If you have been following the progress on the layout's Facebook page you know that last week I completed the planning for Phase 1 of the layout. Unless some glaring design errors with Phase 1 that impact phase 2 and 3 rear their ugly head there will be no need to revisit phase 1 until construction begins. So I thought I would share some of the lessons learned on Phase 1.
Orignially I had intended to save these lessons for the end and write an article however for a couple reasons I have decided to share them now. First and foremost sharing them now will allow me to come back and revisit these lessons as the planning progresses. What may seem like a big lesson now, may in the grand scheme of things be a minor issue by the time the layout is completed. Secondly by making the blog post it puts my thoughts in writing where I can revisit them if needed; I can still possibly write the article as it will now most likely be the summationof multiple blog posts. So enough rambling on to the lessons I learned on Phase 1.
Lesson 1: Choose a scale that works for you
No I am not referring to whether to model in O, HO or N. I am referring to picking a drawing scale that works for you. When I started out, I attempted to draw the plan in a smaller scale than I am used to in order to minimize the number of sheets of paper used.
Years ago I acquired a track planning template, I forget who made it and I dont think they are available anymore, but it was one of those transparent green plastic thingies. The scale on the template is 1 inch equals 12 inches (1 foot), this is a nice scale to work in as most graph paper is 4 squares to the inch which means there is a line every scale three inches and aside from helping friends plan on occasion this has been the scale I have worked in.
When I began this plan I thought that if I drew the plan in 1 inch equals 24 inches (2 feet) it would be a more efficient way to work and I wouldnt have the huge curves that require a compass to draw. Well apparently my brain doesnt function as well in that scale and the plan quickly grew unrealistically large. I was able to shrink the footprint in half just by starting over in a scale I was comfortable in.
Lesson 2 Set a footprint
When I started I figured the plan would set its own size organically. After all I was building this to be a sectional layout with no layout space as of yet. The idea was design the space for the layout instead of the traditional route of making the layout fit an available space.
I soon realized this was a mistake as the layout quickly grew in size because questions on how much compression was needed could not be answered. As freeing as it was to not have to worry about walls or other obstructions I had to realize that I was not going to have a space the size of the Boeing Everett Assembly Plant (largest building in the world by volume) build this layout in and even train shows have size limitations for layouts.
After much soul searching and perusal of many websites specializing in outbuildings I decided on a footprint of 50 feet by 100 feet including aisles. Now I realize that this footprint is larger than most basements, but in all the areas I have lived in, basements are either rare or completely non existant. Also the average cost for a building this size is about the price of a fully loaded fullsize pickup. My plan has always been that upon retirement I would move out to the country where an acreage with outbuildings could be acquired. So as long as I have a reliable truck by that point I dont think a building that size is too far out of the question.
Lesson 3 when in doubt lay it out full size
When drawing a plan it is easy to subconsciously cheat to make a switch fit or a track diverge faster tan it should. To solve this sometimes laying things out full size will allow you to see where issues might arise. Is that curve to tight? Does that track really hold that many cars? How are my clearances? Sometimes you just have to break it down Barney style into the simplest components and see if it truly works. Thankfully for me since I plan on using Fast Tracks to build this layout I have access to full size templates of the entire line. Those templates, a few pieces of flex track and a couple of your standard sized cars can quickly show you if your plan will work. Also I learned a yard stick (Im sure a meter stick would work too) is the same width as a piece of HO flex track. So when laying out yards full size this can be a very useful tool.
I am sure I will learn many more lessons as I complete the next two phases but thats all for today. Until next time remember in model railroading and life it is the journey, not the destination which is important.
No comments:
Post a Comment