The Finer details

The last post showed a concept drawing of what the layout might look like. It always pays to plan ahead with the ideas that you want to incorporate into a layout. Drawing up with a pencil on paper is a cheap way of transferring what you want in your head to a visual that can be easily understood.

You could take it a step further and use track designing software and get a closer to final design.

Keeping in mind that the layout is also a bedroom there is a fine line on how much real estate you can hand over to the layout and still be comfortable with the space left over. There has to be room for a desk, computer server, bedroom furniture and of course a bed. And by using the room that used to be a single car garage, it is the ideal shape to have longer sides to form storage for freight and also the loco depot area.

The baseboard designs

The above plan shows how the baseboards will sit in the room. As can be seen, no two boards are the same. I am not sure if this design fits the 'module' concept where many modules are a standard size. The boards will be produced numerically clockwise around the room and will manage to fit in around certain items of furniture. A desk will be under Baseboard 3. This will mean a narrow board to be just wide enough for the double main line to skirt the rear of the desk and allow monitors to be placed in front. The placement of a computer server under Baseboard number 4 has been good and bad news. This will be the highest area of the layout and the baseboard designed to allow the server to be removed at any time if needed. This will also allow for a grade to be built in and take away the flat 'Nullabor' feel. Baseboard 5 will be level and Baseboard 6 will be where the track will drop level back to that of Baseboards 1 and 2.

The track design for the layout.

As can be seen from the above plan this represents what will probably be the final track layout design. The track will be Peco code 75 track and their medium points will be used in lieu of their longer points to enable more siding length to be provided. There will also be a crossover on the liftout section which will enable mainly light locomotives to be able to return back to the loco area. It will also allow a coal train travelling in the anti-clockwise direction to have direct access to the coal siding located in the far corner of Baseboard 6. The two container sidings will also fill a corner over the server box.

The planned location of structures

The above plan shows where the various items will be placed. Basically the top of the plan area provides for all the loco requirements. This will include a turntable with external roads for loco storage. A Fleischmann electric turntable was sourced from the Castle Hill Model railway exhibition back in 2019 at the second hand stall and will be installed in the loco area. The baseboard will need to be wider at this point to accomodate the turntable and tracks. There will be a passenger platform also on this baseboard, nothing fancy just an island platform where passengers get on, do a lap and then get off at the same station. All the points on these two boards will be motor worked by a panel to be located at the front of Baseboard 2. At Baseboard 3 this will be where the tracks start to rise up towards Baseboard 4. It is hoped the grade will not be too severe.

Baseboard construction will be covered in the next post.