2 tier layout

[davidrivett]

Hi all,

After making a shelf shunting layout for my dad, its got me thinking I want to make a 2 tier layout with main line and station on the top and either a single or double slower lines winding around underneath for local or freight services. I'm also conscious less is more so don't want to overload it with tracks all over the place!

My query is for those who have 2 tier layouts what method did you use - are the uprights glued to the board? What thickness would be ok too?

Thanks in advance

David

[bulleidboy]

Hi David

Would the two levels be connected? If so, what space/size will the layout be? Ideally, inclines should be about 1/50" and you need about four inches for clearance. If it's just two separate circuits, whether twin or single tract does not matter, assuming, for the moment, the track on level two, would be, say 12mm ply, the supports could be made from the same thickness ply, suitable placed to reduce flexing on the top level. You could then use domestic insulation sheets to create an embankment(s). Whether you screwed up from underneath your main board into the supports or used some small brackets - that's your choice. It could look very good. BB

[davidrivett]

Hi, I have a rectangle of 224cm wide x 277cm with a centre area for me to stand in 67cm x 181cm just right of centre (so more baseboard on 1 side).

Thinking of upgrading tier running for main lines including through road, 1 bay platform, and another outer (so 4 platforms in total) utilising my card kits already built.

Looking to connect to the lower level using around half of outer section to drop down based on 1 in 36 max.

This will drop to inner single line and branch off to an already built carriage sidings.

Inner lower level will have small station with passing loop and bay platform for 150 unit or 121 bubble.

Attached very rough (as you can see!) drawing I've done.

Running it on DC using gaugemaster 4 controller where bullet points on drawing would be my power feeds.May put the forth power connection to the entrance of the carriage sheds

Black is main running lines
Yellow is passing loop / bay platform / centre road
Green is my connection to lower level and branch to depot
Pink is station areas
Thick black potential road for scenery
Red line is retaining wall boundary

Any obvious suggestions welcome

Thanks in advance

David

[andruec]

I'm in the process of building a 2 tier layout in n gauge. My board is 2.5m by 1.5m. I have had to split the incline up to the second tier in two - 1.5 metres in one direction. The second tier will be propped up by 40mm batons which is all I need for n gauge. Conveniently the same batons are 20mm on their other side which props up a mezzanine where the two inclines meet.

I'm currently intending to glue the batons to the upper board but only use guides for the main board so they are easily transportable.

[Walkingthedog]

It would appear you have a plan. Nice when it all starts to come together isn’t it.

[andruec]

It would appear you have a plan. Nice when it all starts to come together isn’t it.

Depending on the quality of the plan I've run into a slight problem with my mezzanine though. It's in two halves and there are several lines that cross the join. The join is right in the middle of my main board over half a metre from the side and as several people here warned me it's proving difficult to reach the centre and join the track. It doesn't help that there is a double ended siding close to the join so I'm having to splice track in.

I can remove the mezzanine and work on it separately which I've done. But now I've got to work out to get the mezzanine back in place. At present the only thing holding the two halves together are track joins and PVA. That part of the board is against a wall. What I need is something akin to a 'pizza paddle'. I'm sure I'll work something out, lol.

Alternatively I might just make that double ended siding blind. Then at least I don't have to join two ends at the same time.

[Walkingthedog]

There you go then. We had good reason to say it was too wide. Good luck.

[davidrivett]

The base board and centre hole have been set like they are so I can always reach each corner without having to take things out.

One option I'm thinking of is having the side walls of the upper section held into positions using dowels so they can simply be lifted and expose any 'hidden' track.

My next thing to ponder is do I redo the whole frame as its free standing but cut and measured quite loosely in my rush to run trains. Thinking of batens on the wall then working from there.

What the hell have I started!....

[Chuffchuff]

My upper tier is 5mm ply mounted on rectangles with feet screwed to the baseboard. I phaffed about cutting the middle out of the uprights with a view to running some track under the top tier.

In retrospect if I was doing it again I would experiment with insulation board 100 + 25 or 50 mm blocks.

Easy to cut with a hot wire type cutter.
Lighter to construct and a firmly fixed with PVA.
Noise dampening to an extent.

The styrene left over can be used for scenery.


Rgds

[andruec]

I'd probably give insulation board some serious thought as well. My mezzanine section is small enough that in two parts it's easy to move around. The top level shouldn't be much worse either. I managed to get the track on the mezzanine sorted eventually. I replaced the double ended siding with a blind, curved siding which made life easier. It also released an ST-15 right hand turn-out which was the one track part I was missing for my sidings.

But I am thinking that building the raised sections just by gluing insulation down would make life easier especially because as you say it can then be landscaped with a hot wire cutter. I already intend modelling use that technique but by adding polystyrene around the edges of the raised sections.