Hey Joe's Layout - Comments and Suggestions?

[Hey Joe]

Hey! I just worked up my first Lego layout with Blue Brick, and I was hoping to get some comments and suggestions from some of you. I have a little free time on my hands here presently while we move back to the U.S., so I'm trying to use the time constructively.

I'm not real sure of the exact dimensions of the space we'll have, but this layout should more-or-less fit into a medium-sized home's basement, don't you think?

What do you think of the size of the layout, does it look too big or small? I think it strikes a good balance between being a decent-sized layout that's big enough to hold what I've got (plus a little room for expansion) without being grounds for divorce.

Our son is only three, so I've tried to keep it as accessible as possible from all angles.

I'm thinking of making the tables modular, so I can always add in another table in the future when/if we run out of room with this design. I mostly used the 3" x 3" tables in Blue Brick (and added on 1" x 3" tables for the harbor which was something of an afterthought). The table size isn't set into stone.

One of my main questions is about the two crossovers between the two main lines. Is there a prettier way to do it? Do I need to get my hacksaw out and cut the switches they presently sell? I'm using PF track so I won't be using the 9V switch tracks with the shorter diverging track, unfortunately. Also, I won't be spending the crazy money that 7996 (Train Rail Crossing) is getting.

It's a pity that Lego doesn't sell 7996 any longer as it's a very elegant solution, and I'm also more than a little bummed about the way they package the road baseplates. I won't be purchasing them unfortunately. Guess I'll have to find the time to build my own.

Ok, well, thanks in advance for your input. Feel free to post graphics of your layout in this thread as I'd love to see what others have come up with.

Oh, for the record; this is the parts list:

• 4x Right Switches
  
• 9x Left Switches
  
• 192x Straight Track
  
• 43x Curve Track
  
• 60x 48x48 Grey Baseplates
  
• 13x 32x32 Blue Baseplates and
  
• a handful of Flex-track
  

Joe

Edited August 10, 2013 by Hey Joe

[lostdriveway]

Hey Joe,

Good looking layout! Very similar to how I want to do mine.

I'll work on my blue brick design over the next few days and post it as well!

Once again looks good and look forward to seeing it made!

[lightningtiger]

Might I suggest a few more town and railway siding structures.......i.e. gas station and a train signals box.

Brick On 'Hey Joe' !

[ronenson]

It is a very nice layout. I do suggest to make the space within the loops at least 4 baseplates, because 3 can be very tight to maneuver in. Also, how will your son get in there? If you can crawl under the tables, then its fine, but if the tables are low, then 3 baseplates to climb over without disturbing the layout is too much for a 3 year old.

[dundarach]

Looks good, be careful with the points however as having them close can foul certain engines.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/dundarach/TMR/8.jpg

[Hey Joe]

Thanks, some good replies so far!

Might I suggest a few more town and railway siding structures.......i.e. gas station and a train signals box.

Brick On 'Hey Joe' !

Yeah, I'm not much on doing MOCs yet, but I do have a couple small towers that I'd like to build for the layout. There's a new Lego store w/ PAB in my hometown in the States though, so I'm sure I'll be doing some of my own building sooner rather than later. This here will probably keep me busy for a year.

It is a very nice layout. I do suggest to make the space within the loops at least 4 baseplates, because 3 can be very tight to maneuver in. Also, how will your son get in there? If you can crawl under the tables, then its fine, but if the tables are low, then 3 baseplates to climb over without disturbing the layout is too much for a 3 year old.

That's good advice. I'll try to spread it out a bit more.

Yeah, I think I'm going to put the layout on short legs that are high enough for my fat you-know-what to crawl under, but not so high as to make it inaccessible to him. He may have to stand on a stool to reach some stuff for awhile. He's growin' like a weed!

Looks good, be careful with the points however as having them close can foul certain engines.

http://www.brickshel...arach/TMR/8.jpg

Were you referring to the crossovers? I'm really not happy with them, but I don't see any other way to do it. I definitely want crossovers.

Joe

Edited August 10, 2013 by Hey Joe

[technic70s]

Hey Joe, I really like the use of a centre hole in the layout that you can crawl into. Also like the tunnel idea as well.

I like the set out of your shunting yard being off to one side instead of being in the main display.

The only thing I would say to watch out for is don't do what I did, make your modula tables wider then you doors. I made mine and then realized about 6 months later that I can't get them out of my house to take else where to display. I now am going to have to remove my sliding glass door and put a set of French doors in, will cost me hundreds of dollars ( less to spend on Lego) :-(

My tables are 4 x32 stud base plates by 5 x 32 stud base plates

[zephyr1934]

Were you referring to the crossovers? I'm really not happy with them, but I don't see any other way to do it. I definitely want crossovers.

Joe

I think the references was to all of your switches. Particularly with long MOCs a curve into a switch without an intervening straight track can sometimes cause derailments, as well as two consecutive switches (e.g., your crossovers). However, it is the combination of the equipment, the track layout, they play in the track connections, the direction the train is running, etc. etc.. As long as you are not gluing it together, simply keeping an eye on the layout is probably all you need to do. If a train keeps derailing in a spot, you might have to add a straight track or always run that train the other direction. I don't see anything in your layout that is an obvious danger for all trains.

One thought looking at your layout, you have the yard feeding to a CCW movement on the outside track. If you put 3 crossover pieces ("+") and put a switch on the left hand side of the inside loop (crossing the two main track and the lead track to the outside main in the bottom left of your layout), you could have the same yard feed to a CW movement on the inside track too. In that way, your trains pulling out of the yard would always be heading forward, no matter which direction they went around the layout.

[Hey Joe]

The only thing I would say to watch out for is don't do what I did, make your modula tables wider then you doors. I made mine and then realized about 6 months later that I can't get them out of my house to take else where to display. I now am going to have to remove my sliding glass door and put a set of French doors in, will cost me hundreds of dollars ( less to spend on Lego) :-(

Yeah, I kinda learned that lesson back in my HO days. I had one big, huge, well-built table. They could've planned the Normandy Invasion on that thing, it was impossible to move it. This time I'm going to make it a little more portable.

One thought looking at your layout, you have the yard feeding to a CCW movement on the outside track. If you put 3 crossover pieces ("+") and put a switch on the left hand side of the inside loop (crossing the two main track and the lead track to the outside main in the bottom left of your layout), you could have the same yard feed to a CW movement on the inside track too. In that way, your trains pulling out of the yard would always be heading forward, no matter which direction they went around the layout.

I really appreciate your feedback. I kinda see what your talking about. I've read that a dozen times, but I'm still not exactly sure where I'm supposed to put what. Anyway, I know what you mean and I won't be gluing anything so I can easily play around with it. I don't have any pieces to make crossovers anyway.

I changed the layout to incorporate the excellent suggestions. If anyone has any further comments (positive or negative) please don't hesitate to post it.

Here's a close-up of the main part. I changed those ugly crossovers (it was somewhat painful watching a train go over that type of connection anyway). I like the more realistic-looking ones where the switches are closer together, but this is Lego and we have to make concessions, right?.

Thanks! Joe

Edited August 12, 2013 by Hey Joe

[VectorTrains]

I wish I had as much space as you, could you post a picture of your room, Because my room looks really big, but when I have designed the track on BlueBrick, it looks tiny...

[alainneke]

'Hey Joe', great layout! Being able to reach all tracks is very smart: trains always tend to derail in spots which you cannot reach! You can make the 'crossovers' more natural by removing both sections of curved track (see http://www.brickpile.com/track-layout-geometry/#crossover)

[Hey Joe]

I wish I had as much space as you, could you post a picture of your room, Because my room looks really big, but when I have designed the track on BlueBrick, it looks tiny...

Yeah, that's one nice thing about the States, generally speaking there is more space to stretch our legs there, particularly in the Mid-West. We're still in Beijing, China. We've not yet bought the home in the States, so I can't provide a photo of the space at this time.

I don't want to sound like I'm bragging or anything, but I think a layout twice this size would easily fit into an average, middle-sized, stand-alone family home's basement. However, I want to keep it modest-sized as I don't want to spend the rest of my life building the tables to hold the thing! Also, we might want to use the basement for other reasons too. For example, I've got a bunch of HO stuff that I'm thinking of breaking out of mothballs, but it will take up less space than this Lego project.

The extra track arrived today!

Thirty-six boxes of track should keep me busy for awhile (it gives me a total of forty boxes of straights and curves and eight boxes of switches). There are eight straights and eight curves in a box. The switches have a left and a right, and also have four curves in them.

I'd prefer to buy Lego track, but it's not like Lego sells any special piece like a nice crossover or wye that will color clash with these, so why spend the money on Lego? Particularly since I would just throw away that flex-track and have to buy the curves from PAB online. I'll be throwing away half of these curves, and it'll cost to ship them back to the States, but I'm still coming out way ahead I think.

I might use a couple pieces of Lego flex-track on my layout, hopefully it won't look too out of place next to this brown track. I guess I could always paint it. That flex-track is a very useful piece, but no one needs half-a-box full of it along with eight straights, do they?

'Hey Joe', great layout! Being able to reach all tracks is very smart: trains always tend to derail in spots which you cannot reach! You can make the 'crossovers' more natural by removing both sections of curved track (see http://www.brickpile...etry/#crossover)

Thanks alainneke, and I appreciate that link as I'd been trying to find that exact page.

Cheers, Joe

Edited August 14, 2013 by Hey Joe

[VectorTrains]

That is a lot of track! I would buy enlighten track, but because Lego trains come with the grey track, I would have to paint them or just live with them not matching, and I am not sure how well painting would turn out...

[UrbanErwin]

I looks like a fun layout.

I might use a couple pieces of Lego flex-track on my layout, hopefully it won't look too out of place next to this brown track. I guess I could always paint it. That flex-track is a very useful piece, but no one needs half-a-box full of it along with eight straights, do they?

you also could modify some straights and make them shorter. It will look better than flextrack.

[Spitfire2865]

If you really want the track to match, you could maybe dye it. But painting the rails a gray could also work to make it more realistic.

[splatman]

Or use the brown track only in hidden places, like inside tunnels.

Edit: I'm talking to Vector Trains.

Edited August 18, 2013 by splatman

[Hey Joe]

That is a lot of track! I would buy enlighten track, but because Lego trains come with the grey track, I would have to paint them or just live with them not matching, and I am not sure how well painting would turn out...

I was thinking that I could make a second, much smaller Winter Village layout with my grey Lego track.

you also could modify some straights and make them shorter. It will look better than flextrack.

Ok, thanks. I hate to get out the hacksaw that way, but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

Or use the brown track only in hidden places, like inside tunnels.

It's the grey Lego track I'd have to hide in a tunnel as I'm using the brown Enlighten track.

Joe