Project Rebirth Planning Phase 1 (Track plans)

[mwsteele]

Hello everyone,

 

I signed up to the site a couple of years ago, planning to built a layout, I ended up building the tables, but life got in the way of it so it had to be put to the back burner. 

 

I'm ready to start again! I'm doing my research and planning out what I want to do, but never making a proper layout before, or any type of complex track I have no idea what to do. But I do sorta know what I want and where to start :P

 

I really like Japanese trains and I want to focus on them, but being Canadian I want to run a couple Canadian trains as well, for this reason I don't really have a specific theme I want for my layout, it's probably going to lean more Japanese in terms of design & buildings though.

 

Anyway! Getting a little bit off topic here. But I have a table built now, it's 10 foot by 3 foot. 304cm X 91cm. I can add on an L section to it if need be or later on, but I don't think I want to make it any bigger yet, start with something I can actually finish haha. 

 

I have no track at the moment and I don't have any bias towards Tomix or Kato, but I do want to use either of these, what ever fits the layout more. I think I want to run more freight trains than commuter just because of the amount of space I have I think they will be more interesting and fun then commuter going around a large oval. (I'm assuming I wouldn't have enough room for them to make any tight turns or switches inside...)

 

This is where I ask for help haha, with looking at a few designs online I am quite overwhelmed in regards to what I want to do. If you all could help me design my layout and give me ideas that would be much appreciated! Is there any software that you can recommend that would be good for this? Also if anyone wouldn't mind taking some time and designing a track layout in my dimensions just so I can get an idea of what I can do that would be great!

Edited February 13, 2015 by mwsteele

[miyakoji]

Hi mwsteele, welcome.  Lots of forum members are happy to help, recommend, expound upon the virtues of Japanese railways, etc... :)

[mrp]

You might find some of these ideas from Kato helpful:

http://www.katomodels.com/unitrackplan/plan_p3.shtml

http://www.katomodels.com/unitrackplan/plan_p4.shtml

http://www.katousa.com/track-plans/n-plans.html

http://www.katomodels.com/unitrackplan/

The last design on the second link is about 10’x3’.

[mwsteele]

Thanks for the links MRP, I knew about the Kato USA one already but not the Japanese one! Thanks!

 

The one that you pointed out looks good, but I wanted a bit more switching in my layout, I'm liking the 5th & 6th ones on page 3. They look like they would be fun to model & operate trains on, I'm thinking about doing something similar to those, making it fit my space and everything too. Next step is to get some track haha. Is Hobby search one of the best (cheapest) places to buy kato track? I was looking for USA & Canada stores but their prices seem much higher and unless I buy from a store in Canada the shipping cost for USA & Japan is actually going to be pretty similar.

[mwsteele]

So I got to work last night and today designing a layout in SCARM. Really cool program once you get used to it! I used one of the kato layouts as a starting point and altered it a bit to be what I wanted, I think it turned out pretty well.

 

Anyway, here is the first version I came up with:

 

 

This one turned out okay, my table is only 3048mm long by 914mm wide. The bottom passing/station area took up too much room I think and would be sitting right by the table edge which wouldn't allow me to fit a station in there...

 

This second plan I removed the bottom station and I'm thinking about making a station where the top 2 spurs are in the middle, then I think it might be too close to the top passing\station area on the top left//

 

 

So this is where I'm at right now. I might move the top left station & passing area down to the bottom left. Also I was thinking the left of the layout to be a cityscape area though it's a large area, I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions with what I could do in there?

 

I was also thinking that possibly I could have the right section be more urban since it's more built up in terms of rail and do the other side countryside style.

Edited February 13, 2015 by mwsteele

[katoftw]

You good at making reversing block sections?

 

None of your example have a complete full loop unless you run multiple throttle with zones isolated from eachother.

[mwsteele]

Sorry I haven't done that much research on reversing blocks... Can you tell me what parts on my layout would need one? Also, is there anyway I could make it a bit better?

[railsquid]

You appear to have two... Trace the lines round and it's where the lines reconnect but the train is now facing the opposite direction. Electrically a pain to deal with. Here's some more info. With the kind of space you have, a "folded dogbone" loop might make sense, as it gives you a nice long run even in a small space (my current setup has a single such loop in 180cm x 90cm space and the loop works out at around 9 metres).

 

As it happens I'm in the process expanding my layout into a similar size to yours, I'll an update to my layout thread when I manage to get round to it.

[katoftw]

As above explained. Use your finger and trace the tracks. If you find yourself going over the same piece of track, but in a opposite direction, then it will be complicated as you are adding isolators and reversing blocks/section.

[E6系]

Hello Mr MWSteele,

 

Your track plan reminds me of this:

 

[railsquid]

BTW the above is the "folded dogbone" type I mentioned.

[cteno4]

Folded dogbones are great to pack a lot of action of trains running on essentially a loop without feeling like a loop. Only downside is a lot of curves, which unless wider radiuses can make many trains look a little funky.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[kvp]

Beside getting a nice looking trackplan i think it's good to plan for operations. Like what goes where on which route, which train will wait at which platform. This way it's possible to plan a layout that allows more than a single train out on the line. It's also possible to design layouts that support multiple power packs, so multiple trains can run at the same time. Usually this is done with multiple loops in various shapes. (the folded dogbone above is a folded double loop for two controllers and up to 4 trains on the main)

[katoftw]

Saw this one this morning:- http://www.katomodels.com/unitrackplan/plan_N2_89.shtml

 

Lots of places to do some switching, both freight and passenger. Add a few S64 magnetic uncouplers throughout the yards and 5th platform.

[cteno4]

The other nice thing about a folded dog one or folded figure 8 is that with a little bit of obstructive scenery you can't easily tell where the trains go so it really gets you out of the loop d loop mode and makes the trains feel like the travel a greater distance between stations than the really do.

 

Jeff

[mwsteele]

Thanks for the great suggestions guys! E6, that folded dog bone looks like something I would like! Thanks I think I may do that, and Kato FTW, that layout you put up looks awesome and I would love to do something like that. Too bad it's too big though and I can't see how I could make it smaller without sacrificing some of the straight sections of track which I think would make doing scenery a lot more difficult. Once I get some track pieces I can always experiment too.

 

I was also looking at possibly going DCC. I found lots of information that the Shinkansen and communter trains by Kato are good for DCC but I would like to run some freight as well. Are there drop in or easy decoders for the Kato freight trains that anyone knows about?

 

Also, Cteno4, you mentioned about scenery placement on the double dog bone, do you know of any Japanese layouts that have done this so I could look of an example of what a finished project may turn out as?

[cteno4]

Mwsteele,

 

Sorry don't have one at hand, but it just takes a few taller buildings and maybe a hillside tunnel over one corner to hep break up the layout so that folks eyes can't quickly trace the track path of the folded dogbone.

 

Only down side is that you will need to do grades. Keeping them at 2% or below is safe.

 

Jeff

[E6系]

Hello Mr mwsteele,

 

Yes, many of the Kato electric and diesel locos have the ability to swap the light board for a DCC version.  Please see this thread: http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/840-dcc-decoders-for-dcc-ready-kato-locomotives/  Sorry, but it may not contain the latest locos.  If you have a product in mind please let me know and I'll check for you.

[mwsteele]

Thanks for your help E6.

 

I was looking at the Kato EF200 that is here: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10072859

 

From your link it looks like that it can fit a decoder in there, so that's good :) 

 

Is there any better place to purchase kato track from than hobby search? I'm in Canada and the prices seem to be 200% more over here or so for the track from Canadian stores.

[gerryo]

Hi mwsteele.

 

I am also from Canada, and find that shipments from Japan come faster and are less expensive than from anywhere in Canada.

 

If we knew where you are in Canada, we might be of more help. Why keep it a secret.

 

gerryo

[mwsteele]

I'm from Halifax on the east coast, I just never updated my location yet.

[gerryo]

OK.  There is a supplier in Baltimore, which should cut down on your shipping costs.  www.modeltrainstuff.com

 

gerryo

[katoftw]

japanese shipping is cheaper than usa shipping, even if the distance is double. it is the import tariffs/vat that kill uk buyers. just weigh up your options first.

Edited February 16, 2015 by katoftw