Hakone with 2 Loops

[velotrain]

>  I have a ton of Kato track.  Do I need to transition to Tomix track?  I like their Wide Tram products.

 

Do you have the wide radius track you showed in your initial trackplan? 

 

I have Tomix track - outside of the Kato tram track, so I went with that.  It depends if you want the option of automated operation or not.  The 5563 expects Tomix turnouts and sensors. 

 

 

>  I definitely need to learn more about the TCS 5563.

 

I really think the kind of layout you want is ideally suited to optional automated ops.  I'll give you links to videos showing the 5563 modes that I'm suggesting for the bottom loops and the switchbacks.  It does expect two switchbacks, so that will take some work to fit in.  I'm thinking of just going with a single turnout and siding at each to save space.  I don't think you really want to have two trains on that line passing each other - there will be a siding on the top end.  Watching the proto model switchback on the video is nice, but how often would anyone want to do that?  Besides - the upper track is a short stub, so the whole thing was staged.

 

Loops:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8z9DT0xfUs

 

Switchback:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQIA6fD2NLs

 

 

[velotrain]

Please use Google Earth.  Search = "Hakone Tozan Railway".  Please turn on the correct layer to view the railway in black ... this is found under Layers / More / Transport / Rail.  You can then see the switchbacks and passing tracks for yourself.  If you review the link I added to my first reply you will see that layout has represented a switchback and the engine shed at Ohiradai Station.

 

Thanks for this - I've always used Google maps and have had to work hard, zooming in and out, to track railway lines.  I've discovered that spatial navigating in Earth apparently takes some time to get used to, in terms of controlling both the position and the planes.

[kvp]

I like this track plan. What software are you using?

Thanks. It was made with SCARM. ( http://www.scarm.info )

[velotrain]

Here are two possible general designs for the mountain line, which splits off near Tonosawa station. 

 

I've suggested where tracks might be hidden, but this is your call, along with locations of roads and structures.  One possibility might be to have structures on the mountain line removable, and replace them with Swiss style structures when running Swiss trains.  A more radical idea would be to replace them with HO structures, and run some of the many fine and interesting European HOe railcars that are available.

 

The first approach eschews switchbacks altogether, and is simply a winding mountain line to Gora.  This allows a maximum amount of space to be used for scenery.

 

 

 

 

The second plan incorporates a Hakone-style switchback, allegedly at Deyama signal station - largely because I consider it the most visually interesting of the three.  In order to avoid a very short run between Deyama and Gora, I have hidden most of a climbing loop under the surface, and this provides a reasonable height difference between the two.  This also allows higher land in the middle of the layout to help visually separate the stations.  This plan is fairly track intensive, but I don't see how to avoid it.

 

I looked at trying to fit in two switchbacks, but it's really difficult, and gave up in frustration.  Besides the track getting complicated, it's hard to achieve realistic landforms - especially the higher up you go.  One possibility is to have a long layout (8-12'), not using loops to gain elevation, but with all the track roughly parallel.  However, that would make it a challenge to include the typical twisting track of the Hakone.

 

If you could figure out where to fit a second switchback, you could use automated operation, but only when using a single train.  As discussed in an earlier thread - http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/9840-hakone-tozans-kami-ohiradai-switchback-a-new-small-layout-idea/?hl=hakone - by using spring switches only one of the four turnouts at each switchback needs to be powered, and this could be thrown by the Tomix 5563 TCS unit in mode 3.

 

 

 

 

[toc36]

kvp:  Thanks for the SCRAM link.  I can't believe this was free.  I'll have to watch the tutorials.  Work is interfering with my hobby.......

 

Velo:  Thanks for the track plans.  I watched all your Youtube videos.  Excellent.  I think that you are absolutely correct in that I need an automated system for continuous running for the type of layout that I want.  I need to learn more about the Tomix TCS system.  This opens up a ton of new options.  I got my tax return and I can set aside some bucks from a couple of paydays.

[velotrain]

This version has two switchbacks, enabling use of the Tomix 5563 for automated running on the mountain line.  To fit these in, I had to use R140 turnouts on them and impose a limited 2-car train length.  I also needed to rearrange the platforms at Gora.

 

There is only a single track at Tonosawa, but you could add a dummy second track between the tunnel mouths, or even use a pair of curved turnouts if you wanted the second track operational.  This could be easily done with the Tomix spring turnouts, but trains would not stop if using auto ops.  One thing I don't know is what happens if you try to use an external system - say optical sensors, with the 5563.  Would TCS control resume when the train starts moving again, or does the unexpected stop screw up the TCS program?  It could work, as the 5563 might only take action when triggered by a TCS event, which the extra stop would not represent.

 

After studying the proto Hakone Yumoto station, I've rearranged the tracks there and continued the Hakone line to the hidden area in the back, so you could simulate Hakone trains originating in Odowara.  Also - the Hakone line now starts its climb from the station.  Overall grades are between 5.7 - 6.4%.  There is a 18" height difference between Hakone and Gora, but this could easily be 24" using prototypical 7-8% grades.  I don't think that would be a problem for a 2-car train, and the minimum radius is still 177 mm.

 

There is a bunch of close but not connecting track on the lower level.  I really think flex is best for modeling the complex curves of the Hakane Tozen.  It would also allow very wide (~ 2000-3000 + mm) graceful curves through Hakone Yumoto station, as with the proto.

 

There is a quite short run from Ohiradai to Gora, but it's unavoidable without really messing up the landforms - at this high level there is no place to hide a loop.

 

 

Edited February 22, 2016 by velotrain