My train layout - dangerous ;)

[Jac0ek]

I want to share with my current rail layout, we have lots of fun on this.

We decided (with 6y son) to build instead of the classic one loop, two loops. At the beginning was a lot of fun, but continued running and change direction, by manual switch, spoil the fun a little bit .. we had to stop and maneuver ... That's why I came up with a pretty simple idea to build a track in such a way that would guarantee that the train would change direction automatically.... everything is a combination of a circle and number eight

this is a sketch of minimum rail layout. Arrows show directions on rail switch.

and the video, on a liitle bit customize and extended layout, for two person is great fun, because of risk of collision

[King Aragorn]

Very nice idea!

Lovely layout

[ronenson]

Great layout. Thanks for sharing.

[Mutant Orc]

Looks like fun! I'd purposefully try to crash them though!!!

[dr_spock]

Is it up to the driver to avoid the collision? Crashing can be fun.

[Jac0ek]

yes, when we play with son is lot of fun when is crashing, or trains passes very close...

[eurotrash]

Now that looks like a lot of fun! Thanks for sharing it with us...

[Rapseflaps]

Wow, that looks really cool! I'm going to have to try this myself!

[Lego Otaku]

One thing missing: Gomez with a dynamite detonator waiting for the train to collide.

for those who are too young to remember black and white comedy-horror shows.

Edited October 13, 2013 by Lego Otaku

[Jac0ek]

Wow, that looks really cool! I'm going to have to try this myself!

build it on your own responsibility and share what happened

[zwiep]

This layout looks like you can do a nice amount of funrunning since you really only have to control the speed of one train.

I'm hoping to build something like this but for 4 trains, I have no idea how to begin though. I've looked through several layout threads but they basically handle landscaping more than actual track complexity.

[JupiterTwo]

Awesome idea, I'll have to try this tonight!

[pacc]

I tried this variant this weekend :

http://www.brickpile.com/track-layout-geometry/

The problem with this and the one in this thread (same basic type) is that the longest stretches are those the trains will run in both directions, i.e there is a fairly big chance of collisions.

If possible, I would recommend to minimize these and make the two tracks which are only run in one direction into longer, meandering tracks with natural stations... Better for the kids, eh trains. :)

[zwiep]

So I spent last evening laying track and this is what I came up with:

It's basically the OP's layout but I nested the loops inside each other.

Taking pacc's comment into account he's probably right and the common rails are way too long compared to the switching part, but I made some sidetracks to try and avoid collisions (and to store idle trains)

I still have to test it with multiple trains though.

There is never enough track :(

Edited January 8, 2014 by zwiep

[Doom2099]

Sometimes there's a lot of fun to be had with two people operating a 'dangerous' layout though.

But this is a nice layout! Do you run multiple trains, and are they the same, or do you worry about faster trains catching up to heavier ones?

[zwiep]

One of my cargo trains going around my layout. Slightly adjusted but same principle.

Edited January 16, 2014 by zwiep