Hakone Tozan line in N Gauge

[tridentalx]

I would lengthen the upper station platforms.  Since the lower tracks on the left are tunnels, just bring the whole lot closer to the edge of the layout over the top of the tunnels.

 

Yes they are going to be a bit longer when I add the long straights back in.

[tridentalx]

 

Interesting! Do you have a trackplan or an overhead photo?

 

Here's an old and very basic track plan

 

[kvp]

Thanks! So it's an all around the room type? I just wonder where you plan to put the N gauge one...

[tridentalx]

Thanks! So it's an all around the room type? I just wonder where you plan to put the N gauge one...

 

Yes it is and I don't know at the moment. In the longer term the round the room will betaken down and a smaller OO will get built instead. Until then it may be a portable layout.

[tridentalx]

With a few days off work I have made a start on the layout. A baseboard (5'6" by 2'6") was constructed and I have started on the first level (switchback). Annoyingly, all my points have been stuck in customs since before Christmas so I am making do with 1:1 SCARM printouts.

 

 

 

 

 

The first level is c 10cm above the baseboard. The second level will only be about 4cm higher due to limited track to make the climb. I am considering making an entire hidden circuit to get the level up higher. But I don't want to use anything tighter than an R216 radius. Will see what SCARM shows later. 

Edited December 31, 2015 by tridentalx

[kvp]

For the tomix and modemo hakone tozan units you can go down to R150. Also, you can start the ramp right after the station, on the curve. Just don't forget to make the transitions smoother.

[Ken Ford]

Nice! I was planning a small Hakone Tozan this past spring, I'd like to get back to it.

[tridentalx]

An extra christmas holiday resulted in a bit more progress. I've added a spiral to build the height up a bit more. Never tried this before so hopefully will work ok when all the track is laid. 

 

Timberwork is nearly complete now.

 

 

 

I'm going to play with this section a bit more and probably move the platform tracks closer to the back of the layout a bit.

 

 

Seems to be enough space for the switchback

 

My points have been released from customs so hopefully will put in an appearance tomorrow. £26 charges to pay means I might as well have bought them from the UK.

 

[cteno4]

Looking nice tridentalx! Coming along quickly here.

 

Have you thought about cutting a hole in the base in the middle hidden area to give you access to clean track and pull off derailed cars?

 

Jeff

[JR 500系]

This is really nice! I can see the Hakone almost from this layout! Great work! Looking forward to seeing the final product!

[tridentalx]

A bit more effort and a delivery of track. I still need some curved track to complete the spiral. Hopefully eta Saturday.

 

The switchback. I have shortened it a bit so that it fits a 3 car snugly.

 

 

Approaching the switchback from "Gora".

 

 

On the upper level of the spiral approaching "Gora"

 

 

Safely arrived at "Gora". Each of the two platforms fits a 3 car train in. 

Still thinking about nudging the whole area a bit closer to the back of the layout

 

 

One of these is going to go just next to the level crossing as per the prototype.

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10222623

 

 

 

[katoftw]

Great job.  It is such a tall layout.  Will be very green once it is done.

[tridentalx]

Great job.  It is such a tall layout.  Will be very green once it is done.

 

Thanks. Yes , I was just thinking that I might need a lot of trees! If anybody knows a cheap source let me know. I might also have to wait a while until I can get some buildings. Bit expensive to ship them in from Japan to UK.

 

Also if anybody knows of a source of plastic sheets or preferably printable versions of the type of diagonal (?) brickwork you see in Japan please point me in the right direction. Something like this - 

 

 

Edit : Maybe this is the right wall material ?

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10007598a/20/1

Edited December 31, 2015 by tridentalx

[cteno4]

trident,

 

looking really nice! now i really want to do one of these!

 

try ebay, the cheap Chinese architectural trees are decent and you can spruce them up with some hair spray and flocking material. You can always roll your own which are very cheap, just takes time. loads of great videos on youtube for various techniques. i like using stripped 18g stranded line cord. then you can un coil bits and recoil them in a branching structure to give yourself very realistic branching structures and the wire strands add some texture to the trunk and limbs. some heavy craft paint on them then can finish the texturing. then flock as desired with fiber fill or not. bag of plastic armatures is pretty cheap as well.

 

is this the one you are looking for?

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10169294

 

another similar

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10137324

 

cheers

 

jeff

Edited December 31, 2015 by cteno4

[tridentalx]

Thanks Jeff. Yes that second one looks like the best option. So cheap to buy in Japan ... so expensive to ship. 

 

Thanks on the trees - some of those chinese bulk buys look pretty good.

 

I have a brief visit to Tokyo in August so some bulky items may have to wait until then.

Edited December 31, 2015 by tridentalx

[cteno4]

trident,

 

couldnt see if the pict if it was just diamond or herringbone patter.

 

sal should be pretty cheap, takes a couple of weeks. but you are in the uk? if so then you probably have duties that then kill a small package price even with sal!

 

yeah they aint bad on their own, ive used them on ttrak modules that get knocked around a lot and they have held up well.

 

but just a little bit of added flocking to add a few different shades etc you can spruce (no pun intended) them up pretty quickly. rolling your own is fun and is more inexpensive, but it takes time! there are a scad of youtube videos with shortcuts to make a pile quicker.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[toc36]

Is anyone ready to try this??

[tridentalx]

 

 

sal should be pretty cheap, takes a couple of weeks. but you are in the uk? if so then you probably have duties that then kill a small package price even with sal!

 

 

Yes UK. Just paid £26 on four sets of points from Hobbysearch. Was marked "gift" but with a massive Hobby Search logo on it as a bit of a giveaway !

[velotrain]

Is anyone ready to try this??

 

A slot car hillclimb.

[Mudkip Orange]

I've seen some of those where they actually have real dirt on the track in the corners. Lots of time and effort.

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

I have ridden Hakone Tozan many time.  I think your layout is very interesting and look forward to its completion.  My only suggestion would be to make it more curved.  Hakone Tozan has very little straight track.

 

Also, here is an interesting interpretation on a small N gauge layout that may be of interest: Hakone Tozan Revisited

 

Good luck!

Edited January 6, 2016 by Ochanomizu

[velotrain]

Also, here is an interesting interpretation on a small N gauge layout that may be of interest: Hakone Tozan Revisited

 

When I first saw this trackplan, it looked like it was in a much smaller space, maybe 50cm X 75 cm.  To my eyes it doesn't take advantage of the space available.  tridentalx's board is just a little longer, but not nearly as wide, and he has fitted a lot more into it. 

 

I do agree that it would be better if there was more curved track.

 

I think it is easier to introduce subtle / gradual curves using flextrack, as with the sectional track using one curved section means needing three more to bring the route back to the original alignment.  Of course, the same geometry also applies to flex, but I think it is easier to "soften" the look of long straight sections.  It also helps to not have long straights strictly parallel to the board edges.

[tridentalx]

Hi all,

 

Although real life and work has brought progress to a complete halt (and I had to store the baseboard on its side temporarily) I had forgotten to upload a couple of pics of the completed track layout. Next time I get a bit of spare time I am going to give the baseboard a coat of paint, add some wiring and then fix down the track.

 

So far I have tested a couple of Tomix units plus my RhB Allegra and all manage the spiral climb without trouble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tridentalx]

I can't see how to embed a video but this is a link to a short test run.

 

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m288/_demon/Railway/th_MVI_0592_zpsyb9guvwz.mp4

 

 

[Alantrains]

Hi tridentalx from downunder.

I like your layout so far and am interested in further updates as you get around to it.

Ever since I rode on the Hakone Tozan railway in 2009 I wanted to build a model of it. Well it's been a long time, but I have got the roadbed all set and tried out the track today. The layout is only 1200mm X 600mm That's 4 foot by 2 foot so there are lots of compromises. I am using Kato unitrack and decided that I would use their scissors crossover instead of 4 points. The Tomix trains have rubber traction tyres and will climb pretty steep grades. I will be interested in your progress and scenery/buildings etc. I will have many trees as I'm not going to be able to fit in many buildings. I have someone helping me to automate the operation using an arduino. It will (hopefully) run two trains at once, one from the top (Gora) and one from the bottom (Hakone) and they will meet at the scissors and swap tracks so they continue to the other end, then start again in the reverse order. The dead ends are just long enough for 2 car trains so I won't ever get 3 cars. I'm not sure if the photo makes it clear, but the points on the left is just another dead end . There is a seperate Main line arriving at  Hakone which will have a panorama train doing back and forth independently.

 I hope work and family are good so you get some time to progress your layout.

cheers

Alan

 

 

Edited May 2, 2016 by Alantrains