New layout under construction

[Andy Williams]

Just beginning to get going on the baseboard for my 009 layout. This may take some time but I've started!
Keeping things simple with one loco in steam but enabling a variety of stock (passenger and various goods) to move around between fiddle yard and viewing side. May make one of the fiddle yard roads into a cassette to change locos and stock easier.

[Tom Haythornthwaite]

Looks very good.  Having a pub is the main thing!

How much lower will the water be, and how are you managing that?

Looks

[B.Meldon]

There are perhaps a few things to bear in mind.

Firstly most 009 couplings will not couple up on a curve so ensure all the areas where you intend to couple up (the loop in the station by the harbour for example) are on straight track.

Secondly you need to ensure that all the couplings on your locos and rolling stock will work ok on the reverse curves on your planned layout. If not, then you may have to re-design the layout or modify the couplings that are causing problems.

Finally, if you are using dead (plastic) frog points it is worth making sure that all your locos run through them ok without stalling at slow speeds. (Older four wheel pick up locos tend to be the worst.)

[Graeme Dunbar]

It looks very smart - what software did you use to draw it?

[Andy Williams]

Looks very good.  Having a pub is the main thing!

How much lower will the water be, and how are you managing that?

Looks

Hi Tom
I

[Andy Williams]

There are perhaps a few things to bear in mind.

Firstly most 009 couplings will not couple up on a curve so ensure all the areas where you intend to couple up (the loop in the station by the harbour for example) are on straight track.

Secondly you need to ensure that all the couplings on your locos and rolling stock will work ok on the reverse curves on your planned layout. If not, then you may have to re-design the layout or modify the couplings that are causing problems.

Finally, if you are using dead (plastic) frog points it is worth making sure that all your locos run through them ok without stalling at slow speeds. (Older four wheel pick up locos tend to be the worst.)

Thanks for your advice Brian.
I

[Andy Williams]

It looks very smart - what software did you use to draw it?

Thanks Graeme.
I used Railmodeller Pro. One of the few programme that work on Apple Macs.
Andy

[clayliner]

2 cm scales out at around 5 feet, so probably comfortably less than high tide. But any vessels may well come above the harbour wall, though that's not necessarily a problem.

David.

[Graeme Dunbar]

If the height is likely to be too small, is adding another layer of foam practical?

[Andy Williams]

Maybe able to get another 1cm. Will model as high tide anyway so will hopefully look ok.

[Andy Williams]

The baseboard has now been built and infilled with insulation foam to aid landscaping.
I've just test laid the track with 100% printouts for the flexitrack to test the concept and the plan seems to work.
The bridge on the left will be the scenic break there and the track will rise slightly over the river and back down again roughly where the abutments are laid down on the right.
Looks like I may have cut a bit too much foam out for the harbour. Will wait to see how it looks with the resin harbour walls I've ordered and fill in as necessary.
All seems to work so now will have to get the flexitrack cut. That will have to wait until I'm back from 2 weeks holiday through!

[Tom Haythornthwaite]

You'll have it finished in your head before you're back in reality!

[Andy Williams]

Tom I finished it in my head when I'd made the baseboard!

[JulienW]

Looking at the point on the left hand end of the loop you may be better off using a left handed point to ease the curve / remove the reverse curve along the front of the loop.

Other than that it's looking good, and I'll watch this one with interest.

[B.Meldon]

I agree with Julien.
(I can not believe someone else commented about a reverse curve!!!!)

Brian Meldon