Chibi-machi - A Tram test layout

May 9, 2010

Hey, everyone. Time to make my formal introductions here. I'm 34, and a computer technician/programmer. I'm a newcomer to model railroading, and a hopeless otaku and Japanophile. About 6 months ago I saw a copy of James May's "Toy Stories" - a British show about reviving interest in the toys of our youth. One of the episodes was called "Hornby", and related to model railroads. After seeing it, I was reminded of a long-ago interest in miniaturization and model railroads in particular. I went online and discovered Setsugaya . Once I knew that I could combine a long-ago fascination with my current love of Japan, I was well and truly lost.

I spent the next few months discovering other Japanese model railroad blogs - Quinntopia, Yamanote-sen, modelrail.otenko, and Akihabara Station in particular. I've collected a small number of trains and track, and I'm well on my way to planning a decent-sized permanent layout. I've also started my own blog, but it will be a little time before I get any content on it.

Because I've never built anything quite like this before, I'm going to start with a small test layout instead. My "Chibi-machi" is going to be approximately 2' by 3', the size of the corkboard I'm using for a base. Because it's a test, I'm going to combine as many techniques as I can on it. To that end, I have a plan that involves flextrack, Atlas manual switches, combined with Tomix sectional track. It'll be powered by a Tomix controller from the Tomix 90093 starter set - a controller I had intended for use on my full-sized layout until I found it was limited to 2 switches.

Besides experimenting with different kinds of track I will also be trying different techniques for scenery. Buildings will be mainly scratch built from various materials, or inexpensive Greenmax models. Thanks to a local plastics manufacturer, I have plenty of styrene and Sintra to work with at a very good price. :) I'll be working on Arduino powered lighting, animations, and automation, including signals and crossings.

Everything past that is pretty much up in the air. There are a few things about the layout that I know for sure - It's vaguely based on an Enoshima prototype - dense, older urban areas with narrow railway clearances. Motive power is supplied by a pair of Tomytech "Mule"s - http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10077022

I've attached a copy of the current track plan. Any comments are appreciated.

May 9, 2010

If you are looking for inexpensive structures you might want to look at Tomytec.

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/list/1223/0/1

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/list/1224/0/1

May 9, 2010

Welcome aboard.

Trying things out to see what works for you is a good idea. And it looks like you have several different radii of curves, so you'll be able to get some experience with how various trains work with different curves.

It sounds like you're planning a flat "on the corkboard" layout. Have you considered trying grades also? The Woodland Scenics inclines and risers could be used in a temporary manner by pinning them to the cork, and it would let you see how combinations of curve and grade interact

May 9, 2010

I have a strong dislike for the look of the Tomytec structures. They have good detail, but the coarse construction and wonky angles are off-putting. I've got a growing collection of Kato and Tomix structures, but I'm saving them for the big layout.

As for the different curves - this layout is very small. The curves you see there are around Tomix mini-finetrack size - ~140mm. The only things I have that will run on them are trams. I currently have a Tomytec Portram and the two mules, with a Centram on order. My Kato passenger stuff can barely tolerate a 249mm curve, and I'm not even going to start with the shinkansen. :)

Same thing goes for grades. At under 2 feet by 3 feet, there isn't a lot of room for them. I am considering ways that I can put one in, but it will have to be short and shallow. There will be a canal cutting across the width of the layout, just below the spur in the middle. That means the layout isn't going to be directly on the corkboard, but instead will be raised up on a 1/2" foam high-density insulation board.

Progress is likely to start out pretty slow. Clearing space to work and put the layouts involves whole other projects that have to be done first. For example, I've managed to secure a whole room to use as a shop/work area, but it's a store room which has to be cleared out and a work-bench has to be built. The space where I set up Chibi-machi is currently occupied by a server-computer, and to move it out requires tearing down 2 other machines and building a third. And so on. I really want to get started on a layout, so it can be a little frustrating.

May 10, 2010

I like what you are doing by starting with a small layout to test things out.

There is one concern I do have though, where you have the 2 switches on the main line at the top, there is a bend, I'm just wondering if it should be straight so that there is smoother switching.

May 10, 2010

I like what you are doing by starting with a small layout to test things out.

Thanks. My big layout is fairly ambitious, and mistakes on it would be costly. I can afford to mess up the smaller one first...

There is one concern I do have though, where you have the 2 switches on the main line at the top, there is a bend, I'm just wondering if it should be straight so that there is smoother switching.

Didn't think about that. I'll have to pay closer attention, I think. I may not have to worry about it here, though. The Mules is a 12m-class tram - super tiny!

May 10, 2010

Hello, welcome, and what an exciting looking project! I look forward to seeing more. Could you say a little about the spur running through the middle? Will that be a station?

And what kind of plans do you have for the Arduino stuff?

May 10, 2010

Hello, welcome, and what an exciting looking project! I look forward to seeing more. Could you say a little about the spur running through the middle? Will that be a station?

And what kind of plans do you have for the Arduino stuff?

The spur is across the canal and, hopefully, on a higher elevation than the main station. I put it there intending to make it a station, but it was a last minute add to the plan.

As far as the Arduino is concerned, I'd like to add things like working stop lights, moving crossing gates, animated signs, etc. I've also been thinking about RFID train detection, etc. I'd love to use a computer for it, but I think the Arduino is cheaper and better suited to this sort of automation.

May 10, 2010

Hmm. It's occurred to me that if I can figure out train detection, it isn't a big step to use the arduino to automate the line and power it using an H-bridge.

June 3, 2010

So, as predicted, no further layout construction or planning progress has been made.

My "work room" has been cleaned out, though. The old tile has to be pulled up and the floor cleaned and finished, then it's ready to have the workbench built.

I've also invested in a few new items in preparation for breaking ground.

Town Collection V2 http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10071016

Japanese Temple A (Main Building) http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10077010

Japanese Temple B (Belfry/Gate) http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10077011

Seeduino Mega http://www.robotshop.ca/seeedstudio-seeeduino-mega-v1-1-microcontroller.html

Miniature Servos http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20023

Previously ordered, now received - a sample set of the Casco N-Scale fence "sheets"

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10112246

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10112245

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10112244

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10112243

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10112242