My first Japanese layout

[NateJ93]

I've been a longtime modeler of railroads in my homestate of Washington, but for my next layout, I wanted to do something different.

With free space in my house at a premium, I decided to try N scale as opposed to my preferred medium of HO scale, and this new layout had to be large enough to run decently sized trains in a continuous loop yet small enough I could carry it unassisted.

I already have a point-to-point HO scale switching layout (Washington-themed of course), so I began searching for another prototype and, after looking over several local prototypes, finally settled on Japan.

At 2' x 6', it's pretty modest, but it does fulfill my requirements, with enough space for a "Branchline" (Inside track) as well as an industry and small yard.

This will be a freelanced layout, but I used reference pictures of smaller stations and yards to the North of Tokyo.

Due to radius restrictions and layout size, this will be a secondary line/private railroad primarily used by DMUs and shorter local passenger trains with the occasional freight train and EMU passing through (So no Shinkansen or sleeper trains).

 

I've already acquired 90% of the necessary track, I just need a few switches and straight pieces and a few structures (Station, yard office, and undetermined industry) which I plan to purchase shortly from a local shop.

[brill27mcb]

Two suggestions:

1. I would flip the whole top sidings arrangement left-for-right, so you can switch into them from the branch line with a train of decent length. Then you could run a second train on the branch, doing switching (shunting) operations.

2. Leave provision to someday add a half-circle inner curve to the right side of the plan, so you can run two trains at once in continuous ovals, effectively making the layout a two-track operation.

 

Rich K.

[KenS]

I did something very similar on my first Japanese layout, which was set up on my large kitchen table, except that I used double track for the outer loop, and treated the inner branch as a freight-only line (which could have even tighter radius curves).

 

As brill27mcb said, reversing the lead into the yard (two tracks on right) will make it more usable.  Particularly for storing trains.  You might want to add an extra track or two.  Many Japanese stations (and elsewhere) have tracks to staging trains before the morning rush, so having a couple of trains parked behind a station is prototypical, and looks good too.

 

I'm also a bit worried by the two switches separated by a reverse curve on the upper right. That's even worse than a standard S-curve, and will likely cause operational problems.  If you want that, rather than reversing the switch to the yard, then the first switch should feed into the second with a straight, and the straight continue back to the branch/yard tracks: that's how "ladder" tracks in yards are typically constructed.

[NateJ93]

1 hour ago, KenS said:

I did something very similar on my first Japanese layout, which was set up on my large kitchen table, except that I used double track for the outer loop, and treated the inner branch as a freight-only line (which could have even tighter radius curves).

 

As brill27mcb said, reversing the lead into the yard (two tracks on right) will make it more usable.  Particularly for storing trains.  You might want to add an extra track or two.  Many Japanese stations (and elsewhere) have tracks to staging trains before the morning rush, so having a couple of trains parked behind a station is prototypical, and looks good too.

 

I'm also a bit worried by the two switches separated by a reverse curve on the upper right. That's even worse than a standard S-curve, and will likely cause operational problems.  If you want that, rather than reversing the switch to the yard, then the first switch should feed into the second with a straight, and the straight continue back to the branch/yard tracks: that's how "ladder" tracks in yards are typically constructed.

Like this?

Looking at this version, it does indeed make more sense.

Good thing I held off ordering the last of the track, looks like I have some extra stuff to add to the order.