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I want to build a plank

Discussion in 'Planks, Switching and Shelf Layouts' started by tanygaer, Mar 11, 2016.

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Mar 11, 2016 #1
tanygaer Full Member

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I have not got a clue where to start, after all I am only here to do the techy stuff behind the scenes.

So my ideas, which I hope you will all expand upon for me.

Industrial[/*]

'O' gauge[/*]

simple[/*]

My father used to model in TT, always to small for my fingers, 'O' gauge should be good for me as the smallest hammer I have is 5lb.

Please remember I am a complete noobie.
Mar 11, 2016 #2

Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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Your in good hands then Tany.
Now, what era, steam or diesel, industrial or rural.......... dont keep it to yourself.
this should be good. The tables have turned,
cheers
toto
Mar 11, 2016 #3

tanygaer Full Member

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Here is my design, open to suggestions
Mar 11, 2016 #4

paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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As when asked the question, I want to build a PC, the same sort of basic follow on questions arise.

What do you want to do with it ?.

What is the available space ?.

Budget ?.

Type of control - as you have nothing already, its actually easier to decide where you want to go, as you have no existing equipment tainting your choices.

Type of control traditional DC, to have more than one locomotive on the layout at a time you need to install sections, or DCC each loco has a chip in to control it, but can have multiple loco's moving in different directions and speeds on the same piece of track. Then you can add computer control into the mix as well.

Plank indeed.

Paul
Mar 11, 2016 #5

tanygaer Full Member

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Hi Paul

Thinking Slate port as the theme, available space large but will measure it tomorrow.

Budget -- I'll use my pay from Toto, so small,

Control DCC I think I would enjoy writing a computer program to control a train...

And I don't build computers, I only repair ones people have played with -- much more lucrative.
Mar 11, 2016 #6

jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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Hi Tany, from your drawing it looks like a run round with 6 sidings, do you want an off scene fiddle yard, or all the action just on the layout? I didn,t have much success with Anyrail but being more techy minded than me you may find it easier to use, it do,es have O scale templates so you would be able to design you plank to scale.

Pete.
Mar 11, 2016 #7

tanygaer Full Member

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Thanks Pete,

I'll look at that and try and download the trial, and see how I get on, if not I am sure Toto will help me out as I know when I rebuilt his laptop he had AnyRail as a program I had to preserve.

He has probably ruined it by now!!!!!!
Mar 11, 2016 #8

paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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While you are looking for inspiration, there are layout puzzles called timesavers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timesaver

Maybe worth a read

Paul
Mar 11, 2016 #9

Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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Hi Tany,

Small plank layouts are fun to operate and provide plenty of puzzles within. Paul has pasted a link to Timesaver layouts, but for more info on these types of layouts (and Inglenooks) take a look here :

http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/sw-timesaver.html Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on 'Track Plans'.

The 'timesaver' track plan uses one less point (3 x left, 2 x right) than on your plan, but at the same time, provides plenty of operational interest.

Now, without knowing how much space you have allocated for this layout, the need to draw up a scale plan will be necessary. I personally recommend Ányrail' track planning software. Anyrail provide a free download which will give you the ability to use up to 50 pieces of track and no more.

See here : https://www.anyrail.com/index_en.html

I'm not sure if you know how big/long an O gauge point is, but if I remember correctly, they measure approx. 440mm in length. So, in theory, the top two points will take up just shy of 900mm or 3'...!

Another option is to print out Peco Turnout Plans. These can be laid out on your baseboard to gauge length.

See here : http://www.peco-uk.com/page.asp?id=pointplans

Cheers, Gary.
Mar 12, 2016 #10

Kimbo Staff Member Moderator

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Hi Tany,
The Peco L/H point at the front of my layout measure in at 415mm exactly, the Marcway threeway point measures a mere 590mm on the centre road, double slip 575mm.
As Gary suggests printing out the points is the way I planned my layout. It starts to get a bit scary when you put two or three together as to just how much room they take up. Peco have a limited range of turn outs so building your own is one option if tight curved turnouts are requitred or if Toto can supply more funds, then Marcway will build them exactly as you need them.Hope thats of some help to youKim
Mar 12, 2016 #11

ianvolvo46 Staff Member Moderator

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Hi Tany looking forward to each episode of this thread... myself I'm building a 'Plonk'... that's any shape/size layout with an area set aside for vino tinto or tipple of choice ... (McEwans?) ... and it works!

Ian http://www.click
Mar 12, 2016 #12

tanygaer Full Member

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Hi Ian,

My plank will be similar to your 'Plonk' in almost every aspect, accept it will be a 'Plonker' building it.
Mar 12, 2016 #13

tanygaer Full Member

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Hi Kim

Well I'll measure the room where I am expecting it to be built and will maybe have to adjust my choice of scale or my design.

Just I am really struck by the 'O' gauge layouts I see being built here.
Mar 12, 2016 #14

Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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Remember ...... Photographic records are an essential part of the thread.
Mar 12, 2016 #15

paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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tanygaer wrote:

Just I am really struck by the 'O' gauge layouts I see being built here.
Click to expand...

Me too, It's soooooo very tempting

Paul
Mar 12, 2016 #16

tanygaer Full Member

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The room, which we call the office, is approximately 5.5m by 4m it is totally water proof

It could do with a bit of a tidy, actually it could do with a bit of a "throw away" (my wife is a magpie), it is fully wired and the mains circuit is split into two as it also houses a little pile of computers, computers on one circuit and everything else on the other.

We actually user the computers for here as they house or testing and learning zones.

The big white thing you see is a 300L hot water tank which is pressurised and supplys 4 of the bathrooms in the house, the other two having a separate 300L supply.

So I guess my first job is going to be tidying and throwing to determine how much of the space I can use. Else I'll have to build a shed in the back field.
Mar 12, 2016 #17

paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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See its true, inside every boy (age, size and gender is irellevant) lurks a railway modeller waiting to break out. http://www.click

Paul
Mar 12, 2016 #18

SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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Hi Tany
Well as you referred to your self as a amateur plonker

You can make a "plonker" model railway that will make you look like a the Rest of us professional plonker's

Plonker = an item or model that is ready to place on the layout without any work needed. Place = Plonk. Sometimes referred to as RTR or ready to run.

O scale now has lots of Plonker Models
Locos
The Dapol Terriers one of the latest are nice and cheap (for O scale) and look and run great.

IXION do a Hudswell Clark steamer and a little diesel mechanical Fowler. Both very nice runners my IXION streamer pulled 50 wagons with out an issue and could have pulled more.

Minerva do a nice Peckett E class steamer

Heljan do a changing range of RTR diesels and a rail bus.

Lion Heart Pannier tank plus other that have sold out

RTR wagons by Dapol, Heljan, Skytrex ,Lion heart.
Buildings can even be found as plonker's Bachman, Skytrex.
Track Peco.
Should be enough to get you looking at what is about in O scale start googling.

A plank whilst small can provide lots of potential
My O scale has only 2 points and the sector/fiddle yard acts as 2 points and at the last session the guys took 2-1/2 hours to shunt 3 trains.
It was like A puzzle picture or rubrics cube moving the pieces to get in the right spot with all the onlookers giving advice from the back stalls great fun. And the train driver was like this when he got done

I'm Looking forward to seeing what way you go

http://www.click
Mar 12, 2016 #19

jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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Astutely put SMR Chris, also to add to the list of affordable rtr O scale locos is a newly announced class 15 according to the online Hornby mag ( thank you to Steve Fay for the facebook link, it looks very interesting).

Pete.
Mar 12, 2016 #20

mattc6911

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Tanny
Industrial . . . talk to Gary
O Gauge . . . . talk to Jackesdad, SMR Chris and Steve Hay
Simple . . . . . talk to Toto

Cheers
Matt

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