Attempting first layout - B Shorty Special

[E231-500]

Hi all,

 

Thought I would start a thread for my new B Shorty layout, which is my first serious attempt at a proper layout. It's built on layers of Extruded Blue Foam.

 

I bought a copy of AnyRail (http://www.anyrail.com/index_en.html) as i loved the fact that you can print the layout at 1:1 scale, and it's very easy to work with. So after about 75 minutes of designing and printing, this is what I came up with:

 

 

It will have a dual main line with a station and the 2 track yard. Also the single line on the inside between the main and the yard will be on an incline and will go to a small station at the top of a small raised section in the bottom right corner.

 

You will also notice the gap in the side of the middle board........

 

 

The subway station I had been working on for quite a while but stalled when it came time to work out lighting - which I am still in the process of doing.

 

Any suggestions or ideas (or even criticisms) are welcome  :)  :)

[Kabutoni]

Awesome! I hope you can figure out the scenery on the upper level. The subway station surely looks good already :)

[KenS]

Love the subway station!

 

There are two good options for subway/station lighting: LED strips and EL tape or wire.

 

I used a pair of LED Strip Lights, one "cool white" and one "warm white" at the front of my subway station, just behind a valance, to get a good color balance.  I found "cool white" to be far to blue to look good as fluorescent lighting, and "warm white" was more like incandescent to my eye, and not appropriate for a modern station.  The combination actually works fairly well.

 

LED strips suck a lot of power. I've got over 2m worth in my station, and they are using over 1 amp of 12V power (that's pretty much a whole wall-wart, if you use small wall warts to power them).

 

Newer EL "white" may work, although I'd be worried that it would be too "cool". Older EL white was really a blue, and wouldn't work at all.

 

Another method people have used, which probably works better for outside stations with awnings, is to put HO LED lights designed for car interiors in the awning.  This will be a LED with a plastic "light pipe" diffuser to spread the light along the platform length.  Car lights built like this tend to have "hot spots" near the LED, so I don't think they're as good as light strips. But you have the advantage that they're color balanced more correctly for fluorescent lights.

[cteno4]

231,

 

very nice! nice little station as well. 

 

the top will be easily removable when finished, correct? the one comment from everyone that has done a subway is to make sure to have a way to get easy access to all the track both for derailments and cleaning!

 

really looks it will be a fun little project. since getting a few btrains my self im getting the itch to do something like this for next to my work station to be able to play when i have a sec!

 

keep us posted on the progress!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[katoftw]

On the Kato JP website, the is a layout with a subway station in it.  It has a cartoon also showing the completed layout.  Have a look at it to get the ides for your second level.

[E231-500]

KenS - Funny you mention that Sumida Crossing is your site, as it was your site that inspired me to attempt my subway  :) I will take your suggestions on board as the project progresses. 

 

cteno4 - Yes, I plan to make the top easily removable to access the underground section. Also I will be putting a light wooden frame around and have mad allowance for a small door on each end where I can also access the subway.

 

Today I stopped in my local hobby shop to get some track. I ended up walking out almost empty handed. After shopping at Hobby Search, I forgot just how expensive our local stores are. one set of points was over double the price as from ordering online - even adding postage! So I am awaiting the track from HS which should be here next week.

 

Also I dug out some more blue foam and 'attempted' the corner raised area - gonna need to play around with it a bit to get it how I want it. I will include some more photos once there's a bit more to show!

[Vato]

Hi all,

 

Thought I would start a thread for my new B Shorty layout, which is my first serious attempt at a proper layout. It's built on layers of Extruded Blue Foam.

 

I bought a copy of AnyRail (http://www.anyrail.com/index_en.html) as i loved the fact that you can print the layout at 1:1 scale, and it's very easy to work with. So after about 75 minutes of designing and printing, this is what I came up with:

 

IMG_1091.JPG

IMG_1093.JPG

 

It will have a dual main line with a station and the 2 track yard. Also the single line on the inside between the main and the yard will be on an incline and will go to a small station at the top of a small raised section in the bottom right corner.

 

You will also notice the gap in the side of the middle board........

 

IMG_1094.JPG

 

The subway station I had been working on for quite a while but stalled when it came time to work out lighting - which I am still in the process of doing.

 

Any suggestions or ideas (or even criticisms) are welcome  :)  :)

Love the subway station!

[E231-500]

Quick update....

 

Some track placed onto plan to check clearances. I have all the switch work and related gear on it's way from Japan. A few things will need adjustment on the fly as I build. Luckily I have quite a few odds and ends of track to do such adjustments.

 

 

 

One thing that worries me is the angle at which the incline/decline of the track is sitting for the line to the top. the longer incline doesn't look too bad but the short one looks a tad steep (by a tad I mean a LOT!).

 

 

 

I am thinking I may have to sink the track a bit on the upper section, which also means lowering a section of track on the main board for the trains to run underneath. can anyone suggest a good way to slice a small layer off the foam without making too much of a mess with keeping the whole thing level?

 

[KenS]

What's the rise/run for that grade? Just eyeballing it, it looks about 8%, which is about twice a normal maximum for Kato's inclines.  A short enough train with a motor designed to haul 10-car trains up 4% might climb it okay, but you're asking for trouble.

 

There's no good way to cut into foam without creating lots of dust; hot-wire cutters only work on edges.  If you've got a vacuum with a good filter to prevent the stuff from coming out the exhaust, I'd just hold the hose in one hand, and use something like a Stanley Surform Shaver to excavate.  The "keep it level" part I think you'll have to do by eye.  Or overcut, and then fill with something like Woodland Scenics Flex Paste, which you could smooth out while wet (if you want the level 5 mm below grade, cut a bit of styrene longer than the cut is wide with a 5mm tab the width of the cut, and use it to grade the paste level before it dries).

[Mudkip Orange]

There's no good way to cut into foam without creating lots of dust; hot-wire cutters only work on edges.

 

Not strictly true; my dad owns a Tippi hot wire cutter which he's used to make plunge cuts in the foam on his HO layout.

 

It's somewhat difficult to get a perfectly level surface, so you'll need to go a bit below your finished grade and then backfill using something you can sand (on the HO layout we've used drywall joint compound). This is of course assuming you want to shell out 50 bucks for a cutter.