Fiddle Yard for small layout

9295 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by alastairq, Dec 9, 2008

Locoman1

Discussion Starter · Dec 8, 2008

Hi!

I have recently moved to university and am looking to begin building a small (4'x1.5' plus fiddle yard) layout over the hols

I will be using a plan along the lines of the attachment below.

I want to have a 'turntable' style fiddle yard and was wondering if anyone had any ideas about how to build one - i have found very little about it on the internet! Bearing in mind that I have 3 weeks to do baseboards, wiring (for dcc), track work etc. before returning to uni in 3 weeks! (I have nothing else planned!) Then I can do the scenery and 'play' when i get back to uni!

I will be using 'fibre board' mounted on a base for the baseboard, unless anyone has any better ideas! I also could do with some advice on wiring peco point motors - i have order 5 point motors and a cdu, and intend to use a power supply that I have at home!

Thanks

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ebaykal

· #2 · Dec 8, 2008

You might find some interesting ideas here:

http://carendt.us/microplans/index.html

Also you can try doing the "Timesaver" type of layout, will give you lots of head scratching time of how to shunt in the Uni.

http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/

Baykal

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barrymx5

· #3 · Dec 9, 2008

Baykal - Thanks for the tip on the micro layout website. Fascinating!
Locoman my own feeling is that with the delicate super detailing that is now available on RTR, you need to avoid layouts that involve any more handling than necessary. Cassettes seem a good way to go.
Good luck with uni and the layout.

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alastairq

· #4 · Dec 9, 2008

Have a look out for the layout design plans of Barry Norman.

He strongly favoured sector plate access for hidden sidings...often the siding were effectively a kick-back layout off the sector plate, behind the rear scenery.

A sector plate is easy to arrange, simplest for being a thin ply or other sheet, about as wide as a bit of track, pivotted at the outer end [ a simple screw is adequate].....thus linking the layout exit road to sidings laid out behind the rearmost scenics....[in kickback fashion]

A sector plate can also contain more than one road.....simple geometric practicing [playing around] will arrive at track alignments.......and is useful in that it utilises space solely for the length of the train......no hassles with turnout clearances, eetc.

It has an advantage over a turntable or traverser in that it needs little or no extra space to either swing...or travel across....ie it wont stick out beyond the overall perimeter of the layout.

its disadvantage is that it doesn't turn complete trains as a turntable does......but then, neither does a traverser.

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