Full Size Paper Templates of Trackplan


I'm still trying to determine exactly how I am going to lay my track over the brown paper drawings.
That stumped me for a while, too. I considered laying track on top of the paper printouts, but that did not seem like a good idea. It would be better if I could somehow transfer the printed track plan onto the layout sub-roadbed.

At first, I tried pushing pins or thumbtacks through the paper to make a pattern of little marks on the sub-roadbed beneath the paper. I found it difficult to make sense of a zillion little marks. Then I tried cutting away the paper a little at a time and marking the sub-roadbed as I went along. That was not very accurate.

Finally, I discovered that if I touched a Sharpie to the paper, it would bleed through the paper and leave a small dot on the layout. By placing dots at key points on the track plan, especially around turnouts, it became a simple matter to remove the paper and "connect the dots" using a straight edge and a flexible curved ruler:

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- Jeff
 
I printed mine out from XtracCad as well, full size, no boarders, with registration marks. Taped everything together, then taped the edges down. Then using an exacto knife, cut out the track sections, a little over-sized, then laid and glued my foam roadbed in the empty space.
 
There was a lot of trial and error to arrive at that approach :) I first tried cutting slits along the center lines for a marker, which was way too tedious. On foam, running along the lines with a good ponce wheel worked well, but I am not using foam as a base for the new layout. I was frustrated and just staring at it when it hit me... finally.
 
Interesting ideas,...keep them coming.

I don't have 'computer drawings' to print out.

I only have it laid out of brown paper (the type that contractors use to protect flooring when doing work) that does not 'bleed thru' to my knowledge.
 
That stumped me for a while, too. I considered laying track on top of the paper printouts, but that did not seem like a good idea. It would be better if I could somehow transfer the printed track plan onto the layout sub-roadbed.

At first, I tried pushing pins or thumbtacks through the paper to make a pattern of little marks on the sub-roadbed beneath the paper. I found it difficult to make sense of a zillion little marks. Then I tried cutting away the paper a little at a time and marking the sub-roadbed as I went along. That was not very accurate.

Finally, I discovered that if I touched a Sharpie to the paper, it would bleed through the paper and leave a small dot on the layout. By placing dots at key points on the track plan, especially around turnouts, it became a simple matter to remove the paper and "connect the dots" using a straight edge and a flexible curved ruler:

View attachment 43197

- Jeff

What type of paper were you using that allowed the ink to soak thru? ...brown construction paper like that I drew my plans on??
 
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What type of paper were you using that allowed the ink to soak thru? ...brown construction paper like this??
No. I printed my full-sized track plan from XTrackCAD to a laser printer. The paper in the laser printer was ordinary white 8-1/2 by 11 inch printer paper. I then taped the pieces of paper together to make the full-size track plan. I laid the full-size plan on the layout.

If you look back at Post #19 of this thread, you can see a portion of my full-size track plan on the layout. Using a Sharpie, I touched the paper at all of the important locations on the track plan, paying special attention to the turnouts. Each touch with the Sharpie bled through the paper and left a dot on the sub-roadbed under the paper. The Sharpie bled through the printer paper very easily.

It was then a relatively simple matter to "connect the dots" which resulted in the track plan centerline being transferred to the sub-roadbed. I used flexible rulers (see Post #21 above) to "connect the dots" where the track was curved and a straight edge to draw the straight sections.

- Jeff
 
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Hey Jeff, thanks for that idea. I discovered today that a black Sharpie pen would mark thru my brown paper. I think this is the route I will pursue.....lots easier than a pounce wheel, etc.

Edited Update: I found that the sharpie would NOT mark thru my brown paper with any surety.,...going to have to experiment with a different idea.
 
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I just discovered that a number of the pictures/photos do not show up on the first page of this thread?....buy if you click on them individually (or right click on them) they will appear.
 
I just discovered that a number of the pictures/photos do not show up on the first page of this thread?....buy if you click on them individually (or right click on them) they will appear.
I am having no issues with all of them showing up. Of course there are 59 images there, if you happen to have a slow internet connection, sometimes your browser will "time out" before all of them are loaded. I have also often read that if this persists, clear out your browser cache.
 
Thanks for the reply Willie. I think it may also have something to do with my use of Firefox ? I've also had problems stalling out on Facebook sites dealing with trains for sale,...with notification that Firefox has stalled on those sites. i think I am going to have to change search engines.

I just found that I can gets individual 'dots' of color to print thru the brown paper tack plan. I'm going to attempt that whole freight yard today.
 
Corner Area Cork and Track Laying

I'm working on laying track and cork roadbed in this corner of my layout,...planning stage here
https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/35353?page=4#comment-450454
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I pulled that whole corner deck section out and placed it up on my center aisle deck
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I then proceeded to get my twin mainline track plan curves finalized, along with several spur tracks/turnouts leading off of them, including my cement silo. I did this while making use of my paper template, then verifying all the radi, clearances, and fit of the various turnouts together. This was all tacked/pinned down on paper template that was taped down onto the plywood deck.
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Now I needed to glue the cork roadbed down in preparation for the track gluing at the next stage. BUT how do I get that roadbed down in the exact correct position while removing that paper template from under it? This process of removing the paper template plan while not having the drawing on the wood deck has been a concern of mine for some time.
I decided that to get all the track and turnout proportions correct as I now had them laid out I should go ahead and solder all those connections together so I could subsequently lay this back down on my cork roadbed in the identical manner.
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I got out a metal punch/scribe and made consecutive punch holes along the centerline of the tracks. Then when I razor cut out the paper template under each of those sections, I ended up with a series of 'dots' I could connect with a pencil line,...the centerline of my track. I could then lay and glue down each side of my split cork roadbed to that line,...and end up with the split line on my cork defining the proper centerline for my pre-assemblied track to be glue down to.
Paper template section with punch holes cut out and laid aside,..
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Punch holes in plywood deck (hard to see all the holes)
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Pencil lines for track centers
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Cork laying track-by-track, and subsequent removable of more sections of paper template,..
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Finally most of the cork roadbed laid here except for some of the turnout locations that will be done today.
 
With that upper corner piece of deck moved out of the way, I could get in and lay track in the staging deck that fits below it.


Now to work on the other ends of those staging tracks down near the entrance door, and where 3 of the staging tracks will cross the entrance on my special swing down bridge affair.


In two particular cases here I will be removing the over-head main decks in these two corners for several reasons:...1) to get at the staging decks below them, and most importantly 2) to work on the tracks and turnouts in the long-reach, back portions of those main deck pieces.





So I will take them one at a time,...the first one over in the corner that has a brick factory, cement plant, and waterfront scene mounted in it/on it. Here it is removed from its place and set upon the central peninsula deck are to be worked on,..
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That leaves my access to the staging deck very easy,..
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Since I was unable to get a marker to soak thru that paper pattern, I had to get out a metal punch and make numerous punch marks in the plywood to convey the curves in that corner.
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then connect the dots with pencil lines
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Finally finished gluing and screwing down the tracks on the corner staging area that will be under the cement silo and brick factory. Also solder all the feeder wires on.


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Those rerailers at this end are going to get razor sawed off to become the joints for the entrance way swing up bridge. (only 3 of the staging tracks will cross the entrance in case I wish to run a train forward around the staging tracks rather than just back them into a parking stance).
 
I was rather surprised this morning when I did a search on this forum to find this particular subject thread,...it did NOT show up in my search??. used "full size" and "full size templates" as a couple of the search terms??
 
I was rather surprised this morning when I did a search on this forum to find this particular subject thread,...it did NOT show up in my search??. used "full size" and "full size templates" as a couple of the search terms??
Strange. Both of those search terms worked for me. This thread was the top search result for either of the search terms.

- Jeff
 
Yahoo!!

My full size paper template planing has served me well again. I had taken a break from working on this upper corner of my track plan where the Santa Fe train station and the SF engine shop are located. Yesterday I told myself I needed to get back to this project,... (and other track planning for this upper deck).


First off I needed to finish the track plan for this corner, then get that paper pattern back up to actual deck plywood before our rain and cold weather hit soon.


I finished off this start on the project, LINK, tacked down all the track and switches onto the paper pattern, then traced with a pencil the exact outline of all the tracks and turnouts. Then I solder almost all the track joints together so these interlocking joints would be retained when I moved these track sections up to the top deck.


After I solder the joints, I removed all the pins tacking the track down on my outdoor work table, then slid the paper pattern out from under the tracks. This paper pattern was then transferred up to the top deck, followed by the actual track sections themselves.


I'm going to get a very exact track plan transferred to my layout, Certainly a lot easier than trying to create that track plan like this than reaching up and over that upper plywood deck standing on a ladder affair.

(Sorry I was in a rush at the days end, and did not take photos of the finished track plan)
 
There were several things that complicated the NEW track plan for this 'train station corner'. The primary one was a change from original planning for a single track bridge across the entrance-way at this upper deck. It was now going to be a double track bridge !

This came about as a result of my desire to have an interchange between the double track mainlines occur 'out in the open' of this corner space, rather than over were the double track helix first entered the second level deck. I didn't care for this double helix track to single mainline track to occur over behind a ramped track leading up to the tracks at that the rear of the room,..coal mine, bridge over log pod, etc.


This dbl-track mainline arrangement would also be helpful in circulating trains continuously around the room on this upper layer, and present less confusion for trains utilizing the dbl-track helix, both coming and going.


One negative aspect to this double tracking behind the SF engine servicing building, is how might it affect the radi of the two curves that turn down the length of that side of the layout?


The outermost radius was not a problem, a good 27” radius with a good easement were it met the wall behind the station building. Since that track was going to run very close to the wall surface it needed a good easement so the cabs of this long steam engines would not interfere with the wall surface when negotiating this curve.


The inner radius that was connecting to the tracks at the train station was the big concern. There would be lots of passenger trains using this route to connect with the innermost mainline. Lots of those nice passenger cars do not like small radi. I managed to get a 27” radius here also !! Great.



Rather surprisingly the ladder of 3 turnouts feeding the engine servicing building also required a little 'juggling' to fit in nicely and not present too much of an S curve where they met that 3-way turnout,..nor push that whole arrangement down the track and turnout feeding the 3-way.
 
I just found a bunch of photos I must have taken while I worked on this corner plan sometime along the process. Perhaps they will help with the postings above,..
 

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