Dublo 3 Rail Layout

Over the last few months I have been fiddling about with a plan for a design in the "classic Dublo" style, which would allow for two trains to be operated at the same time and with provision to have another two or three trains on the board, sitting in sidings or at platforms as well. There will be some scenic treatment, but it's basically a place to see the trains going around, rather than a model of scenery that happens to have a train running through it..

I'm not saying that it's perfect, and there could well be a few changes needed. It's more or less what I was aiming for and hopefully won't look to cluttered once it's under way.

I don't want to build it on one solid board, partly because an 8x4 board is rather unwieldy and also because the room it is going in possibly could be called into use as a spare bedroom on the odd occasion. I was looking at cutting the 8x4 in three, although I might have to move a few points in the top right hand part of the diagram away from the joints. There will not be any need to dismantle and re-erect it on a regular basis, rather once or maybe twice a year.

I could have three separate boards that I join together (although my soldering skills when it comes to the electrical joints between the sections are close to non-existent) or I could have it hinged so it folds (with the aid of a spacer to make the fourth side) into a box like structure. I'm favouring the latter, but against it would be the weight, which i would expect to be just over 20 kilos - although if it was going anywhere outside the room, I would enlist the help of another person to move it. I don't have any plans to exhibit it but, if I kept the maximum dimensions to around 1.4m by 1m (sorry to be hopping from Imperial to Metric) it would easily fit in the back of the car - a transportable rather than a portable layout I suppose.....

Attached files

 

SMR CHRIS wrote:

It won't be as simple as for modern 2 rail track, but it should be possible if I'm careful that all three rails are adequately supported at the ends of the boards. It won't be the first time it's been done.

SMR CHRIS wrote:

I did try a few designs that had straight track joins, but they all looked deadly dull and boring - and my grandson wants it to have a reverse loop (and a turntable) anyway, so there would inevitably be at least one track join that isn't straight.

Having removable sections that I can wiggle in/out as I join or separate the boards is my fall back option if cutting the track at the joints doesn't work.

SMR CHRIS wrote:

At this point I feel I should add that I'm not the fastest worker when it comes to things like this, so it could take a while.

 

^

A possible solution, but not really what I was considering. More to the point, SWMBO would not approve.