I'm new here on the forum, but I've been over at Atlas for a while, decided to branch out cause I'm not getting much feedback. My plan fits in 4'x18", uses code 55 Atlas flex, and tentatively handmade #6 switches, and one handmade #3 wye, if I can work out the purchase, cause I'm too scared to lay my own, hah. If I cant work it out, I'll use atlas #5s, and a 2.5 wye. The line running the full length is the main, and will have cassette connections on either end of the layout. I'll be modeling somewhere in Conrail territory, modern day, so pretty imaginary. If I had to give it a location, I'd say my hometown in NC, Mt Olive! (Home of Mt Olive Pickles, btw) But you obviously wouldn't have ever seen much Conrail this far south. Which brings up the problem of availability, will I have trouble acquiring code 55 turnouts? It appears to me they're somewhat unavailable. But anywho, I've written some notes on the layout as far as industry and what each siding will hold. Give me some feedback guys! Jon
I think that will get you an nice little start with the cassettes you mentioned. I'd stick with the Atlas 55, and go with the 7s, rather than the 5s. For longer modern equipment it'll look better, especially if you were thinking of handlaying 6s. Atlas turnouts are pretty readily available around my area. I'd search some of the major online hobby shops.
Well, I was going to use 6s to save a little space, cause I'm REALLY pressed for it already, being a college student moving around little apartments. Not so much the space in the house but being able to transport the layout. I'll play around with xtrkcad and use 7s and see how much space I'll have. Thanks!
I agree you only have 4' and #6 will work. I will be building a 1 x 8' ISL and will be using Peco's medium switch to gain room..
Looks like there'll be plenty of action. Having "off-layout" connections at both ends opens up many possibilities. A good start, I'd say. I would also agree with the switch number change. If possible, you will be happier. As is it will work, if unable to fit in other size switches- But please do take a look at the idea. Welcome to TrainBoard! Boxcab E50
I made a quick transition to 7s, and it doesn't seem to make hardly any space difference. And the 7s are a TON cheaper too, which is a pretty big deal seeing as I need 6 turnouts and a wye. And this way, it's all the same brand. Thanks for the suggestion guys! Now what I really need to figure out is how to build the cassettes. I'm hopefully starting construction of this as soon as I can get back home to my existing HO setup, which I only laid a little bit of track on, and that's it. But I'm going to scavenge what I already have, tear down the benchwork and cut it to size, and use the Homasote base. Anyone have any experience with putting scenery down on Homasote?
I don't know much about track or turnout selections. I do have one tiny consideration. Most of your spurs appear to be curved. That may make it difficult to couple / uncouple. Looks great, have fun.
Actually uncoupling is the easy part-use a magnet to uncouple and shove the car(s) to spot. As far as curves..Seems with truck mounted couplers there isn't much of a problem-basing that on my limited dining room table top switching layouts with curves.
Yup, those spurs are curved, with the exception of the intermodal track. But, I read a good rule of thumb on ldsig that says a curve 5x the length of the car will provide for minimal fiddling with couplers, and those curves are easily more than that.
Here some suggestions for your layout. If your planning on this moving a lot, you want to keep the layout light. Homasote is a very heavy material and requires framework to keep it from sagging. Making it even heavier. But if you insist on using a paper product think about a 2x4 ceiling tile. Think about insulating foam. The stores around Atlanta sell it in 2x4 foot pieces. It is much lighter and very rigid. I've used a piece of 1/4 inch cabinet grade plywood laminated to 1/2 inch foam. I travel with it between Chicago and Atlanta in my car. I've also built layouts on foamcore board without any other support. A common way to make cassettes is to use two aluminum Ls with the bottoms of the two pieces spaced 9mm apart. These are attached to either wood or plexiglass. The lower edge is like a rack and the sides protect the cars when they tip over.
I have a 6-foot piece of 1" thick by 12" wide shelving with pink foam glued to the top. It's fairly easy to pick up & move around, so a 4-foot shelf should be even easier. Plus, with the foam top, if you want to cut in stuff like drainage ditches, it'll be easier than with Homasote.
When discussing portability, you can take a look at this layout. Just layout - TrainBoard.com It's build inside a gun case. The inside measurements are 15" wide by 52" long - a tad longer than your design. Someone mentioned a ceiling tile. That is the base for this layout, just inside the case. Closed, this layout is 15" by 52" and just 4.5" tall - and completely protected.
Sam is correct, but to clarify, I wasn't trying to promote its sale. I was just sharing the concept (its sold anyway). Given that he wants to have cassettes that can attach at either end, a case may not work the best for him. But its amazing what you can fit in a small space. and there are advantages to a case if you're going to be setting it up, taking it down, and storing it alot. Just a thought, but what about cutting spaces out of the end of the case where the cassettes could attach? Best of luck with your idea!
Yea, the cassettes are really a pretty big point in my mind, just so I can run a large variety of rolling stock over the layout. And I dunno if a gun case would be the best. While I was sleeping, I got some pretty good ideas. Since the layout is small, but modeling several plants that would be MUCH larger than the space given, especially the pickle plant, I will build sky walls on 3 sides of the layout so as to "add" to the perspective, and make the cassette connections disguised probably as portals through a building or something.
Thats a neat idea. There are many British layouts designed that way. I've heard it compared to a stage play where the locomotives and rolling stock appear on stage(the sceniced part of the layout), do their work, then exit the stage.
Huh, hadn't really thought about it that way, but that's the concept, like a stage and behind the curtains are the cassettes, waiting to throw in their actors. And Grey, take a look at ldsig.org's wiki, they have some pretty good stuff for design.
Jon, that layout looks like a whole lot of fun, especially with cassettes. My layout is planned with cassettes, but I don't get to see a lot of layouts that use them. May I suggest that you also plan your businesses, yards, and so forth, and draw them into the plan? I found when I was planning my layout that even though I thought I was done, when I put the businesses in I realized I wanted to change things around a little more. It kind of helps you visualize the layout and helps you think about what you want your trains to do.
Yeah, the cassettes are pretty exciting, I just need to figure out how to make them. And the businesses shouldn't be too hard, I'm planning on scratch-building most of the pickle plant, and I'm a platform will fit in with the passenger track. The intermodal facility is just going to be some sort of piggy packer type thing, and a small parking-lot type area, and the scrap-metal business in the top will really just be a crane and some sort of warehouse building, quite possibly scratch-built as well.
