding factor. Fours don't take as much space and turn out quicker.
see ya
Bob
Boise Nampa & Owyhee There is a HUGE urgency to tolerate a kink coming off of a turnout. That is the least forgiving location.
There is a HUGE urgency to tolerate a kink coming off of a turnout. That is the least forgiving location.
Yes, many modelers have experienced the fact that a bit of Dremel tool magic can create a literally impossible situation that nonetheless LOOKS like it should work.
On the subject of the original posting, don't let the fact that a layout plan is drawn on graph paper make you think that the geography and geometry of it all is going to translate onto the plywood as if you are just upping the magnification. Even guys who use CAD relate interesting experiences -- not the least of which is that two pieces of plywood mated together may not be at a perfect straight line. I can see that a string of my David Barrow style 2'x4' domino segments have slight variations in angle just as they do in height. Veteran readers of Model Railroader might recall the experience of Jim Findley building a layout in Korea -- and learning that not all houses have square corners!
Dave Nelson
A big Thanks to those that responded. My layout will be 14 x 20 on two shelves in HO. I have begun making "life-size plywood graph paper" out of the lower shelf and it is surprisingly square, so I'm off to a good start. I know that nothing on paper will ever be exactly what ends up being built, and that's OK. I will probably change my mind as I go on many little things as I see it in real-size. And yes, Model Railroader magazine and these Forums have been a great source of ideas. It always pays to ask someone smarter if you don't know what your doing for sure.......
Sounds like you've got it going on now, that's great. 14 x 20 is a good layout size. As you know, it doesn't all happen in one day and so opens the doors to great experiences and learning.
Just wondering, not trying to cause a ruckus here, but are you going to add DCC and Sound? Also, if you have children, will they be involved? If so, it's a great experience to do things together.
MayorpeetAre you going to share the track plan with us?
Alan
Yes, this layout will be DCC controlled. I plan on purchasing a 5A SuperChief Xtra in the near future. My locomotives are midrange, Athearn RTR and Atlas diesels and IHC steam for the most part. I'm not big on showcasing, just like to run what I own. As far as sound, not sure yet, but it seems intriguing. Will probably do at least a portion of them with sound decoders. My daughters are grown and gone, but I have grandsons that LOVE to watch trains run. But to be brutally honest, this is mostly for me.......
I am building a 4x8 that I saw in MRR last year. I took the track plan and scaled it on the computer to print and I printed it on multiple sheets and then laid out the papers on my bench and temporarily pinned them. From there I pretty much cut out my sub roadbed and things to fit and then removed the papers but transferred some marks to my base of foam. I then assembled all of my sub roadbed pieces as well as the base for my grades.. I did have some issues in working out the curves but that may just be me not knowing what I am doing.
RJ
"Something hidden, Go and find it. Go and look behind the ranges, Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go." The Explorers - Rudyard Kipling
http://sweetwater-photography.com/
Pete: All good suggestions and information. One thing I didn't see mentioned, which I believe to be key is to layout the yards ( ladders and leads) along with your passing sidings first, and then connect them with the mainline..
the reasoning being that sidings and yards are the most sensitive to space constraints or miscalculations in the transfer from paper to plywood (or spline), and therefore should be established first.. A small miscalcuation in the space available for your yard can have much more significant impact on the layout than having to shorten the main by a few inches.
Just my two cents. Enjoy the ride! Owen
I have been making Fast Track turnouts and also copy the imprints for laying on base to fit.
But the best IMHO are the Fast Track sticks that I use especially to construct proper curves. They come in many different radii and I use about 10-12 to make my 22" semi-circle curves. Better than trying to make paper patterns or swing a string for me.
I did that on my previous layout, printing a CAD plan to full size and attaching each piece of paper to make a giant layout-size plan, which I then rolled with a pounce wheel to make marks and then filled them in with a Sharpie marker on the layout surface. And promptly said, never again. So I didn;t this time. I printed out easy to carry size copies of my plan, but no full size, nor did I trace it all out first. The CAD drawing was to make sure it all fit - no cheating with a #1 turnout or making curves 4" radius. Exact positioning on the benchwork? Not that critical. Close is good. First thing I did was locate the turnouts for one end of the yard and then worked my way around from there. I actually made a major change from my original plan which had an awkward loop of track around an alcove in my room where I now have my workbench, which also had X staging (see the first or second issue of MRP). I simplified things at the expense of a second duckunder which gave me a palce for a workbench and storage. That I pretty much just did on the fly without a true plan.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I did my layout to 1"=1" scale with a grid, then transfered grid to full size cardboard mounted to my layout benchwork. I did it in sections as my layout is 18' x 22'. These photos show some of the cardboard with grid lines marked. I used a trammel and setup the radii where it was a true radius. I also used radius templates made from cardboard. Many adjustments had to be made but that is what 'layout' is all about.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!