Track Layout help

darkdaniel100

darkdaniel100

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Hello All,

Need some advice/help/thoughts on sorting a track layout for my garden. Sadly I do not have masses of space but would ideally like something that I can run some engines around / best utilise the space that I have (If possible?)

Issues:
  • I am mainly into 1:20.3 scale (99% all Bachmann spectrum with odd few LGB/USA Trains etc items) .. because of this I really need nothing smaller than a 8' diameter radius.
  • Sheds sadly cannot be moved (not at this time) so track needs to fit around them.
  • The vegetable/flowerbed needs to stay ideally I would have had the track run down to the right of the path but this does not seem possible with minimum radius issue...
3cY3Mg.jpg


I would welcome any suggestions/advice on what might work better than my initial design.. I would want to add sidings and other funky bits later but really want a nice loop to run around.

Thanks in advance!
 
Not sure about the reverse bends, might prove problematic. How where you planning to cross the paths, on the level?
 
Looks pretty good to me. You could move the left side track slightly to the right to save your veggy bed. Delete the 10610 straight at the bottom and add a reverse curve at the top left to bring the rails to the path edge. Long straights are not always the best visually, can you add a wiggle anywhere. Either on the right or bend the path a little.
 
Paul M said:
Not sure about the reverse bends, might prove problematic. How where you planning to cross the paths, on the level?
Click to expand...
Very true, a short straight is good between the curves - however short. That said, with these larger curves, it could be acceptable if space dictates that little else will work.
 
With that reverse curve, coming down from the top of the page, use 2 instead of 3 sections. Then add some straight. Coming up from the bottom of the page, do the same. You will have to slide the main right hand straight up/down until you get the straights lining up. You will probably have to 'cut to fit' the straights to make it work.
 
Gavin Sowry said:
You will probably have to 'cut to fit' the straights to make it work.
Click to expand...

Yes - never worry about cutting a bit to finish up. This is not a geometery lesson. That said, with a run like your planning, the ends can be pretty flexible and may just pull together without an problem.
 
Yes, don't be afraid to get the hacksaw out, and you can mix radii in the bends to good effect, particularly on the revers curves. I'm not sure about LGB track, but for Aristo, where I mixed 8 ft and 10 ft curves, you get 16 x 8 fts to a circle and 12 x 10 fts. This means that you get a different angle out of the curve, and allows you to be a bit more flexible in areas like getting around the corner of the shed.

And yes, as many people will tell you, get a short straight in between revers curves - I did this only by accident on the WWSR (my first attempt) so I was just lucky :rock::rock::rock:

PICT0005.JPG
 
any reason you cant run though the big shed?
it s quite easy to make removable hatches and also provides somewhere to park the trains when not being run. makes it easy to get them out too so you will run them more often I suspect.
 
I would perhaps start with the bottom-end, by the big shed.. Put a point in by the bottom left corner of the shed, and make a loop...

Nothing worse than making a start, and not having the time (or materials) to get to a stage you can 'run something' early-on..

Having said that.. Once you CAN run something, productivity on the track-laying goes out the window!
 
If you haven't bought the track yet I'd go with the flexi stuff. I'd also move down to the bottom right hand of the garden and us the space beside the shed for sidings/staging area. My layout, where the likes of Fn3 K-27/K-28's and J&S coaches roam, fits in a 12' x 24' (green area) excluding the siding area. I use a mix of flexi and set track. You can get quite creative in such an area. See plan below. Max

20170813_190201.jpg 20170813_165215.jpg 20170813_190449.jpg West+Well+Railroad[1].jpg
 
Last edited:
adverse camber,Yesterday at 3:47 PM
any reason you cant run though the big shed?
it s quite easy to make removable hatches and also provides somewhere to park the trains when not being run. makes it easy to get them out too so you will run them more often I suspect.

I was going to say the same !:)
 
Thanks all for the great suggestions and advice (Flexi track sounds awesome!) .

I believe (if I have understood) layout might be better as either one of the following?

Option 1 (avoiding cutting holes in shed)

The space to the left of the shed currently is not used and very over grown.. My thoughts are sidings etc could be added around this area.
mDZXIv.jpg

Option 2:

Curve goes through shed? - only downside I see about this is that It would consume a lot of the shed floor space?

mZ1G8B.jpg


At this stage I am using anyrail to give me an idea of what will fit in space (I have never used it before so learning as I go). If anyone wants to play around with my layout for me the file is here on my dropbox account: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5lre2lj73t4x3ag/GardenLine.any?dl=0


Really appreciating all the help ! :)
 
The only "downside" with flexi-track is that you will need a rail bender (some shops will hire you one). Don't try the round the belly method of rail bending, it's a false economy. Beauty of flexi is you can create more natural "progressive" curves that can more accurately meet your needs and flow into straights. That and you can chop it into any length you want. LGB's is made in 1.5 metre lengths. Have fun creating and running your dream. Mine started as a simple oval 13 years ago and progressed to its present form shown some 4 years ago. and not a bit of track has been wasted. Max
 
darkdaniel100 said:
Thanks all for the great suggestions and advice (Flexi track sounds awesome!) .

I believe (if I have understood) layout might be better as either one of the following?

Option 1 (avoiding cutting holes in shed)

The space to the left of the shed currently is not used and very over grown.. My thoughts are sidings etc could be added around this area.
mDZXIv.jpg

Option 2:

Curve goes through shed? - only downside I see about this is that It would consume a lot of the shed floor space?

mZ1G8B.jpg


At this stage I am using anyrail to give me an idea of what will fit in space (I have never used it before so learning as I go). If anyone wants to play around with my layout for me the file is here on my dropbox account: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5lre2lj73t4x3ag/GardenLine.any?dl=0


Really appreciating all the help ! :)
Click to expand...
Option 1 looks good.

Flexi track's OK, but you need to keep in mind the actual radius that you're bending it to - again, 8ft is a good minimum if you have the space to keep to it.

As for belly bending, I've found it easier than using a rail bender - albeit that the rail bender was second hand and so was the flexi :devil::devil:
 
I like option 1.
Flex track is greatr for gentle curves but not so good for sharper ones - for smooth sharper curves set track is probably smoother.
 
darkdaniel100 said:
Thanks all for the great suggestions and advice (Flexi track sounds awesome!) .

I believe (if I have understood) layout might be better as either one of the following?

Option 1 (avoiding cutting holes in shed)

The space to the left of the shed currently is not used and very over grown.. My thoughts are sidings etc could be added around this area.
mDZXIv.jpg

Option 2:

Curve goes through shed? - only downside I see about this is that It would consume a lot of the shed floor space?

mZ1G8B.jpg


At this stage I am using anyrail to give me an idea of what will fit in space (I have never used it before so learning as I go). If anyone wants to play around with my layout for me the file is here on my dropbox account: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5lre2lj73t4x3ag/GardenLine.any?dl=0


Really appreciating all the help ! :)
Click to expand...
Some kind of link to indoor space is a pre-requisite to a Garden Railway something that I did not learn on my earler lines which resulted in them not being used as much as they should have been. You can always have staging above the lines to store glop in. As for Track certainly use Flex on straights and as Alan Stockers says Set Track for Curves, you will get better, smother and more reliable running that way.
JonD
 
In the top right of your plan .. how much space is there between the fence and the shed?
You could come in thru the back of the shed to free up some floor space.

I think it should go thru the shed .. a train sitting inside ready to go will see more action as to having to hall it out and setup .. ;)
 
Thanks again all - Ill def look to either have a line running into shed or incorporating part of the curve to go through the shed.

One more quick (hopefully not really stupid) question....

When it comes to points/switches does the minimum radius apply? If locos/rolling stock needs an 8ft diameter radius can I get away using radius 3 points if they go off to straight lengths (sidings) ?
 
darkdaniel100 said:
When it comes to points/switches does the minimum radius apply? If locos/rolling stock needs an 8ft diameter radius can I get away using radius 3 points if they go off to straight lengths (sidings) ?
Click to expand...
I am confused by your term diameter radius here? Radius is half the diameter.

So if your diameter is 8 ft then LGB R3 points and curves will be fine as they are also 8 ft diameter, or in terms of radii, 4 ft.

If you are using PIKO track, their 8 ft diameter is R5.

Easy to be caught out....
 
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