New table, New layout! Pics+ Video

[SubwayHypes]

wow nice design mudkip, that is what i kinda originally had in mind,  however my outer loop has been a pain in the ass to build because i have to peice it together track by track because im using the elevated track.    On paper all the turnouts seemed very doable, but when i actually started to build the layout, the turnouts were getting in the way of my station, etc.   what i need to do is completely switch my station to the opposite side of the layout so that i can create the turnouts that you  have in your blueprints.

the layout is currently sort of "modular".  the table itself breaks down into three pieces, (2 sawhorses + table).  then the layout (upper level) consists of 4 wooden pieces supported by PVC tubes.   

thanks for all the interesting ideas yall, its gonna be page 3 soon so i guess that means i gotta update with some new pics soon!

[Mudkip Orange]

It's already on page 3.

[ChrisV]

I really like what you did with your layout. It is a shame that it has to be torn down for your upcoming move.

How did you find the 4% incline ? I used the Kato Viaduct Incline which I think is set around 4% but I stretched it out a bit to be more around 3% and my Shinkansens and friends find it friendly. I found that the curve incline was less attractive to the trains than the straight incline.

Give the river concept a go - I'm planning one for my layout  - just gotta get around to it I guess!

[Mudkip Orange]

How did you find the 4% incline?

http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/items.cfm/Inclines

As used by SubwayHypes, jummamit, Barack Obama...

[SubwayHypes]

Currently working on another video, and still waiting on a e231 Tokaido set to arrive and debut in the video.  Meanwhile been adding patches of grass/trees to bald areas of the layout to cover space, and been running my trusty 531 and 217 series suburbans. 

[SubwayHypes]

expansion cars in mail will make this a 10 car train.

[Mudkip Orange]

nice.

[Mudkip Orange]

Three weeks without an update. Are you dead?

[SubwayHypes]

Man the layout is a mess right now.  My cats have slowly been destroying it piece by piece.  I havent run anything in over a month and since i am moving i have to start tearing down my layout.   I have been spending alot of time lately pursueing another interest.  I am thinking about joining the Marines next year and have been working out alot, as well as shooting my AR15 rifles which has been the focus of all my money spending lately.

I dont even want to take a picture of the table right now its a total mess.  my e231 that i just shelled out hundreds of bucks for has been collecting dust while sitting derailed because my cats godzilla stomped the cars.

I do have a few videos i shot last month that i will make a video for, possibly the last one for this layout.

[Mudkip Orange]

Man the layout is a mess right now.  My cats have slowly been destroying it piece by piece.  I havent run anything in over a month and since i am moving i have to start tearing down my layout.   I have been spending alot of time lately pursueing another interest.  I am thinking about joining the Marines next year and have been working out alot, as well as shooting my AR15 rifles which has been the focus of all my money spending lately.

I dont even want to take a picture of the table right now its a total mess.  my e231 that i just shelled out hundreds of bucks for has been collecting dust while sitting derailed because my cats godzilla stomped the cars.

I do have a few videos i shot last month that i will make a video for, possibly the last one for this layout.

Have you considered getting rid of the cats?

[SubwayHypes]

Yea i wish i could just put them in an outside pen.

I am cursed, i made a bunch of videos with my new ten car e231 but i cant find them anywhere on my harddrive they might have gotten erased!

I am gonna start tearing everything down soon.

My new layout i am envision a single layer, however the back of the layout will be in a tunnel/subway so that the train dissapears for a second and re-appears again.  I will also make 75% of the layout dedicated to yards and track, with my city being crammed into the other 25%.  I want my train layout to be more of a nice display of all of my trains, i want to see nicely stocked yards highlighting all the money i wasted, instead of it being in the closet!

Wont be able to begin reconstruction until october or so. 

[Mudkip Orange]

I will also make 75% of the layout dedicated to yards and track, with my city being crammed into the other 25%.  I want my train layout to be more of a nice display of all of my trains, i want to see nicely stocked yards highlighting all the money i wasted, instead of it being in the closet!

That's my kinda train layout.

[SubwayHypes]

Yea so little update :  Cant join the Armed Services because i have asthma and nearsightedness....


Soooo, im getting into a mortgage next month, moving into a new house that will be MINE, then i can set up the layout again.

Im thinking about now staying with my double decker idea, but re-enforcing the supports because parts of the layout are sagging.

I also gotta figure someway to fit a nice yard on a 8x4 layout, i wish i had more room!

[Bernard]

Subway - It's good to hear from you it's been too long. Best of luck with the new house. Is there room for a train room?

[to2leo]

Hey Subway,
Congrats on getting a new house.  I guess with the way it is in US, it is much more affordable to buy.

Cannot wait to see you putting up your layout again.

[SubwayHypes]

last picture of the current layout, with the bengal cat taking a nap on my former city



and yes, the new place has alot of places to put my 8X4 table, so i will be setting everything back up again in the next few months.

[bill937ca]

Have you noticed a couple of subway trains have come back into stock?

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10071573

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10082771

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10082772

 

[Bernard]

Good to hear that you will have space for a new layout in your new home.

[bc6]

Lol Catzilla guarding the layout.

[to2leo]

You Bengal is really cute and well behaved~  Did you put him/her there intentionally or was it his or her favourite spot to watch trains?

[SubwayHypes]

Haha the cats routinely like to jump onto my layout and bite at trees, knock over buildings.   I didnt intentionally put him there i walked into the room and was surprised by it haha.

Have you noticed a couple of subway trains have come back into stock?

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10071573

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10082771

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10082772

 

yea ive been checking the latest releases, ive had my eye on this one recently because it is the most similar to the tobu subway line that ran with the hibiya line.
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10077532

[SubwayHypes]

Also, if anyone has any layout plans for an 8x4 im all ears.   my current track plan isnt giving me alot of room for a yard, i can only fit like a 2-3 track yard at the most.

[bc6]

Also, if anyone has any layout plans for an 8x4 im all ears.   my current track plan isnt giving me alot of room for a yard, i can only fit like a 2-3 track yard at the most.

Subway have you visited this link before http://www.cke1st.com/m_train2.htm#topopage

[quinntopia]

This is a french site, but since track plans work in almost any language, perhaps you can find something inspirational here (there's a LOT of plans!):

http://www.plansdereseaux.com/plans/liste/1/toutes-formes/N/toutes-rubriques.html&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhhCa0cXjKOTncKzB0WrRI1W9rTdqw

[bill937ca]

I think you are using Kato Unitrack. Here's a plan that is 1771 x 856 mm or 69.72" x 33.70".  There is a five track yard and several other sidings.

http://www.kato-unitrack.co.uk/images/Kato_Track/layout_302.jpg

On a 8' x 4' layout you can go up to 2438 x 1219 mm.  There more track plans on the site where the one above came from.

http://www.kato-unitrack.co.uk/kato-n-unitrack-track-plan-ideas-815-0.html

Or you could try using AnyRail to create your own track plan. One idea might be to wrap the yard around a back corner of the layout.

http://www.upmodelrailroad.com/2009/07/26/new-staging-in-the-works/

[bill937ca]

If this the type of yard you are thinking of you may want to consider a separate table for the yard.

http://cafe.naver.com/ArticleRead.nhn?clubid=11101373&articleid=30542&menuid=5&boardtype=P&page=1

[SubwayHypes]

If this the type of yard you are thinking of you may want to consider a separate table for the yard.

http://cafe.naver.com/ArticleRead.nhn?clubid=11101373&articleid=30542&menuid=5&boardtype=P&page=1

hahah yea thats exactly what i want!

yea i know its not possible on an 8x4 but what about maybe 4-5 lines?   I was thinking i could place them on the far side of the track, have the yard connect to a single line that will loop around and connect to the main double track lines. 

[Mudkip Orange]

I don't see why you couldn't take the Kato 282/315 and 381/414 tracks and make a quad-track out of 'em.

[scott]

Would the 282/315 radius cause any problems with passenger trains? It would look sort of funny with shinkansens, but would there any derailment problems with Subway's subways, or with typical limited-express trains?

[CaptOblivious]

Would the 282/315 radius cause any problems with passenger trains? It would look sort of funny with shinkansens, but would there any derailment problems with Subway's subways, or with typical limited-express trains?

None at all. I regularly run my entire fleet over 280mm radius curves, and everything but shinkansen over 243mm radius curves with zero issues.

[David]

Would the 282/315 radius cause any problems with passenger trains? It would look sort of funny with shinkansens, but would there any derailment problems with Subway's subways, or with typical limited-express trains?

None at all. I regularly run my entire fleet over 280mm radius curves, and everything but shinkansen over 243mm radius curves with zero issues.

What sort of couplers? The special diaphragm couplers on Kato's 800 Series, while they technically make it through 282mm, are not happy - the train body is pulled into the turn (tilted on the boogies) because the couplers just can't reach each other on tighter curves. Pulled any tighter and the wheels would be leaving the track on the outside rail.

On the other hand 20m stuff shouldn't have any problems. The telescoping body mount couplers Kato uses actually work for close coupling right down to Kato R216 (on Tomix R177 they derail), and most truck mounted couplers have similar or better performance.

[CaptOblivious]

Would the 282/315 radius cause any problems with passenger trains? It would look sort of funny with shinkansens, but would there any derailment problems with Subway's subways, or with typical limited-express trains?

None at all. I regularly run my entire fleet over 280mm radius curves, and everything but shinkansen over 243mm radius curves with zero issues.

What sort of couplers? The special diaphragm couplers on Kato's 800 Series, while they technically make it through 282mm, are not happy - the train body is pulled into the turn (tilted on the boogies) because the couplers just can't reach each other on tighter curves. Pulled any tighter and the wheels would be leaving the track on the outside rail.

I have only one shinkansen, the Kato E4; it uses diaphragm couplers that are very much like Kato's other body-mounts or TN body-mounts in operation, i.e., they telescope out when pulled to the side by a sharp curve. I've had no problems at all on 280mm radius with those. On 243mm radius, I observe what you do, that the carriages get pulled into the turns, with the occasional truck being lifted off the tracks a little bit.

[SubwayHypes]

Havent been on here in a while.   So im at my new spot, there was a nice area for the layout, and then my brother moves in and how its his bedroom.   Theres still a possible space but its in my living room.

So until then everything has been sitting in boxes, lots of planning but mostly not alot happening except the occasional stocking up of track, trains and vehicles.   Eventually i will set up the layout again.

Untill then....

[CaptOblivious]

welcome back!

[Mudkip Orange]

So until then everything has been sitting in boxes, lots of planning but mostly not alot happening except the occasional stocking up of track, trains and vehicles.   Eventually i will set up the layout again.

Send all your trains/track/buildings to me, I'll build you a layout, and then you can pick it back up when you have the space!

[Bernard]

Subway it's good to hear from you! The other alternative is to keep the trains and track and send your brother to Mudkip. 

[SubwayHypes]

^haha thanks for offer, yeah i feel guilthy letting 3 grand worth of trains and accessories just sit and collect dust....im getting more and more motivated to invade my brothers room and make him reposition his bed to fit my layout.

heres some cars i just bought off ebay, in N scale, very nice quality.  Scion, Toyota Crown, and Nissan Cima.




i like collecting N scale cars just as much as trains...

[SubwayHypes]

i will be setting up the layout very shortly.   im gonna keep the plans secret for now, and post them in a new thread when i finally get construction underway. 

in the meantime, i built this apartment kit which came out nice, but took around 2-3 hours to build.



also created a fleet of the turquoise blue football taxis, they will have their football lights shortly


and finally...i had this extra blue train car that i bought, but it doesnt fit into my blue train set, its part of an old livery.  so i handed over to a friend for a custom paintjob!






stay tuned.  my eventual goal with the new layout is to get into the japanese N scale magazine user submissions. 

[SubwayHypes]

the new table is in place....you can get a sneak peak at whats in store..however much is still secret....

[SubwayHypes]

sneak peak at my underground subway yard..

[Mudkip Orange]

BUMP

What's the secret layout look night now, huh?

[SubwayHypes]

slowly getting things into place....almost done laying track.  goal of this run is to get the track down and running 100% before any extensive building takes place.
heres the latest pics....

[Mudkip Orange]

Diggin' the subterranean yard facilities.

[CaptOblivious]

Do I recall that you used paint pens to do the graffiti? How common is graffiti like that in Tokyo, exactly? Although I'm not exactly a fan of graffiti in the real world (I do appreciate it as an artform, but when folks around here insist on tagging beautiful century-old brick that can be neither cleaned nor replaced, it really irks me), unlike most North American sticks in the mud, I'm all for re-creating a scene accurately. Plus, it sounds like a fun challenge to try making some scale graffiti.

All that said, would you mind posting a tutorial on making scale graffiti? And sharing pics or links to pics of actual graffiti in Tokyo? (In a new thread, methinks.) If you have time; you do seem awfully busy of late.

[Nozomi4ever]

So what happen to your cats now, Subway? Do you manage to put it in a cage? It 's bad to see one 's layout being destroyed by a cat. If I were you, I will whack the cat with a stick lol.

[bill937ca]

Do I recall that you used paint pens to do the graffiti? How common is graffiti like that in Tokyo, exactly?

All that said, would you mind posting a tutorial on making scale graffiti? And sharing pics or links to pics of actual graffiti in Tokyo? (In a new thread, methinks.) If you have time; you do seem awfully busy of late.

While watching You Tube videos I have seen graffiti in Tokyo along rail lines, but it remains relatively uncommon.  It might be more common steel store shutters (and out of sight much of the time) than on railway infrastructure

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/P-4g1p3ZoYs" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/P-4g1p3ZoYs</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/xlGod-0n9FQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/xlGod-0n9FQ</a>

[SubwayHypes]

theres tons of graffiti in Tokyo, especially in shibuya and harajuku, i think it adds a nice artful flair to the areas.  yea graffiti is not good in certain areas like historic buildings and businesses or houses, but in some of the shibuya alleys and along traintracks i think it looks pretty cool.   i use fine point posca pens to do the artwork.  you do one layer, let it dry, then add the 2nd layer, dry, then retouch the first layer.  

in the meantime, the construction crews are still at work, i figure i should have my track down and running within a week or so.

So what happen to your cats now, Subway? Do you manage to put it in a cage? It 's bad to see one 's layout being destroyed by a cat. If I were you, I will whack the cat with a stick lol.

my new layout has its own room now, so i can close the door and keep the cats out.  although i do have a new guest but hes too small to jump on the table.  Shiba Inu, 2.5 months old!  his dad was shipped here from Japan.  Cost me 1200 dollars!  i could have bought 6 train sets for the price of this puppy lol...but hes worth every penny.  always wanted a shiba inu, his name is KIBA it means "fangs" in japanese..

[to2leo]

Can't wait to see your progress once again, looks like a large construction there. 

Kiba looks like a cute little red fox from that angle.  Does it come in N scale?

[Bernard]

Kiba is very cute! I think I know the breed and I don't think they get very big. No problems with the cat getting along with the puppy? You should post the photo in pets.

[Nozomi4ever]

theres tons of graffiti in Tokyo, especially in shibuya and harajuku, i think it adds a nice artful flair to the areas.  yea graffiti is not good in certain areas like historic buildings and businesses or houses, but in some of the shibuya alleys and along traintracks i think it looks pretty cool.   i use fine point posca pens to do the artwork.  you do one layer, let it dry, then add the 2nd layer, dry, then retouch the first layer.  

in the meantime, the construction crews are still at work, i figure i should have my track down and running within a week or so.

So what happen to your cats now, Subway? Do you manage to put it in a cage? It 's bad to see one 's layout being destroyed by a cat. If I were you, I will whack the cat with a stick lol.

my new layout has its own room now, so i can close the door and keep the cats out.  although i do have a new guest but hes too small to jump on the table.  Shiba Inu, 2.5 months old!  his dad was shipped here from Japan.  Cost me 1200 dollars!  i could have bought 6 train sets for the price of this puppy lol...but hes worth every penny.  always wanted a shiba inu, his name is KIBA it means "fangs" in japanese..



Haha nice!! I would buy a pup too!! :)