A Small Tomix Layout

[bill937ca]

I'm revising my 2.5' x 5' layout to include a single track viaduct track.  After a lot of playing around with Anyrail I came up a track plan similar to Nick Yee`s small layout, but using Tomix track.

 

I've wanted a truss bridge on the layout for sometime and shortly I will achieve this goal. But finding a track plan for a small layout is hard! I find a truss bridge makes a good viewpoint for photographing models.

 

Most of the curves are C243, but there are a couple of C280 and a couple of C177 on the spur.

 

Plans to use 1247 crossover will have to wait until I have a second power pack.  I have the 1247 crossover, the 5533 Universal Switch box and a 5532 switch box which are set up between the two power packs. In the meantime I have two S280s in place.  I could add a couple of switches connecting the two tracks.

 

As of now most track has been installed and I can run trains on the inner loop.  The viaduct awaits two pieces of Tomix 1173 to complete the viaduct loop.  Photos soon.

[Mudkip Orange]

What sorta grades you go on this thang?

[bill937ca]

I'm using two Tomix 3016 pier sets each with  piers in 10 different heights. The right side grade is spread over 5 or 6 sections of C243-45 or S140 viaduct track. Anyrail lists the right side grade as being .99 meters or about 39 inches. As this grade reaches its pinnacle it crosses over several tracks below spreading out some of the pillars.The left side climb is 5 C243-45 viaduct sections.  Anyrail list this as .95 meters or 37.5 inches.  Rail height on the viaduct is 70mm. (Rail height is 5mm). That makes it a 6.56% grade (65/990).

 

I ran a Modemo NT111 Meitetsu Mo 780 interurban back and forth on the grades yesterday with no problem. I haven't tried a train yet as the viaduct is still missing a couple of pieces that are enroute from Japan.

 

A bigger question for some trains than the grades on the viaduct may be the S curve.  That has to await the final two viaduct sections of track arrival in about 2 weeks.

[Lawrence]

That is heck of a steep Bill, 6.6%, that's more than double the ideal max, not sure if much more than a 2 car would make it up!  Look forward to being proven wrong though 

[Nick_Burman]

That is heck of a steep Bill, 6.6%, that's more than double the ideal max, not sure if much more than a 2 car would make it up!  Look forward to being proven wrong though 

 

The Hakone Tozan cars will certainly make it...

 

Cheers NB

[bill937ca]

That is heck of a steep Bill, 6.6%, that's more than double the ideal max, not sure if much more than a 2 car would make it up!  Look forward to being proven wrong though 

 

I just tested my Tomix 92263 EF-210 container train and it climbed the grades with no problem.  Its only two cars.  I added a passenger car with an illuminated tail marker and there is still no problem.

[Mudkip Orange]

I would think you'll wear out motors faster that way.

[bill937ca]

The Tomix 3016 package shows a recommended grade configuration the grade consisting of 5 HC280 sections with a total length of 1100mm. So the recommended grade is 65/1100 or 5.90%. If you take the underside measure shown on the package the grade is then 5% (55/1100).

 

Apart from JR most Japanese railways are more like interurbans with EMUs rather locomotive and train operation railways. The Interurban Railway in America notes that 'grades of 6-8% were quite common'. I've seen very steep grades on Odakyu in Japan and Meitetsu is known for steep grades and sharp curves.

[keitaro]

the grade on my incline was about 5.8% originally i could run all trains up it fine except some of my steamies.

 

hence the change to 4~% after completing the layout which was a pain.

 

even my 6 car Ma were thanging along on it at speed but slow there was no chance.. but the running and slipping noise ruins the experience.

 

2 car kiha 110 ran completely fine no issues.

[cteno4]

One of our club members did a bunch of layouts with sectional track at a bunch of various incline percentages. he would push it with 6-8% grades and could run trains but like keitaro anything past a couple of cars would need to be running at 200mph to make it up the grades well. slower and there would be slipping and too slow it would crap out. he also lost some traction tires and had a couple of trains with issues with the motor which i think were due to the heavy slipping and grinding up the steep grades.

 

usual wisdom is to limit things around 4% to be safer. but you can do a test loop and see how the trains you want to run on that line work with those grades.

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

The layout has changed a bit.  I now have a full elevated loop with a small viaduct station and a truss bridge. There is also a small tram loop built with extra pieces of tram track. I have some C280 canted track and may replace the stock rail oval with canted track, but that probably won`t be until the fall.

 

Some of my favorite Japanese layouts are demonstration layouts at Japanese trade shows. I plan to leave the black art paper background as it is. Its my layout.