Track plans

[James Trotter]

Can anyone suggest a track book for a newbie first small layout

[Hobby]

There isn't one specifically for narrow gauge, though many of the ones published by Peco and others have the odd NG plan. If you are doing a micro layouts then the Carl Arendt site has many, but if you want larger then Google Images search is your friend.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=narrow+gauge+track+plans&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwivq460jY3eAhVLI8AKHSe2CO8QsAR6BAgGEAE&biw=1440&bih=758

http://www.carendt.com/

[Paulc]

Peco now produce a book of settrack plans for 009/H0e      https://peco-uk.com/collections/modellers-library   (Sorry this doesn't seem to want to paste as a link) I haven't seen the book only the advert, so I can't comment on the content, but it may be a useful source of ideas even if you don't plan to use settrack.   

[garrywhiting]

There is a new 009 / HOe Planbook from Peco for their 009 setrack range at a very modest

[Hobby]

This should show it:

https://peco-uk.com/blogs/news/oo9-setrack-planbook-and-shows-you-how-introduction-to-oo-9-modelling

Bear in mind, though, that it's only for setrack and so very limited. I'd be casting my net wider for ideas, that Google image search I'd suggest is far more useful..

[cp.409067]

*

I have read the Peco booklet.

Obviously the intent is to promote "OO9" Setrack and other Peco products (RTR stock). Some plans (below) make use of non-Setrack items.

That said, here I make no comment other than to describe the contents.

It is x16 A4 pages.

After some intro spiel (illustrated by shots of that Peco "OO9" layout seen a couple of years back) there are x6 James Hilton track plans as follows.

Plan 1: Light Rly. GVT referenced. Oval (3ft x 2ft) and a couple of sidings.

Plan 2: Sand and Gravel Co. Leighton Buzzard referenced. Oval (3ft 6ins x 2ft) and a couple of sidings.

Plan 3: Blackmoor L&B. Through station (4ft 3ins x 1ft) with 4 points. Shown as needing FYs at both ends.

Plan 4: Snailbeach District Rlys. Oval (4ft x 2ft 6ins) with 5 points.

Plan 5: Port Penrhyn. Double terminus (12ft x 3ft) inc SG (needs 7 NG points, 3 SG ditto, and a TILLIG  9mm/16.5mm diamond crossing) set on quayside.

Plan 6: Ashover Light Rly. Fixed layout that snakes round a room (9ft x 10ft) and portrays Clay Cross, Hurst Lane, Fallgate, and Ashover Butts.



CP

[Hobby]

How many plans are there altogether, Christopher?

[cp.409067]

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Blair

Six as listed. Each has a double spread except No 6 which is three pages. In each case there is a plan, perspective sketch, and notes.
The plan and perspective sketch of No 4 (Snailbeach) is also on the cover.


CP

[Hobby]

Thanks, I thought with 16 pages there might have been more!

[Mark Shenstone]

Just ordered myself a copy of the Peco OO9 plan book now that I know what it contains, though I was thinking of getting it anyway.

As my layout (if it can be called that) is 13 ft by 10 ft! It was going to be an OO scale layout at one point then we had the earthquakes which just put me right off doing much of any form of modelling for years. Plan number 6 sounds very promising!

[Sioned Arrowsmith]

Thanks, I thought with 16 pages there might have been more!

What Christopher didn't mention is that (my impression, having flicked through it & decided not to buy) about half of it is sound modelling basics: how to construct a baseboard and scenery, how to wire up, how to assemble kit buildings, and so on. Very useful, but I happen to have all that in an equivalent SG booklet. What all these Peco guides seem to be about is trying to reproduce a prototypical setting with settrack, which I'm not sure does either any favours.

Personally, I don't find them very inspiring, as I really want to freelance. CJ Freezer's classic 60 Plans for Small Locations (https://peco-uk.com/collections/books-and-planbooks/products/the-railway-modeller-book-of-60-plans) is more to my liking, even if only three of the 60 are explicitly NG, as it's much more about "What sort of layout can go in this space?" rather than "How can I reproduce this setting with these constraints?"

[MickT]

James,

As your query was for a layout plan for a "newbie first small layout" then I would recommend taking that absolutely literally and check out Stephen Clulow's layout "First" which is a small layout and was Stephen's first layout as a self-described "newbie"

Link to his blog: https://009adventure.blog/my-layout-first/

I would also recommend having a look at Ted Polet's "Nixnie" (Dutch/Suid Afrikaan slang for "nothing at all") which is a bit more complex to reach, but well worth the navigation!
Go to the Dutch Group website at: http://www.009dutch.nl/main/eframe.htm

Then click on "Projects" in the panel on the left, scroll down to Ted Polet, select another "projects" link just under Ted's name and then scroll down to find Nixnie. There is a full description of how he built the layout and 2 further links to photo galleries of the layout. When you have satisfied yourself here, then go back to Ted Polet and find the link to his Craigcorrie & Dunalistair layout - time bandit warning, you really need to allow yourself about a full evening and several cups of coffee to get through everything that Ted has posted, but I can guarantee it is well worth the time investment and you WILL come away being totally inspired!!

Back to "first small layouts" - both First and Nixnie are of similar genre - simple layout on boards about 2ft 6in / 3ft x 2ft, with an off-scene fiddle yard to enable you to ring the changes and a continuous run to enable you to play trains/sorry, test your stock. Simple but very effective scenics and track plan. Both ideal small starter layouts but with a lot of building, operating and enjoyment potential which both were designed to demonstrate. Importantly, both layouts are designed to be "achievable" within a reasonable time-frame and within a reasonable budget if starting from scratch.

Hope this provides something to fire up your mojo!

Mick

[cp.409067]

Thanks, I thought with 16 pages there might have been more!

What Christopher didn't mention is that (my impression, having flicked through it & decided not to buy) about half of it is sound modelling basics: how to construct a baseboard and scenery, how to wire up, how to assemble kit buildings, and so on. Very useful, but I happen to have all that in an equivalent SG booklet. What all these Peco guides seem to be about is trying to reproduce a prototypical setting with settrack, which I'm not sure does either any favours.

Personally, I don't find them very inspiring, as I really want to freelance. CJ Freezer's classic 60 Plans for Small Locations (https://peco-uk.com/collections/books-and-planbooks/products/the-railway-modeller-book-of-60-plans) is more to my liking, even if only three of the 60 are explicitly NG, as it's much more about "What sort of layout can go in this space?" rather than "How can I reproduce this setting with these constraints?"

*

I think there may be some confusion here. In the newly published "Setrack OO9/HOe Planbook" I see nothing about wiring and only a minimal reference to baseboard construction.

This new publication is not the same as -

(i) the16 page A5 "An Introduction of OO9 Modelling" (given away with a recent edition of RM) in the "Shows you how" series, and

(ii) the Peco, "Your guide to modelling narrow gauge railways" of RM format, 122 pages, published in 2015, ISBN 505-0881097595.


CP

[Sioned Arrowsmith]

I think there may be some confusion here. In the newly published "Setrack OO9/HOe Planbook" I see nothing about wiring and only a minimal reference to baseboard construction.

This new publication is not the same as -

(i) the16 page A5 "An Introduction of OO9 Modelling" (given away with a recent edition of RM) in the "Shows you how" series, and

(ii) the Peco, "Your guide to modelling narrow gauge railways" of RM format, 122 pages, published in 2015, ISBN 505-0881097595.

It's quite likely that, as I just flicked through it on a dealers stand, I saw a couple of diagrams I recognised from the SG settrack layouts book I have and assumed that the non-layout pages had the same kind of content as that.

I'm rather fond of (ii) as a general source of inspiration, but it's not a place to go for track plans.

[cp.409067]

It's quite likely that, as I just flicked through it on a dealers stand, I saw a couple of diagrams I recognised from the SG settrack layouts book I have and assumed that the non-layout pages had the same kind of content as that. .....

*

I have the new book in front of me. The inside front cover is text headed "Welcome", the inside rear cover is advertising. Of the 16 pages within only 3 (three) are "non-layout pages".


CP