what are people doing on their layout right now

[daveg]

Pics? Yes please, Mac! 

Dave G

[scotsoft]

It is always good to see pictures   

cheers John.

[macwales]

Hi

Tutorial posted here

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=17888.0

regarding hinged access

Happy days

Cheers

Mac

[ParkeNd]

Reeling from the confusion of all points now being operated by points motors. When they were changed by Hand of God the trains ran where I wanted without stopping. Now I have all these passing contact lever switches I can create mayhem in seconds. Don't know which roads are set - I need some sort of diagram so I know what I am doing.

[daveg]

Life can get so confusing!

Sounds like you need a clever mimic panel, ParkeNd.

I should talk; I've yet to fit point motors or build a panel!

Dave G

[Chinahand]

You could fit some bi-colour LEDs into your control panel which are operated from latching relays.

Here's a possible circuit diagram which should, I think, convert to Peco motors and DC operation without difficulty.

[Maurits71]

Thanks for the kind and sympathetic comments, guys.
My mancave is my 9ft x 8ft 6" conservatory and the current layout is 8ft x 7ft with a central operating well. I have 2 main lines running all the way round on an upper level and a branch line doing the same on the lower level.
Currently I have 4 x 4x2ft boards with 3ft boards suspended between them at the sides.
The problem is the entrance to the mancave is either via double French doors (large, opening into the conservatory) or small doors at the side (opening out to the garden), hence the access issues.
I am now thinking of making the side boards out of 2 x 4ft boards affixed to the back 2 x 4ft boards to make a U shape. I still want 2 main lines going round and round so will have to have 180 degree bends at each end of the U, and will extend the current 2ft width to the necessary width for decent radii at those points.
I haven't ruled out the possibility of a helix at each end of the U to send trains to a lower level fiddle yard
Having mocked up scaled down boards on paper the U shape seems to be the only option.
I don't intend doing anything drastic yet as I am waiting for an appointment with an orthopaedic consultant - a replacement hip may make all the difference

even better. 2 helixen and 3 major area's where you can park trains. benefits you never see the same trains following each other and more important you can buy more trains 

[boonie]

I'm a newbie so please forgive me if i'm posting in the wrong place and give some advice on how to do it right.
i have got to the point, on my very first layout ever, of having a successful double loop in N gauge, which i am now ballasting. (it took a long time and 3 attempts to get it all right!
I now wish to add a tramway based on my local one in Seaton and Colyton in Devon in NN3.
The driver told me it was 2 foot between rails and that the trams are mostly about 75% of full size.
I have got the z gauge track and am about to lay it. my questions to all you experts out there are very basic....where can i get the motorised bogies and the tram bodies from?.
Is it true that Matchbox models are the right scale and that bogies/motors from any z gauge loco will do the job?
I only need one tram as i do not intend any points and its going to be single track.
also do i need different type of transformer/controller?
please help a novice
thanks
alin boon

[EtchedPixels]

There are a few Z motor-bogies but mostly the chassis available are steam or bogie. It's very hard to get a reliable useful four wheel chassis and they tend to be made from milled brass so are not cheap.

The main one is the Republican Locomotive Works 'PowerMAX!' which is a four wheel motor bogie at a mere $89 US + shipping + taxes + being mugged by parcel companies. The other choice is the chassis from Lajos Thek which is a thing of beauty but even more expensive.

Not sure where you'd find UK outline Z scale trams, I think you might struggle a great deal there. Drawings are available but no models I know of.

[ParkeNd]

Playing. Just playing.

[Cooper]

Started to build a pair of leg support structures to help stabilise the layout, as it has just 4 simple legs right now.

Halfway through cutting out the plywood for them, the jigsaw packed up on me! 

[Mollington Street]

Slowly but surely making progress with a Fleischmann turntable and Traincontroller........good way to spend your 32nd Wedding Anniversary.

[Caz]

It is worth once you get it running, I have created schedules to use mine totally automatically if necessary, it really is worth persevering.   

[ParkeNd]

Sticking Slaters Plastikard on platforms and a goods wharf  Really nice stuff to work with. At least this job uses PVA glue and doesn't drive me mad - unlike trying to stick walkways across Peco track.

[tutenkhamunsleeping]

I've just removed some timber work from the end wall of the loft, part of the old OO layout.  Next step: filler in the unsightly holes.  But I think that can wait until tomorrow