Going Japanese!!!

[ozman2009]

Hi Paul. I'm sure that now you've got the layout the way you wanted it, you're going to have lots of fun with it, as well as learning valuable lessons for the planned larger layout.

 

Just a little point - in Switzerland, the trains run left-handed on double track (the same in France, Belgium and Sweden).

[Pauljag900]

Thanks Gary,I ll turn the trains around! I did say I was a novice, I realise I ve made some mistakes,some deliberately,some not,I just wanted as much track as possible in a small space and I have two sons both of which have two children who love to play with the trains so I had to have two really.I was struggling for height due to the fact it's so small so decided against crossing the track as the inclines would have been about 8% and that I did think would look stupid.thanks for your support mate.I love the quote at the bottom,how true.

[Pauljag900]

Quick update on my small glacier express layout with ground cover almost finished.

The large flat area at the front is where the station and small town will be.

[cteno4]

Paul,

 

Looks nice, feels very Swiss by just the landscaping!

 

Jeff

[Pauljag900]

Thanks Jeff,I think I got away with the lack of height,I ve just ordered a few alpine buildings so hopefully that will help too.

There s a short video on YouTube showing the two trains.http://youtu.be/OCZu5RnaC_s

[Bernard]

Hi Paul - I really like your layout, it takes an interesting path and the landscaping you're doing is top notch! Look forward to seeing more as it develops

[Pauljag900]

Thanks Bernard,thank god for YouTube and people on here! Lol.first time I ve done a layout that required any real sort of scenics to be done.I did a lot of research then gave it a go on some practice pieces of foam,I m reasonably pleased how it s turned out tho,Paul

[Pauljag900]

Can anyone help? I ve bought some "sprinkle on snow" for the top mountain,I don't want to cover it completely but would like it to look like a thin sprinkle layer rather than a full drift,hope that makes sense.i ve tried some spray model glue but it still seemed a bit heavy,I ve heard hairspray may work,does anyone know the best way to do it or tried this method? Any suggestions will be gratefully recieved,thanks,Paul

[cteno4]

Paul,

 

I've used hairspray on tree armatures in the past with ground foam. Spray on the hairspray, sprinkle and let dry. Then come back with another hairspray layer to fix the foam/flocking better in place. Give a test try with your snow on top of a bit of test ground cover you are using.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[Pauljag900]

Thanks Jeff,I ll give it a go later,Paul

[Pauljag900]

Quick update on my small glacier express layout showing scenics added and with the station area now in place.Next step is to add some street lights and cars with lights then wire it all up.

The alpine buildings have arrived but I m saving them for when I have my operation on July 10th.

[katoftw]

Very good.

[kvp]

Nice progress! One thing though: You are still running wrong side for the RhB or Switzerland in general...   :)

Edited June 21, 2015 by kvp

[Pauljag900]

Thanks guys,short video on YouTube if anyone would like to watch it.http://youtu.be/xjm4_bVS2sA

[Pauljag900]

Thanks guys.

[Densha]

One thing though: You are still running wrong side for the RhB or Switzerland in general...   :)

That's incorrect. Even though in Europe only in the UK and Ireland cars run on the left, trains in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden also run on the left.

 

I have to admit I only knew of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Sweden myself, but this overview on wikipedia says it all: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_left-hand_traffic#Multiple_track_usage_by_country

 

Actually interesting is that all traffic in Sweden was on the left until 1967. From that year cars run on the right in Sweden and all tram car doors had to be modified to the right side. But that's a story for another time~

[Pauljag900]

Thanks for that Densha,I was just getting a bit confused with it all to be honest.(not difficult at my adage believe me!)

[Pauljag900]

Hi,does anyone know how I can find out the minimum radius a certain train will run on?i want to run two trains on an underground but only the front straight track will be seen so want to keep the radius to a minimum so I can have as much straight showing as possible.I m going to run it under the glacier express layout which is going to sit next to my planned Japanese layout.I ve made a few plans using anyrail and here is the one I ve decided to use.The baseboard is 7x4 feet,I m using a mixture of viaduct a d elevated track.It s basically two separate continuous loops which can use six trains,four running and two parked.It will probably be early ne t year before I make it but I m starting to order the track pieces now via modeltrain plus.Nariichi is a gentleman and I wish him all the luck in the world running his shop full time.

For anyone interested here s my planned layout.

[kvp]

The general rule for 20 meter cars is R280. Some Tomix shinkansen can also run on R280, but they look very bad. Most shinkansen need a larger radius. Some Tomix and many Tomytec cars can run on R140, but generally this is a tram radius and the minimum for most trams. Kato cars prefer larger radiuses.

 

So:

-shinkansen: well above R280

-normal trains: R280

-trams: R140

 

Since you seem to be using Kato tracks, this is R282. While some shorter cars will run on R249 or R216, many won't. (R183 and R150 are really for trams and the short Tomytec cars) Your plan seems to be using the R282/R315 double track curves and this will be good for almost any train. Although you might want to place at least a single car's length of straight between a canted curve and a turnout to avoid derailments. Also it's not a good idea to have canted S curves without a single car's length of straight between them, so you might want to use flat curved tracks in both cases.

[Pauljag900]

Thanks for the reply kvp,I can shorten the station area by removing a 248mm straight,squeeze it up and fit a 124mm at each end,or like you said I can just use flat curves ,as I will on the "s" bend,

[katoftw]

Hi,does anyone know how I can find out the minimum radius a certain train will run on?

read the back of the box or instruction manual that came with the train.  if you don't have those, then google it.

Edited July 1, 2015 by katoftw

[katoftw]

whole track plan wont work.  you cannot do left cant into right cant and vice versa, and the viaduct layout wont work as it has nil spacing for the piers.

[Pauljag900]

Hi katoftw ,thanks for the comments,I ve altered the viaduct track slightly to eliminate the "s" bend and so avoided left and right cants being joined together,and on the bottom I ll use normal curves to avoid the same,as suggested by kvp.As for the piers, I can jiggle the layout around slightly if need be to make room for them.

[Pauljag900]

Hi everyone,does anyone know what the minimum radius is that Kato 10-847 Narita express will run on please? I ve looked everywhere but just can t seem to find out.Does anyone know where this info can be found for any of Kato s trains?

[katoftw]

R249mm.

 

The green and white booklets that come with every KAto train has the minimum radi allowable, length of consist and power usages in one section of it.