Layout design


F

firetacoma

Member
I am awful with math, let's just get that out of the way up front.

I am trying to design a simple 28 x 80 N scale layout. The trackplan I found looks great on paper. I just tried to put it into the right track software put out by atlas. The 2 sides don't line up. One of the corners is bigger than the other. I am guessing they just bent the track in the real world to make it go, but I am wondering if that's normal/good. Seems like that would make for some icky gaps in some of the rails. This design is with atlas code 80, but I was hoping to use either atlas 55 or peco 55.

Any layout designers have any hints/tips? I know what I want it to look like, but I don't know how to get the track to do it!
 
My experience is with HO rather than N, but the general concepts should be the same.

First, a question: Are you using all sectional track templates assembling your plan, or are you including flex track as well? The reason I ask is, if you're trying to make the trackwork on both side of your layout symmetrical with all sectional track, and trying to include turnouts in the curves, that can be really frustrating. I almost always used flex track to connect all my lines.

BTW It's been ~8 years since I used the Atlas software, so I don't remember much about it (been using XtrkCAD lately).
 
Ken's right. If you want it reliable easy to work with, scrap the sectional and go with flex.

I second XtrkCAD.
 
Flex-track would make life MUCH easier.

I will also look into xtrkcad. Is there an easy way to put flex-track into it? The atlas cad is NOT very flex-track friendly from what I've been able to see.
 
In XtrkCAD flex is really easy, You just locate a two pieces of track and hit join and it fills in the distance between.
 
Well, here it is. The plan is to have a mountain which covers the "staging tracks" in the back. I will have a tunnel on the left side with a small creek running from the left side, bending and running out the front. The saw mill will be fed by those 2 tracks (1 for finished lumber, 1 for sawdust) and the feed mill will be on the right. A small town will be centerish.

Andrew.jpg


This took forever trying to figure out the software!
 
I'm not sure which corner was giving you problems but it looks like things line up now. The ony comment I'd make is the left hand curve is much too close to the edge of the layout. Ths will give you both operational and scenery problems. You have plenty of room on the right so slide the whole plan over a few inches.
 
You got this far with XtrkCad in one evening - not too shabby! *thumbs-up*

Now about your track plan: Those magenta-colored track segments in the lower right corner indicate curves that are sharper than your specified minimum radius. (I'm not sure what the default minimum is in N scale, but XtrkCad lets you change it if you want to.) I'd recommend replacing the 'pre-fab' curved sections with flex, and slightly repositioning the turnout.

Also, what Jim is alluding to is Murphy's Law #137, which states that "any locomotive on a curve, or turnout, at the edge of a layout will take a swan dive to the floor as soon as you take your eyes off it." The probability of this increases in direct proportion to (1) the value of the loco, (2) the elevation of the track from the floor, and (3) the hardness of the floor. If there's any way you can shorten that industry spur in the lower-right corner, you'll be better-off shifting all your trackwork a few inches toward the right as Jim suggested.
 
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Thanks for the feedback!

I had intended to move the whole thing to the right to get it more centered... guess I just forgot that step.

What I may do for the corner that's outside my default radius is to use sectional track in that corner and put the funny angle in the rear where it will be mostly hidden. I don't plan on running any huge locos or intermodel cars so I don't think it will be too big of an issue.

In addition to getting that drawn up last night I also got my table all built! Things are coming together!
 
Ken, having been a victim of Murphy's Law #137, I can only laugh now that I've put a $175 locomitive in the trash bin...or cry, as the case may be. :)

Fire, I think the issue is the curves coming off that turnout to the mainline and passing track are below what you want your minimum curve to be. Whatever radius those two curves are, they will be the ruling curves on your layout and will limit what you can run. How about just making the curve straight through and then adding a turnout on the straight section of mainline to the passing track? You may even be able increase the radius of that right hand curve and give it a better approach to the straight section.
 
I've thought about moving the turnout to the straight portion of track, but don't want to cut down on the length of the siding. hmmmmm
 
if you want the siding length just move the eit of the siding back on the other side of the layout. I agree that it should be kept a straight through radius and then the first section of straight track would be a switch.

just my .02
 
It is great that you were able to build that layout so quickly, but...

Here's how I would have done it.

Make a track circle with your 12" radius and place it on one end of the table.

Select it and copy. Then paste which gives you a second circle. Move it to the other end of the table.

step01.gif


Just the join tool and click on the top of one circle then the top of the other circle. That will connect and break the two circles.

step02.gif


Do the same to the bottoms of the circles. Now you have a loop.

Use the parallel track tool to duplicate the straight portions of the loops.

step03.gif


Drop a turnout on each end of the loop track.

step04.gif


Then use the join tool to join the turnout to the new parallel tracks forming sidings.

step05.gif


Use the break track tool on the right loop. Select and delete the lower section of the loop. Don't worry about getting the break in the wrong place. You can use the extend/modify track tool to adjust the length.

step06.gif


Use the describe tool to click on the right side of the loop. Change the 12 " radius to 10 ". Add a curved turnout to the end of the curve.

step07.gif


Use the join tool to complete the loop again.

step08.gif


Much easier than using sectional track. What I did took less time than I typing it out.
 
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