Help: Danish Exhibition

[CaptOblivious]

That's huge! You could do quite a lot with that space. That may be too big a palette. I've got some thoughts; I'll sleep on them and post in the morning.

[disturbman]

Hey Brian, I'm sure everybody will come up with a plan for you. You can maybe take a look to the previous propositions. if I remember correctly some people posted track plans the last time you asked for help.

[Bernard]

Brian - Why not do something new.
First question, think about your last exhibition and think about the Pros & Cons of it and what you might want to change. Next, how many trains do you want to run at one time and the max. size of the layout for easy transportation?

[CaptOblivious]

Domino,

I'm thinking this:
to include:

• a busy full length station (plenty of room for that!), with several platforms, and maybe through express lines, so you can have trains passing in the station (ooh!)
• a "parade curve" (like what Quinntopia has done at about 1:04 in the video below, but perhaps not so ambitious?) Maybe even a four-track parade curve (two for shinkansen, two for narrow gauge)?

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/LXgmNEOYKAo" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/LXgmNEOYKAo</a>

If you used the L-shaped table, you could place the station along the inside of the long leg, and the parade curve inside the stubby leg of the L. Then, along the outside of the long leg, you could put a staging yard.

Is that at all clear? Not near a drawing program just now to sketch it out, I'm afraid.

[cteno4]

Brian,

check out the old show layout for jrm, Matthew did some interesting plans for the local lines that kept you guessing on where the trains were going to be going (folded figure 8, figure 8 w/in an oval, etc). these designs also lengthen you unique track run and keep things from feeling like a slot car set going round and round in ovals. Also IgNippon has done some interesting with shinkansen lines and grades to give a much longer shinkansen run.

big grain of salt with your plans though is to really make sure to test out a layout design throughly before the show as if you dont it will bite you! some trains dont like certain combos of things, some dont like the placement of turnouts with respect to curves, etc, so really wise to not get so big you can try it out first at home, especially if its only you at the show! also make a bunch of shims from thin cardboard or styrene like 3cm square to have at the show as your tables will probably have some height difference between them. while unitrak really does help with this sometimes the flexing of the track can effect some trains so just a tad of support here and there can help small derailment issues.

cheers

jeff

[Bernard]

Quinn made a GREAT trestle! I remember this when I last looked at his blog. I'm glad you posted the video Don.

[domino]

im in a bit trouble, i dont have the space where i can test the layout, it has become so big now that it does not fit in my house any more 
I was thinking , maybe i should make a smaller layout for the exhibition ,so can test it before the exhibition ??

domino
Brian

[disturbman]

That's a great idea Brian.

Or you can make severall smaller layout... or not. 

[domino]

Hey all

I have decided to make a smaller N scale Japanese layout for future exhibitions, the one i have now is way to big for me to rebuild evertime there is an exhibition in DK, so im going to make one from 2 baseborads that each is 110x125 cm , so total 110x250 cm , and it still fits in my car, and im going to mount the traks to the board so it is easy to set up at the exhibition.
Does anybody have an interesting track plan that would go well on a baseboard this size 110x250 cm ??

thanks

domino

[cteno4]

Brian,

was wondering when you would get tired of trying to set all that up at shows! we went through the same process with the jrm layout!

might look at the tomix and kato small layout plan books, they have some interesting little ideas in that size range. you will need to be a simpler in design. maybe an over and under?

kato usa has some plans up as pdfs, some are more us centric but may have some ideas for you.

http://www.katousa.com/track-plans/n-plans.html

might think of how we did the new jrm layout with sections that potentially can grow but still a unique track plan. also instead of trying to fill the whole space think a donut of modules that are thinner and easier to transport, but set up to a larger over all size and longer track lenghts but about the same area to scenic.

best of luck!

cheers

jeff

[domino]

Brian,

was wondering when you would get tired of trying to set all that up at shows! we went through the same process with the jrm layout!

might look at the tomix and kato small layout plan books, they have some interesting little ideas in that size range. you will need to be a simpler in design. maybe an over and under?

kato usa has some plans up as pdfs, some are more us centric but may have some ideas for you.

http://www.katousa.com/track-plans/n-plans.html

might think of how we did the new jrm layout with sections that potentially can grow but still a unique track plan. also instead of trying to fill the whole space think a donut of modules that are thinner and easier to transport, but set up to a larger over all size and longer track lenghts but about the same area to scenic.

best of luck!

cheers

jeff

Hey jeff

I love your new section design at JRM, some day i would like to have something like that,  but that is way out in the future for me.
I will check out Kato and Tomix track plan books, i actually have them both, so why dident i think of that ;-)

I will get back to you all, when i have decided witch one im going to use

have a nice day

regards
domino
Brian

[cteno4]

Brian,

why i mentioned the sectional is that many of the tomix plans are done to use their wooden base modules, but theirs are pretty ntrakish and dont move around as much. our modules are 1m x 0.5m in size. simple wood 1" x 1" framing and 3/16" plywood (5mm). lightweight and just the right size to sill fit in car back seats if needed. we tried to move the tracks around some so things would not be straight concentric loops with track in the same location on the modules like n trak. its all trade offs! we didnt want modules to get so big that you could only carry them in a hatch back or van, but big enough to have a satisfying amount of scenery and double viaduct line and two ground lines. even so its a bit tight. double viaduct probably wont work for you well at 110cm wide as it will put your viaduct at the outside edge of the layout and be a pretty short loop.

will be great to see what you come up with.

cheers

jeff

[domino]

Hi

Im looking for a new road system for my smaller permanent exhibition layout , to mount on the baseboards , i do have the Kato road system, but i dont thing they are flexible enough.
I have been looking at the NOCH/FALLER/BUSCH road system, but i was wondering if there are other Japanese road systems other than Kato  ??

domino
Brian

[domino]

Hi all.

Here is the first test layout.
There will be green grass under the old town section, and some road system inbetween the modern city section, i found this German guy that have created his own road system, im waiting for my order to arrived as we speak.
http://cgi.ebay.de/N-Set7-Jerry-s-Car-System-Strase-Faller-/320582271243?pt=DE_Modellbau_Modelleisenbahnen&hash=item4aa431410b

Let me hear your thoughts (be gentle)

:-)

domino

[Bernard]

Hi Brian - I really like the layout, there is a lot of changing direction in it and you've created a busy scene with the structures.
Since I believe you will be transporting this layout, is it in two parts? Do you mind "gluing down terrain and roads" on the base and what material is the road system made of that you ordered?
I was thinking to make it easy on yourself for ground cover, you can order Woodland scenic grass mats, cut them to fit into the areas that you want and glue it down. Here is what they look like:
http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/ReadyGrassVinylMat

[domino]

Hi Brian - I really like the layout, there is a lot of changing direction in it and you've created a busy scene with the structures.
Since I believe you will be transporting this layout, is it in two parts? Do you mind "gluing down terrain and roads" on the base and what material is the road system made of that you ordered?
I was thinking to make it easy on yourself for ground cover, you can order Woodland scenic grass mats, cut them to fit into the areas that you want and glue it down. Here is what they look like:
http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/ReadyGrassVinylMat


Yes, the layout is 2 base boards put together each 110x125 cm(just right size to fit inside my car), yes, all the roads and the terrain/grass will be glued/taped on to the base boards, i have the Faller/Noch grass mats that i will cup to fit area in mind.The new road system i bought is made of carton with some kind of plastic membrane underneath , so the glue will not wet through.

All ground level track will also be mounted to the base board,  so when i get to the exhibition, all i have to do, is put the 2 base boards together and then put up the double elevated track/buildings and trains , finshed.

My guess will be 2-3 hours max for putting it all together


domino

[domino]

I have also made this show off baseboard for 8 train set, so they can see the trains im not running on the layout.

domino

[domino]

Hey all
This weekend i went to my second Exhibition with my new and smaller layout (110cm x 250 cm), all ground track is mounted on to the base board, it toke(how do you spell that??) me only 3 hours to set it all up and running, that was nice, last year with the big layout it toke almost 10 hours .
It all went really well for me,everybody was thrilled to see something different than Danish Trains.

See photo here:
 http://bmptrains.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album10


Domino
Brian

[Bernard]

Brian - Congratulations on a successful show. Thanks for sharing your photo album, where there as many people at this show as your first?

[KenS]

Very nice. And I'm glad it was a success.

Oh, and the spelling you're looking for is "took" for the past tense of "take".

[Kumo]

Love it!!

Exactly the kind of layout I want to make: not too big (of course, I'd like to have a huge one, but let's face it: I don't have the space I need...) not to small because I want to run Shinkansen and they need some length. Max 10 car shinkansen (for such a layout 6 to 8 are the best).
And most of all: double overhead railroad with station. And another station on the ground for local trains.

Just one thing: I don't like too many curves for the shinkansen/overhead tracks, but otherwise it rocks! And I understand the desire of not having a simple oval.


So this is really inspiring, thanks for sharing, don't worry if sou see pictures of something similar soon: this will be mine! ;-)

[cteno4]

Brian,

Hey great work! making things more manageable is the key to you enjoying doing these display layouts longer! long, hard setups can get old very fast!

cheers

jeff

[domino]

Very nice. And I'm glad it was a success.

Oh, and the spelling you're looking for is "took" for the past tense of "take".

YES, ofcause "took", oh man i cant believe that i could not remember that , well any way, you all understood what i wanted to say 

domino
brian

[brill27mcb]

Hey all
This weekend i went to my second Exhibition with my new and smaller layout (110cm x 250 cm), all ground track is mounted on to the base board, it toke(how do you spell that??) me only 3 hours to set it all up and running, that was nice, last year with the big layout it toke almost 10 hours .
It all went really well for me,everybody was thrilled to see something different than Danish Trains.

See photo here:
 http://bmptrains.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album10

Domino
Brian

Am I the only one to notice and mention that you do not have a station platform on your elevated station viaduct at the back of the layout? Instead you lined up the centerlines of the viaduct track and the station viaduct, and managed to squeeze 4 parallel tracks in there, so each main line has a passing siding (or storage track). What a brilliant and clever idea! The station building below the viaduct makes the casual viewer think there is a station, and most people will never notice that there is no platform upstairs. You get more operating flexibility instead, with 2 more trains ready to operate.

When I tried this this morning, the four tracks were more than a little tight fitting in the station viaduct. Did you pop out the viaduct side walls slightly, use a curve other than R481-15, or is there another trick?

Another thought:  At the suggestion of jeff and the JRM folks, I use medium-grey paper sheets on the table platform in my "urban" areas. Large and somewhat thick poster-size sheets can be found at an art supply store in the selection of colored art papers. It blends into a good background better than plywood does. See the "Picture Gallery" at the website linked below my message.

Rich K.

[domino]

Brian - Congratulations on a successful show. Thanks for sharing your photo album, where there as many people at this show as your first?

Hey

Much more people than last time, first of all it was held in the capital of Denmark Copenhagen, and second it was all kinds of hobby`s this time , not only Model railroad like last , this time there was RC cars/trucks/planes/boats/drones/action man/dolls/hobby paint ect and a big candy store , so something for for every body.

Brian

[domino]

Hey

No problem, use all you can of my ideas, acctually it is all JNS Forum ideas, i asked for help and got it here, so you go ahead and copi my layout, it will only make me proud 

This is why i joint this forum, to get help and help others if i can.

Brian

Love it!!

Exactly the kind of layout I want to make: not too big (of course, I'd like to have a huge one, but let's face it: I don't have the space I need...) not to small because I want to run Shinkansen and they need some length. Max 10 car shinkansen (for such a layout 6 to 8 are the best).
And most of all: double overhead railroad with station. And another station on the ground for local trains.

Just one thing: I don't like too many curves for the shinkansen/overhead tracks, but otherwise it rocks! And I understand the desire of not having a simple oval.


So this is really inspiring, thanks for sharing, don't worry if sou see pictures of something similar soon: this will be mine! ;-)

[domino]

Hey
YES, you are absolutly right about the viaduct walls, i did pull them out a bit to make room for the parrallel side track and also some double sided tape under the track to hold in place,peace of cake, and it works very well.
I did use the R481-15.

Brian

Hey all
This weekend i went to my second Exhibition with my new and smaller layout (110cm x 250 cm), all ground track is mounted on to the base board, it toke(how do you spell that??) me only 3 hours to set it all up and running, that was nice, last year with the big layout it toke almost 10 hours .
It all went really well for me,everybody was thrilled to see something different than Danish Trains.

See photo here:
 http://bmptrains.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album10

Domino
Brian

Am I the only one to notice and mention that you do not have a station platform on your elevated station viaduct at the back of the layout? Instead you lined up the centerlines of the viaduct track and the station viaduct, and managed to squeeze 4 parallel tracks in there, so each main line has a passing siding (or storage track). What a brilliant and clever idea! The station building below the viaduct makes the casual viewer think there is a station, and most people will never notice that there is no platform upstairs. You get more operating flexibility instead, with 2 more trains ready to operate.

When I tried this this morning, the four tracks were more than a little tight fitting in the station viaduct. Did you pop out the viaduct side walls slightly, use a curve other than R481-15, or is there another trick?

Another thought:  At the suggestion of jeff and the JRM folks, I use medium-grey paper sheets on the table platform in my "urban" areas. Large and somewhat thick poster-size sheets can be found at an art supply store in the selection of colored art papers. It blends into a good background better than plywood does. See the "Picture Gallery" at the website linked below my message.

Rich K.

[grumbeast]

Brian!

 Thats fantastic!, I thoroughly enjoyed looking at your pictures and feel suitably inspired.  I like the curves on the elevated track, it really breaks up the monotony of just straights.  I really have to get me a Goji to threaten trains for when I eventually exhibit!

Thanks again

Graham

[domino]

Thanks all for the nice words.

Brian