Early stages of my Japanese layout

[Peter Osborne]

Hi all,

This is my first post about the planning stages of my Japanese modern image N scale layout, I don’t as yet have a name but I’ve a vague idea of a location in Japan (fictional of course) that will enable me to operate JR West, Central and East stock as well as some Echigo Tokimeki .The location I’ve chose is inland towards a direction of  the Sea of Japan there  is a point where the boundaries of the 3 JR companies meet although only on a map geographically I will represent this as a junction station. 

 

All of my rolling stock is of those companies in fact the only JR East unit I have is a E257 but I may add others in the future , most numerous in my rosta is JR West with most classes with the exception of older suburban units) in my rosta. There’s not much freight representation 5 trains in total and as no switching will be involved these will operate as fixed trains, longest of these is my EH500 and 10 Koki container flats.

 

I have a large room available and the layout will run around 4 of the walls with a walkthrough gap to enter/exit (getting too old for crawling under boards) at either end there will be a helix to a lower level where there will be a storage yard (fiddle yard in the uk) the room is 11ft x 12ft ( 335cm x 365cm) and I’m going to use anyrail for my planning, it will feature one large 4 platform station (2 island and 2 single sided) and at the opposite end a small 2 platform local station , the track I’ve chosen will be TOMIX fine track, I’m not sure of operating system yet I want DCC but will need all my 35 trains converting , DCC is easier for wiring etc but summing up the cost of the decoders and fitting looks very expensive, also I’m not too sure about compatibility with TOMIX points, lots to consider as well as all the different systems available. I will keep this thread updated about the planning and progress.

[chadbag]

Just remember, any and everything is compatible with enough work and fiddling 🙂

 

Edited February 17, 2021 by chadbag

[gavino200]

It sounds like an interesting concept. You can make up any rules you want for what companies operate on your piece of simulated Japan. My layout sees mostly JR East traffic, but also occasional trains from other parts of Japan, and even Germany and France. 

 

DC or DCC is a difficult choice. I shifted to DCC long ago and I find it to be much more fun. But the ongoing hassle of adding decoders is a chore. I'm always happy when a train is "DCC friendly". Some are very much unfriendly. They're pretty much all doable with enough effort and thought and a small enough decoder, but it's definitely time that I'd rather spend on modelling my layout. Having said that I've moved on to more advanced layout control and automation, which I do enjoy. I can't imagine going back to DC. 

 

Good luck. I look forward to following your progress. 

[Peter Osborne]

2 hours ago, gavino200 said:

It sounds like an interesting concept. You can make up any rules you want for what companies operate on your piece of simulated Japan. My layout sees mostly JR East traffic, but also occasional trains from other parts of Japan, and even Germany and France. 

 

DC or DCC is a difficult choice. I shifted to DCC long ago and I find it to be much more fun. But the ongoing hassle of adding decoders is a chore. I'm always happy when a train is "DCC friendly". Some are very much unfriendly. They're pretty much all doable with enough effort and thought and a small enough decoder, but it's definitely time that I'd rather spend on modelling my layout. Having said that I've moved on to more advanced layout control and automation, which I do enjoy. I can't imagine going back to DC. 

 

Good luck. I look forward to following your progress. 

 I’d like a JR East 653 but there is a chance one would appear in that parts and I’ve an N gauge model on order of a new unit that operates on my line, the other units that operate on my kind here in uk are Hitatch class 800 bimodes, KATO are offering it this year  in two liveries and hopefully my operator (Trans Pennine Express) will be next year, these trains have become popular with several train companies choosing them, 

[Peter Osborne]

Ive been having a draw with some basics this evening, mostly using TOMIX 1121 and 1122 curves, the layout isnt for high speed operation but do you think these are too tight?

Please excuse my photo ive yet to learn how to show anyrail plans on here, remember this is my first attempt,

[railsquid]

1 hour ago, Peter Osborne said:

Ive been having a draw with some basics this evening, mostly using TOMIX 1121 and 1122 curves, the layout isnt for high speed operation but do you think these are too tight?

 

 

Those are (looks up the product numbers) 280mm and 317mm radius respectively; I use 280mm as the minimum radius on my layout, as it's the minimum which pretty much any kind of train (particularly those with longer cars) will run satisfactorily on.

[Peter Osborne]

7 hours ago, railsquid said:

 

Those are (looks up the product numbers) 280mm and 317mm radius respectively; I use 280mm as the minimum radius on my layout, as it's the minimum which pretty much any kind of train (particularly those with longer cars) will run satisfactorily on.

Ive had a re-draw with better curves im planning the right hand horsehoe to be running along the sea, i saw a youtube upload this week by SHIGEMON this gave me this ocean idea, as you can see the two ends of the layout lead down to my lower level staging yards via a four layer  helix. We have 2 stations,  a  large 6 track main station at the top  here the platforms on the mainline will be long enough for my 683 9 car  snow rabbit and possible other 9 car trains in the future and at the opposite end of the layout a small station with a terminal point to take a 4 car EMU (223/5) and platforms on the main line for fast Rapids (221 313) and small diesel cars (25 75 187) The layout is just trains through shore and mountain scenery no switching 

Edited February 21, 2021 by Peter Osborne

[MeTheSwede]

When it comes to curve radii, what works and what looks good with trains running on them, are two very different things. So far I've yet to come across a statement where someone wished they would have gone for tighter curves when they built their layout, the opposite seems rather common though.

 

If I had all your space available, I would probably not put any 280 curves on visible sections and I'd even experiment to see if there's anywhere I could fit a long sweaping curve of 541 or 605mm radius curves. (Yes, with careful adjustments of the lenghts of the adjacent straight sections, Tomix track is flexible enough to make a double track curve of paralell 541 pieces.)

 

I suggest you get a bunch of track out and play around with. Assemble sections of a layout with it in different ways, drive trains on it and see what you are happy with. Then buy more of the stuff you need more of. In the end you'll have some extra track pieces you're not using for anything, but they weren't useless as they helped you build the layout you really wanted witout realising it and in the grand scheme of things they were really cheap.

 

I sat planning with Anyrail for a couple of months before I had any track arriving. Now I'd be hard pressed to find a single track piece I haven't moved around since I got my physical track pieces.

 

By the way, I notice there isn't room for island plattforms which I presume is an error?

 

[katoftw]

Yup agreed. If you have the space. Then R315/C317 would be the best minimum. You will never buy a train in the future you cannot run or future issues with installed close couplers.

Edited February 21, 2021 by katoftw

[Peter Osborne]

My bottom plan is based on C391-45 and C354-45 slightly more realistic than the earlier plan, remember I’m new to the TOMIX track is the gap between the two centre rails the same if I use the elevated curves on a double track as standard track? 

[MeTheSwede]

It's the same.

[Kanpai Keith]

Looking good Peter.  I’m also in the U.K. new to Tomix, N scale and pretty much everything to do with building a “proper” model railway.  I’m very much looking forward to seeing how this develops......no pressure 🤣.

[Peter Osborne]

2 hours ago, Kanpai Keith said:

Looking good Peter.  I’m also in the U.K. new to Tomix, N scale and pretty much everything to do with building a “proper” model railway.  I’m very much looking forward to seeing how this develops......no pressure 🤣.

Hi

i have done Jaoanese  N scale many moons ago when the guy used to have a unit in Somerset and Sharps of Sheffield held stocks both now closed (18 years?)then  started to get some bits direct from Japan (Rainbow ten) again closed , then a marriage and divorce got in the way of modelling so sold all of my stock to a modeller from Crewe about 9 years ago don’t know if he’s still about he had all my sets (10) the locos freight the  lot, I’ve a new house (to me it’s 130yr old) with 2 large converted spare bedrooms in the loft one of which will be the layout room,,of course the larger one 

[Peter Osborne]

Slight adjustments last night using some of the super elevated curves, I havent used these on the curves nearest the large station as speed will not be that great here. I have a set of the KATO WAMU woodchip vans 18 in total be intersting to see if they are ok on these curves.

[katoftw]

Do not have a S bend using the banked curves. You will get derailments. Always have at least one car length straight between the transition curves.

[Peter Osborne]

I’ve slightly redesigned the plan I’ve eliminated the horseshoe with a more gentle curve curve, I’ve also added a single track diesel line coming out of the station on the right hand side that slowly climbs into a tunnel , inside the tunnel there’s a 3 way switch to accommodate 3 small 2 car  KiHa that shuttle back and fro one at a time. 
I’ve adjusted the track layout at the small commuter station to a double slip and a point to save a little space (14cm).

I don’t know if anyone has seen my other thread regarding large station catenary cross spans , I’m going to have a 6 track 4 platform station and the longest span available was for 2 island platforms and 4 tracks so I’ve had some bespoke 3D printed double cross span masts made that can cover my. P-T-T-P-T-T-P-T-T-P plan using the TOMIX kit and my own central mast.The picture below is how it’s adapted with the TOMIX kit, I’m going to lightly spray all the masts in a primer grey and paint the insulators in white 

Edited March 10, 2021 by Peter Osborne