Damn, I need to design a layout.

[Mudkip Orange]

Post your givens and druthers, I need some constraints/overriding design objective to work with.

[David]

Um, what kind of space are we talking about?

Is it a permanent layout or a portable display(show) layout?

What are you planning on running: old-tyme steam, short DMUs, full size commuter trains?

What kind of operation do you want?

[KenS]

Post your givens and druthers, I need some constraints/overriding design objective to work with.

 

I've noticed that a number of the threads you've started in Prototypes have involved non-JR urban trains, so I'll take that as a starting point (besides, I like urban trains, so that's what I know best).

 

Givens:

Urban scenery (buildings, roads)

Multi-track (at least two) mainline

Passenger station

Grade crossing

Tunnel and/or elevated tracks

Ability to run multiple sequential trains (linear with storage at each end or tail-chaser)

Scenic element that sets the geographic "place" (as general as "japan" or a specific landmark/building/etc)

 

Druthers:

At least two passenger stations

Multiple platforms or non-platform through tracks (allowing expresses to pass locals)

A station where it meets another line (grade separated or parallel; the second line could be a dummy section of track)

Engine or car service facility (to add some variation to the usual "track through a station" look)

Or, alternatively, adjacent/connected freight yard (such as JRE Tsurumi line, particularly Ōgimachi Station)

A bridge (deck girder over road or truss over water)

 

And "urban" doesn't have to mean six-car (or ten-car) trains; many urban lines, particularly non-JR, run 2-3 car trains.

[Mudkip Orange]

huge list

 

Awesome. Now I just need some sort of space constraint to design around (i.e. the spare bedroom at your mom's house, etc)

[KenS]

A bookshelf. 

 

Seriously, as I was writing the list I kept thinking of British-style linear switching layouts, which are often little more than a station platform, a pair of main tracks, some sidings, and a few staging tracks at one or both ends.  You could do something fairly interesting in about eight feet if you pick a place/era where you can use more than just commuter EMU/DMU stock (e.g., mixing some freight, or locomotive/coach stock).

[CaptOblivious]

Seconded on the bookshelf. Something from Ikea, nothing fancy or that requires carpentry skills. I'd like to see some ideas for my future around-the-room-on-bookshelves-urban-commuter-layout that I keep dreaming about ;)

[robrodgers2000]

Post your givens and druthers, I need some constraints/overriding design objective to work with.

 

I've noticed that a number of the threads you've started in Prototypes have involved non-JR urban trains, so I'll take that as a starting point (besides, I like urban trains, so that's what I know best).

 

Givens:

Urban scenery (buildings, roads)

Multi-track (at least two) mainline

Passenger station

Grade crossing

Tunnel and/or elevated tracks

Ability to run multiple sequential trains (linear with storage at each end or tail-chaser)

Scenic element that sets the geographic "place" (as general as "japan" or a specific landmark/building/etc)

 

Druthers:

At least two passenger stations

Multiple platforms or non-platform through tracks (allowing expresses to pass locals)

A station where it meets another line (grade separated or parallel; the second line could be a dummy section of track)

Engine or car service facility (to add some variation to the usual "track through a station" look)

Or, alternatively, adjacent/connected freight yard (such as JRE Tsurumi line, particularly Ōgimachi Station)

A bridge (deck girder over road or truss over water)

 

And "urban" doesn't have to mean six-car (or ten-car) trains; many urban lines, particularly non-JR, run 2-3 car trains.

 

Not to hijack the thread, but I am thinking of something very similar.  Do you think I could get it in to a 4'x6' space?  I'd like to have a mainline that could have a shinkansen or a through freight pass through, with a couple of local lines running around as well.

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[KenS]

I'd like to see some ideas for my future around-the-room-on-bookshelves-urban-commuter-layout that I keep dreaming about ;)

 

I always seem to click "like" when I mean to click "quote".

 

Anyway, I think the thing you'd gain with a long run is the chance to have several stations, with fairly long runs between them, and trains following each other.  That would allow for multiple operators, overtaking, and generally complex operation.  Having the line branch (mimicing the "multiple suburban lines coming together as you get close to the city core" arragement of urban tracks) would also add some interesting complexity (you could have the second line go into a hidden dead-end storage track behind a building).

 

Do you think I could get it in to a 4'x6' space?  I'd like to have a mainline that could have a shinkansen or a through freight pass through, with a couple of local lines running around as well.

 

Thatt's a pretty tight space, and you'd need to compromise on train length. My first Japanese layout was about 3x9 feet, with a double-track loop and an inner yard and single-track half loop "freight branch" connected to the loop.  I was limited to six-car trains, but I could have done longer ones (8 or so) if I omitted the switches for passing sidings. With 4 feet of width you have more room to do something like a pretzel, but that 6-foot length is going to be very limiting in terms of room for platforms and switches, and you'd probably be limited to about four-car trains.

 

You could do an elevated shinkansen loop disconnected and slightly offset from a ground-level commuter loop and freight branch, and four-car commuter trains aren't unrealistic. But the shinkansen wouldn't have any more room for a station, and a four-car shinkansen might look a bit odd. Of course if you just want the shinkansen to run in circles you could omit the station and then a longer (6-8 cars) shinkansen wouldn't look unreasonably long.

[KenS]

I got inspired to draw a track plan:  This is a 1-foot by 12-foot shelf layout using Unitrack for an urban three-car line with a branch junction and a freight yard.  I marked the four-foot divisions with vertical black lines, and kept switches and other things away from them, so it could be built as three sections for moves. You could also make it in two 6-foot sections as the center is also clear of such things. Gridlines are 10cm.

 

It's a bit "busy" in terms of track (you could omit the switching lead, for example, as it's really not needed with a two-track yard). I used road bridges at the two ends as scenic dividers (the staging tracks at the far left are presumed "hidden"), and placed one road for a grade crossing before the beginning of the yard, although it's not long enough to use the Unitrack "grade crossing" (which seems to be out of production anyway).  The staging tracks could also be replaced with a traverser or pivoting fiddle yard, but that's a bit more sophisticated. Also note that I ran out of room for an end-of-track bumper on the front staging track.

 

The branch line ducks behind a building or other scenic distraction, and then runs behind a backdrop over to the staging area, allowing you to swap trains (by hand) if you want to. You can either place the connection close to the station, or more distant, I've shown both versions.

 

All switches are #6 except the ones connecting the two parallel mains, which are #4 (and the #4 crossover is intended just for freight use to run around cars during switching). This could limit the cars used on the second line, and if you wanted to eliminate the bridge and the double-crossover, you could use #6 switches and put the tracks further apart. You could also tighten things up a bit in the yard by using #4's there, if you were comfortable with them for the locomotives and cars you'd be using.

 

I placed the power-feed tracks assuming you'd use two power-packs with an A/Off/B (DPDT) switch for each feed, and took advantage of turnout power routing in a few places, but the different color of track represent where you could wire up separate power packs (up to four) without using a switch if you wanted to go the "simpler wiring but more expensive" route. This isn't perfect, just a first-approximation, and I suspect I'd make changes if I built it (I don't plan to; I have enough modeling to keep me happy right now...).

 

Here's the parts list for version 2 that RailModeller provided:

# Element Description Usage

000 20-000 Standard Straight L=248mm 26

001 20-010 3/4  Straight L=186mm 5

002 20-041 1/4  Straight  Feeder Track, L=62mm 5

003 20-047 Bumper (Wood) L=62mm 3

004 20-220 Electric #4 Turnout left 15°, R=481mm, L=127mm 1

005 20-020 Half Straight L=124mm 5

006 20-221-C15 Curve R=481mm 15° from right turnout 20-221 (roadbed adapted) 1

007 20-046 Bumper (Concrete) L=62mm 6

008 20-203 Electric #6 Turnout right, R=718mm, 15°, L=186mm 6

009 20-150 Curve R=718mm, 15°  (for #6 turnouts) 4

010 20-211 Double Track Crossover, L=310mm 1

011 20-202 Electric #6 Turnout left, R=718mm, 15°, L=186mm 1

012 20-040 1/4  Straight L=62mm 2

013 20-435 Green Truss Bridge with Double  Straight Track, L=248mm 1

014 20-221-S59L Straight L=59mm from right turnout 20-221 (roadbed adapted) 1

015 20-221 Electric #4 Turnout right 15°, R=481mm, L=127mm 2

016 20-220-S59R Straight L=59mm from left turnout 20-220 (roadbed adapted) 2

[NozomiFan]

Oval with 2 switches. Done.

[NozomiFan]

I am such a thread killer.

[KenS]

It's not dead yet (it's just pining for the fjords). 

 

Although I do seem to have hijacked Mudkip's original question. Does anyone else have ideas for him?

 

For some reason, the idea of a shelf layout is stuck in my head. It's not like I'm planning to build one, as I have my hands quite full with my current layout.  But the idea of an urban layout that would fit atop a set of shelves along one wall of a typical room just seems very appealing.

 

And I had an idea, why not incorporate an "Inglenook Sidings" switching puzzle into the freight yard?  So I did.

 

This is still the same Unitrack-based 12-foot by 1-foot profile. I did switch to using #4 switches between the two mains (which might be problematic for longer passenger equipment, but I wouldn't expect Shinkansen on this line) and in the freight yard.  I'm still using #6 in the staging tracks and for the branch.  I also threw in some signals.

[Martijn Meerts]

It's not dead yet (it's just pining for the fjords). 

 

Best sketch ever ;)