enterprise207 Posted November 4, 2012 Posted November 4, 2012 Need ideas for a new layout 11.5 foot by 8 foot, thinking of a depot and a station with a fiddle yard on the 8 foot strip, it will be on a |_| shape. Quote
BosKonay Posted November 4, 2012 Posted November 4, 2012 Well to start off with, you've a fatastic space! Is it an attic, shed, garage, room? The key thing for me was what I 'enjoyed' was the first consideration. Do you like - watching trains go by, or running through countryside - shunting wagons and putting together trains - admiring your locos in a depot / tmd style setting There are lots of ways to build a layout, end to end, fiddle to station, TMDs are hugely popular these days too. The key thing is to understand what you want from the layout. For me, I enjoy the running through countryside bit, but was more interested in the operational side, so I designed a track plan that gives me lots of operations, shunting coaching stock, shunting fraight, loco release, engines running off shed, per way work, etc. This way I have a double mainline loop, a branch to a fiddle yard with a reverse loop and three (if not four) busy shunting 'zones' - a largish terminus station, a small DMU stabling and fueling area, a freight yard with per way sidings, a loco shed and fueling point, a preserved steam/diesel workshop/depot and a small cement works / quarry scene. This way even three or four operators could be busy preparing trains and shunting stuff around while 3-4 trains circuit the mainline giving plenty to watch going buy, or you can just leave the stock looking pretty and watch the trains go by (for me, this was a key requirement in creating a loop / oval / circuit design, so I could set trains off and chill out with a beer ) Let us know more details about the space, the room the layout will be in, if it needs to be mobile, or can be fixed, and we can offer more suggestions Quote
Flying Scotsman 4472 Posted November 4, 2012 Posted November 4, 2012 There's a nice little booklet with this months Model Rail mag on this subject well worth the read Quote
enterprise207 Posted November 4, 2012 Author Posted November 4, 2012 (edited) Well to start off with, you've a fatastic space! Is it an attic, shed, garage, room? The key thing for me was what I 'enjoyed' was the first consideration. Do you like - watching trains go by, or running through countryside - shunting wagons and putting together trains - admiring your locos in a depot / tmd style setting There are lots of ways to build a layout, end to end, fiddle to station, TMDs are hugely popular these days too. The key thing is to understand what you want from the layout. For me, I enjoy the running through countryside bit, but was more interested in the operational side, so I designed a track plan that gives me lots of operations, shunting coaching stock, shunting fraight, loco release, engines running off shed, per way work, etc. This way I have a double mainline loop, a branch to a fiddle yard with a reverse loop and three (if not four) busy shunting 'zones' - a largish terminus station, a small DMU stabling and fueling area, a freight yard with per way sidings, a loco shed and fueling point, a preserved steam/diesel workshop/depot and a small cement works / quarry scene. This way even three or four operators could be busy preparing trains and shunting stuff around while 3-4 trains circuit the mainline giving plenty to watch going buy, or you can just leave the stock looking pretty and watch the trains go by (for me, this was a key requirement in creating a loop / oval / circuit design, so I could set trains off and chill out with a beer ) Let us know more details about the space, the room the layout will be in, if it needs to be mobile, or can be fixed, and we can offer more suggestions Thanks, its in a shed. Do you know any good track planning software for mac? I've tried xtrkcad but i didn't work... I'd prefer to have it moveable but I don't mind having it stuck Edited November 4, 2012 by enterprise207 Quote
Glenderg Posted November 4, 2012 Posted November 4, 2012 A couple of questions enterprise that might help with the design. 01: Have you a specific era you want to model? 02: Have you a specific area in mind? Rural/Urban/Exact Replica/Approximate 03: Does your stock dictate the type of activities that you'd like? Ballast loading/weedspraying/freight/passenger/DMU/ etc. This will put some limits on your design, but that's a good thing. Several diorama locations is more pleasing than everything piled up in one location, and allows you to work on small areas at a time, rather than jumping into the daunting task [after tracklaying] of scenery etc. Once you've run through those questions, we'll have a clearer idea of what you're going for. Lastly, a tip that should be front and centre in all of this. Designing on a computer is like trying to cook with a microwave. Start with a pencil and paper, gridded maths stuff if you're not comfortable with drawing, and scribble, sketch, start again, overlay with tracing, do the wildest layout and then trim it down each time. Only then should you go near the Mac. To butcher a well known phrase, "Lay track in haste, repent at leisure" Richie. Quote
Flying Scotsman 4472 Posted November 4, 2012 Posted November 4, 2012 "Lay track in haste, repent at leisure"Richie. That's a good one =)) Quote
Robert Davies Posted November 4, 2012 Posted November 4, 2012 Do you know any good track planning software for mac? Have a look at Rail Modeller - I'll admit I last used it a few years ago when I was using sectional Kato HO Unitrack, and don't really know whether it's up to what you need - worth a look? It must be pretty simple If I could work out how to use it - I can never get my head around Xtrkcad -Rob Quote
Dave Posted November 4, 2012 Posted November 4, 2012 Hi Robert, try Scarm software, its simple to use and its free. http://www.scarm.info I'm not sure if its available for mac. Also try http://www.freetrackplans.com you will get some good ideas from there. I have built a number of layouts in sheds, if you want to make your layout removable build it on a sheet of ply of MDf in sections, then just drop them into place on your layout. Check out my page in the services section to see what I mean. Best bit of advise I can give is research, research, research! Quote
BosKonay Posted November 4, 2012 Posted November 4, 2012 Thanks, its in a shed. Do you know any good track planning software for mac? I've tried xtrkcad but i didn't work... I'd prefer to have it moveable but I don't mind having it stuck Get a copy of http://www.railmodeller.com/ I use it on my mac to design, it's very easy to use! Quote
201bhoy Posted November 4, 2012 Posted November 4, 2012 My idea would be somewhere on the Cross-Border Line, in the mid 90s! At that time, there was a huge variety of stock. For the enterprise alone, you could have DD sets, 201s in IE livery with mk2s, 111s with NIR mk2s or 201s with mk3s push-pulls. You could have some commuter stock, for example, mk3 push-pulls, cravens and arrow units that you were asking about you could still have plenty of freight too. Waterford-Derry timber trains, fertiliser, guiness liners, Bell liners (I think!) and cement bubbles could all still be seen on the line at the time, and could be hauled by 201s, 071s, 141s or 121s 111s would also make a nice change of scene to the IE orange! If you were going to going to model it on somewhere prototypical, Drogheda would be good, as you could also incorporate the Tara mines trains (and possibly the Boyne viaduct!), and if not, then somewhere close to the border would be good. You could have a small loco depot that would locos from the other side of the border and refueling point, some carriage sidings, a cement silo and maybe a container yard if you want! I did my own plan for the craic, and I think it has a lot of potential A cement silo, some commuter platforms, and mainline platform capable of holding a 201 and 7 mk3 or mk2s, and a loco depot. But it's obviously up to you and depends of your style and taste! You could have a scenic break just above the cement silo with a road bridge or something. I used anyrail's 50-piece free demo for the plan btw Quote
wiggy Posted November 4, 2012 Posted November 4, 2012 (edited) Hi Enterprise207. We all have our different ways of doing things. Me, I just go with the flow. I had a rough idea of what I wanted and that was full length trains, lots of action as in running and passing by and to use my other passion of filming them. Space was not a big problem as I was putting it into the loft but I had to first floor out the loft and insulate the best I could. Next I built the bace boards, some at 3ft wide and some at 2ft wide depending on access to the far side of the board. I also wanted an upper and lower level. After some of the boards were made and fixed in place I then just placed track and points on the boards, put some stock on the track, place in some platforms and away I went. Stand back and admire, is this what I want, if not just relay. The other thing I tried to take into consideration was the points position in regards to the bace boards bracing. If you are going to use under board point motors the last thing you want is a wooden brace in the way. Take a look at some of the pictures and videos on this site and on uTube that will give you the inspiration for what you want. Loads of people on this site will give you any help you need but it needs to be YOUR layout and design, thats the whole point of YOUR layout. Take inspiration from others to do your own thing. Good luck and you know where we are for your help and guidance. Wiggy. Edited November 4, 2012 by wiggy Quote
201bhoy Posted November 4, 2012 Posted November 4, 2012 Hi Enterprise207.We all have our different ways of doing things. Me, I just go with the flow. I had a rough idea of what I wanted and that was full length trains, lots of action as in running and passing by and to use my other passion of filming them. Space was not a big problem as I was putting it into the loft but I had to first floor out the loft and insulate the best I could. Next I built the bace boards, some at 3ft wide and some at 2ft wide depending on access to the far side of the board. I also wanted an upper and lower level. After some of the boards were made and fixed in place I then just placed track and points on the boards, put some stock on the track, place in some platforms and away I went. Stand back and admire, is this what I want, if not just relay. The other thing I tried to take into consideration was the points position in regards to the bace boards bracing. If you are going to use under board point motors the last thing you want is a wooden brace in the way. Take a look at some of the pictures and videos on this site and on uTube that will give you the inspiration for what you want. Loads of people on this site will give you any help you need but it needs to be YOUR layout and design, thats the whole point of YOUR layout. Take inspiration from others to do your own thing. Good luck and you know where we are for your help and guidance. Wiggy. Yeah sorry if I forced that plan on you! Just seeing what I could make out of that space, but it's entirely up to you and if you do like the look of it you can build something like it! Quote
BabyGM Posted November 4, 2012 Posted November 4, 2012 One thing is to go over you plan many times and try to get it perfect then rather than ripping up track that's been wired and ballasted And when you get going take your time and don't rush and if your not completely sure how to do something ask or watch a tutorial Quote
enterprise207 Posted November 8, 2012 Author Posted November 8, 2012 Yeah sorry if I forced that plan on you! Just seeing what I could make out of that space, but it's entirely up to you and if you do like the look of it you can build something like it! its a very good plan, I will probably use it or somthing like it Quote
201bhoy Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 Really? Glad I could help, but you can incorporate your own ideas into as well! Quote
enterprise207 Posted November 9, 2012 Author Posted November 9, 2012 Really? Glad I could help, but you can incorporate your own ideas into as well! yes, I think yorks road will come in somewhere Quote
201bhoy Posted November 9, 2012 Posted November 9, 2012 yes, I think yorks road will come in somewhere That would look great! Not many people model NIR, but I think it would be excellent. Quote
Kirley Posted November 9, 2012 Posted November 9, 2012 yes, I think yorks road will come in somewhere If you are seriously thinking of modelling part of York Road Works it would be of benefit to look at it on Google Maps and you will get a bird’s eye view. Quote
enterprise207 Posted November 10, 2012 Author Posted November 10, 2012 If you are seriously thinking of modelling part of York Road Works it would be of benefit to look at it on Google Maps and you will get a bird’s eye view. i have done its quite complex Quote
enterprise207 Posted November 10, 2012 Author Posted November 10, 2012 That would look great! Not many people model NIR, but I think it would be excellent. its the 3000s and the 4000 that would be tricky to get hold of Quote
BosKonay Posted November 10, 2012 Posted November 10, 2012 Repaint a Bachmann Class 170 - or contact Seamus at the http://www.themodelshop.ie/ http://www.themodelshop.ie/class-3000-caf-3-car-dmu-nir/gtm002pd.html Quote
BosKonay Posted November 10, 2012 Posted November 10, 2012 You can always also use Seacow ballast wagons (NIR ran a rake of them) In addition to the 201, 071 NIR options, there are hunslets and C class from Silverfox and more... I'm planning an NIR station and depot on my layout - there is lots of stuff available! Quote
BosKonay Posted November 23, 2012 Posted November 23, 2012 You can paint a uk class 170 to 'look' like a 3000 or 4000 - from a few feet away it's certainly passable Quote
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