Morcs' micro layout

[Sheffie]

Very nice ground level view!

[Morcs]

Anyone know if ohane-24 sleeping cars with rapidos run ok on a 249 radius?

For my overhead track thinking of running an akebono train consisting of an EF65 and 2 or 3 of the sleeping cars.

[Morcs]

Not much progress this week, some single catenary poles (nice visual impact actually) and started on my parking lot.

 

I'm working on the next plan, still using these small radius curves but on a 1800x500. One thing I've realised with the current layout though is the visual impact overhead track makes in such a small space whereas the next layout won't have room for it.

 

[Morcs]

Small ahipment arrived today, a tomix EF65 and DE10, and a few more buildings.

 

This is as far as this layout is going, as with NZ about to start a 4 week lockdown tomorrow, plenty of time to plan the next layout. This layout ticked the boxes for everything I set out to do - plenty of operation in a tight space with some goos visual angles, and some operational ability, using compact unitrack. And managed to keep it all temporary, only the board itself cannot be reused.

[Morcs]

So the next layout.

Managed to get into the hardware store before they close for a month to get some wood to make a start on the board.

 

2.4mx500mm will be the size. This will be challenging due to the lack of width, and the goals will be:

- modular, able to split in half (1200x500) to move when I have to

- two lines

- a decent ladder yard

- at least one station

- good mainline stretches

- make the most of the space without obviously utilising all the space (hard)

- utilise r150 and r183 radius and r150 turnouts (a good yard would be #4s)

- use foam for elevation changes and hills for the first time for me

 

If anyone has any track plan ideas I'm all ears!

[Morcs]

After playing around with some track on the boards last night i realised just how narrow 500mm is.

To make this work I have to go with ground level track and get creative with a few scenery blocks.

 

At the back will be a full sized island station, opposite flat platforms along the headshut with a station entrance at the end. Parking lot with a gas station outside

The end curves have tight radius R150/R183 at the back, then open into R183/R216

Pair of X crossings and an infield curve break up the ovals allowing me to put a small yard inside, with both lines having sidings in there. 

Will make a bit of a town on the left, and then go heavy with greenery everywhere else.

 

 

[cteno4]

It always helps to mock things up a bit with track as what can look great in cad can not look so good in 1:1! Especially when you run a train around, really different effect.
 

cheers,

 

jeff

[roadstar_na6]

Nice layout idea, however I‘d do a small change just for more useability:

[Morcs]

4 hours ago, roadstar_na6 said:

Nice layout idea, however I‘d do a small change just for more useability:

 

I did consider that but I always try not to go too crazy with turnouts ($$)

 

Though I might use your suggestion when I draw up a single track version as passing loops will be required.

[Cat]

The extra turnout on the bottom track could be very useful as a run-around track if that's something that might factor into any of your operations.

[Morcs]

5 hours ago, Cat said:

The extra turnout on the bottom track could be very useful as a run-around track if that's something that might factor into any of your operations.

Yeah I'm liking it.

Also going to draw up an L layout, I've got two 1200x500 boards, could work well with track truncating through the corner of the layout then a town and a yard at each end.

 

Got a bunch of the R150 turnouts that I'm trying to use but the spacing between them is massive! Shame as they work very well, you can run through them with them switched the wrong way all day long with no problems.

[Morcs]

Redrew it today, simple double oval with a station+headshunt, and a run around+ yard.

 

More excitingly, started drawing up L shape plans, this is the first draft, need to figure out where stations etc.. go but amazed how many more possibilities there are!

 

[Morcs]

Final track plan done, and track ordered!

 

Ive done away with the double crossover and will keep both lines separate, the inner will be passenger, the outer will be freight, both have yards.

 

Tried to stick to small radius where possible, but have had to get creative with spacing and combos of curves, including some R216 in there too.

Yards had to be #4 turnouts to keep smallish.

Also gone concrete tie double track at every opportunity.

Not sure where buildings etc.. will go at the moment except for a full sized island station, and a freight terminal station on the yard.

Edited March 28, 2020 by Morcs

[Morcs]

Baseboard pieces will have to sit for the next 4 weeks unfinished (NZ is on lockdown) and i didnt panic buy enough wood to finish them.

Im thinking of using 50mm U-bolts to fix the 2 pieces together, and will be easy to disassemble.

Also thinking of small backdrop panels 100mm or so high but will have to see just how close the track ends up to the rear edges.

[toc36]

Morcs,

 

Very general comment concerning "L" shaped layouts ..........

 

The difficulty will be reaching the back corner.  If your layout is "wall" limited, you may want to look at designs that can pull the back corner track forward.

 

I few years back I used this track plan for a temp setup:

https://jnsforum.com/community/topic/13895-the-big-pink-l/

 

The over plan functioned very well.  However, I godzilla'ed it because I needed to reclaim the dog leg space, and I wanted to design a layout where I could simultaneously run 4+ trains.  This may give you some ideals.  More importantly, the feedback from other JNS members was insightful and valuable.

 

Toc

[RogerK]

Morcs

 

One way to solve the corner reach issue is to crossover in the corner. Here is a plan that I am considering. Way oversized for you with 381/414 track, but you get the idea. Grids are one foot..

 

[Cat]

Also, scooping out the inner corner so it curves inward for a little bay where you can stand and reach in.

Picking up any (or all!) of Iain Rice's layout design books are superbly entertaining reading with beautiful water colour illustrations.  He is a big fan of making curved fascia to add visual interest to the front of the layout.  Even just a quick scan of google images shows a lot of his magic touch:
https://www.google.com/search?q=iain+rice+layout&safe=off&sxsrf=ALeKk025pVMsIx3w-SQPAJ5kagaak2ygow:1585416043823&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiRy_OA173oAhUflnIEHUgwBi8Q_AUoAXoECAsQAw&biw=1025&bih=661

 

Edited March 28, 2020 by Cat

[Morcs]

Thanks for the tips guys, I don't think it'll be a problem, I have strangely long thin arms, and the whole thing will be quite small anyway, sitting on some saw horses so easy to maneuver.

Also be modular so I can work on each piece separately for scenery etc..

 

I like the idea of scooping out the front slightly, might be difficult now with the progress I had made on the boards!

[cteno4]

Really 2’ is about the max comfortable distance to reach in. You can get out to 3’ if you are tall and long armed, but doing much of anything at that distance gets hard and your abilities lessened. I’m pretty tall at 6’4” and long armed (i need the tall sizes to even hope to get a sleeve to fit) and this goes for me as well.

 

also the deeper you reach the more you have to be careful of stuff along the front of the layout as you lean over the edge of the layout as well as stuff in between with a tired arm dragging on something! A small foot stool can help but you start stressing your back and you need to be careful about leaning too far forward and loosing balance which case you will most likely slam a hand or two down onto the layout and at the worst fall on the layout. Don’t laugh, when I was young I worked on building huge 3/4” scale models of the Monterey bay aquarium that were huge and I had to do all sorts of things to get into the middle areas and yes I fell on them a few times and destroyed a day or twos work!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Morcs]

20 hours ago, cteno4 said:

Really 2’ is about the max comfortable distance to reach in. You can get out to 3’ if you are tall and long armed, but doing much of anything at that distance gets hard and your abilities lessened. I’m pretty tall at 6’4” and long armed (i need the tall sizes to even hope to get a sleeve to fit) and this goes for me as well.

 

also the deeper you reach the more you have to be careful of stuff along the front of the layout as you lean over the edge of the layout as well as stuff in between with a tired arm dragging on something! A small foot stool can help but you start stressing your back and you need to be careful about leaning too far forward and loosing balance which case you will most likely slam a hand or two down onto the layout and at the worst fall on the layout. Don’t laugh, when I was young I worked on building huge 3/4” scale models of the Monterey bay aquarium that were huge and I had to do all sorts of things to get into the middle areas and yes I fell on them a few times and destroyed a day or twos work!

 

cheers

 

jeff

My cats playing Godzilla is a higher risk than me breaking something whilst reaching! 

[cteno4]

You would be surprised! I think most of the damage on our club layout setups by members over the years were due to reaching to do things and that was only like 20”. You get focused on what you are doing out at your hands and forget what belly, shirt, etc are doing. our biggest public assaults at events are not the fingers going straight in to poke (it happens but rarely any damage other than maybe a derailment) are mostly adults reaching over the layout to point or usually take photos and they completely forget the dangling straps, elbows, purses and bags that then drag across the layout. Those can be disastrous! 
 

Cats of course think a layout is a nuisance they want to just whack with paws some.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

Most of the damage on my layouts is usually me being clumsy, like dropping a hammer on top of a turnout and other weird things 😄

 

[Morcs]

The option I still have is by moving the turnouts at the bottom left to come off the rear station, making that entire area just yards (easy to model the whole area that way too) then that vacant area can be a town, with the inside of the L left open, less chance of breaking stuff. I'd still have to do something there though. Water would be nice but at a flat elevation might not work.

Ideas?

 

Track should arrive next week so I can mock up properly

[Morcs]

With all this sitting around unable to make any progress ive been playing with track plans, and doing some mock ups with the board tops and the track i have.

 

Think ill be going back to a standard rectangle, 2400x500. Previous rectangle plans went right to the edge of the board to maximise space, decided being able to landscape around the edges will give a better sense of size instead.

 

As this is so narrow I almost want to give it the appearance of an end to end layout, but with continuous running. 

 

Mock up with some buildings showing just how narrow the inner loop will be.

 

RH side will be town/urban area. LH side will be countryside, looking to place a hill as a scenry block inside that Left passing loop.

 

 

[Morcs]

Another track plan. Quite proud of this one.

 

Based on a 4x4 square, with one corner cut off, which will have a shelf for controls.

Will sit in the corner of a room nicely.

 

Critique please.