This is a Modern World...

[Thomas]

Well at least a beginning. Lol...

I figure I have to start somewhere so I'll post some pics as I go along and hopefully you guys can help me off in the right direction. I just recently ordered a Kato V13 set along with a JR500 Nozomi that I'm really excited about. I also have purchased about a year ago an M2 and V3 set that I would like to use for the inner layout if I can but,  I think the curves and straights are too big though. Ultimately I would like to have a couple commuter trains on the ground level with two small platform stations but I just can't see it other then being set up as a switching layout which I do not want. I would like the ground level to have a mainline so the trains can run continous other than an oval but I'm limited on layout size 3.5x6.5. I might be thinking too big.  Thanks for looking. Thomas

 

Here is the bench work I have so far.

Edited November 3, 2013 by Thomas

[yakumo381]

Thomas - may sound back to front but I suggest you think about what scenery you want before you decide on the track layout as it is a lot easier to relay track than to start remodelling the landscape once you have committed to constructing it.

 

For mixing Shinkansen with Suburbans, I like layouts I have seen where the express line is a plain oval with the linking straights on viaducts with the curving ends hidden inside hills so you just see the track appearing between the tunnel openings. The suburban line is then on the "valley floor" weaving in and out of the viaduct pillars which is much like the real thing along the Sanyo and Tokaido lines.

[Mudkip Orange]

Nice benchwork.

[Martijn Meerts]

If you were modelling Dutch prototype, you'd almost be done considering Holland is about as flat as that table ;)

 

Considering you'll be using Unitrack, you can just play around with a couple of ideas and change things before deciding on a final design. Just try things, post pictures, and I'm sure people here will be able to give you more ideas.

[cteno4]

thomas,

 

good start!

 

I agree with yakumo, best to think through your scenery to make sure you have room for what you want to do and where the tracks need to go in relation to it. as martijn said its best to plop down your track on the table top and start playing first. take some cardboard and hack up some chunks that would represent the kinds of buildings you want. does not have to be pretty just tape and cardboard so you can get an idea of space and how it will interact with the overall views of the track and other bits of scenery. you can also make some cardboard tunnels then wad up newspaper and tape it down with masking tape to simulate a hill, etc to get idea of how you would want to build up some. 

 

Fiddling like this is a really really great way to help visualize your project. track planning software is great to get a basic plan down and get going but it can be hard to visualize the whole space and scenery bits, even with programs that pop into 3D. Amazing what can pop up for ideas when you fiddle like this physically, puts your mind into a different space than looking at a computer screen. We do this a lot with exhibit planning. very old school but still works really amazingly well when you have a lot of bits you need to have all working together. you can tell when someone has not done this physically in an exhibit and relied only on computer drafting, whole thing feels very 2D.

 

going up with your scenery and the shinkansen line really helps in a small layout to break up the basic loops you usually only have the room for. take a looks at some of the great vertical scenery ulrich did on very tiny module areas, can give you and idea of how it can make a very small area seem quite grand!

 

http://japanrailmodelers.org/pages/modelingjapan/minimodules.html

http://japanrailmodelers.org/photos/minimodules/index.html

 

might mean you need to put a layer of foam to build up the tracks some so you can go down a little as well. you can always come back with a thin play facing around your table and any foam riser you put on top to make a pretty edge frame all the way around the layout.

 

small layout size means some tradeoffs will have to be made so its important to figure out the things in the scene and trains you will be putting on the layout and what is most important to you. you cant have it all, but with some planning, fiddling, and compromise you can come up with a combo that can get you a lot in a small space!

 

keep us posted, great to see you getting going!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Thomas]

Thanks for the replies and direction guys I really appreciate it. As far as what I want to do, I am shooting for a downtown city scene. I don't want the traditional hills, tunnel( unless it's for a commuter train under one of the viadust sections), cliffs, rocks etc. Just a straight up city maybe a garden area. I already downloaded anyrail so I'm messing around with that. Thanks for the tips with the cardboard structures. I'm going to make up some pieces and start planning out that way first before I layout some track.It seems to make more sense to me that way.

 

Today I received my V13 and Shinkansen and I am super excited to at least run a train!. The piers take up alot of ground realestate so I wonder if the Kato poured concrete colums would work. That would free up more space for track.

 

The postman made my day.

 

[cteno4]

Thomas,

 

Well then yes do try lots of rough caedbord boxes to figure out your structures. They will be both your big visual impact for scenery and also the tools to hide the trains some now and then for view to make the layout feel bigger and hide the roundy round some. City buildings can get expensive so best to test out first for that reason! Yell if you want rough dimensions for any of the regular buildings out there, have most all of them out there here somewhere. Papercraft models are also a way to get some city buildings a bit cheaper. Mardon has done some nice examples

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/5438-papercraft-models/?p=82832

 

Also scratch building high rise buildings is also not that daunting as well.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

Edited November 5, 2013 by cteno4

[Bernard]

Thomas - Really nice solid bench work.....one suggestion, do you have foam insulation board to put on top of your bench work? Why I like it? It dulls the sound and when designing scenery, it is easy to carve out lakes, streams, harbors,etc....it just gives you may options and easy to do.

[Thomas]

Thanks Bernard.

I'm not going to use foam for the base because I'm not planning on building any landscape type things. It's just gonna be a downtown area. Although a city garden is in my plan somewhere. For the roads and sidewalks I'm thinking about using cardstock. Scale designs has some pretty cool stuff that I would like to try and build.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Thomas

[Thomas]

I didn't have time to start making mock up structures but I did try laying some track to see if I can make something other than another oval with what track I already have. Just an idea. Kind of point to point with a continous loop in either direction.

[Thomas]

The back part of the layout facing forward is where I plan on putting the viaduct station.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Thomas

[Thomas]

Added another turnout. This weekend im going to make some paper structures to see if I can make some sense of all of this. Sorry for the bad pic.

[Thomas]

Returned home from work today to find some goodies at my door. What a great way to start the weekend. The poured concrete columns are awesome. They allow for so much more room for track! The island platform works prerfect on the layout that I posted. I just split it in half :)

 

I need to find a picture of the platform finished though because I can't make out the instructions.

 

Thomas

[Bernard]

Thomas - Your weekend is set! Enjoy it.

[Thomas]

I messed around a little bit and came up with a layout that I can live with for now. The turnouts in the small half loop will be my freight yard. I finishef half of the island platform and I have to say Kato is awesome.

[Thomas]

Today I had an early day at work so I came home and decided to drill out the table top for the turnout and feeder lines. The layout looks nice and clean now. I couldn't look at the mess any longer. Lol... I had a couple spots in the track that had loss of current so to resolve this I used 3 feeders. The power is smooth now the whole way round.

Thanks for looking.

Thomas

[cteno4]

Thomas,

 

Looks nice, you have packed a lot into a small area. the weaving of the lower loop helps it not feel like a roundy roundy. will help to have the trains pop out of view under the viaduct sections. are you going to add a station to the viaduct?

 

looks like you have a few good chunks of real estate left to put up buildings on as well! viaduct station and buildings will help the shinkansens disappear a bit as well.

 

keept he posts coming, fun to watch the progress!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Thomas]

Thanks Jeff. I'm happy with the layout so far. I would like to keep the layout balanced somehow. Hopefully I can fill it up nicely with buildings and scenery without it being too crowded. I have a question. Is there anyway to reverse the polarity on one of the viaduct tracks? Both feeder line clips and connecters only fit one way.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Thomas

[cteno4]

Thomas,

 

great thing about modeling japan is there is a prototype for just about anything! also scenes can be really jammed packed and zoning regulations tend to be pretty relaxed in japan, so you can have wild transitions very quickly. buildings also are very near tracks (sometimes over them or thru them!) that you dont tend to get in most other places around the world. cramming a lot in and detailing out the scenes can create an amazing small layout and help distract that the track cant go very far in a small space.

 

kato controls polarity with their plug system like this. the only way to reverse it is to clip the wire and just rewire them opposite.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Thomas]

Little update. I received my Viaduct Station set and was really excited to put it together. I'm still amazed at the quality that Kato puts out and the station looks great. I was a bit disappointed that I couldnt use the whole set because my layout is to small but I can live with what I have. I still have a long way to go but I'm chipping at it little by little.

 

Does anyone have ideas on what to use for roads, sidewalks and such? I wanted to get some road plates but they're to big for the space that I have.

 

Thanks for looking.

Thomas