Any fundamental flaws in this layout?

[Hayashi]

After a few years of near silence from me on the forum and changes in space allocation, I am laying out a new plan. My initial intention is to use a 4'x8' table from Uline. It is on wheels (supports 500 lbs), so I can access either side when operating, but place back against a wall not working on it. I will have one main power cord for the wall outlet with a outlet strip fastened to the underside of the table. I will only be operating two Shinkansens or Commuter EMUs on the viaduct track while also operating one freight loco on the "ground level" track. I'll have two separate power supplies for lights and turnouts.

 

Do any of you insightful forum members see any fundamental flaws in this design. I'll have a mountain/tunnels on the right side to have some visual interest. I will use layers of whatever type of foam or homasote you all recommended to build up a 2"-3" for ground level (I need to do some excavating under the freight track for some small water features and a road under the 3x plate bridge. I wanted two yards (one for shunting at the bottom; some industrial factories at the top yards) for operational interest.

 

I'll use block control rather than DCC since I don't expect to get into multi-loco operation. The colored sections identify the blocks.

 

Any comments and criticisms are welcomed. Suggestions on the best base foam is also welcomed. And, any suggestions on the best and cheapest power supplies for lights and turnouts?

 

[cteno4]

Hayashi,

 

welcome back!

 

one idea is to try twisting the viaduct loop like 5 degrees off the lower layout. We did this on our early club layouts and it helped get rid of the multiple loop feeling and break things up a bit visually. It was one of those things that on plan view didn’t look good but really looked good where we set up track.

 

for points you just need 12v to fire them. You might check out the BCD capacitor discharge circuit to fire your points. It’s super simple with just a capacitor and a spdt switch which will show point position on a control panel diagram if you want. Just uses a 12v wall wart transformer.

 

for lighting you can use a 5 or 12v wall wort transformer or an led power supply. I generally use 5v as they are so ubiquitous now and only waste a small fraction of the power with the limiting resistor, with 12v you dump 3/4 of the power in the resistor and only 1/4 to the led light. 12v fits many leds prewired with resistor for 12v. You can also wire 3 leds in series with a resistor with 12v if you want the same brightness on three leds like on a platform. I also alway wire in a variable resistor in series with the limiting resistor (value to protect at full voltage) that then can dim the led to the right brightness needed in each situation. Ruling leds at full blast are really bright suns and can even bleed through walls. Using more, dimmed leds gives a much better lighting effect. Leds are dirt cheap now as variable resistors are as well.

 

glad you are getting started again.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[Hayashi]

Thanks Jeff. I like the twisting idea for the viaduct line. I never really liked loops, but having superelevated double track became the dimension requirement for a table that was still manageable. Tweaking the angle a bit would certainly mess with anyone with OCD.

 

Thanks also for the electrical info and the link to the George's BCD info. Sounds like he was a fabulous guy.

[cteno4]

Hayashi,

 

LOL no one ever complained or tried to straighten the viaduct on us! We have ocd folks at every show that try to straighten up one of the Ttrak modules with an evangelon battle going on and cars strewn all over. Every show at one point we look over and someone is moving the vehicles or they are magically all right side up and in a neat line on the road!
 

It’s funny like I mentioned it was one of those things that in plan view looked odd but when we tried it physically it really helped. Our viaduct also had larger ends at both ends so it wasn’t just a plain loop and it even made that look better (we bumped the ends out to try to break the viaduct oval some). Just gives a more complex look to things and stops everything from being parallel which then gets rid of some of the focus on circles. Our early layouts were real spaghetti bowls of track, but lots of fun.

 

yes George was a very good egg. Bcd is such a sweet little circuit and gives the perfect pulse to points for the most reliable switching. Kato and Tomix controllers work on a physical spring snap action to give momentary contact that can be very variable over time. Also nice if you want to do the classic diagram control panel to see paths better than trying to remember where point 8 is and should it be straight or divergent!

 

keep us posted on your project! Always fun to watch a layout evolve and we all learn bits by watching.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[Hayashi]

Those are same people that were never taught by their parents to keep their hands in their pockets when visiting a store. I don't understand why so many people need to touch everything. Based on the touching syndrome I'm surprised more people don't pick up things and put them in their mouths like they did when they were babies. I'm having visions of layout visitors walking around sucking on EMUs.

[cteno4]

Hayashi,

 

on the straightening of the cars I think that is just a total compulsion taking over and very hard for those folks to overcome (I have a friend with ocd and she struggles daily trying to balance her peace of mind and not causing social issues, it’s really hard for her). Does no damage and just a little snicker when it happens to that module.

 

Actually over all at shows folks are pretty good. We put the modules right out at the edge of tables so it’s right at their noses and soooo much temptation. Almost all kids will stop with one gentle “please don’t touch” but a few just can’t not and parents have to step in. Many adults are touchers some and they don’t usually react as well as kids do when we gently say “please don’t touch”, gotten a few dirty looks from adults who were touching.

 

but all and all, given the temptation (these are all really nice toys all over) folks are good.

 

doing public shows does take a bit of zen as things will get touched and every once and a while something small broken. But we actually have more bits broken in transport and moving stuff in and out of boxes than visitors ever do so it’s not a big issue at all.

 

jeff