Ideas please.

S

Sarah Winfield

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After my abortive exploration of reverse loops and now my layout is basically a round cornered (R1 curves) oblong I wonder if members might offer some ideas please?

As I said my layout is rectangular measuring 2.8m x 5.2m. I have a terminus, it's actually just a single line with passing loop for locomotive release parallel with the 5.2m side And I'm thinking about something similar on the opposite side. Thus my trains would seem to start from somewhere and travel to somewhere else. I can vary the journey time simply by increasing or decreasing the number of circuits.

I would like to increase the length of travel a train goes. I have been thinking of an "omega loop". It would branch off the 5.2m side, travelling into the centre and returning back to the line it leaves. I think this also alleviates any need for DPDT switches.

Bearing in mind I only have R1 curves plus straights have members thoughts please on what I might be able to achieve in my limited space?

Many thanks,

Sarah Winfield
 
1530780561428.png

First step up from the basic oval, the kidney shaped oval.
All R1 geometry. Now, to get this shape you are going to have to custom cut two straight pieces (or you may be lucky and have some the right length).
These custom cut lengths are two equal lengths, and go one each side of the R1 curve, which in this photo, is under the loco and first car. Best way I can offer in
setting this out, is to lay the back straight temporarily longer than it needs to be, so that it crosses over the track seen here under cars two and three.
These should cross at an angle of 30°. Then grab your piece of R1 curve, lay the 5th sleeper over where the straights intersect, and line up the rails, and then mark off your cuts on those straights.
I actually 'did it proper like' by doing measurements and calculations (which is what I do for a job in any case).... but, I'm trying to keep it simple.
Now, good thing with R1, is that you can take out any piece, and replace it with a turnout, either straight road, or curved.
In this shot, car 3 is on the straight, and 5 is on the curved road of the turnouts, actually one leg of a triangle.......... but, we'll leave this for once you get up and running with stage 1.
 
Last edited:
Sarah Winfield said:
After my abortive exploration of reverse loops and now my layout is basically a round cornered (R1 curves) oblong I wonder if members might offer some ideas please?

As I said my layout is rectangular measuring 2.8m x 5.2m. I have a terminus, it's actually just a single line with passing loop for locomotive release parallel with the 5.2m side And I'm thinking about something similar on the opposite side. Thus my trains would seem to start from somewhere and travel to somewhere else. I can vary the journey time simply by increasing or decreasing the number of circuits.

I would like to increase the length of travel a train goes. I have been thinking of an "omega loop". It would branch off the 5.2m side, travelling into the centre and returning back to the line it leaves. I think this also alleviates any need for DPDT switches.

Bearing in mind I only have R1 curves plus straights have members thoughts please on what I might be able to achieve in my limited space?

Many thanks,

Sarah Winfield
Click to expand...
What we used to do on our 16mm Club Layout was to run between somewhere and somewhere but that somewhere was the same station!

How this may work for you would be to have a 3 Track Station. Outer track is say Towyn. Middle track is used for running round and a through line. Inner Track would be Agergegynolwyn. If you have any points left you could make a passing loop at the other end of the Garden to represent the other stations in between.

Now you leave Towyn (oute Track) do 1 loop via the middle line stop at the other loop and you are at Pendre. Carry on for 3 loops and you are at Rhyydronen. Carrythis on for 3 loops between each station till you get to Abeerg (inner Track) run round and do the same but in reverce till you get to Towyn again. If you had your second Station near your Kitchen door you could propell the first and lastvTrain between there and Towyn just as they do on the TR.

Of course you may have a diferent line you wish to emulate but I used the TR as an example. Save you building longer loops etc.
 
I found when I first started with G scale that a layout like yours but with the addition of an inner siding at either of the longer sides gave good operational opportunities. A train can start from the inner siding and travel round the oval and can then be diverted off onto the passing loop. (For what it's worth, I had the passing loop an external run.) The loco can then run round and run the journey in reverse to the inner siding.

An alternative is to have two passing loops on the same side, one internal and one external. The min oval forms the through line. On one of the passing loops you can have a set of wagons or coaches ready to run while a train runs round the main oval. When its run round enough, you can either run it into the empty passing loop, uncouple the loco and attach it to the rolling stock on the other passing loop and run that for a while, or you can run the loco round the train it has just brought in and reverse the journey. By a bit of mind play, you have two stations even though they are only separated by the running line.
 
Add a shunting puzzle in keeps the kids/adults entertained for hours. That could make one station, and gives you a couple of running options
 
Sarah, my tiny brain is working on bits of your earlier postings................

Smallish garden
Easy build, not too permanent track base
Enjoy tail chasing

So you really need to cram as much of a single line as possible, perhaps introducing some ready built obstructions, planters, garden lighthouse etc for it to run around, this way and that - introducing as much of a pointless meandering route as you can.

You may have to ignore track geometry, and fiddle the odd piece of track with hacksaw, or even a bit of curve easing (the technical term being 'belly bending'), but the aim would be to maximise the length.

I started out with about 80 ft of track and just one passing loop - I know you won't get that much track, but I was happy to sit and watch one train for a while, then stop it in the loop and run a other train in the opposite direction. That kept me happy for about 6 years until we moved.

The current idea is much the same, except that the station area has three loop tracks running through it, but the operating principle remains the same - siting with a glass of something watching the train run >:)>:)>:)>:)>:)>:)
 
My layout design is not much lager about 5.4 X 3 mtrs


full
 
About 8 inches (200 mm) ish!
You may notice the "wobbly bit" on the inner R/H curve, this is where the 900 mm radius curves I have advertised for will go, having got that far and being able to measure what the size really is.
 
Sarah Winfield said:
What is the difference in height between you tracks where they cross please, Jimmy?

SW
Click to expand...
If you want similar to what Jimmy has without the Gradients you could do similar with an X crossover, I have a 30 Degree one still on my for sale list. No problems of shorts etc it is all wired up by LGB in a similar way to the points. Almost as new never been used in a Garden.
 
JimmyB said:
My layout design is not much lager about 5.4 X 3 mtrs


full
Click to expand...
Jimmy, (sorry about thread hi-Jack and drift Sarah) I've just seen this plan, it's a good one, simple, easy to manage and good "testing" value. Also it can be expanded or probably contracted.
 
dunnyrail said:
If you want similar to what Jimmy has without the Gradients you could do similar with an X crossover, I have a 30 Degree one still on my for sale list. No problems of shorts etc it is all wired up by LGB in a similar way to the points. Almost as new never been used in a Garden.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jon, please let me know how much for the crossover including postage and I'll get a cheque to you.

Sarah
 
Paul M said:
Jimmy, (sorry about thread hi-Jack and drift Sarah) I've just seen this plan, it's a good one, simple, easy to manage and good "testing" value. Also it can be expanded or probably contracted.
Click to expand...

Basically the concept is sound, except, it does not meet Sarah's specification, which was for R1 geometry. For a 'first up' layout, I'm not too sure that complexities such as gradients etc are too good an idea.
 
Gavin Sowry said:
Basically the concept is sound, except, it does not meet Sarah's specification, which was for R1 geometry. For a 'first up' layout, I'm not too sure that complexities such as gradients etc are too good an idea.
Click to expand...
Its my first G Scale layout, and as Jon has pointed out, a crossover would mean no gradients, and the plan could easily be converted fro R1 track
 
Gavin Sowry said:
View attachment 240147

First step up from the basic oval, the kidney shaped oval.
All R1 geometry. Now, to get this shape you are going to have to custom cut two straight pieces (or you may be lucky and have some the right length).
These custom cut lengths are two equal lengths, and go one each side of the R1 curve, which in this photo, is under the loco and first car. Best way I can offer in
setting this out, is to lay the back straight temporarily longer than it needs to be, so that it crosses over the track seen here under cars two and three.
These should cross at an angle of 30°. Then grab your piece of R1 curve, lay the 5th sleeper over where the straights intersect, and line up the rails, and then mark off your cuts on those straights.
I actually 'did it proper like' by doing measurements and calculations (which is what I do for a job in any case).... but, I'm trying to keep it simple.
Now, good thing with R1, is that you can take out any piece, and replace it with a turnout, either straight road, or curved.
In this shot, car 3 is on the straight, and 5 is on the curved road of the turnouts, actually one leg of a triangle.......... but, we'll leave this for once you get up and running with stage 1.
Click to expand...
I had read that against temptation it was unwise to use the curved road of a turnout as a part of a curve. (If that is what you mean)....is that a rule just for the smaller scales?
 
JeffofSpace said:
I had read that against temptation it was unwise to use the curved road of a turnout as a part of a curve. (If that is what you mean)....is that a rule just for the smaller scales?
Click to expand...
I did it on my last layout as seen with the crossover to the right of this 'Frying Hamburger'.

No problems encountered with R1 points at all....


ff7b1657f0f248099f06ac754a77ff0d.jpg
 
JeffofSpace said:
I had read that against temptation it was unwise to use the curved road of a turnout as a part of a curve. (If that is what you mean)....is that a rule just for the smaller scales?
Click to expand...

One of the quirks of LGB turnouts, is that the curved road is exactly that, a curve. In real life most turnouts start with a straight, have a very fine angle kick along the switch, followed by a curve, then straight through the frog.
 
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