Due to my superior and extensive knowledge in track planning (meaning I have built an HO layout sometime in my past), I have been asked by a friend to help him in planning and building an indoor G-scale layout.
Do any of you know of a track planning template, similar to the ones for HO, N and O scales? If they don’t exist, do any of you know what percentage enlarging I’d have to do to scale-up a drawing in HO scale?
Scott Groff
D & H Adirondack Branch
LGB sells one, its specific to there track but most sectional track is similar enough. Check your LHS or find a shop that sells LGB, its a fairly common item to find in the stores, if you have no luck near you , I’ll sell you mine, I used AutoCadd to plan my layout and didnt need it in the long run.
I made my layout fit the back yard with 2 bridges, not really that hard just make a few sketches, think about the layout for a week or so about every day or so, then finialize what you intend to put in place
mikadousrp
I used LGB sectional track. The winter before track laying, I made several rough, hand drawn sketches. Come the spring I just began digging trenches, lining with weed fabric, filling with ballast, and finally laying track. When ordering my first load of track, I made sure to have several of every size including the very smallest. If I took a long curved section up to do something with it, it invariably did not go back in place exactly - hence the need for short track.
I found I did not need a template.
I would not use the LGB track planner; expensive and pointless. The Kalmback book to do with setting up garden railways is very good and Marc Thingamagig ( I have forgotten his name due to jet lag) puts it very simply and clearly and if i can follow it any one can.
You need to measure the area available and i drew mine up on graph paper. Thenget yourself a water level or better still a laser level and make a reading every metre in all direction of the height of every part of your proposed layout. Thne sit back and look at it for about 3 months change your after you have drawn it up about 10 times then you will knoe where you will probably go.
rgds Ian
hi all
Whats a plan[:D]
I built mine out of my head mind you as far as stage one goes an oval and a couple of sidings each side doesn’t realy need much of a plan.
stage two will be measured and an LGB template used to draw one/
regards john
I thought one of those template things would work for me, Wrong rabbit! It was sized for LGB sectional track not Aristo!
Went to RR Tracks computer thingy, wasted bucks there cause not all that computer literate and didn’t want to spend months figuring out how to work with the darn thing.
Hired somebody to draw something up, another waste of $$$ cause he did not deliver that which he advertised he would (he’s dead and gone now so he won’t be bilking anybody else!).
Finally resorted to just laying track in the biggest radius I could fit in the alloted area and am quite happy. Somewhat limited in what I can do in sidings, but can sit on porch with morning cuppa & watch train go round; then do some switching after eyes open if I so desire. What more does one need?