how do you guys design layouts before you acually lay the track, i tryed laying down train and nailing it down but it will never connect. HELP!
If you are using sectional/EZ track/Unitrack then put all the components together on the critical loop before you start nailing things down. Or if a loop isn’t involved start at one end and work towards the other. If you are using sectional track you have to make sure the pieces are the right size and go together. For example a crossover with one #4 switch and one #6 switch woun’t come out “right”.
If you are using flex track, then draw out your trackplan, locate your critical areas with switches and then connect them with flex track.
Dave H
Flex track will fix a multitude of sins…
[#welcome] Welcome to the forums.
If, as I suspect, you are assembling sectional track, one solution would be to get a book of plans designed and marked off for sectional track. Another would be to use the free Atlas track planning software package, which is specifically designed to give results in terms of Atlas sectional track and standard turnouts.
More advanced designers ditch the sectional products and build with flex track. The best guide I can think of for that approach is John Armstrong’s book, Track Planning for Realistic Operation, which is available from our Forum host (just click on ‘SHOP’ at the top of the page.) Once you figure out how to apply Armstrong Squares to layout design, you can adapt track plans to larger or differently-shaped spaces or try to condense the essence of a full-scale rail facility to fit your space.
If this is your first attempt to break out of the ‘loop of track’ layout design into something larger, I would suggest that you keep it simple. Hold Sunnyside Yard, The Argentine and the Grand Central Terminal throat for your NEXT layout (the one you build in the high school gym.)
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in a 2-car garage)
I have found that playing around with ideas on a computer using a trackwork software package is the way to go. Atlas offers a free program called RTS on their web site. The one I have used the most is RR-Track v4. You can get “libraries” for just about every scale and accessories. It also has a 3-D view. This is very helpful for me considering I have both N-Scale and G-Scale. Using software, if something doesn’t fit or look right, it is easy to change it. You can also post it and get other modelers to check it out and offer advice.