I need some advice for my track layout

[Xris]

Hi Exa,

lucky you! I'll need to build my railway on 2-4 levels all around the perimeter of our appartment's corridor (11500 mm x 1900 mm) - at an elevation of 2000 mm above the doors. Currently, I am looking for a nice wall mounting system using bars and consoles to hold the board segments. After that, I'll need to construct two mobile platforms/stages before I can start working on the track...

Xris

[Exa]

True Xris, Lucky me! The project progresses. The carpenter who have to do other works has gone for a cost estimate. This is quite acceptable and the budget for the train table does not weigh heavily in the deal (less than 10%). I will get the final price this weekend but it is sure that it is already accepted!

So I'll have a table of 5000 x 1300 mm for my Lego trains. No more compact circuit, but a big track!

BTW, I just buy the red cargo train.

PS : Xris : I will follow your project. Did you already have some idea?

Edited July 23, 2014 by Exa

[Xris]

Hello Exa,

PS : Xris : I will follow your project. Did you already have some idea?

I just found a munufacturer who offers a wall-shelf system consisting of U-profile steel rails and steel consoles. You can fix the rails vertically to the wall and mount consoles in arbitrary heights on them. They provide consoles with widths 300, 400, 480, 600 mm which is nice, however I would prefer getting some 800 mm consoles for my station segments. While this solution would be highly flexible, it would cost me about 1.300 EUR just for the mounting system . In addition to this, I need to build segment plates from plywood on a frame of wooden ledges, covered with footfall sound insulation in order to limit noise transfer from the running trains to the walls.

[Exa]

Hi there. I got good news : I sign in. The less good news is about time. The carpenter can only comes during septembre for the whole stuff. But he tells me he will try to come before just for train table and one special console (to hide a blade radiator).

[Exa]

Hello !

Later than expected, here is my brand new lego train table. It's 5000 mm long and 1350 mm depth.

I plan to build this track on friday.

I will post picture tomorrow.

[Exa]

It was not easy to take picture today. But here is my track with the *ICE* waiting for the future passanger station.

On this side, it will be the cargo area.

[kieran]

Looks really nice alreday, you must be really happy with this area to work in

[KringlesBricks]

Thats one nice looking table. If you have the modulars, it's a great layout to do one long street of them in that big open space. I like how you created a long stretch of track, too.

[Redimus]

So jelly right now... :P

[zephyr1934]

Looks like a good start and I like the idea of the passenger train having to wait for the arrival of a station.

While I never had such a nice table, it does remind me of the days when each time I built a new car I tried to find a spot for it on my layout. Those days are long gone. Be careful to also have enough storage to put your built trains that you are not running (which it looks like you might have both in and behind the cabinets)

[Scheemdalegotrain]

This is starting to look lie a really interesting lay out! I like your main station area and the connecting track on the inner loop, a very clever way to allow you to change the direction of your trains.... What scenery are you planning? I'd put a eye-catching row of buildings in the spaece between the two track of your main line in the upper part of the lay out. Keep us posted on your progress and brick on, Exa!

[Exa]

Hi there !

Yep Scheemdalegotrain, the main street will be in from left to right in the inner. On the right side, it will be the cargo area.

I need some more advices about my track layout. Here is the one I was planning first (current one is temporary) but the station platform are a bit too shorts. So I have to place the switch more on the right. I also prefer to have a straigh part before the first station switch (bottom left). A straight track is far better than a curve for the reversing loop. It allow to place a lot of switchs for additionnal parcking tracks. There will be a bridge on the red rectangle location but it's not very important for now.

I draw a few different ways to solve the *issue*. On the followings, the satation area and the lefet part of the layout is perfect for me. Only the right inner track changes. Witch one is the best according to you ? I think last one is not good because tracks are too close. First is nice but some space is wasted between inner and outer tracks. Third is laso fine even if the reversing track is not straigh. Perhaps some flex tracks can help to straighten but I prefer avoid them.

[jrathfon]

Number 2 is the cleanest!

[detjensrobert]

I agree. #2 seems to be the best option of the 4.

[Exa]

Thanks for advices.

Today, stations has arrived ! I will place them side to side to have a larger one.

[Exa]

Hello,

I'm working on my bridge. It will not be very high. I choose a light slope : 2 plates per track. Pylons have an articulation to fit the track angle.

[Exa]

Here is some picts to show WIP.

I have removed the bridge due to some noise problem. The small angle between tracks where slope ends at bridge side creates two little bumps and it's very noisy when train run over it. I will post a pict to explain it better.

[leg01982]

your space and layout is fantastic. your so lucky! keep up the good work

[Rumpelmuck]

Great work! Looks very nice. Your layout idea inspired me for a small exhibition.

I don't know why,but maybe I'm too stupid to post a link . Look at brickself.com for a folder called "MEC Hadamar"

Cheers

Thomas

Edited November 17, 2014 by Rumpelmuck

[Exa]

I find it ! http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=488316

Glad to know that my layouts help. Your pictures will also help me to set the city. :)

[zephyr1934]

I have removed the bridge due to some noise problem. The small angle between tracks where slope ends at bridge side creates two little bumps and it's very noisy when train run over it. I will post a pict to explain it better.

That is probably the "buffers with plows" rubbing against the rails. If that is indeed the cause you could probably keep the bridge make the sound go away be swapping the buffers with plows for normal buffers or sanding them down a little bit on the bottom.

[fred67]

I'm really jealous of your space and great train layout! The storage space underneath is a double bonus.

[Legononymous]

It's there an app for phones that allows you to put in the number of straight and curved tracks you have and shows you all the options you can make? Would be helpful.

[Exa]

Hello,

@ zephyr1934: Here's a close-up picture of the source of noise on my bridge. The arrows illustrate the shoulders resulting in a difference of inclination between the ramp and the horizontal bridge. The bumps are not very high but with 2 off them on each rail on each side of the bridge, it's really annoying. The only way to solve this looks like removing a small part on each track with sandpaper...

@ fred67 : thanks ! :)

@ Legononymous : I don't any app or software able to do it. I like to spend some time to draw layouts. BlueBricks tells how many of each part you need for a layout but did not create any layout by itself.

[BrickBuff]

Have you considered a layout over multiple levels? It's a great way to increase playability and track length on a modest surface?