Big Fat Al's first (ambitious) project

[Fat Al]

Right, so I've finally settled on my underfloor layout.

 

 

I'm off to Japan later this month to go buy the parts, and I'm going to run it off the floor first to test it out.

 

(L=140mm)  half straight x6

(L=280mm)  standard straight x20

(L=72.5mm [70mm+15°])  diagonal straight x4

(45° R=280mm)  curve x10

(45° R=317mm)  curve x8

(15° R=541mm)  curve for turnout x6

(L=140mm 15° R=541mm)  right turnout, remote x4

(L=140mm 15° R=541mm)  left turnout, remote x2

(L=280mm)  double crossover, remote x1

(L=35+40mm)  bumper, concrete x2

 

Did the layout and the list off railmodeller. It's all Tomix Finetrack, and I'm going to run it all on Tomix DC at the moment.

 

Just a couple of questions before I go shopping:

 

a) What kind of turnout switches and how many would I need for this layout?

b) Any Tomix sets I can buy that will cover some of these so I don't have to buy all the pieces individually?

 

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Mudkip Orange]

Assuming you go with the little Tomix boxes, each turnout needs a seperate box, except for the double crossover, which needs two. Both Tomix and Kato switch boxes come with little "covers" that you can slip over the top of two parallel switch-boxes to in effect create a DPDT switch.

[disturbman]

To answer your b:

 

- One of this: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10033391, for the double slip over and the biggest curves.

- Three boxes of this: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10072756, for the passings and the small yard.

- Then one of the starter set SD (there is many version http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10088780, one with a Yamanote train, another with a Chuo train another with a Blue Train and one with a 800 Series) or EX (http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10075530 or http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10075525). If you take one of the EX you will need only two boxes of the passing set.

 

Then I'll let you count what you are missing. 

[CaptOblivious]

Tomix makes a couple of different kinds of switch boxes (part nos. escape me just now). One controls one turnout; another controls two (for passing sidings and double-crossovers). So you will need, I think, two of the singletons, and three of the double boxes.

 

The passing siding sets contain two turnouts (one left and one right), and one each of the single and double switch boxes, incidentally.

[David]

Tomix makes a couple of different kinds of switch boxes (part nos. escape me just now). One controls one turnout; another controls two (for passing sidings and double-crossovers). So you will need, I think, two of the singletons, and three of the double boxes.

 

The passing siding sets contain two turnouts (one left and one right), and one each of the single and double switch boxes, incidentally.

 

The single is Tomix 5531, the double (for cross over and passing siding) is Tomix 5532. The others are 5535 which connects to the track instead of a switch (and requires a power input). The 5535 switch is used to reverse polarity (for reversing sections). The 5533 controller is also for track power but has many inputs and outputs - it's basically Tomix's idea of a block control system.

[Fat Al]

Thanks guys! I'm in London right now for work, it's been quite hectic for the last week or so for me.

 

Anyway, I'm hoping I can make it to Japan on the 19th, hopefully I can score some parts when I get there.

 

Just another question though. I am hoping I can perhaps use extruded foam for my layout. But would it be prudent to lay out a thin piece of it as a base for the layout on top of the wooden platform? Or just use it to build the hills?

 

Thanks!

[Fat Al]

Oh, and here's another one I put together just a few days ago. I wanted to add a section of the track (on behest of my fiancee) which is raised like a viaduct section. So I chose to make it like this, with perhaps the approach to the viaduct section built out of foam terrain.

 

 

Unfortunately, I'm rather constrained in height and space by the underfloor design (in fact, I'm getting a rather large headache as to how I'm going to place the controllers and where I can do that from the layout, feeding the wires and the control units to my couch).

[Bernard]

Thanks guys! I'm in London right now for work, it's been quite hectic for the last week or so for me.

 

Anyway, I'm hoping I can make it to Japan on the 19th, hopefully I can score some parts when I get there.

 

Just another question though. I am hoping I can perhaps use extruded foam for my layout. But would it be prudent to lay out a thin piece of it as a base for the layout on top of the wooden platform? Or just use it to build the hills?

 

Thanks!

 

Al, I'm a big supporter of using extruded foam board on layouts placed on top of a wooden platform. The foam gives you so many options that you might not have thought of adding to your layout but once it's there you can carve away. (lakes, ponds, hills, any other terrain.) Here is a link to my layout and how I used foam board:

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,14.0.html

 

As for the controllers, they don't necessarily have to go on the layout, they can be an attachment to it by adding a piece of wood that they can be mounted on in front of your bench work.

[Fat Al]

Wow, your layout is amazing Bernard! I'm actually looking at doing something similar to what you have, but I'll be more inclined to do a village scape more than anything at this moment.

 

In terms of controllers, I'm having a headache, because the layout will be under the floor, but I want to have control over it on my couch. Since I'm not going the digital route for my first layout, I'll have to find a way to make it all work with extension cables possibly.

 

Anyway, still working out the details with the renovator, but I know for certain now that the hole will be 2m x 1.2m.

[CaptOblivious]

My layout Shogatsu is free-floating extruded foam. I used 3" foam, and it's quite rigid. I can carry it around the house; I cut it into piece small enough that I can take it own to the basement to store it. When I run it, I just set the sections on my desk.

 

http://akihabara.artificial-science.org/tag/shogatsu/

[KenS]

From what I've read, foam that's at least 2 inches thick is strong enough to support itself, but if you use thinner foam you need some kind of support under it. I use 3/4 inch foam atop a 1/2 inch plywood base for my layout's lowest level, with additional foam layers above that where I want elevations.

 

For the remote controller, long wires shouldn't be a problem, although it's a good idea to use thicker ones than usual, as you'll lose power in long runs of the thin wire normally used to connect a power pack to the track.  For example, Kato power pack wires are 24 AWG, which will lose a half an amp in 10', or about one-third to half the output of a typical power pack. Using 18 AWG wire will only lose a tenth of an amp in 10 feet. (power loss numbers per this site)

[Fat Al]

Right, so I'm in Akihabara right now (staying in Remm Akihabara, highly recommended, as the hotel is right on top of the Central Exit here in Akihabara). I've done a couple of rounds at stores already, and I'm mesmerized by the amount of stuff that's available. This is simply amazing!

 

I've always been to Akihabara to buy R/C model items, toys, and electronics. But now that I look at all the train stuff, it's like I've got a new lease on life here.

 

Anyway, I've noticed that I can get extension cables for all the Tomix controllers and switches. But if what you're saying is true Ken, am I better off just to redo all the wiring by myself? Or are the extension cables good enough? I'm looking at this point possibly between 4 to 6 feet between the layout and the controller modules. As far as I can tell, it seems unprecedented to have DC controllers so far away from the layout. But I hope I'm wrong.

 

And I'm liking the 2 inch think foam idea. I'm just worried about whether or not I can make perfectly graded beds for my tracks, especially on the sections where I have to make inclines and declines. I'm probably worrying a bit too much.

 

Wish me luck, I think I'm burning a big hole in my pocket for this trip, it seems. Especially after looking at that video camera system that Tomix has...

[KenS]

It's hard to be certain. I've run trains with one lenth of Kato extensions (about 5 feet total) with no noticible loss, and a modern engine probably draws much less than one amp (especially if you have either unlighted passenger cars or ones lit with LEDs), so you've got a large safety margin in a power pack that outputs 1 - 1.5 amps. I also don't know what size wire Tomix uses; if it's thicker you wouldn't lose as much (24 AWG is roughly 0.511mm or 0.205 mm², but I don't know if/how wires are marked in Japan; the Kato ones I buy in the U.S. are marked with a Japanese manufacturer name but in AWG).

 

On the other hand, getting from an upright seated position to an under-floor layout seems like more than 5 feet to me.

 

I suspect you could use standard wires if you're not planning to double-head or run long trains with bulb lighting, and probably not notice the loss.  But there's a bit of uncertainty, at least in my mind.