help on control & isolation

I should say that my knowledge of n gauge is limited but I assume the same principles apply as for OO.

From the picture, it looks like the only place you are looking to isolate is the ends of the sidings.

The exact placement of the isolators depends on the use, if you are just ferrying short freights about then it may be more useful to have the isolators nearer the entrance to the siding, or have multiple isolators, as, in real life, drivers will only take trains as far as necessary and, to be honest, it could be tedious running them all that way if you don't need to. Also, if you are running the trains to the end, the isolator could be placed slightly nearer the entrance as it would require less exact parking.

The positions of the power supplys seem okay for the layout.

It seems as though you have a set of points where you want to put the station, is there a reason you think they should be there? Generally there are only points at a station if there needs to be. Perhaps some of your trains stop there and head back, but if not, do you need them?

You should also consider how many trains you intend to use, because they have to go somewhere at the end of the day, and if it is fiddly to get them out it will only end in you using them less. Also there doesn't appear to be a way to stable trains in the anti-clockwise direction.

Also, if you want you layout to look like a real railway as opposed to a model railway, great care should be paid to the whereabouts of scenery. Always remember that the railway goes through the scenery not the other way round. Equally, the railway serves the community, so the station will be as close to the town/village it serves as possible, although some stations have moved.

A good example of this would be Arlesey on the East Coast Main Line (ECML). The original station was quite close to the centre of the village, but it was closed and subsequently demolished. Later, a new station was built but because new residential buildings had been built on the old site, the station was rebuilt at the end of the village.

QUOTE (cunnini @ 2 May 2008, 11:00) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>try again !!


Hi Ian
Sorry to ask... But what are the three rectangles?
Also are you using Insulated frog points or live frog (Electrofrog) Sorry I'm not sure on N code 55 if both are available???

Re the posted pictures, unfortunately its not really clear even when copied and pasted and then enlarged.
I would recommend, as previously stated by Tony, that you open an account (its free) with a photo hosting web site such as Photobucket Upload the drawing, then copy the URL link in the second box down below your picture"Direct Link". Back here open a new message box and select the 'Insert Image' icon. Two bracketed links will appear or you'll get a box pop up into which you enter the info needed. Here you carefully paste in the URL copied from the photo hosting site. Remove the http// which this web site places at the begining, as that will be included in the copy and paste anyway and you cant have two! Click 'Preview Post' and you should see the drawing appear, but much larger. If all is ok click 'Add Reply'.

Hope this helps?

To Cunini,

go for it and get into the kick of building railway even at 00 or n guage.

To Brian Lambert,

that is an impressive website and layout that you are working on. A real exhibition piece and shows the value meticulous planning that an experienced 1:1 railway builder 'inherits'. My layout exists in a box with my passion now directed at collecting and fixing old locomotives mostly Bachmann and European but as Irish Railways have a lot in common with UK railway (due in part to history and politics), I have a grá (pronouned 'graw' which means a 'love of') for the British Rolling Stock and collect BR stuff and GWR (as I like Green). I then occasionally set the track up and play with the trains (with my seven year old daughter).

happy modelling

onwards

Basil