TRod's First Layout

[TRod]

Hello again,

After my intro in the Welcome thread l thought it best you let you into my head space for layout ideas.

Nothing new or that hasn't been done before. Leave room to expand left, right or possibly center.

Basically everything goes up and around and down again except for the tunnel.

Upper level tracks will get hidden by the very top of flat hills and or trees and structure in the corners, will be some very steep sections hiding tunnels on the right, maybe even a cut away tunnel like the avalanche roofs you see in Europe.

I plan to use an MDF base, and 3mm flexible compressed fiber sheet (craft wood) or ply to make the upper level and the up and down ramps, all one piece.

It's all in my head, if it works it works, if it doesn't I'll sure end up with a nice layout anyway.

As for trains, starting from nothing l would like something freighty so a Kato EF210 Container Train starter set and Taki 43000 Nippon Oil 8 car set (10-1515) , 14 Series 700 Super EXP Rainbow 7 car set (10-1490), or a Eiyama Electric Railway 900 Series (10-1472). I really like the Kirara!

I've only seen a very small percentage of what's on offer, know nothing of how tight a radius different loco's can take, hence l didn't go smaller than 282-45.

All this is going to make one shop very happy. I don't have time to visit lots of shops, it will be looking at the Kato Kyoto store and buying at Imon Shibuya, not necessarily in that order.

If you see anything l need to adjust or that doesn't work in my layout, please do speak up. The right side outside loop might end up tunnel as well.

Only time will tell.

Edit. 2400 x 1200. 

Cheers,

Rod.

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2018 by TRod

[TRod]

I will add in power feeder tracks, bumpers and the rest.

Eventually it will be DCC, so much more fun in my opinion.

The pic is just a start, l have a bit over a week to sort it out to a parts list.

[VentureForth]

So this is basically a 4x8 with a bit of room to spare?  Sounds similar to my plan.  I like the variation in yours.  Looks pretty good.  My only thought - and only because I'm a cheapskate - is to ask about the platform zone in the top which looks like the one at the bottom.  You're using two extra switches that essentially only support a very short stub.  If you eliminate those two switches and make the whole inside siding a stub, then you save two switches.  It can be set as a terminal, "end of the line" and support a longer train if you intend that to be a station like at the bottom.  Speaking of which, can you bring the right switch pair at the bottom out a section to maximize the platform?

 

Finally, I'm having a bit of difficulty visualizing the storage spur (third track from the top).  Is that at table level and the tunnel below, or is the whole top half above the bottom half of the table?

 

I'm excited and will love to follow as you build!

 

 

[TRod]

The whole top half is above the tunnel and I've decided it just isn't quite right. It's doable but given it's 1200 wide the top half is too far away, arms reach wise, to be practical.

Last night was spent on XTrack again coping a Noch layout.The first outside look goes up and around. Will try and narrow it up tonight width wise by 64 or 88mm out of the ends.

Edit. I don't like pax terminals or end to ends. 

I like long freight trains on endless loops.

 

Edited December 20, 2018 by TRod

[TRod]

Off to Japan today, yay!

Will have all day on a plane to think, (scheme), and price up my best options.

The only sizable difference in layout design is the number of turnouts and switches affecting the final cost.

 

[chadbag]

Bon Voyage!

 

Planning a layout is harder than you would think (as I am finding as I mess around).   Figure out a budget before hand so that your wishes don't grow the budget beyond what you want to spend.  🙂

 

 

[Grant_T]

Hi Rod, I'm in Osaka/Kyoto right now. Try to get to the Yodobashi stores in Kyoto and Osaka if you can. Both are near the respective stations. They are better than the Kato store in the Kyoto station. And don't forget to present your passport for tax free. I bought a whole heap of stuff for my layout yesterday (and maybe more today!). Enjoy your trip. Try the okonomiyaki!

Edited December 27, 2018 by Grant_T

[gavino200]

6 hours ago, TRod said:

Off to Japan today, yay!

Will have all day on a plane to think, (scheme), and price up my best options.

The only sizable difference in layout design is the number of turnouts and switches affecting the final cost.

 

 

Nice designs. I vote for 2 or 3. The bridge crossing on number 1 will call for quite a steep incline which is guaranteed to be a PITA. On design 3 you could still incline loop 3 in the back on a hill but you wouldn't need it to be so steep as to be problematic. I look forward to watching your progress. 

[TRod]

I've got a budget in mind. $1k AUD. 

Now you're all sworn to secrecy on that ok!

 

Thanks for the heads up on incline although going off the Kato bridge set l thought l had enough before and after the bridge on the outside. But I'm a noob  to n gauge so I'll take your word on that, plus the sheer number of turn outs was making it exy.

Number 3 can be built on one or two levels, number 2 is smaller and cheaper and l may have to curb my enthusiasm just this once.

Although what l don't spend on track will go on locos.

And 2 can be built from two starter sets as the loops are all 315 45° curves.

Edited December 28, 2018 by TRod

[Das Steinkopf]

I second Grant_T's advice, the Yodobashi in Umeda is probably the better store to go to in the Osaka/Kyoto area, they generally have a fairly complete range of track and it's hard to find anywhere else that could beat them price wise, show your passport and you get it tax free after you spend more than ¥5000 (the price of one loco), they also had a further 5% discount if using Visa card. They also have a decent spread of Kato and Tomix rolling stock as well as some Greenmax and MicroAce sets, I picked up a Tomix EF210-100 for about ¥4200 at their Akihabara store when I was there in 2017, I saved about ¥1400 when I compared it to other stores.

Edited December 28, 2018 by Das Steinkopf

[TRod]

I can see l didn't do enough homework on shop locations. I'll look all these places up and put them on my map, if I'm close by I might be able to stop in.

I want to do as little train shopping as possible so l get to do tourist stuff. I may not make it t o the cheapest shop as l want to get in, buy everything and get out. 

No 2 layout, an EF210 or similar freight set up and a passenger train of some description. Too many to choose from. I really like the Eiyama 10-1472.

Off to bed now in Osaka.

Thanks again for all the suggestions, greatly appreciated.

[TRod]

I googled Yodabashi, easy. When l asked my partner she said of course we go there. Must sleep.

 

[cteno4]

8 hours ago, TRod said:

I may not make it t o the cheapest shop as l want to get in, buy everything and get out. 

 

Ha good luck! When you hit a packed train store it will sort of stun you!

 

jeff

[Das Steinkopf]

16 hours ago, TRod said:

I googled Yodabashi, easy. When l asked my partner she said of course we go there. Must sleep.

 

 

Yodobashi's are great, they have heaps of things that a woman would want be it kitchen, household, cameras and a whole host of other electrical goodies, I generally found that I would be the one waiting for my wife even after extensively trawling through the model rail section for buildings, track, rolling stock, catalogues and scenic details, it was one of those rare occasions where I would get to see every single item they had available. 

[chadbag]

Unfortunately, my wife is not so enamored of Yodobashi.  She does walk through the appliances while waiting. But quickly becomes impatient, most of the time.  My kids, on the other hand, love the place.  One of the places they want to hit on the way from the airport, and multiple times while there (Osaka / Umeda).  And when we go to Tokyo, once or twice in Akihabara.  And if they see one from the train elsewhere.

 

They also have good online prices and fast delivery if you happen to have an address in Japan you can use (friend, relative, etc.).

 

ETA:  A large percentage of the trains stuff I bought last time I was in Japan came from Yodobashi (Umeda and Akihabara).  The majority of the rest came from Joshin Denki in Den Den town in Osaka (the Kids Land I believe it was -- the one with all the trains on one level, models and RC cars on another, and airsoft on the top floot)

Edited December 29, 2018 by chadbag

[TRod]

What a day!

Only spent 40,000¥

EH500 (3037-2), 8037-4 x3, Loki 107 freight car 2 car set (10-1433) x 3 (so 6 cars),

Still need more turnouts, points switches, bumpers and curves.

Making option 3 as 20% of then 5% off for visa so go big or go home. This layout is 2.4 m long, love long freight trains. I live close to the biggest grain storage facility in the southern hemisphere, Kwinnana Grain Terminal, plus nickel smelter and lots of other nasty smelly stuff. Always happy to wait at the level crossing for 5 minutes.

Everyone in the que was quite amazed, then the assistant looked shocked when l turned up 4 hours later for more, with the girlfriend in tow.

Tomorrow is Shinkansen, the real thing!

Kyoto and the train museum. And more train shopping.

 

Gnite and thanks for all the advice and for reading.

Sorry my pics are to big to post and l don't know how to resize. Imagine 30 packets of track, 6 turn out switches, 3 controllers and the rolling stock. Woo Hoo! Choo Choo!

Edited December 30, 2018 by TRod

[Das Steinkopf]

3 hours ago, TRod said:

Gnite and thanks for all the advice and for reading.

Sorry my pics are to big to post and l don't know how to resize. Imagine 30 packets of track, 6 turn out switches, 3 controllers and the rolling stock. Woo Hoo! Choo Choo!

 

 

Email the pictures to yourself, that way when you go to send it you will be asked what size you would like and you can have them automatically resized, once you do that save them to pictures or documents depending on whether you are using phone or laptop and then add them to your post from there.

[katoftw]

Or just lower the photo quality when taking the photos that you wanna put on JNS.

[TRod]

She wasn't so happy today after we left the shop and l said. "99% done".

 

Edited December 31, 2018 by TRod

[cteno4]

May be wiser to order the last 1% and take your girlfriend out for more sightseeing or a multicourse meal at this point!

 

jeff

[katoftw]

Is the one percent missing power supply for your throttles?

[TRod]

No, power supplies will be bought in Aust. so l don't need adaptors.

The final 1 % is going by pieces not price and may be closer to 5%, l didn't have my maths hat on when l told her 1%.

ISO containers (23-575) × 6.

The 10-1472 Kirara orange train.

Possibly a longer passenger set, maybe steam D51-200 (2016-8) with a set of 7 cars.

Off to Tokyo in the morning for 5 nights.

First Shinkansen yesterday to Kyoto. Very nice trains.

 

I'm going to Imon Shibuya by myself.

 

[katoftw]

The new kato power supplies have interchangable leads. Which cost about $2-$4 on ebay for 0.5-2.0m au version leads.

 

https://m.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_odkw=power+cord&_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m4084.l1311.R1.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.X2+pin+cord.TRS0&_nkw=2+pin+power+cord&_sacat=0

Edited January 1, 2019 by katoftw

[TRod]

Can someone please school me on close couplers?

Is there one style of coupler l can replace all the stock ones with on all my rolling stock and locos?

I see that some are not for use on twin axle boggies.

[Das Steinkopf]

You can use Kato 11-707 Dark Grey close couplers for your KoKi's, there are 20 couplings in a pack so enough to do 10 cars, for your Japan Oil Terminal TaKi 1000's I would suggest the 10-702 Black close couplers if you get the limited 10-1515 Japan Oil Transport TaKi 43000 8 car set you can use them on those as well. All Kato locomotives include a pair of close couplers that can be easily swapped out, there also the option of using MicroTrains MT-10 automatic couplings but it's not for the faint hearted and also quite expensive. With Tomix they use TN couplers and there is a whole host of them for different vehicles, sadly the Tomix and Kato couplers are incompatible which sort of screws things a bit as Tomix has an awesome range of the KoKi 100 Series container wagon variants, their TaKi 1000's are also very nice and are superior to the Kato versions albeit at a higher price.

Edited January 2, 2019 by Das Steinkopf