Kobayashi - point to point, loop the loop, all sorts really

[Davo Dentetsu]

So, here it is!  My very first shot at giving the land of the rising sun location a go as my layout subject.

 

The plan is rather simple... erm, simplistic.

 

It's named Kobayashi (my lingo cockup says Kobayashi City.  Ignore my idiocy, I'm new at this sort of thing).  It's a fictional location which I would picture to be on JR East possibly.  Named after the Formula 1 chap who doesn't mind giving a bit of biffo with his opponents. :D

 

The idea is that the city station is a terminus.  4 platforms of varying lengths, the longest needing to fit a sleeper train of loco + 7 coaches and a run-around points system.  That explains the point to point bit rather well.

 

Oh, before I go any further, big thanks to Kev for the enormous help and guiding hand experience brought to this rather mad idea of mine.  Here you can see the end of the station rather well.  It has future expansion in mind with very few alterations to the station.

 

So what about the loop the loop part?  Well, you can just see the bridge overpass to the right of the pic.  Under that will run a branch line back to another part of the fiddle yard boards, which will encompass a large loop and turning facilities.  Any train destined for this line will have very little time on the business end of the boards, but I feel that adds interest.  There appears to be space on the front for a small internal container terminal behind the station and a small space for locos to set down on the other side of the branch.

 

The main entry end.  Branch will leave to the right, for use by freight and possibly private passenger services.

 

As you've probably noticed, the baseboards sprung up rather suddenly into the thread.  Well, they were a former OO scale depot/yard/shunt thingy that got stripped down.  That explains the bi-level setting with a gradient.  The top level boards are definitely not set, as these may be replaced completely and enlarged to incorporate more scenery on the layout.  I plan to keep accessibility to the lower level fiddle yards by having the top level on an incline towards the rear.

 

So, big plans ahead and already a few changes to the big master plan (the chalk one).  The branch's "loop" originally was going to exit from out under the bridge again, but it was deemed to be much more advantageous to make the loop a double track and exit back around to the main line, with some runaround faciilities so I can send it back out from the point of origin at the bridge.  This gives me more storage track space and... yep, that means I can buy more trains to fill it up. :D

 

But Dave, that's rather boring, we want a train photo.  Well, alright then, have an EF64 doing what it does best.  Hauling freight and kicking bottom.  Pictured on AMRA WA's Frans River layout.

 

 

PS  Apologies for the rather crap mobile piccies.  Technology is good, as long as it's someone else's, right?

[cteno4]

Dave,

 

cool, nice to see it starting out! keep up the posts and picts love to see it progress and evolve! ive been noodling on a point to point sectional bookshelf layout to wrap around my office so will be interested to see your progress.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[JR 500系]

Hi Azumanga Davo !

 

I see a very nice diorama taking shape! Looking forward to the finished product! Thanks for sharing! 

[Davo Dentetsu]

I have one more picture that I can share for the moment.

 

 

Showing the basic plan so far.  Top two rectangles denote the fiddle yard area with the revised storage solution.  I have a feeling I might want the loop section to be a bite more advanced so entering trains can run around and exit out from under the bridge.  What isn't shown on this plan is the second level, which will extend from the exact same spot at the front boards to right over the storage section.  With the planned gradient I want on the second level, access will theoretically still remain good (I hope).  Also another point of interest in this diagram is the three different platform lengths used.  Longest one is for the sleeper, second longest has no real defining purpose except perhaps the occasional shorter loco hauled special, multiple unit storage or similar usage.  The two top station lines denote typical suburban platforms, limiting myself to probably 6 car sets as it will probably be a tight fit having anything more.

 

Got a fair bit of timber and chipboard shopping to do soon enough.  Luckily, I have a list of things to replicate a new board and hopefully some leftover odds and sods for filling in the scenery gaps.

 

Always happy to share with everyone, as I follow everyone else's layout stories also with great interest.  Hopefully, an exchange of ideas will inspire other developments.

[KenS]

Looks interesting, and a nice design for both continuous running and point-to-point use. I haven't really got my head wrapped around the two levels, so if you do come up with a more detailed track plan, that would be helpful in understanding it. Definitely keep us updated as it progresses.

[The_Ghan]

I like your style ... especially when I consider HOW MANY HOURS I WASTE messing around with track planning software.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Davo Dentetsu]

Heh, flexi-track means a bit more freedom for unleashing daft ideas like mine (I hope... :S)

 

The second level is harder to explain, but it already partially exists on the already built boards.  In the photos, you can see the track and layout will occupy the lower level entirely, so no real gradients to deal with.  The second level (you can see it presently in the photos with no marker at all on it) will extend back onto the rear boards.

 

Here's a simplified view looking from the end of the layout (doesn't matter which end, as the basics remain the same).

 

 

I think it adds a bit of an extra dimension to it, as scenery space on the front boards alone is rather small.  I think this should definitely help things a bit.  Plus, if I ever had the desire to later on, I can have space for a reasonable tram line up there as well.  That's going to be a distant thing, though.

[cteno4]

Dave,

 

how will you get access to the fiddle/storage yard under the level 2 scenery on top?

 

jeff

[Davo Dentetsu]

Well, it's open at the back, so pretty easy I would imagine.  Only need enough height so I can get things in there and set up for the day.

[Davo Dentetsu]

Time for an update (not much of one, but still plenty to report on).

 

An update to the pro chalkboard design.  Only to incorporate the ideas we had discussed at the end of the last time the boards came out.

 

Main line curve end, bit of a clearer photo now.  With some very handy second-hand track now available (an amount that could fill this project two or three times over), it's nearly all systems go.  But first, it was determined to have one final check on bits needed.  The diamond crossover section was the only issue that presented itself so far, so some solution will be needed to correct that.

 

Station end (yours truly on the right).  It was all straightforward measuring this part, as it took in a fair bit of straight track.  I finally managed to coincide my visit with the stock I plan to use.  The EF510 and 20 Series coaches (bah, close enough) all fitted into the measurements from last time.  In fact, too well, as the Budd coach overcompensated by at least 2 coach lengths when doing the markings last time.  That's OK, that just makes it a bit more flexible to train lengths at the station.

 

I do have an important question however regarding Peco points, namely the short length version.  As the medium ones are rather scarce and short ones are plentiful, I am quite happy to put them into the layout.  However, Kevin isn't quite so sure about it, with concerns that it's not a great solution.  We tested the locos through them and they do have a significant amount of centre bogie sticking out (but they do go through).  Do you folks recommend that they can be used, or should I keep the short ones for the storage at the back and out of the public eye?

 

As a bonus to answering that question, please feel free to watch my latest stock playing adventures, with a camera mounted on a container wagon for a few videos at other WA-based layouts.

 

[Davo Dentetsu]

2 years on and it's thriving!

 

OK, I lied.  But track was placed on the board to get a size for everything.  I'm actually quite pleased about the space available up front with this.  OK, so the plan has been revised a touch.  The terminal station itself is two long platforms and a shorter platform, the longer two no longer having a dedicated run-around loop (Kev's idea and somewhat strange trademark on most of his things).  The loop at the back will be the freight facility, pretty small but a passing loop should be enough to give the idea.  The strange lines at the right are the loco facilities (maybe), holding about three locos at a time.  The back under the road bridge has a double line element, but one of those will end there until I can think of an alternative.  My proudest solution was definitely the crossover slip manipulation, took a little while to suss out but looks pretty good and gives me a lot more station space, which will be badly needed for my much elongated limited expresses.  :)

[kvp]

 

The strange lines at the right are the loco facilities (maybe), holding about three locos at a time. The back under the road bridge has a double line element, but one of those will end there until I can think of an alternative. 

If you move the switch that leads to the loco facility to the right line, and add a new switch to the right line on the bottom, then the straitght directions of the two switches would line up with each other, connecting the north and south double lines. The only drawback is that the loco facility has to be shifted a bit to the right and would connect to the right lines not the left.