Designing my tram terminal module

[velotrain]

 

Both cream and red schemes restocked at HS.

 

Thanks - I've just ordered a pair of the latter.

 

I tend to avoid HS, as I find the site design both visually assaulting and confusing.

I also have a hard time being able to tell if something is actually available or not.

Lastly, other dealers are able to tell you the shipping charges in advance.

[velotrain]

And we have a winner!

 

 

I'll trim the turnout and make the curved connection using flextrack.  Best of all, it only uses 2" more than the original design.  I'm willing to take one bay out of the Greenmax maintenance shop if I need to, as things were already rather tight.

 

 

 

==>>  Can anyone tell me the intended purpose of the oval pieces with two shortened ties attached to Tomix turnouts?

 

 

[kvp]

Can anyone tell me the intended purpose of the oval pieces with two shortened ties attached to Tomix turnouts?

They are the bases for the turnout mechanisms included in the packaging. Just snap them off, turn them around and insert into the slots on one side of the tips of the points. Then add the automatic or manual turnout control imitation of your choice on top.

[velotrain]

_{I found another interesting terminal-junction, and wondered if anyone recognizes it - the photos aren't very large, or of great quality.} 

 

_{It looks like one line ends here, with three tracks in the terminal.  Another line, with the yellow cars, continues on one side.  The station has a very wide roof overhang, almost giving an art deco look.  One of the British manufacturers produced a similar looking station in HO a year or two ago.}

 

 

 

 

_{I found a proto photo that appears quite similar to the British kit.}

 

 

 

 

 

[railsquid]

That last photo is in Berne, Switzerland. At least I think it is, can't find it on a map. If not then Basel. I'm pretty sure I've seen it in real life, so it must be one of those two.

 

The other two appear to be in a country with Arabic (or similar) script.

Edited September 22, 2014 by railsquid

[utrainia]

The station has a very wide roof overhang, almost giving an art deco look.

 

Neat building, looks like the Millennium Falcon has landed in downtown!! The terminal is in Mahatet El Raml, wiki link.

[velotrain]

Thanks much for the info guys.  I did think the lettering in the terminal shots had a middle eastern look to it.  

 

I found myself wondering if they envisioned the other line running past it when the terminal was originally built.

 

I liked the building itself, and also the idea of one line terminating there, but another continuing on.

[velotrain]

This is the final track mock-up.  I've added a diesel-served railway siding, to be used to deliver transformers to the substation, and also new trams.  I found one image of a tram being shipped on a large truck at night, but don't know if railcars are ever used for this.  I could theoretically use this track to expand to the left, but that is very unlikely.

 

 

 

 

I have designed the wooden frame, but still have an issue with mounting the track, which will all be flex outside of the turnouts.  I had originally planned to use cork roadbed under the flex, but then thought that there is seldom much roadbed under tram track, and definitely not in yards.  I'd like to use a 1/8" cork sheet over the whole thing, and cut out where the Tomix turnouts will sit, which should give about the same rail height, but am having a hard time sourcing that thickness cork.

 

There will be two TCS programs, one for when the terminal module is standalone, and another for when it is connected to the downtown and/or other modules.  In standalone mode, I'll use program 5 and have three trams exit the car barn "wrong way" (top left), and then run around the loop to one (or more - if cloned) of the storage tracks at the top.  I may also set up program 7 using the two maintenance building tracks.

 

When connected to other modules, two alternating trams will leave the carbarn - running correctly, and loop around the downtown module before returning.  I have recently tested cloning program 7, so will add a station with siding on the outer track in downtown - lower right corner below.

 

 

 

 

I've also decided to add a right turnout to the outer track at the top right corner, so trams on the loop can continue down future additional modules.  I may have a second TCS unit on this module, to control the inner loop and have the tram on that stop at the same station being added to the outer loop.  A bus route is also a possibility.  I keep changing my mind on the track at the top, and it may well end up as flex on PROW.

 

 

 

 

The track on the left is the express track, intended for any consists I acquire that won't deal with the R140 turnouts everywhere else.  However, the T280 turnout connects to the inbound track, so express trains will run the wrong way, and would just shuttle to a future station at the other end.  Trains on this siding that can handle R140 use the crossover to the outbound track.

 

 

 

 

I like how the track allows me to run a roundy-loop, or reversing operation, with no polarity conflicts - outside of the express track, which is more of a future thing.

 

 

[utrainia]

Looking good! Is that a 5 section tram I see in the top photo? Any details on it?

[velotrain]

Is that a 5 section tram I see in the top photo? Any details on it?

 

See:  http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/9953-maxitram/

[ToniBabelony]

Excellent project and thanks for the inspiration!

 

P.S. Will you be having platforms for high and low floor trams, or are you not making a difference between them?

Edited May 1, 2015 by Toni Babelony

[velotrain]

Thanks, Toni - All I need to do now is actually build it ;-)

 

When I first saw the Keihan Series 800 running on the street, I incorrectly thought it had low level doors, or perhaps both as some cars had (have?).

 

Trams were my initial and remain my primary interest, but there have been a few trains that highly appeal to me.  I had been thinking of a short station at the bottom of the junction on the downtown module, although I would need to build a custom platform since that's where I adjust the track spacing from Tomix to Unitram.  My initial though was that any remaining passengers would be discharged there before a tram entered the yard.

 

However, since I'll have a downtown station on the right side of that module, your asking about it has me thinking that I could make it a high-level platform serving the express trains.  Of course, it would only serve two cars at most, but it would get the idea across.  At one point I was thinking of trying to fit a crossover in there, so the express could get on the right track, but then realized that it would be too complex with needing to also change the track spacing.  I think I'll just live with the wrong way running, shutting down the tram on the outer line if I need to.  It was mostly a way to be able to run longer equipment that doesn't fit the tram theme.

 

After downtown, there'll be a housing area module, a transition module where the diesel freight single track line appears behind the tram lines, the Harumi bridge module and next to it Harumi Cement, which will need to be 30" or 36" deep.  Then maybe an industrial port module, and at some point a 6' module with Inuyama Bridge, and then . . . . . . . 

[Densha]

The Hiroden Miyajima Line was a high-floor railway that had through-running onto the low-floor Hiroden tram network. It has now been converted for use with low-floor trams, but until recently/nowadays? many platforms with a low floor section and high floor section remain(ed).

 

English wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroden_Miyajima_Line

Japanese wiki: http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%BA%83%E5%B3%B6%E9%9B%BB%E9%89%84%E5%AE%AE%E5%B3%B6%E7%B7%9A

 

Platforms:

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/hal_rail/50685445.html

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:Jigozen_sta_20121124-1.JPG

[velotrain]

Thanks, Densha.  That Hiroden line looks familiar - I think I ran across it before.

 

I think I might just have the "token" high floor platform at the terminal throat junction, and maybe a ped overpass from downtown.

[katoftw]

Plenty of low floor platforms to buy, all the major companies make them.