Great experiment with the two curves! I think people often forget that steam locos can overhang significantly more than coaches because of where the pony truck is located! I've gone for streamline distances on the straights, but have eased the curves to be slightly further away from each other to more like setrack distances as I'll be running Mk3 coaches, which obviously have a bigger overhang! All the best, Ian.
Rather than move the chimney breast track, I would fill in with baseboard and use it for scenery. I have similar restrictions on space and have committed myself to a station layout with platform 1 backing against the wall because I set my minimum radius to 300 mm. I wish I could have left room for the gas works and gas holder! Good to see you back on line again.
If you are worried about clearance on curves, simply increase the radius of the outer curve. Regarding the area that used to be taken up by a chimney breast, don't change your track alignment -- simply add in scenery.
In the new room you should change the wall color from white to a sky blue. You could start the blue at deck height and go to the ceiling if you think you would need to repaint later. At this point you have an opportunity to create what is called "coved" corners. Cut some plywood corner brackets that are curved facing into the room. Fasten those into the corner from deck height to the ceiling. 3 or 4 in each corner should do. Using hardboard, you soak it in Windex with ammonia D. Then push the hardboard into those corner brackets. Fasten the hardboard to the brackets. Then blend the board to the wall, sand and paint. You just got rid of the harsh corners and the background now blends well with the layout. Just an idea.
I saw Ron (ronstrainsandthings) showing how to bend hardboard / HDF with windex / ammonia. I do not think I would put curves in the actual room as the layout needs to be portable, but will look into it when I get to doing back scenes.
Hi Phil. From what I can see you have a really nice house in a nice area (may I be rude and ask if you have bought or rented?). Only my opinion, of course, but I think a container would be rather unsightly at your current property. Some good stuff is going on with your new track plan. You used your longest loco for the track spacing - I assume you did the same for your coaches. Did you allow for possibly longer coaches in the future?
Yes, it is a nice house - needs a bit of work, but that will happen. Area is not what you imagine it to be. The 20ft shipping container idea will probably not happen in this property - partly for the reasons you mention, but also it is a difficult property to deliver a container to. However, the key point is I am keeping the design with a shipping container in mind for the future. The only thing consistent on my layout is all the rolling stock will have the letters LMS on it. With that in mind I am unlikely to have MK3 or above coaches.
Veey unlikely I will use modern outline. I am modeling around 1930s /1940s. I.know what you mean about keeping scenery, however it is important that the trains run! The curve in question will in fact be in a tunnel, so scenery ca go kn top!
Great experiment with the two curves! I think people often forget that steam locos can overhang significantly more than coaches because of where the pony truck is located! I've gone for streamline distances on the straights, but have eased the curves to be slightly further away from each other to more like setrack distances as I'll be running Mk3 coaches, which obviously have a bigger overhang! All the best, Ian.
Rather than move the chimney breast track, I would fill in with baseboard and use it for scenery. I have similar restrictions on space and have committed myself to a station layout with platform 1 backing against the wall because I set my minimum radius to 300 mm. I wish I could have left room for the gas works and gas holder! Good to see you back on line again.
If you are worried about clearance on curves, simply increase the radius of the outer curve.
Regarding the area that used to be taken up by a chimney breast, don't change your track alignment -- simply add in scenery.
In the new room you should change the wall color from white to a sky blue. You could start the blue at deck height and go to the ceiling if you think you would need to repaint later. At this point you have an opportunity to create what is called "coved" corners. Cut some plywood corner brackets that are curved facing into the room. Fasten those into the corner from deck height to the ceiling. 3 or 4 in each corner should do. Using hardboard, you soak it in Windex with ammonia D. Then push the hardboard into those corner brackets. Fasten the hardboard to the brackets. Then blend the board to the wall, sand and paint. You just got rid of the harsh corners and the background now blends well with the layout. Just an idea.
I saw Ron (ronstrainsandthings) showing how to bend hardboard / HDF with windex / ammonia. I do not think I would put curves in the actual room as the layout needs to be portable, but will look into it when I get to doing back scenes.
Hi Phil. From what I can see you have a really nice house in a nice area (may I be rude and ask if you have bought or rented?). Only my opinion, of course, but I think a container would be rather unsightly at your current property. Some good stuff is going on with your new track plan. You used your longest loco for the track spacing - I assume you did the same for your coaches. Did you allow for possibly longer coaches in the future?
Yes, it is a nice house - needs a bit of work, but that will happen. Area is not what you imagine it to be.
The 20ft shipping container idea will probably not happen in this property - partly for the reasons you mention, but also it is a difficult property to deliver a container to. However, the key point is I am keeping the design with a shipping container in mind for the future.
The only thing consistent on my layout is all the rolling stock will have the letters LMS on it. With that in mind I am unlikely to have MK3 or above coaches.
Are you ever going to use mk4 or 5 rolling stock? Personally, I would just fill the space in for scenery and not alter the track work.
Veey unlikely I will use modern outline. I am modeling around 1930s /1940s.
I.know what you mean about keeping scenery, however it is important that the trains run! The curve in question will in fact be in a tunnel, so scenery ca go kn top!
@naivegauge if doing all this will aid in better running, then go for it. It's so important that trains run smoothly and without derailing. 👍
I alway wonder who uses to clean the windows from the inside and how he/she is supposed to do that while the layout is in front of the windows.