Little tram layout design

[Jes]

I'd like to share a design I made for a small tram layout, which fits on a 30x88 cm Ikea Ribba picture frame (I love using these as a base for layouts!). It uses the following items,all Tomix:

1021, N Tomix Fine Track 1021(S140). Straight 140mm.   6
1024, N Tomix Fine Track 1024(S70). Straight 70mm.   7
1099A, N Tomix Fine Track 1099A(S33). Straight 33mm.   1
1112A, N Tomix Fine Track 1112A(C140-30). Curve radius 140mm, angle 30º   3
1124, N Tomix Fine Track 1124(C280-15). Curve radius 280mm, angle 15º   4
1143, N Tomix Fine Track 1143(C243-15). Curve radius 243mm, angle 15º   4
1231, N Tomix Fine Track 1231(PR140-30). Right turnout 70mm.   2
1232, N Tomix Fine Track 1232(PL140-30). Left turnout 70mm.   3
1240, N Tomix Fine Track 1240. Wye turnout 15º   1

It depicts a double track tram line in a wide boulevard-like street (not sure in wich country to place the layout though, could be Japan, could be Europe), with seperate traffic lanes on both sides. Two trams run between the two stops. In addition there's a single track that shares the right tramstop which leads to a third terminus. This could also be the site for a little tram shed, I'm not sure about this yet. I think this layout would show quite prototypical traffic, despite its small size.

Any ideas or suggestions are welcome!

[Kamiyacho]

Reminds me a bit of De Lijn on the Frankrijklei in Antwerpen.

[Hobby Dreamer]

Great layout!!

Looking forward to seeing your progress...

Rick

[KenS]

Very nice.

The Japanese tram lines I'm familiar with (Tokyo) tend to run in paved traffic lanes for short distances, but mostly behind the buildings, rather than in a central reservation, but I won't claim to be any kind of expert.  However, I've seen a few where there is a small street on either side of a fenced-off double-track line.  It's not quite the same as a large avenue with a reservation (the streets tend to be the really narrow residential kind, rather than major roads).

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1985toden.png

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Machiya_Nich%C5%8Dme_Station.jpg

But there's one exception, the southern end of the Toden Arakawa line approaching Waseda station, where it runs in a fenced reservation in the middle of a four lane (two each way) avenue for about 700m, with one station (Omokagebashi) mid-way:

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/26327269

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/22727980

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/26327285

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6212184

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/22727919

And Modemo has a model of one of their trams (in 2009 paint) available at present, if you wanted to be specific:

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10102317

[David]

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/22727980

I love that. That's layout gold.

[The_Ghan]

Magic layout.  Would love to see completed photos.  Amazing how I can find something so simple so captivating.

Also, I think it lends itself to a modular layout that could be made out of a series of base boards the same size and joined together.  Perhaps one feature could be that the modules can be joined in a random order ... just a thought. 

Cheers

[Jes]

Thanks for your reactions guys!

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/22727980

I love that. That's layout gold.

Yeah! That's exactly the look I want to achieve. Thanks for posting, I did not know about that particular stretch of tramway!

The tought of making this modular also crossed my mind. I think I'll build it in a frame as a start, like the layout I'm currently working on, but make shure the base plate can be easily taken out of the frame. Another bonus: I'll not be tied to the limited platform lenght this way, as they can be extended :)

[marknewton]

Jes, the Hiroshima Electric Tramway depot at Hirodenhonshamae is similar to what you've drawn. I have no idea how to post a google map, sorry!

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Hiroshima+arate&sll=34.385203,132.455293&sspn=0.354729,0.66124&g=Hiroshima&ie=UTF8&ll=34.377924,132.458846&spn=0.001386,0.002583&t=k&z=19

The depot is a bit bigger than that on your plan, but the basic concept of a double track tramline in the middle of a wide street is the same! 
Cheers,

Mark.

[Mudkip Orange]

This is awesome. You should build it.

[Jes]

Jes, the Hiroshima Electric Tramway depot at Hirodenhonshamae is similar to what you've drawn.

Nice one! I'm afraid I'm gonna have to be a little les ambitious   I think I'll leave the design more or less as it is and go for a 2-track depot. A tram stop at that place wouldn't really make sense.

[marknewton]

Jes, you're not wrong, it would be an ambitious project, but I posted it more as inspiration than anything else. I think your plan would make a great little project, and a two-road depot would be just the thing for that spot. Some of the smaller/rural tramways had depots like this, I'll try to find some photos and post them.

All the best,

Mark.