Electrical connections

[EtchedPixels]

The problem has been solved by my grandson, Finlay. "If I am driving a train on one track and Toby (younger brother) is playing on the other, I don't want his trains on my track".

A modern image franchise era modeller I see.

Alan

[Newportnobby]

Sorry, Chadders, but all I can think is to hide the switch somewhere only you know the location

The problem has been solved by my grandson, Finlay. "If I am driving a train on one track and Toby (younger brother) is playing on the other, I don't want his trains on my track". So, no crossover needed between track. Besides the two oval tracks and sidings, he wants a lake and a river (to sail boats on), a picnic area, a town, factories, two stations, roads, a level crossing and a farm. I think I have worked in everything except the farm, which will have to be on a separate board to the side of the track (we don't want the trains frightening the animals!). I am trying to draw it up in Anyrail (another new experience for me) and will post a pic when it is "finished".

Are you sure you can't fit an N gauge kitchen sink in there somewhere?

[oldchadders]

The problem has been solved by my grandson, Finlay. "If I am driving a train on one track and Toby (younger brother) is playing on the other, I don't want his trains on my track". So, no crossover needed between track. Besides the two oval tracks and sidings, he wants a lake and a river (to sail boats on), a picnic area, a town, factories, two stations, roads, a level crossing and a farm. I think I have worked in everything except the farm, which will have to be on a separate board to the side of the track (we don't want the trains frightening the animals!). I am trying to draw it up in Anyrail (another new experience for me) and will post a pic when it is "finished".

Are you sure you can't fit an N gauge kitchen sink in there somewhere? 

No doubt there will be at least one house to include one!
If I have done things correctly, this is a link to my basic proposal
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/MGalleryItem.php?id=5708
I am expecting a little adjustment when it becomes reality. The detail of included buildings, roads, etc, will be decided by my grandson, once the track is laid - and probably changed regularly!

[EtchedPixels]

Don't forget the all important level crossing so he can stage car crashes

[oldchadders]

Don't forget the all important level crossing so he can stage car crashes

That is on the list for "in situ mods". I have told Finlay he can design the town, industrial park and roadways once the track is laid.

[Jack]

The Blue line has a lot more going for it, what with shutting yard with turntable. I can see a falling out as to who gets which line, unless Granddad is good at playing the roll of the Minister for Railway Affairs?    .

I've just noticed that the Red track has 5.7% inclines! Unless anyone else knows different, those inclines could be killers for your locos.

[Bealman]

Are you sure you can't fit an N gauge kitchen sink in there somewhere?

The Beal and Castle Eden already has one! Not the best photo, but spot the kitchen sink....
[smg id=5720 type=preview align=center width=400]
By the way, the link to the trackplan is only drawing a blank on my computer.  It seems Jack9465 saw it ok.... anyone else having probs?

[oldchadders]

The Blue line has a lot more going for it, what with shutting yard with turntable. I can see a falling out as to who gets which line, unless Granddad is good at playing the roll of the Minister for Railway Affairs?    .

I've just noticed that the Red track has 5.7% inclines! Unless anyone else knows different, those inclines could be killers for your locos.

Thanks for the comment about the incline, I wasn't too sure what was acceptable. The maximum height for the bridge/viaduct was estimated on the high side, so in construction I shall be looking to reduce it a little.
My expectation is that in general the older grandson will be running the blue line with the younger one on the red line and road traffic. On the understanding that the older one teaches the younger about shunting etc. (A subtle ploy suggested by my ex-teacher wife!)

[Jack]

If it helps the minimum height from top of rail to bottom of the overpass/bridge is about 30mm.

Ideally you would need to look at inclines of 3% but probably no more than 4%. Even at 4% I understand some steamers will struggle.

To give you some idea, a Woodland Scenic 3% incline kit on roughly a R3 rising curve to cross a twin track at 35mm is nearly 1300mm. All my diesels have no problems pulling six Mk3 coach train up it, however the one steamer, a V2, struggles with three MK1's. (The steamer no longer goes on the track as it's not DCC).

Sorry to give you a potential head ache as you try to rework your track plan. 

[oldchadders]

If it helps the minimum height from top of rail to bottom of the overpass/bridge is about 30mm.

Ideally you would need to look at inclines of 3% but probably no more than 4%. Even at 4% I understand some steamers will struggle.

To give you some idea, a Woodland Scenic 3% incline kit on roughly a R3 rising curve to cross a twin track at 35mm is nearly 1300mm. All my diesels have no problems pulling six Mk3 coach train up it, however the one steamer, a V2, struggles with three MK1's. (The steamer no longer goes on the track as it's not DCC).

Sorry to give you a potential head ache as you try to rework your track plan. 

Thanks for the info, Jack.
I had allowed 35mm headroom in my calculations, however the plan is to use no more than 2 coaches behind a 2-6-0 loco on the inclined track. At the worse I will need to ease the bottom of the incline around the other curve, or change the profile of the lake and reposition the bridge further over on the board to extend the length of the incline. Even more drastically I could lose the crossover completely by keeping the red track completely on the outside, but my grandson wants a bridge on it!

[Jack]

How about extending the red line to go outside the blue and use a rail over road bridge, (top side of plan), so as to get to the industrial area, (a Farish Double Decker for the workers is 27mm high ) . You could then put a level crossing on the blue line, in line with the rail over road bridge and still keep their fishing/boating lake.

Just a thought.

[EtchedPixels]

Other cheat - make one line dip and the other rise.

[Bealman]

Please ignore my previous post. I can see the layout plan now (I hadn't given it enough time to load before I whinged). I am still a tad concerned that red grandson is going to get a bit bored, though - especially when he sees all the cool stuff blue grandson is up to?

Not having any grandchildren (yet), perhaps I'm out of line, but I think it would be nice if the young bloke could at least have one siding or a loop so he could have more than one loco on the layout at once?

Like Jack9465, just a thought.

[oldchadders]

Please ignore my previous post. I can see the layout plan now (I hadn't given it enough time to load before I whinged). I am still a tad concerned that red grandson is going to get a bit bored, though - especially when he sees all the cool stuff blue grandson is up to?

Not having any grandchildren (yet), perhaps I'm out of line, but I think it would be nice if the young bloke could at least have one siding or a loop so he could have more than one loco on the layout at once?

Like Jack9465, just a thought.

There is a lot of background to this project, which is largely irrelevant to this forum. Younger grandson, Toby, is too young to play with this yet on his own. Older grandson, Finlay is only 5 y/o. He has developed an interest in model steam engines, which I have been restoring & rebuilding, which has led to a project this summer to build a small O gauge live steam layout in our garden. We want to keep Toby away from the steam and fire associated with this and thought the n-gauge layout would keep him occupied with some parental assistance, but still involve trains (and would be a secondary pastime for all of us on wet days). I have a longer-term idea to build a OO gauge layout in the garage, incorporating "bells and whistles". Thus, the n-gauge project can be "toned down" plus the wife keeps moaning about the cost of the pile of bits which I have accumulated! Thus the simplicity of parts of the layout do not worry mr unduly, as much of the time I foresee only one grandson playing on it at a time, although whenever possible, allowances are being built in.

[Jack]

Ah all becomes clear.  Its a case of "If play nicely with the little trains and as you get bigger you can play with the bigger trains". Nice touch.