Posts Tagged ‘Plans’

Advantages of flexible track
The advantages of this type of track are many. For one thing, you have fewer joints in a run of track.  That means a lot to railroaders.   You also have the ability to gently ease your model into curves, instead of going right into them as with the rigid track.  Consider this, too! A three-foot section of flexible track can easily replace four nine-inch pieces of sectional track.   And perhaps what I appreciate most about flexible track is now I’m the one in control of the curves, not some stupid rigid track pieces.  I can make the curves exactly what I need them to be.  I don’t feel as if I’m trapped into fixed radii produced for the mass market that couldn’t possibly fit the area in which I’m constrained to work.   If you’re considering giving flexible track a try, there are a few secrets that will make it more enjoyable, not only to install, but ultimately use as as well.    I realize, first and foremost, that I have to follow those laws of geometry and gravity.  By that, I mean that no matter the type of track I chose, if my curve is too sharp (the law of geometry), the train will derail (the law of gravity!)  So before I even begin to lay anything down, I take a pencil and literally outline the area I wish my track to follow.   In doing this, I can get feel for the minimum radii I have.  And I know I’m not going to go beyond this point.   Sometimes, I’ll even use the flexible track as a template of sorts, drawing around apiece that is temporarily laid out just so I can be sure I have the track locations right and that they flow smoothly.   Yes, I’m sure you’ve probably heard the advice that a yardstick, a pencil and a length of string is all you need for a straight track.  But even armed with these instruments, I’ve been doomed to make errors.  When I use the real thing, my efforts go more smoothly.   The real key to the successful use of flexible track though lies in that word “smooth.”  Let your track “do” everything smoothly.  Don’t force it into any sudden curves or unexpected kinks.  And for that matter, don’t try to fit it into any unnatural rises or valley.   Grading:
And we don’t mean a report card!   Adjusting the grading of your track is a problem many novices to the hobby have a problem with.  Remember that your train is a mere model of the prototype.  The gradient may not seem like it’s very large to you, but seriously examine the size of the train you’re asking to run up or down those hills.   For the small-sized conductor struggling inside that locomotive, it may look like a steep, steep mountain! Don’t let the grade start up too quickly. One quick way to ensure that you keep your locomotive safe is by placing your eye at track level.  Now just “sight” it along to keep the track flowing.    Most individuals don’t realize that they have to be super careful if their train is only sitting upon a piece of plywood.  This type of ground covering is actually notoriously uneven.    If you should notice any kinks, while you’re “eyeballing” the situation, or any bad joints, bumps or dips, straighten them out immediately.  If you can see them, they’ll probably cause your train trouble.
More on Jonah’s book “Ultimate Comprehensive Guide to Model Train Building”.

Technorati Tags: Model, Plans, Railroad, Track

Advantages of flexible track
The advantages of this type of track are many. For one thing, you have fewer joints in a run of track.  That means a lot to railroaders.

You also have the ability to gently ease your model into curves, instead of going right into them as with the rigid track.  Consider this, too! A three-foot section of flexible track can easily replace four nine-inch pieces of sectional track.

And perhaps what I appreciate most about flexible track is now I’m the one in control of the curves, not some stupid rigid track pieces.  I can make the curves exactly what I need them to be.  I don’t feel as if I’m trapped into fixed radii produced for the mass market that couldn’t possibly fit the area in which I’m constrained to work.

If you’re considering giving flexible track a try, there are a few secrets that will make it more enjoyable, not only to install, but ultimately use as as well.

I realize, first and foremost, that I have to follow those laws of geometry and gravity.  By that, I mean that no matter the type of track I chose, if my curve is too sharp (the law of geometry), the train will derail (the law of gravity!)  So before I even begin to lay anything down, I take a pencil and literally outline the area I wish my track to follow.

In doing this, I can get feel for the minimum radii I have.  And I know I’m not going to go beyond this point.

Sometimes, I’ll even use the flexible track as a template of sorts, drawing around apiece that is temporarily laid out just so I can be sure I have the track locations right and that they flow smoothly.

Yes, I’m sure you’ve probably heard the advice that a yardstick, a pencil and a length of string is all you need for a straight track.  But even armed with these instruments, I’ve been doomed to make errors.  When I use the real thing, my efforts go more smoothly.

The real key to the successful use of flexible track though lies in that word “smooth.”  Let your track “do” everything smoothly.  Don’t force it into any sudden curves or unexpected kinks.  And for that matter, don’t try to fit it into any unnatural rises or valley.

Grading:
And we don’t mean a report card!

Adjusting the grading of your track is a problem many novices to the hobby have a problem with.  Remember that your train is a mere model of the prototype.  The gradient may not seem like it’s very large to you, but seriously examine the size of the train you’re asking to run up or down those hills.

For the small-sized conductor struggling inside that locomotive, it may look like a steep, steep mountain! Don’t let the grade start up too quickly. One quick way to ensure that you keep your locomotive safe is by placing your eye at track level.  Now just “sight” it along to keep the track flowing.

Most individuals don’t realize that they have to be super careful if their train is only sitting upon a piece of plywood.  This type of ground covering is actually notoriously uneven.

If you should notice any kinks, while you’re “eyeballing” the situation, or any bad joints, bumps or dips, straighten them out immediately.  If you can see them, they’ll probably cause your train trouble.
More on my book “Ultimate Comprehensive Guide to Model Train Building”.

Technorati Tags: Model, Plans, Railroad, Standing, Track

When you start to build model railway track plans you need to think about your ultimate goal. You can design and build so many track layouts but it’s important to understand where you are headed. If you don’t have a clear idea in mind then your plan will fail and you will not have a workable railroad.

 

Many people think that building a model railway track is very easy, but this is not the case. Of course, following a workable plan is relatively easy, but creating your own requires a lot more thought and effort. It also requires a large amount of skill to know all the obstacles that need to be overcome.

 

For example, you need to know that you have enough track, enough length, corners, bends, scenery, buildings and so on. There are also other considerations to make should you have a certain theme in mind.

 

One of the most challenging model railway track plans is to create everything based around a theme. You can choose from a large number of different themes to follow and create from. You can recreate a certain time period from history. Some of the most popular to create are the gold era of the eighteen hundreds, which usually have the train running through a small rural town.

 

You may also want to create a scene from the English countryside during the age of steam. This is also a very popular time period to re-create. Generally, you will create a steam train running on a track through the rolling hills and farmland. You can really let your imagination run wild with specific scenes.

 

Using a scene is different from what most people think about creating with railway track. This is a good idea if you are experienced and have been creating different layouts for some time. You can research the time period and then create it as accurately as possible. These are often some of the most exiting times as model train enthusiasts are very interested in history and details.

 

When you start to build your own model railway track layout, decide on the appropriate layout for yourself first. You might be more interested in a plain layout to begin with, instead of something more elaborate. You might have your own personal style when it comes to rail track layout.

 

Some people only like to create elaborate setups that take time and a lot of effort. Everyone is different, so it comes down to your own ideas and tastes. Always plan things out as much as possible before you go to buy more track. If you don’t do this, then you might find yourself with a very expensive shopping list.

 

This is the reason to start out small. If you try to make it too big to begin with, you will get frustrated and lose interest in the project. Build certain sections at time and ensure they work before making the track any larger. This let’s you know the plan is working and you can also enjoy playing with the trains as you build.

Technorati Tags: Ideas, Model, Plans, Railroad, Track

While there are many different model railroad track plans you can choose from, there are some which most model railroaders will consider the base models. These track plans are something which most every modeler has built at some point, or has seen built in many different ways. Some prefer to stick to one kind of layout rather than switching back and forth between different types. This is a decision you will have to make for yourself in order to decide which is best for you.

The railroad terminus is one of the basic model railroad track plans you will see repeated over and over. This will include such design features as a ladder upon which multiple trains will be parked as they are organized on the train tracks. This is a fairly easy design to accomplish as the buildings used are generally not in great condition and there is usually no water involved. The only thing you will need is to be able to have multiple tracks with an exchange to handle moving trains from one track to another and then back to the main track. Since the terminal is at the end of a track, you will not have to create somewhere for the train to go on the other side of the station.

A cityscape is another common model railroad track plan which is pursued by many model railroaders. A very common way to approach this is to choose a cityscape in which it is very common for trains to travel through. New York city is a very common cityscape to create as well as many European cities. These may require a little more planning, as you will need to purchase buildings which will represent those found in the actual cityscape. More figures have to be purchased in order to create a layout which will not look like a ghost town. You will also need to purchase cars which are the right scale and appearance to be representative of the time.

The desert landscape is one of the simpler model railroad track plans to construct. You can design a track which will pass through a layout including sand dunes and sand weathered buildings. You can also make your train appear as if it has been through the desert many times by giving it the same weathered look as the rest of the buildings in the layout. Using famous names of trains which pass through the desert will give a lot of authenticity to your track plan.

One of the more fun model railroad track plans to create is the mountain landscape. Using different staging methods, you can create a track which will loop ever higher up the side of a mountain and through the mountain itself. You can include such things as snow to the side of the mountain and grades which are realistic to how a train will gradually travel up a mountain. With fairly sparse trees, you will not need to plant many trees in the landscape going up the side of the mountain.

Technorati Tags: Essential, Model, Plans, Railroad, Track

Complete Layout Plans For All Model Train Sets : New Second Edition : HO, S, O, TT, N

Technorati Tags: Complete, Edition, Layout, Model, Plans, Second, sets, Train