Hi all,
Well, yes, I did scrap the previous layout plan entirely and started over. If you did not notice the previous attempt - no worries, you did not loose anything.
About this plan? Most importantly, I am designing it in a way it fits in the car. So that is my space constraint. 3 pieces of 1.000x1.900mm with buildings removed (fixed back by magnets) stacked onto each other not exceeding 740mm benchwork including. I feel like I have now somewhat completed the first “module” I codenamed “A” and got busy with the “B”. Since I am now in Italy on holiday and will later be traveling back through Germany with embarrassingly many stores fully stocked with MR items, I decided it would be a good idea to just go and get some stuff, so I decided to calculate what is the monetary aspect of my dream plan here. I’m at 1.500 EUR now and counting and that does not include any rolling stock and still excludes some “must have” items! At that, I decided I should stop planning and just go and get as much as I can afford right now and start building. Do not be overwhelmed with the orange road and track - it is just a quick setup to make the railroad usable while the “B” is still in conception that I made out of Roco track I already have laying around and thus don’t have to pay for. So, here comes the “A”:
The 3D version is not perfect, but gives a better idea of what track is over what:
Any questions and feedback is welcome as the intention is to polish the plan to be able to purchase most of the necessary components this weekend.
Thank you for your time,
Hi all,
My lovely wife did not mind I spent large part of our skiing holiday behind a computer designing my new layout :). So here is the B module. I’m not 100% happy with all of it, but this is not too far from what it could actually look like. Just wanted to post it before we leave for home tomorrow early morning.
I have also located most of the structures with producers and item codes (see the link to the PDF file below). Some of them I believe I could kitbash or scratchbuild without buying the actual kit, but their pictures and dimensions give a fair idea of the concept. The coal factory is not necessarily going to be a coal factory. Ideas appreciated as for what industry would be interesting for the small number of cars I can spot to it. I am also struggling with the crane for the dock piece - I would like to purchase a kit that I could make operational myself as the few already operational cost a fortune, are not up to my standard for what operational means and I have skills and experience with that sort of thing. It is fun :). It could be something rolling along the dock (360-400mm is not a lot of rolling space, but certainly enough for some fun operation), if I can find something with less than 100mm between the legs and the bridge extending over the water or something stationary. Any ideas on that waterfront are welcome.
I understand the reaching problem of the interchange track, but I gave myself a permission to design it that way with these points in mind:
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complete trains will be spotted to the interchange, so not braking up needed - only one uncoupling and one coupling operation;
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the locomotives will have operating couplers, controlled from DCC;
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the layout will be on wheels, so worst case, I can roll it off the wall (in case it happens to be against one with the right hand side) and fix things.
Here is the new plan: