Micro tram layout with 103mm curves in a 57cm x 32cm space

[eldomtom2]

I've designed this layout for a 57cm x 32cm space. It uses Tomix track. Is there anything I've failed to consider, e.g. power feeds? What do you think of the operating potential?

Also, what rolling stock can run on 103mm curves?

[bill937ca]

Most Tomytec trams will run on R103. The exception mainly are the European articulated trams.  Most of the new Kato trams will do R103 also. Generally the mnimum for Modermo is R140.

[Junech]

Tomix has a list of which trains can run the 103mm and 140mm radius on their website and it is supposed to be marked on their boxes as well. 103mm goes under Super Mini Curve and has a S in a circle (the first 3 links on the website) and 140mm has the name Mini Curve with a M in the circle (all the other links on the side).

[Cat]

B-Train, and other, Shorties do fine.

[MeTheSwede]

3 hours ago, eldomtom2 said:

I've designed this layout for a 57cm x 32cm space. It uses Tomix track. Is there anything I've failed to consider, e.g. power feeds? What do you think of the operating potential?

Also, what rolling stock can run on 103mm curves?

 

I've been running some Kato pocket line, Tomytec Nostalgic Train Collection, Tomix 2-axeled freight cars, the very shortest Kato 2-axeled freight cars, a Tomytec tram and an Arakawa Line light rail train from Modemo on 103mm curves, so there's actually quite a bit to chose from. Product descriptions are often too conservative when listing a minimum curve radius (if they do at all) so it can be tricky to know until you've tried.

 

 

The power feed goes into the top right corner of the layout and then you're ready to go.

 

As for operations, well what do you want to do on the layout? You wrote tram in thread title, but the track plan doesn't look very tram-like. Also tram operations aren't terrible interesting as operations, it's mostly just stop and start, stop and start and thus the track geometry isn't that important.

 

If on the other hand you want to do some locomotive hauled operations, you don't want to couple and uncouple cars on 103mm curves. In that case you should aim to make your sidings straight. I very quickly drew a couple of lines on your track diagram to show a suitable start for a siding or even a small yard to be placed if you are so inclined.

 

 

 

If you want to I could share other thoughts I have, depending on what your goals are with the layout.

 

 

[eldomtom2]

38 minutes ago, MeTheSwede said:

The power feed goes into the top right corner of the layout and then you're ready to go.

How is Tomix track fed with power? Is there a special track piece, or can any piece be used?

Quote

As for operations, well what do you want to do on the layout? You wrote tram in thread title, but the track plan doesn't look very tram-like. Also tram operations aren't terrible interesting as operations, it's mostly just stop and start, stop and start and thus the track geometry isn't that important.

I was thinking of a sort of loose not-too-concerned-with-realism setting where it could either be a heavy rail line or a tram line running off the street depending on the stock.

[bill937ca]

In 103mm you can get Tomix stock rail or Tomix Wide Tram track.

[eldomtom2]

42 minutes ago, bill937ca said:

In 103mm you can get Tomix stock rail or Tomix Wide Tram track.

I know - the problem with tram track is it takes up more space, so I'm not using it.

[bill937ca]

You could try to do a Japanese interurban. Trouble is most of those models were Modermo and there trams don't do R103. You could add a small carhouse at one of the stations.

 

Something like the Nogami Electric Railway    

 

 

 

Edited August 13 by bill937ca

[Cat]

Bandai released Nogami too. =^,^=
https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11052302
 
Alas, not currently any showing at Yahoo Auction or Mandarake, so that particular line would be a job for saved searches for 野上電鉄

[bill937ca]

7 minutes ago, Cat said:

Bandai released Nogami too. =^,^=
 

Its Amagi Modeling Idea that made it.

[Cat]

Ah, so it is, didn't double check that my searching pulled up an actual B-Train, whoops.

[MeTheSwede]

21 hours ago, eldomtom2 said:

How is Tomix track fed with power? Is there a special track piece, or can any piece be used?

I was thinking of a sort of loose not-too-concerned-with-realism setting where it could either be a heavy rail line or a tram line running off the street depending on the stock.

 

The Tomix track feeder slips into any track piece except turnouts or super short straight pieces. A 103mm curve is used as an example below. (Track piece painted by me.)

 

 

 

I just remembered, as for rolling stock that might interest you, in April Tomytec released this 103mm radius friendly train https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11035428 (also available in blue livery) only a couple of weeks after I traveled on it in Tokyo.

 

 

I played around a bit in Anyrail drawing a track plan on 57 x 32cm with the goal of doing a micro layout for tram/light rail and playing with short freight cars. I came out with this:

 

 

 

By making the loop slightly smaller I created space outside of the loop on two sides of the layout. That means the train will be able to pass through scenery rather than just go round it, which will usually make for more visually interesting scenery. At the top side I imagine street running and I migh even be able to squeeze in a row of narrow buildings on the outside of the track, allowing for the trains to pass between buildings which should make for cool scenes. On the right side there's a little bit of some space to the right of the track. This again means the trains could pass through scenery at least to some extent. There should also be just enough room there to put in a hill with a tunnel through if I want to camouflage the loop bit and maybe at times forget about the right side of the loop and pretend it's a point to point layout going from the station area to the outside world.

 

The turnout on the top right corner is a connection to the outside world. This serves several purposes. It can be used to connect the layout some other layout in the future, or to a nonpermanent layout set up, or to a "fiddle yard" i.e. piece of track that serves as an off layout destination for trains. So in the case of a fiddle yard, I'd pick up the layout from it's normal resting place, bring it to the kitchen table or wherever, attach a few track pieces on the top right. Park a freight train on those, drive the train onto the layout, continue to the run around section (station) deliver up to four rail cars to their correct positions on the sidings, but hey, there are already four cars there waiting to be picked up, so those have to get out of the way first, and then maybe those four should be positioned in a certain order in the departing train, so they need to be sorted and the locomotive have to end up to the left of those four cars before departure and it all turned out to be quite a puzzle to solve before I can drive the newly assembled train around the layout and out to the fiddle yard, where maybe I switch it out for some passenger services.

 

I want to point out that I did NOT present this track plan because it's better than yours (that's totally subjective) nor because it's the best I could come up with (it certainly isn't). A point I would like to make here is, that we to a large extent used pretty much the same track pieces. With six turnouts, enough curves to make a loop, a few straight pieces of various short lenghts and some spare 103mm and 140mm curves, it's possible to build A LOT of different layouts in this space.

 

I wouldn't want to decide on a track plan before I had played around with some track, tested different designs in real life, plopped down a few buildings to see what looks good, driven some trains to see what's fun, what works well and what not so much, i.e. find out what I like. So I would recommend, don't decide on a track plan in advance and buy the absolute minimum of track required to build it, buy a little extra. When it arrives, try several solutions and see what you like best. If you settle on a permanent layout, some track gets leftover, but you had fun playing with it trying things out so it wasn't a wasted investment and quite possibly you will have use for it some time for a future project anyway.

 

 

Just in case you haven't seen it, my 26x75cm layout thread my provide some inspiration:

https://jnsforum.com/community/topic/19987-building-a-26-x-75-cm-n-scale-layout-for-ikea-billy/page/2/

For the past few weeks I've been in the planning stage for my next layout, or should I say module, to connect to it. The next one will have potential for some more switching and will also fit more buildings than my first one. Needless to say, it has gone through a lot of iterations on the way and has seen plenty of rolling stock and buildings on it's different planning iterations.

 

 

[eldomtom2]

19 minutes ago, MeTheSwede said:

I wouldn't want to decide on a track plan before I had played around with some track, tested different designs in real life, plopped down a few buildings to see what looks good, driven some trains to see what's fun, what works well and what not so much, i.e. find out what I like. So I would recommend, don't decide on a track plan in advance and buy the absolute minimum of track required to build it, buy a little extra. When it arrives, try several solutions and see what you like best. If you settle on a permanent layout, some track gets leftover, but you had fun playing with it trying things out so it wasn't a wasted investment and quite possibly you will have use for it some time for a future project anyway.

Yes, I have to agree with this and plan on doing exactly that - your plan looks very interesting and I shall have to try it out.

[MeTheSwede]

On 8/13/2024 at 10:29 PM, eldomtom2 said:

Yes, I have to agree with this and plan on doing exactly that - your plan looks very interesting and I shall have to try it out.

 

It would be interesting to follow your progress once you are up and running.

[eldomtom2]

Everything having finally arrived, here's a quick setup in the suitcase where I plan to build the layout:

I have a few questions:

• What are the small pieces with two sleepers that are attached by sprues to the points? Can they be safely removed?
• I plan to put the layout on a board so I can take it out and attach it to temporary track. What's the best way of dealing with minor elevation with Tomix track?
• I'm planning on possibly including a street running section. How does the Tomix Wide Tram system handle points?

Edited September 4 by eldomtom2

[bill937ca]

Easiest street running would have no turnouts. Turnouts are done in kit form that pre-dates the street track sets and are limited to passing loops.

 

The little pieces are bases for manual switch throws. Not relevant to most tram layouts. But if it is a off street line they might be relevant, although most tram lines would probably have electric switches controlled by radio due to the frequency of operation.

[eldomtom2]

14 hours ago, bill937ca said:

The little pieces are bases for manual switch throws.

Is the intent that you snip them off and place them where appropriate?

[MeTheSwede]

Nice plan!

Some aspects of it looks familiar. 😊

 

Quote

What are the small pieces with two sleepers that are attached by sprues to the points? Can they be safely removed?

 

You bend the pieces off. The black "point motors" goes into the holes on the top. Then the two plugs on the pieces fit into two small holes on the side of the point. Optional to use of course.

 

Quote

I plan to put the layout on a board so I can take it out and attach it to temporary track. What's the best way of dealing with minor elevation with Tomix track?

 

 

I don't quite understand what you are asking about here.

 

Quote

I'm planning on possibly including a street running section. How does the Tomix Wide Tram system handle points?

 

This product exists https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10104805 which has the bits to (barely) cover up points. As you can see from one of the images for the product, a lot of holes will remain in the road (due to moving parts which can't be covered over). My recomendation is to keep points away from street running sections.

 

 

[eldomtom2]

1 hour ago, MeTheSwede said:

I don't quite understand what you are asking about here.

If I have track on a board on a table, what's the best way of connecting that track with track laid directly on the table?

[MeTheSwede]

48 minutes ago, eldomtom2 said:

If I have track on a board on a table, what's the best way of connecting that track with track laid directly on the table?

 

Ah!

 

Well, you can just use whatever you've got at hand to put under the track as support. Books, magazines, scrap cardboard or whatever, to make all track level or make a ramp of some kind up to the layout.

 

I build my microlayouts on 5mm foamboard, so I just put some other pieces of 5mm foamboard under the track on the table to keep all the track level.

 

If you build on a thick base, I imagine building some kind of permantent ramp could be useful, or a Tomix inclines set could be used.

[bill937ca]

You could always use a cork bulletin board.

[cteno4]

You can bend sectional track vertically to make vertical easements (so you don’t get kinks in the top and bottom rail joints on a sloped ramp/elevation) by using a razor saw and sawing from the bottom of the road bed vertically down until it almost gets to the track base. Do this every like 4 or 5mm along a section of track then you can slowly and carefully bend the track vertically to make it slightly curve up/down vertically to allow the track to then slope up or down vertically. Doing this over longer areas makes a gentler transition. This really helps with rapido coupler as they hate abrupt track slope changes and will uncouple, easily. Some trains can derail as well on abrupt slope changes due to the trucks and wheels not being very vertically flexible. One of our club members loved to set up large Unitrak setups with lots of heavy grades and had many issues with level to grade transitions and I made him some vertical easement tracks like this and it solved these problems.

 

jeff

[eldomtom2]

1 hour ago, bill937ca said:

You could always use a cork bulletin board.

Under what? The temporary track?

[bill937ca]

As a layout base. I have done that several times.

 

The picture below was probably 24 x 18. But I didn't keep good notes in Flickr. It might be 36 x 24. For that you are probably going to Staples.

 

This was 24 x 18.

 

 

With buildings.

 

 

This is a 36 x 24 Unitram layout.

 

Edited September 5 by bill937ca