[Rheingold]

Not a complete newcomer to railway modelling (I am, after all, in my early 60's), I have decided to build a small system based on German stock. I live and work in Germany, so this makes a lot of sense. I have bought a fair amount of Fleischmann track, but need an awful lot of advice as to how to build a very small ( 1.80m x 0.80m) layout.

If you have experience of this type of situation, please let me have a layout plan (photos would be an added attraction) to let me start to build my layout. I need a good long two-way circuit, a station and a mountain or country section for my local single-line alpine section. Lots of storage space needed for rolling stock and locos, train length to be 6 to 8 IC or Rheingold coaches plus locos.

If more info is needed, just leave your question here . . . Rheingold, Feb 15, 2008

 

[goedel]

QUOTE (Rheingold @ 15 Feb 2008, 18:09) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Not a complete newcomer to railway modelling (I am, after all, in my early 60's), I have decided to build a small system based on German stock. I live and work in Germany, so this makes a lot of sense. I have bought a fair amount of Fleischmann track, but need an awful lot of advice as to how to build a very small ( 1.80m x 0.80m) layout.

If you have experience of this type of situation, please let me have a layout plan (photos would be an added attraction) to let me start to build my layout. I need a good long two-way circuit, a station and a mountain or country section for my local single-line alpine section. Lots of storage space needed for rolling stock and locos, train length to be 6 to 8 IC or Rheingold coaches plus locos.

If more info is needed, just leave your question here . . . Rheingold, Feb 15, 2008
Hello Rheingold and welcome to the forum! Having read your requirements I suspect that it is a tall order to achieve them all in such a small area if you have only one level. I would recommend a storage level underneath with tracks leading up to the main level(s). Also do you wish to fit your 8 coach IC train into the station (or just roar past?) as apropriate platforms might be touch long for the space.

I would recommend you try XTrkCad4 which is a free design model railway program which *I think* has Fleischmann Piccolo track programmed in so you can plot exactly to scale! It is best to think of the corner/end curves and decide how you will fit them in to maximise space for all your other things. You could go for the smallest Fleischmann curves to minimise the space taken up to change direction and then perhaps hide them in tunnels etc. (very original I know!). Alternatively just get a piece of graph paper and plot out your ideas, the most important thing being using correctly scaled curves, otherwise things won't join up!

 

[simonj]

As your only doing a small layout, the demo of Drail maybe easier to use (demo restricts to 50 track sections).

http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index...?showtopic=4406

 

[Rheingold]

QUOTE (goedel @ 15 Feb 2008, 20:48) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hello Rheingold and welcome to the forum! Having read your requirements I suspect that it is a tall order to achieve them all in such a small area if you have only one level. I would recommend a storage level underneath with tracks leading up to the main level(s). Also do you wish to fit your 8 coach IC train into the station (or just roar past?) as apropriate platforms might be touch long for the space.

I would recommend you try XTrkCad4 which is a free design model railway program which *I think* has Fleischmann Piccolo track programmed in so you can plot exactly to scale! It is best to think of the corner/end curves and decide how you will fit them in to maximise space for all your other things. You could go for the smallest Fleischmann curves to minimise the space taken up to change direction and then perhaps hide them in tunnels etc. (very original I know!). Alternatively just get a piece of graph paper and plot out your ideas, the most important thing being using correctly scaled curves, otherwise things won't join up!

Hello Goedel,
Many thanks to you for this very wise piece of advice. You are quite right, this "short outline" of my requirements amounts to quite a tall order! While software may indeed be the best solution, I think I will stick to graph paper and the Fleischmann plastic scale planner for my drawing. Space is a problem. Your two-level idea is excellent, and one I hadn't thought of. A good deal of experimentation is called for, so I will begin with a fairly simple layout and build from there as my experience grows. Again, sincere thanks.

 

[jag]

QUOTE (Rheingold @ 19 Feb 2008, 04:14) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hello Goedel,
Many thanks to you for this very wise piece of advice. You are quite right, this "short outline" of my requirements amounts to quite a tall order! While software may indeed be the best solution, I think I will stick to graph paper and the Fleischmann plastic scale planner for my drawing. Space is a problem. Your two-level idea is excellent, and one I hadn't thought of. A good deal of experimentation is called for, so I will begin with a fairly simple layout and build from there as my experience grows. Again, sincere thanks.

Hello Rheingold

I was in the same position as you this time last year with a space 2700 x 600mm to fill and had almost the same specification in mind. It's all been rather slow and as I'm only a few years younger than you I have found N gauge to be quite fiddly at times. The technology has also moved on a lot since I last modelled in the 1970s.

Eventually I have achieved a three level layout 0, + 40mm and +60mm, I had great difficulty constructing the ramps but with a lot of trial and error they now work fine. To make things easier I used Fleischmann setrack for the curves and flexible track everywhere else.

At the moment all the points are manual as I've yet to work out how to install the motors then operate the whole thing with Fleischmann's Twin-Center.

To further complicate things I have installed some Veissman catenary which again is quite fiddly, only about 10% of the layout is so far complete. I read various articles where modellers have installed the masts but not the pantograph wire or used fishing line instead of wire but nothing looks better than the real thing.

My next big step is to buy a non-DCC locomotive and decoder separately then install it, I'm getting very adventurous!

Our friend Godel has helped me as well, he is a mine of information so if you are there Godel, thank you very much!

Jeremy

 

[Rheingold]

QUOTE (jag @ 19 Feb 2008, 22:52) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hello Rheingold

I was in the same position as you this time last year with a space 2700 x 600mm to fill and had almost the same specification in mind. It's all been rather slow and as I'm only a few years younger than you I have found N gauge to be quite fiddly at times. The technology has also moved on a lot since I last modelled in the 1970s.

Eventually I have achieved a three level layout 0, + 40mm and +60mm, I had great difficulty constructing the ramps but with a lot of trial and error they now work fine. To make things easier I used Fleischmann setrack for the curves and flexible track everywhere else.

At the moment all the points are manual as I've yet to work out how to install the motors then operate the whole thing with Fleischmann's Twin-Center.

To further complicate things I have installed some Veissman catenary which again is quite fiddly, only about 10% of the layout is so far complete. I read various articles where modellers have installed the masts but not the pantograph wire or used fishing line instead of wire but nothing looks better than the real thing.

My next big step is to buy a non-DCC locomotive and decoder separately then install it, I'm getting very adventurous!

Our friend Godel has helped me as well, he is a mine of information so if you are there Godel, thank you very much!

Jeremy

Hello Jeremy,

This is very encouraging. Thanks for this very useful information, all of which is carefully noted and will certainly be put into practice in the coming months. Like you I find N gauge a trifle fiddly, but the space saved is, and has to be, the deciding factor. More soon, I hope.

Rheingold