Door layout

Mo-Pac Mar 29, 2020

  1. SDVike

    SDVike TrainBoard Member

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    Seeing your two layouts makes me wish that I changed to N scale. You can get so much more railroading into your space. I’m just afraid my patience wouldn’t last with all the small parts.

    I’m looking forward to seeing them grow.


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  2. Mo-Pac

    Mo-Pac TrainBoard Member

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    Mine is 45deg C317mm and 45 deg C280mm in other words it would take two of the curve pieces to make an 45 degree in the length of said length.


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  3. Mo-Pac

    Mo-Pac TrainBoard Member

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    You should see my Z scale, I am yet to make a layout for this!!


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  4. french_guy

    french_guy TrainBoard Member

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    Kato R15 is 381mm, and R13.75 is 348mm.....I understand the difference now: the inner curve on my layout is larger than the outer one on yours
    By the way, what made you decide to use Tomix and not Kato? And are Tomix tracks compatible with Kato?
     
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  5. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    French_guy, do you have a build thread for your layout?
     
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  6. french_guy

    french_guy TrainBoard Member

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    Not really....I have posted different threads about "how does it look" and "how to cut Kato tracks"....
    I have several XtrkCAD files though......
    My current layout is not exactly the one on the picture: I've removed the 15 deg crossover......I still don't know if I will re-install it, or leave it without
     
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  7. french_guy

    french_guy TrainBoard Member

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    This is the current one (for the lower level.....upper deck with yard is still in "conception/evaluation" mode.....)
    French_guy layout.JPG
     
  8. french_guy

    french_guy TrainBoard Member

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    This could be another option:
    other option.JPG
     
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  9. Mo-Pac

    Mo-Pac TrainBoard Member

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    First I was going to Tomix because of their roundhouse. I was going to put a roundhouse to the west of the yard in the center of the layout. The degree of departure from the turntable was more realistic and easier to use with multiple holding tracks. Plus walthers have a roundhouse that would match up with the Tomix , Kato doesn’t have. Unless you really modify the roundhouse.

    During the design, I was wanting to make a triple loop with a very large yard. The only way to achieve such a large yard was to use triple turnouts on both sides of the yard this is something that Kato doesn’t have. With the triple loop in mind. I was going to use their crossings with an turnout something else that Kato doesn’t have. Plus the turnouts for Kato were to large and the availability of using all manual was another plus if I went to Tomix. Yes, the triple points and the curved points are electrical. Though all I had to do was unsnap the electrical throw off underneath the switch without cutting wires or modifications.

    Due to the lack of availability of the turntable at the time. Plus I reduced the loop to a double and removed the crossing with points. Replaced it with a regular crossing.

    The other reason I was intrigued by Tomix is the availability of tracks that Kato doesn’t have. They have a greater selection for different pieces. I did look at the radius similar to what you are using. I wanted the layout to look larger and using the turntable would have been a big problem if I used the larger radius tracks on the door. Also Kato take on their similar curve tracks to Tomix would have been too short, this would have caused a lot of overhang from larger cars as they would have traveled around the curves. I used the NMRA minimum recommended turns as a reference. Plus Kato double tracks couldn’t work with the loop. Without a lot of modifications or the use of flex tracks. Also I don’t like how high the ballast is on the Kato. Not too realistic for the era I am in.

    I know that Kato has a connecting track piece for the Tomix tracks. Some of the other modelers confuse it to work with the atlas tracks. Yes, it will work for Atlas tracks, although it is made to connect with the Tomix tracks. Tomix is a lot larger company than Kato and is widely used in Japan over Kato.

    Here’s a great link to compare the two different tracks.
    http://www.trainweb.org/tomix/track/tomix_track_systems.htm


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    Last edited: Mar 21, 2021
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  10. french_guy

    french_guy TrainBoard Member

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    I like their triple turnouts.....as well as their electromagnetic crossovers
     
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  11. Shortround

    Shortround TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for the info. I may have to find out if it's available locally. Is it also available for HO?
     
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  12. Mo-Pac

    Mo-Pac TrainBoard Member

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    Hey Shortround
    It would be hard to find Tomix tracks locally. There’s a few dealers in the USA that sells it. Best thing to do is to shop online from the Japanese websites. I use Banzai hobbies and Plaza Japan. Plaza has an eBay store. They are a lot cheaper than the American stores. Plus they deal directly with Tomix. They are solely N scale.


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    Last edited: Mar 22, 2021
  13. french_guy

    french_guy TrainBoard Member

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    I realize I laid my track on some sheets of cork (didn't want to dent the foam too much when I was optimizing the layout)....
    But now the design is pretty much final, I may need to take it apart, remove the cork, and think about gluing the Kato tracks on the foam......such a pain !
     
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  14. Mo-Pac

    Mo-Pac TrainBoard Member

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    This was another thing that I avoided whenever I had chosen Tomix tracks. Cork roadbed was the cat’s meow back in the day. With the plastic bed apart of the tracks, I did want to elevate it to make it look too high.


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  15. Mo-Pac

    Mo-Pac TrainBoard Member

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    I was able to finally to score the six pack Kadee micro trains RMDX reefers with the Missouri Pacific and Wabash logos. I shouldn’t have passed them up at Timonium train show back in the early 2000’s. Plus I received a trainworx Missouri Pacific gondola and a roller for making pavers for the road on my layout, which came from France. My cat Jenks(named after Downing Jenks the late president of the MoPac)is checking out the new items that I received. He loves watching the trains go around. I might have to keep the center of the layout barren. He will sit there sometimes. No, he doesn’t knock over the train or rolling stock that sits in the yard. He tries to be very careful wile walking across the layout.
     

    Attached Files:

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  16. french_guy

    french_guy TrainBoard Member

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    I did some tweaking on mine......I will most likely need to cut a track to size (at the bottom right)
    Not sure if I will keep the turnout where it is on the top of the return loop though.......
    n scale final.JPG
     
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  17. Mo-Pac

    Mo-Pac TrainBoard Member

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    I received my 120 trees from Wish today. I got busy and put them all into place.
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  18. Mo-Pac

    Mo-Pac TrainBoard Member

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    I received my 120 trees from Wish today. I got busy and put them all into place.
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  19. Mo-Pac

    Mo-Pac TrainBoard Member

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    Well here’s a small update on my layout. I added about 20 more smaller trees and placed grade crossings in two of the locations. Yes, those are straight grade crossings in a curve. I formed the smaller outside pieces with my hands without breaking them. The interior pieces were not causing any problems with the cars in the crossing.
    I am now waiting for the order of road pieces for the layout and will have to order some more grade crossings for a different location. Here’s the results so far.

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  20. Mo-Pac

    Mo-Pac TrainBoard Member

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    New addition to my layout. Hey, My town people are thirsty and and the same with my locomotives.
    [​IMG]


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