Grambit's Layout

[Grambit]

Hi all,

 

I've been following this forum and previous forums for a while now and eventually I've decided to show what I working on. This is the layout that I am going to attempt to build. It may take some time. It may have to be passed on to the next generation (7, 6 & 4 atm)

 

Over the last couple of years I've been trying to get a layout started, but to no avail. I've spent a lot of time planning, as I haven't really had the time nor the funds to actually get one going. I've been using SCARM to design many, many layouts. My first few layouts were all double line loops of one kind or another and I read a thread somewhere, where someone said something like, pft everyone uses double line track. So I started a design with some single line track. "But you're design is all double line", you say. Yeah, I know. What can you do!

 

So the initial design is the first image (8ftx6ft) which is almost all done using set track with probably a few non-standard straight pieces to fit gaps. Spending most of my time reading other people's threads (mostly on another forum and earlier versions of this one) I soon realised that using flex track would produce better, more realistic, sweeping curves. So ... okay I'll have a go at that ... image 2 (11ftx6ft). Yes it's gotten quite a bit bigger hasn't it? Well I realised that my attic (which we converted) is 16ft wide (by 16ft), so why not have it the whole width. So it's now grown to 16ftx6ft. So the third image is the previous layout 'stretched' to fit the width of the room. This would also help alleviate the steep climbs created with the first two. I figured I could make it in easily manageable sections (4x2) and 'try' to connect them.

 

 

The next figure is my last alteration on the design. As I designed it with 4x2 boards at the back and the same at the front, I figured why not keep with the same dimensions for the connecting sections between them. Of course this means that it will take up half of our attic space, but I doubt that will be for some time yet. I am going to concentrate on the topmost sections. There can't be any complaints about taking up that much space. I will have to apply to SWMBO for planning permission for the remainder.

 

An explanation may be in order. I really need at this stage to come up with names for stations, if only to help with the explanation, but it's late and creativity is not flowing. So, the grey track is all one big, long loop, allowing for (eventually) multiple trains to run on the track. The green sections basically splits the track into two independent loops, with the yellow and blue just storing other stock (which is very little at the moment)

 

There are three stations, one of which will be an underground station and a train on the long grey loop can stop at 6 out of the possible 8 platforms on the layout. It can stop at all three of the north station platforms, both of the southern platforms and one of the underground stations.

 

 

 

I'll try to come up with a better explanation during the week, showing the route a bit better and hopefully come up with some place names and such. As for construction, I've made two 4x2 boards and put them together, but I'm not entirely happy with them as the plywood I got wasn't cut very squarely so they don't line up very well. I will have to make new ones, but I can still work on these I think and transfer the small amount I've done. I'm planning to make the track and points myself, glueing down the sleepers and spiking the rail to them and then creating the points using printed templates from FastTracks. Ambitious or wha? Oh the fun we will have, the swear words we will use!!

 

Comments welcome,

Grambit.

[Garfield]

Welcome to the forum, Grambit... looking forward to seeing how your layout progresses!

[Dave]

Welcome to the forum Grambit. One thing I noticed about your track plan is the slope to the lower will be very steep as the track is not very long heading down. Locos will struggle getting back up, how far apart will the levels be?

[BosKonay]

Welcome to the site!

 

Why not go 16x16 on the layout A 16 foot drop / climb will give you the space to put the bottom level around a foot or a little more below the top layer, while still ensuring most of your stock will manage the climb

[Grambit]

Thanks, I'm kinda looking forward to seeing how it progresses meself, garfieldsghost.

 

Dave, I've aimed for 80mm between levels and each of the gradients are around 2.5%, I think. I can probably raise it a bit to allow for a the board that the upper level runs on. And apart from one turnout (which I will have to look into) the motors for the others won't be directly over track, so they shouldn't interfere. The 'north' track and station will be at 40mm height so that there won't be as big a climb to either the upper or lower levels to the 'south'.

 

BosKonay, fill the whole attic space? All in good time, all in good time!!!

[burnthebox]

Hi Grambit & welcome on board, lots of things on here, abuse, advice, help, all's well though, looking forward to your layout developing, keep the pics coming,

[Grambit]

I've been having a go at laying some track during the week. This will be the beginnings of the 'north station'. Actually it will be the middle of the station with the platform above the track being laid. Ignore the print out. The plan has changed since then. So I glued down some sleepers and set about spiking the rail. I spiked every eight sleepers initially and then went back over it doing every 4th, 2nd and then all of them.

 

Here are a couple of shot showing my spiking efforts. I've been spiking in under the rail at an angle, so as to pull the rail in and hold it in place, but also I've been spiking at an angle relative to the one on the other side of the rail so that they don't hit each other. That sounds way more confusing than it should.

 

This is the next stretch of track I need to lay. I marked out the end points and then tried to mark the centre point and hand draw a curve between the three points. This is the very faint grey pencil mark. I then realised that this probably wasn't the most accurate approach so I spiked some card to the baseboard and marked out the centre of the curve. Then I was able to mark out the curve a bit better. Nice to see I wasn't too far off with my first attempt.

 

It'll be a while before I get anything further done on the track, so I might start planning the station platform and using some of the card that I have to build that.

 

Thanks for looking,

Grambit.

[Kirley]

Doing your own track is something I don't think I'll ever attempt but I am full of admiration at you taking on this daunting task. Well done so far looking forward to seeing this layout develop.

[scahalane]

You'd need the patience of a saint for that kind of work. Always nice to see though.

[Grambit]

Can't believe it's been two months since I last posted. Things have been busy with work lately, including a lot of late nights. Anyway five minutes here and there have resulted in getting the other track and two station platforms together. Still one or two (hundred) spikes to do, but sure what's the rush. I tried to do a few each evening but found that with the poor lighting upstairs and me being tired, I was making a mess of more of them than I should be. Hopefully this weekend I can get a good run at it and then maybe get ready to paint it and ballast it. Knowing me it'll probably still be in the same state next week that's in now. One can dream. The platforms are made with card bought from Easons and are pretty much built to the same spec as hornby platforms, obviously with the correct curve. The other option this weekend is to print some paving surface to glue to the platform and make the place start to look like a station. So expect loads of updates next week, . Don't hold your breath!

 

Anyway, here's a few progress pics with some junk in the background

 

 

 

 

I'm going to try to keep doing some 'google maps' photos as I go and maybe have the makings of some sort of slide show by the time it's done. (just in case you're wondering 'What's with all the overhead shots?', now you know)

Grambit.