New micro layout that also fits into an IKEA Billy bookcase

[MeTheSwede]

Having "almost finished" my first 26 x 75cm N-scale layout that is measured to fit a shelf in an IKEA Billy, I've already for some time been planing for another layout, or should I say module, as it will be built to fit together with my first one, extending the line that goes to the harbour. I thought I should let you in on the plannig process.

 

This time I'm putting less restrictions on the layout design by not putting in a loop. I want trains to pass through the layout, not around it. It's going to be a crowded urban landscape with some street running, a station with a meeting track and a couple of abandoned freight spurs. This way I can have both a plausable contemporary scene with some light rail or trams, and I can be a bit playful when I want to and operate the layout as a switching puzzle deivering freight cars to the abandoned spurs using the meeting track as a run around.

 

 

My planning process consists of drawing the size of the layout on a couple of A3 papers and then trying out possible track geometry and placement of streets and buildings.

 

 

This was the first iteration that I thought worthy of taking a photo of so that I could set it up again later for further tinkering. My very first versions had a longer street running section and a straight station area. I decided that an angled station area would produce more visual interest than having the track go straight. To the left of the station area you can see where I planned to have a level crossing. Some empty plots can be seen in this photo. I was planning to add more buildings later.

 

 

 

A view of the street running section. All the time I'm moving buildings around, trying to find visually interesting viewing angles.

 

 

 

Sometimes just leaving a small gap between two buildings can create something interesting.

 

Sorry about my very grainy photos taken in bad lighting. I wasn't planing to show them for anyone when I took them.

 

 

 

On this photo from another planning session, I'm working on trying to break up the street grid by having the crossing street winding across the layout. Something else I'm experiementing with here is putting a single storey building at a strategic location to make the street intersection more visible.

 

 

 

An aerial view of this version. Streets go parallell with both long edges of the layout "off the layout" so to say. Maybe a lane will be modelled, or just the sidewalks.

 

 

 

This scene with the train leaving the station looked promising, but there's not much room for station platforms.

 

 

 

Another attempt at getting a winding street. The problem is that getting buildings to fit reasonably with a winding street is tricky to say the least. I don't mind scratchbuilding a couple of houses for weirdly shaped plots, but I don't want to end up having to scratch building nearly everything.

 

 

 

 

An aerial view of another version with buildings almost falling of the layout in the lower left corner. The upper right corner with trains disappearing in between buildings looked promising.

 

The next update will feature what I think is the final track configuration.

 

 

[Junech]

Looks like it will be a really nice addition to your current layout.

 

One thought that came to my mind regarding the windy street. Instead of the normal street, you could opt for an intersection like Enoshima Electric Railway has. (Google Maps).

 

If you don't want to put the platform between the tracks and gain a bit more space for them on the outside you could change the track like this (bottom one is the new option):

 

Whatever you choose I'm looking forward to the building process.

 

Junech

[MeTheSwede]

Thanks for your input Junech.

I found that the missing piece was Y-turnouts. In hindsight I wonder why I didn't use them from the start or at least earlier in the design process as I've spent quite a few sessions tinkering with stuff.

 

 

Now I've got a symmetrical station with room for platforms on both sides. The train garage also makes for a more realistic looking layout in my opinion. It does however block a lot of the view as seen from the topside of this photo making the natural side to sit when operating the layout being from the lower side of the picture.

 

 

The street running section got a bit shorter, but still gives pretty much the same impression as originally, despite new track and all new buildings. Here, 103mm curves were purged and 140mm curves were installed again.

 

Buildings got moved around again as I found I had somehow placed the track wrong, not lining it up with my existing layout.

 

 

 

Time to put some paint on the wide tram pieces. Mixing the same colour as on the existing layout was tricky and I ended up doing a lot of coats.

 

 

Here the track is positioned in the correct place. At this point I experimented with some shunting puzzling and it proved great for that.

 

 

 

Connected to the existing layout.

 

 

Experimenting with a very narrow street. The building in the middle of the shot blocks too much, and will have to go.

 

[katoftw]

You've done so much with such a small space. Looks great.

[MeTheSwede]

On 9/18/2024 at 12:12 AM, katoftw said:

You've done so much with such a small space. Looks great.

 

I really like those dense urban areas in Japan that are characterised by tiny land plots built up with family homes and small business. They make for great walkable neighbourhoods packed with visual interest and the diminutive scale of everything makes that type of environment very suitable to modell in a small footprint layout.

 

 

Time to move away from paper and create the base for the layout.

 

 

Here I'm simly using the track as a template for cutting the foamboard.

 

 

 

The bottom layer is 5mm foamboard which I have painted brown for some reason. The Tomix widetram track is 6mm thick, so I'm putting a 1mm foamboard as a middle layer (seen here on top) and then another 5 mm foamboard (seen under the 1mm one) on top of that. Some white woodglue makes everything stick together.

 

 

 

Checking that everything fits together.

 

 

 

Here is after I've dealth with the still unpainted track pieces and I'm trying out where to put up catenary poles. Finding good places for the poles is a bit tricky.

 

As you can see, some houses are still moving around, although in other places it seems like buildings are starting to settle into place.

 

 

 

In order to be able to view buildings properly (other than from above) space without buildings are also needed. I've got some ideas for this space and I might end up tackling it early on, although who knows, my ideas might change completely.

 

 

 

Some rather shabby looking trees that have been around for a long time help out with giving me an idea of where I want greenery and how much of it. The amount of green space on this layout will be very limited.