My Japanese Urban Layout

[bill937ca]

Time to have a look at what I'm doing on my layout. 

I have two tables each 30" x 60" and arranged to form an L.  The first table has a tram layout which I have been tinkering with since last June.  The second table will house my railroad line.

This is my carbarn area.  There are seven tracks, four here and three on the other side of the elevated double track mainline.  The ballast is brown as is usual on most Japanese private railways and this is my first effort in ballasting.  I think this could use a little more ballast to bring the brown up to the ties.

All these cars are Modemo cars (left to right):

Tokyo Toden 6157
Tokyu  Railway Deha 80
Toyohashi 3502 (ex-Tokyo Toden 7028)
Tokyu Railway 301

The tram line will have stylistic scenery like many Japanese layouts.  The tram tracks are covered with the Tomix 3076 track covers.  Black foamboard covered with dark gray art paper to simulates paved areas and puts the buildings level with the tram tracks.  The railway line will have more conventional Woodland Scenics scenery urban-rural scenery.

More photos later as I get more done....

[DJR]

 Nice Bill! Please keep the photos coming. :)

[Bernard]

Bill,
Really Nice!! Great photo of the trams all lined up. Who manufacture makes the carbarn? I like the blending of the grass with ballast and nice leveling of the ballast between tracks. 
I can't wait to see more photos of the layout!  :)

[bill937ca]

Thanks guys.   :)

The carbarn is Tomix  # 4012.

http://www.newhallstation.com/images-lib/tomix_n_scale/TO-4012/

The doors you see in the link above are removed by pressing hard with your thumb and pushing down.

[CaptOblivious]

Nice! I like the atmosphere of the elevated tracks near the carbarn like that.

[bill937ca]

Thanks guys.   :)

The carbarn is Tomix  # 4012.

Thanks guys.   :)

The carbarn is Tomix  # 4012.

The carbarn had been unavailable about a month ago, but it has reappeared in the last couple of weeks at several dealers.

[Bernard]

Good going Bill! You have an interesting track plan I especially like the 3 track loop with the WS risers. Did you use 2 sets of risers together of just one with some modifications? I see a bottom loop is that to the tram line? That is the good thing about layouts, they are never finished and that for me is the fun part (except for ballasting) Your layout is coming along nicely!

[bill937ca]

Good going Bill! You have an interesting track plan I especially like the 3 track loop with the WS risers. Did you use 2 sets of risers together of just one with some modifications? I see a bottom loop is that to the tram line? That is the good thing about layouts, they are never finished and that for me is the fun part (except for ballasting) Your layout is coming along nicely!

I used 2" WS risers for the embankment.  There is one tunnel, but I was originally going to create 2 tunnels. After putting the risers down I found I would be creating an S curve. All inclines are Tomix. When the tunnel and embankment are complete there will be a station on top of the embankment.

The loop line at the bottom is intended to be a minor private railway which can be something like a tram line in some cases. It  was to loop around the table, but the elevated line in the background is too low for cars to pass under.  Looks like that line will be a U shaped line, but I'll figure that out later.....

[Bernard]

Bill,
Are there a couple of new structures on the layout, like the glass building? Really nice photos, I like the perspective from under the viaducts.

[bill937ca]

Bill,
Are there a couple of new structures on the layout, like the glass building? Really nice photos, I like the perspective from under the viaducts.

Thanks Bernard.  Yes the building on the left is new.  There are a couple more on the way from Japan also and I'm going to order another soon.

[bill937ca]

A little update.  I have finished the main interurban line to the point that I can run trains.  Ballasting and installing overhead poles still has to be done. The tunnel and embankment is complete enough that trains are running through the tunnel and over top. I still have to create the embankment walls.  As soon as some 280-30 switches arrive I can set up the interurban yard and a Greenmax #19 maintenance shed and put more trains on the layout.  I've started scenery and ballasting on the secpnd table.

I've added more buildings to the city which has filled in most of the open spaces and added road fences along a couple of the streets.

This afternoon I've been breaking in a MIcroAce ED-74 four axle electric locomotive.  It's a quiet runner with directional lighting and lots of roof detail.

[Bernard]

Bill,
What do you plan to use for you're embankment walls? The reason I ask is because I still don't know what material I'm going to use on my walls. I was thinking of bricks but I'm still not sure. Here is a photo of the wall I'm talking about.

[Martijn Meerts]

Don't they often use big concrete blocks to build up an embankment in Japan? Now, I''m only going by what I've seen in movies, but I've seen it quite a bit ;)

[bill937ca]

I plan to use sheet styrene painted Tamiya Sky Grey.  I ordered a Greenmax 21-1 stone wall.

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10007598

It only has one piece measuring 200mm x 60mm  in the package.  So that's not the solution.

The other problem I have is the portal for the double track mainline.  My Greenmax 14-1 portal comes up too high above the track level of the embankment.  I also have a N scale 1:160 double track portal that my MicroAce ED-74-2 won't clear.

But I can run trains!   :D  ;D

[Bernard]

Bill, you have a really nice Urban layout going and I liked the area with the trams, has there been any more progress?

[bill937ca]

Soon.  I'm pretty busy right now. November hasn't been the best for taking photos with its low light.

[bill937ca]

A couple of quick photos.

[Bernard]

WOW! Bill you have really done a lot of the layout and it looks great! Congratulations!

[SubwayHypes]

cool layout