layout New layout project: Sakuragi no yu sen

[dotzen]

There is more info in this thread...

 

[SL58654号]

 @dotzen  My friend 3D-modeled this plan for me, too.
Interesting, but I think maybe I'd like to COMBINE the best of both track layouts. 

[SL58654号]

Yet another different track layout design I'm considering. I think this is the second to last layout plan I'll consider for an option.
Kindly rendered in 3D once again by Doug Coster in SCARM. The mountains where the tunnel portals lead to did turn out, however. 

[cteno4]

Sl,

 

Your latest plans now have a reversing loop in them. This will require you do do some additional wiring and running controls to deal with this (forgive me if you know all bout this already). Some hate dealing with reversing loop issues.

 

also keep thinking of access to your tunnel areas for derailments and cleaning. Two usual ways are to back the hill up against the side of the layout and have a removable wall, or have the whole hill scenery area lift off to access all the tracks. If you can push the hill up against the side(s) of the layout that’s usually a simpler way to get access and to make the hill keep going and make the tunnel look more reasonable (if hill stops just above the tunnel most rr would have cut a channel or just a big chunk out of the hill).

 

say hi to Doug for me!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[SL58654号]

@cteno4 I see your point. I don't want to deal with that, either, so I think this "modified" No. 35 plan will do. I can run two trains at once and not worry about complications with wiring. I do after all want to make a layout to represent 肥薩線again, and it has all the elements that I want. 

[katoftw]

I see no reversing loop.

 

Just to ovals. One is a dog bone.

 

Just looks like the Kato track plan with an extra full oval around the outside.

[SL58654号]

@katoftw This track designing phase is involving a lot of trial and error, for sure. I'm leaning towards track plan No. 35 thus far.
I'm using the impressions of my fellow JNS followers thus far as a barometer for what will make the bigger impact on people when I publicly exhibit the layout. 

[cteno4]

@katoftw I was referring to the original #35 plan and the derivatives above that had reversing loops. The most recent he removed the reversing loop added the folded dog bone with the outer loop. Easier running plan and 2 trains at once as well.

 

@SL58654号 this feels like a nice compromise, and doesn’t feel like a lot of track either which is important with a small layout or it feels like a spaghetti bowl of track and also not as much room for buildings and scenery as needed. It’s clean.

 

you are right layout planning is such an evolutionary process, some lineages just die out, other improve and gain new, interesting features! But worth the time and thought. Also important to get track and play with concepts at size as things change between screen and printouts and the real models running around and finds those gotchas of trains not liking some designs or you not liking them functionally and/or visually. Also pla yu g with track sometimes brings in new ideas you just don’t tend to see when staring at the screen. It’s a yin/yang thing.

 

another trick I’ve used in the past while working on layout planning is doing printouts of each plan and scribbling notes on each on what I changed and why and what I like and still don’t line about each and keep them in a binder as I work. Becomes a quick way to refer back to old ideas and remember later why something that comes up again just isn’t good. And a nice way to see the evolution and be sure you are improving as you go on as sometimes things can start to go backwards at times.

 

jeff

[SL58654号]

@cteno4 So to avoid confusion, you agree that this might be the best choice thus far? This is No. 35. (modified)
Good thing I'll keep a notepad handy in following your design process advice.

Edited September 18 by SL58654号

[dotzen]

I made lots of changes to my design over a short period of time, all on the PC, then laid the track out on a table to see what it looked like in real life. Do this often, there are many things that you may not catch on the design software, like tracks on inclines next to track on the flat, and how much space there is between them, also how steep any inclines are, particularly on curves as this adds extra resistance. My final design looks very similar to one above, but the real life mock up was an essential part of the process.

[SL58654号]

Now I'd say that THESE represent some real progress for my layout's final plan. It has everything I could want to represent the Hisatsu Line and there's at least some opportunity to place water beneath the bridges, I'm sure. Can run two trains and once and much room for storage. I'm getting excited to make progress, and I'll be making another trip to the hardware store this week to get down to that table.

[cteno4]

This feels good. Folded dogbone gives nice long wandering run, or just do outside loop while fiddling with trains in the main yard. Running 2 trains will require doing some block wiring/control with 2 throttles to run two trains at once like that. if can run with one throttle just using point power routing. You will need to add an insulted joiner on each side of the center points there in the middle station where you have 2 right hand points facing each other (your need to break the common rail of both points to allow power routing to work properly.

 

you could eliminate the two curved points put two tracks up along the back and have 2 loops to run at once if you want. Running 2 trains is nice but on smaller layouts it can be a bit frenetic, but not so bad with smaller trains and steam usually isn’t going like a bullet train! Then can just use point power routing with one throttle for inner folded dogbone and one throttle for the outer loop.

 

block wiring is not hard, just need to put in insulated joiners around blocks and wire power to each block thru a dpdt switches on a control panel diagram to switch each block to one or the other throttle. gives more control,  but requires flipping more switches to reroute power. More wiring as well, not hard just tedious and need to do it cleanly or you have a rats nest of wires. But then you could also put in dpst switches on the control panel to control the points with simple bcd capacitor discharge.

 

jeff

[SL58654号]

@cteno4 All in good timing to tackle that wiring. Test-laying the track is still a little way down the line. I'm glad that you're satisfied with its appearance. Because I hope to exhibit this layout at whatever public opportunity, using point power routing, like I do with my temporary table layouts at home, I'd like to often let two trains run simultaneously to be more engaging. (58654 and a JR Kyushu DE10, anyone?) With other rolling stock left on sidings and one locomotive sitting on the turntable lazing around. (Get it?) 

[cteno4]

If you want to run 2 trains at once you will need to put in double tracks there in the back so you can have 2 loops. You can run these then with one transformer for inner folded dogbone and outer loop. You can run each with point routing then.

 

jeff

[SL58654号]

Well, gentlemen, this plot thickens...literally! I had come home last time with just the baseboard and foam for the track, now today I had arrived home, thanks to my former roommate, with the major supplies for the whole table (sides, legs, side strecthers) itself. Now the plan I have is to plan the wood (Japanese cedar wood) and finely sand it till I'm ready to assemble it, probably with nuts and bolts that I'll purchase during a return trip later. I fortunately kept the excess wood that was cut off to practice using the hand planer with. I want to make this as finely smooth as possible before I put the clear lacquer coat on after its ready to be stood up.
Then, the track laying and scenery planning begins! 

Now my plan is to get this layout built and working by December, when the next 肥薩線again exhibition should be! 😄

[SL58654号]

Slightly altered earthworks eliminating the need for curved viaduct sections. I'd much prefer to sculpt as natural-looking contours as possible for the gradients and mountains out of foam from the hardware store. Courtesy of Doug Coster.