All good advice about using large radius curves and points and they do look better on your layout. Unfortunately large radius curves and points are the enemy of available space. In Aus and US houses tend to be more spacious but here in UK there is usually less free space available and some compromises have to be made. Also in UK its a lot more hilly so tunnels are quite a common feature.
@@KingsviewModelRailway I wish! A 3mx2.5m railway room is manna from heaven!! Manna from heaven tends to be a tad pricey here. 😁 Here's a rather ancient link to my layout. Not done another vid since. Better do that now it's as complete as it will ever be, before it comes down in January! Planned using AnyRail - excellent bit of kit. ruclips.net/video/4Kk8MCcUAsU/видео.html
For anyone about to construct a layout, this video will be of great assistance. I totally agree that large radius curves, as well as large radius points will give you great running with more realism.... Cheers Greg
All excellent advice!👍 If I may elaborate a bit... 1. I think it was the late great John Allen who suggested to make your mainline curves 3x that of your longest car as a minimum - this not only improves operation vastly over going with the mfgr's published minimum, but exponentially improves realism! (And even considerably more if you're planning a curved yard, and planning on coupling.) 2. Don't be afraid to use curved turnouts and compound ladder arrangements to maximize passing & yard track lengths - but always be on the lookout for dreaded "S" curves... (That's some beautifully smooth looking trackwork there, btw!) 3. Yes! Cuts over tunnels wherever possible - our scale terrain is rarely large & convincing enough for them to look warranted. Also another great way of hiding the train between scenes and making the layout feel bigger is behind trees & houses. And ALWAYS provide access for tunnels when you do use them - either from underneath, or with a lift out section. 4. Yes again! On the mainline #6 frogs are probably the absolute minimum - and #8 or 10 looks even better, if space permits. 5. But absolutely do utilize the smaller #4 or 5 size T.O.'s in the freight yard for the most storage. Sorry I wrote a book here - cheers from across the pond!
Thanks mate. There were, judged by my embryonic layout, 3.5 very valuable tips. The open cutting tip is unanswerable except that I will now have to sell my tunnel portals. Well, except maybe one. There has to be one tunnel, surely.
Some great advice. Thanks for sharing. I agree with all but cuttings v tunnels. 1. Number of mainlines desired. I've 100+ sets and want to run as many as possible. So that means about 12 mainlines with 2 to 4 trains in blocked sections. 2. Space available. That means a three car shed OR many levels. Stacked levels mean tunnels. 3. Blocked / sectioned mainlines. That means 2 to 4 trains on the one mainline. So as a train disappears into a tunnel, so another appears following it. 4. Hidden though sidings. A train can disappear and another replace it by switching between through sidings. 5. Europe. Tunnels are very common. Different to Australia. Eurostar and Swiss are classics. 6. London Underground. I've got the London Underground model. Yes the District line does run above and below. Some only run below. You can have an open front below the ground level with underground trains appearing and disappearing from an underground station, as in real life. 7. If going multilevel, MUST plan and have underneath access and pop up areas to get to all those hidden track areas. Of course your choice does look good for Australian prototype! And fitting in with your cutting theme, I'll be adding a Lithgow zig-zag on a mountain face! Cheers!
A great video but not everyone is building a prototypical layout.. myself included... and OMG 40" radius, I wish!...... one would need a very large shed or room for those sizes of radius curves... mine are 22" at the smallest. My train room is only 4.87mtr x 2.74mtr (16' x 9') converted unused kitchen. I'm in Melbourne's inner western subs.
As I said, build the biggest radius curves you can based on the space you have. Yes, I have the room, but plenty can have a larger radius if they consider the design.
Tunnels allow to create unvisible links between sections. Train disappears there and appears here as visibly new, the best way - with hidden station where it can stand still for a while, or better exchange with another one. Its not great for drivers layout where the main joy is to manually control train, but absolutely killing feature of automation layout where the main joy is to Rule The World, observe how trains drive by themselves, simulate real activity, travel from sea port to mountain village and so on. Wunderland in Hamburg totally depends on its hidden tracks, there are even more of them than visible ones, it allows to create huge traffic diversity, not the same 2 trains going rounds and rounds. Crossovers in reality are rare done with large radiuses. As they are used very rare and situated near stations its much easier to install cheap (first of all for maintenance!) short points and apply speed restriction if crossover is in diversion (ie 100 straight, 30 diversion). High speed points exist including full speed HSR, and used when you have to do something like junction of two HSR lines in the middle of nowhere, but extremely rare. It is opposite for models, its very difficult to apply reliable speed restrictions (in both manual and automated control) and long points does not cost anything except space available.
Dear Sir, Thanks for the great advice. But as i am building a very small (and toy like, i'm afraid) layout and have to contend with limited resources (e.g. a single type of point with a small radius), some tips will not be applicable for me case. Cheers from Brazil!
#6: You are not Captain Kirk and that locomotive isn't the starship Enterprise, so slow down your trains! Whether freight or passenger service, running your trains at a slow speed help to make any layout feel bigger. Also, a slow-moving train feels like it has more bulk than a shunter hauling 40 cars at Warp Speed around your layout. 😉
An additional advantage to operating slowly is derailments will be lessened, especially across points. Point #6a: make your points as level across as possible. Point #6b: check the back-to-backs on EVERY piece of equipment, and don't hesitate to correct over- or under-widths, especially if using smaller rail, Code 70 or bullnose..
All good advice about using large radius curves and points and they do look better on your layout. Unfortunately large radius curves and points are the enemy of available space. In Aus and US houses tend to be more spacious but here in UK there is usually less free space available and some compromises have to be made. Also in UK its a lot more hilly so tunnels are quite a common feature.
Time for you poms to build some decent-sized houses!
@@KingsviewModelRailway I wish! A 3mx2.5m railway room is manna from heaven!! Manna from heaven tends to be a tad pricey here. 😁
Here's a rather ancient link to my layout. Not done another vid since. Better do that now it's as complete as it will ever be, before it comes down in January! Planned using AnyRail - excellent bit of kit.
ruclips.net/video/4Kk8MCcUAsU/видео.html
I dream of being able to have a layout even a fraction of this quality and size one day. Its stunning!
I'm deeply flattered!
For anyone about to construct a layout, this video will be of great assistance. I totally agree that large radius curves, as well as large radius points will give you great running with more realism.... Cheers Greg
thanks mate.
All excellent advice!👍 If I may elaborate a bit...
1. I think it was the late great John Allen who suggested to make your mainline curves 3x that of your longest car as a minimum - this not only improves operation vastly over going with the mfgr's published minimum, but exponentially improves realism! (And even considerably more if you're planning a curved yard, and planning on coupling.)
2. Don't be afraid to use curved turnouts and compound ladder arrangements to maximize passing & yard track lengths - but always be on the lookout for dreaded "S" curves... (That's some beautifully smooth looking trackwork there, btw!)
3. Yes! Cuts over tunnels wherever possible - our scale terrain is rarely large & convincing enough for them to look warranted. Also another great way of hiding the train between scenes and making the layout feel bigger is behind trees & houses. And ALWAYS provide access for tunnels when you do use them - either from underneath, or with a lift out section.
4. Yes again! On the mainline #6 frogs are probably the absolute minimum - and #8 or 10 looks even better, if space permits.
5. But absolutely do utilize the smaller #4 or 5 size T.O.'s in the freight yard for the most storage.
Sorry I wrote a book here - cheers from across the pond!
All good tips!
You guys are incredible! Thanks for the tips, I’ll try my best to do this with my layout. Great work guys.
Your spot on with tunnels. All my problems occur in them so rebuilding without any 👍
Thanks mate. There were, judged by my embryonic layout, 3.5 very valuable tips. The open cutting tip is unanswerable except that I will now have to sell my tunnel portals. Well, except maybe one. There has to be one tunnel, surely.
I’m glad you enjoyed the video and its tips! Have a tunnel if you really need one, but every time a train is in one you can't see it!
Thanks for sharing your very interesting and informative video presentation.
I agree with all of your points. (Yes, pun intended). 😂
Thanks!
Some great advice. Thanks for sharing.
I agree with all but cuttings v tunnels.
1. Number of mainlines desired. I've 100+ sets and want to run as many as possible. So that means about 12 mainlines with 2 to 4 trains in blocked sections.
2. Space available. That means a three car shed OR many levels. Stacked levels mean tunnels.
3. Blocked / sectioned mainlines. That means 2 to 4 trains on the one mainline. So as a train disappears into a tunnel, so another appears following it.
4. Hidden though sidings. A train can disappear and another replace it by switching between through sidings.
5. Europe. Tunnels are very common. Different to Australia. Eurostar and Swiss are classics.
6. London Underground. I've got the London Underground model. Yes the District line does run above and below. Some only run below. You can have an open front below the ground level with underground trains appearing and disappearing from an underground station, as in real life.
7. If going multilevel, MUST plan and have underneath access and pop up areas to get to all those hidden track areas.
Of course your choice does look good for Australian prototype! And fitting in with your cutting theme, I'll be adding a Lithgow zig-zag on a mountain face!
Cheers!
All good points!
@@KingsviewModelRailway My pleasure. Forgot to compliment your layout. It's wonderful.
Add a curved backdrop around a curve, it reduces the look of the curve and makes it look wider rather than staring at a corner.
Great tips, thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome!
A great video but not everyone is building a prototypical layout.. myself included... and OMG 40" radius, I wish!...... one would need a very large shed or room for those sizes of radius curves... mine are 22" at the smallest. My train room is only 4.87mtr x 2.74mtr (16' x 9') converted unused kitchen. I'm in Melbourne's inner western subs.
As I said, build the biggest radius curves you can based on the space you have. Yes, I have the room, but plenty can have a larger radius if they consider the design.
Not many have a whole basement to play trains in.
Tunnels allow to create unvisible links between sections. Train disappears there and appears here as visibly new, the best way - with hidden station where it can stand still for a while, or better exchange with another one.
Its not great for drivers layout where the main joy is to manually control train, but absolutely killing feature of automation layout where the main joy is to Rule The World, observe how trains drive by themselves, simulate real activity, travel from sea port to mountain village and so on. Wunderland in Hamburg totally depends on its hidden tracks, there are even more of them than visible ones, it allows to create huge traffic diversity, not the same 2 trains going rounds and rounds.
Crossovers in reality are rare done with large radiuses. As they are used very rare and situated near stations its much easier to install cheap (first of all for maintenance!) short points and apply speed restriction if crossover is in diversion (ie 100 straight, 30 diversion). High speed points exist including full speed HSR, and used when you have to do something like junction of two HSR lines in the middle of nowhere, but extremely rare. It is opposite for models, its very difficult to apply reliable speed restrictions (in both manual and automated control) and long points does not cost anything except space available.
Yep, i know what tunnels do, but for. modelling, they just hide trains!
@@KingsviewModelRailway exactly! and in many case it IS what requred. Very specific tool, not for everybody, but very powerful
Dear Sir,
Thanks for the great advice. But as i am building a very small (and toy like, i'm afraid) layout and have to contend with limited resources (e.g. a single type of point with a small radius), some tips will not be applicable for me case.
Cheers from Brazil!
Thats ok! Enjoy what you build!
#6: You are not Captain Kirk and that locomotive isn't the starship Enterprise, so slow down your trains!
Whether freight or passenger service, running your trains at a slow speed help to make any layout feel bigger. Also, a slow-moving train feels like it has more bulk than a shunter hauling 40 cars at Warp Speed around your layout. 😉
Yers, realistic speeds are important!
An additional advantage to operating slowly is derailments will be lessened, especially across points.
Point #6a: make your points as level across as possible.
Point #6b: check the back-to-backs on EVERY piece of equipment, and don't hesitate to correct over- or under-widths, especially if using smaller rail, Code 70 or bullnose..