I am working on a 2x4 layout and it's working title is the C&L (cheap layout) for now. This time I want to start out as simple as possible (always worked on too large a layout, 4x8, HCD), and use what I have already as I don't have much to spend on it. I want it to run forwards and backwards, and get one switching yard, spur, whatever you call it to work. I hate scenery so therefore since I have some Rio Grande loco's and some TTX I think they are called rolling stock, and a Nickel Plate Road SW9/1200 switcher. Get it I love Black and Yellow for some strange reason. I would like to use one of my pier sets I have but I can't figure it out in such a small space yet. I think I want a desert look for ease of scenery. I definitely am using the refinery as I love that thing. And be able to remove some end track to attach another 2x4 to make an L shape on the right side, if I ever make it that far. Any SCARM design help appreciated or any other ideas. I want the kid's to run it too. And be able to pack it under a bed or in the attic if needed. Anyone that is good with SCARM is welcome to send me some files as I am having trouble with grades and placing building, roads, and such in the program. Thanks for your ideas and help,
Actually it's a rock solid basic starting design, which has been around in many scales forever. As for using piers, the space is a wee bit small, but with some steep grades, it is possible. You could quickly find them more trouble than what might be gained.
Thanks, just running trains for now on it and learning for once how to do basic loco's cleaning of wheels etc...and going through the tote's to organize years of stuff. I really don't have much, except for Atlas 80 code track. I am going to take out the inner loop for now and just try for once to get a darn simple layout working with one switch/turnout and go from there. Any ideas on simple scenery, and placing, making out of scratch cheap roads, parking lots, etc...? I don't even know where to place the items to make them look right. Thanks again for your help,
Placement of scenery and structures. Hmmm. Well, you could look at aerial views of interesting areas, such as Google Earth. Maybe some upcoming sunny day, take your camera and drive around, taking a few photos. I have collected aerial views covering all of my areas of interest. Have them on a disk for reference, so I don't need to do more searching.
Added a lamp post. Is this to scale This battery operated light has been on my desk forever and hardly got used. Since the N-Scale trains got set up, I use it all the time. Still cleaning up and going through the locomotives and stock, but mainly just running trains and waiting on my simple Bachmann E-Z DCC Control System to arrive and my DCC locomotive to arrive. Looking forward to learning basic's about DCC.
I am thinking about modifying this for my 2 x 4 C & L layout. It's a SCARM (on the SCARM site) layout and that is the program I use. I won't have near the track to begin with and I have to change it to structures I have on hand, like the Conerstone refinery, houses, and all the other things I already have. I like the road setup a lot in this layout. Takes up a bunch of space so not much scenery needed. And that will be very minimum too. Basically green or brown flat. I also like the 9 3/4 radius I think it is so when my niece turns the power knob up, the loco's have a chance of staying on the layout board, or falling on it instead of the floor. Use my old loco's for her She's 3 and looks at me for permission and says "Push It", which in her mind means crank the throttle. Of course I am right next to her and hold my hand over hers so she won't get "too much" throttle hopefully. BTW, she loves the Bachmann Missile car I got years ago....as far as she is concerned it belongs to her...which it is really! I want to run trains with my niece and have a good time, that's all for now! Gonna try and modify it in the future and upload the changes.
We will do anything for more space for our trains Added another 2' x 4' section and made a very dangerous area (or drop off...had pillow in chair incase of accident ) on the temporary layout. Have to fix it, and the grade for testing, before the DCC locomotive gets here tomorrow Now I have to go look at L-Shape N-Scale plans. And learn how to use the digital camera for photo's and video.
Starting on what I call the baby benchwork for the C&L. Here are some video's of the progress so far. Want to be able to store both of them easily, under a bed or in attic, and also be able to connect the L, when I want to run longer trains, or just operate on one 2' x 4' section. Now I am think about 2x2 leg's with adjustable feet. Sound goes out in one of the video's for some reason towards the end...sorry about that! Not perfect by nay mean's, but it work's so far I need to get to the L-Shape in as much a straight line as I can, so I am thinking about using 2 90 degree crossing to achieve this...I think. Unless it messes up the main 2' x 4' section that I want to operate on alone and bring out the L-Shape when I need it. Did that make sense? Thanks everyone, In the garage: Testing the connection:
Two percent is 2 inches gained with every 100 inches of track. Or 1 inch every 50 inches. How high do you need to go? Do you have enough space available for the rise and run of such a grade?
Up and over? Doubtful with your current track arrangement. Some rough math: you want about 2 inches height, to get that on a 2% grade you need about 8 feet just to get up. Don't forget another 8 feet to get back down. If you sacrifice the two loops and go with a single mainline we could possibly get a twice around over under if you permanently attach the second piece of benchwork, or at least plan to attach it every time you run trains. Or, use a steeper grade, but then you run the risk of operation issues. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
Thanks everyone, that's kind of what I figured. Probably best anyway. Will be fewer issue's I imagine if I leave it flat. BTW, are the pier sets that I have more than 2% grade I would imagine? They are either Bachmann or Atlas. I think there are 10 pieces up and 10 down.
First off sorry about the bad photo's. In trying to figure out the best way to add the L extension on the tiny C&L, I have found a few options. The one in the photo above with the sort of S curve or the ones below which actually allow me to operate the first 2X4 section pretty much independently with a few pieces of track to be removed. I will mainly be operating on the first 2x4 section most of the time and add the L for long trains when I want too. Because of space, the L can not be connected all the time. Does the loop look strange or cause any problems in the photo's below? What I do like is it allows a straight connection to the L, and the widest radius for me on that section. Of course I'll add other track to it later, a yard, a spur, or whatever the phrases are Any ideas. Both base boards are 2' x 4' ! But I mainly want to figure out the best connection for the future and put most of my attention on the 2x4 up against the wall. Thanks for your help.
That version with an "S" curve adds a small bit of visual interest. It helps break up the track being parallel to all of the table sides. I am wondering what would happen if you pushed it further into the center, so that one straight leg becomes a long angle down to the bottom 180 degree curve.
The latest options, and the only way I can figure out how to make it to run long trains when I want too, without a Reverse Loop. The other ways I tries created a reverse loop and I do not want that. It just the curve on the 2'x4' against the wall looks strange to me at times. Any other ways I can hook up the L and prevent a reverse loop? BTW, I finally have 2 DCC locomotives running and it is awesome having them run on the same track etc... Still getting used to it and there are challenges because of the small size, but DCC is awesome, although expensive, and I am in the cheap range of DCC Any ideas appreciated,
The big problem I see is that end double curve. It looks like two trains can't pass without side swiping. Many of the problems you will find in this type of layout config have been dealt with a lot in the published layout plans from 50 years ago. This one turns the inner turn around with cross over into an extra passing siding. http://www.atlasrr.com/Code100web/images/10007.jpg I seem to be poking around at old Atlas plans a lot today.
I think I am going with something very similar to this. I might also duplicate the staging that is on the L or something like it so when I don't have the L attached I can still have my locomotives parked in the staging. I want to move the switch that connects the wall part to the L if I can. The one is the last picture, if possible. Not sure if I'll be able to make the curve connect if I move the switch forward one more spot. Tight curves for sure, but I was expecting that on such a small space.
