Model Railway Forum

Okay, now here's the thing.
After an 82-year gap, I decided a month ago to revive my desire to play with model trains. I bought the "Flying Scotsman" set.
Sadly, the 3rd-radius curves that come with it are marginally too big to allow me to set up an oval on our dining-room table, so now I'm going to have to get serious.
Luckily I have a shed, an 8ft by 16ft workshop. About half of it is taken up with tools that remain from my previous hobby (building model ships), plus some gardening tools and a freezer, but I think I've found a way to use the other half for an 00 layout that's neither a simple loop nor a basic 'there-and-back'.



See my plan. The two narrow benches already exist. The two benches with cut-off corners still have to be made, but I've got the materials & tools for them.
I was thinking I'd just set up the long, l-shaped loop in the first instance, as drawn on my plan. That would give me about 7.5 metres of track to play with for now. But my intention would be to add two 2nd-radius loops later, plus a branch line and some sidings.



Thoughts, anyone? I'm totally new to all this, so it won't surprise me if you say my ideas simply won't work.

No reason for that not to work. What radius are those loops? If 3rd will you have enough of a gap to get your 2nd radius loop inside on the top l/h corner? You might also want to have a think about where you will be placing crossover points. One to go outer to inner and another to go the other way. R-

Thanks RogerB. Yes, the loops at each end of the layout are 3rd radius . I wasn't sure whether to install crossover points from the outset, or be prepared to insert them when I make additions to the layout.

Crossover points will create an instant short circuit in your particular plan, not easily overcome on a DC layout. If you go DCC then a Reverse Loop Module will overcome the problem.

Or you can just use insulated rail joiners (fish plates) between the points. with 2 controllers or cab control with DC. Think about some sidings to make it more interesting. A goods shed with a siding or 2 and engine shed with few sidings to stand some locos so you dont have to keep putting them away.

I’d go with Sandy’s suggestion of sidings - more interest and ‘play’ value.

I agree with Sandy as well.

Thanks for the suggestions. Actually I'd already begun to think there should be a siding or two in my initial layout, but of course that bumps up the initial cost.

My first, newbie thought had been to cobble the layout together from cheaply bought, second hand track. But my experience (so far) of buying second-hand on eBay hasn't been good. I now have a selection of usable first-radius *steel* curves and straights - useful enough indoors for making up a quick test track if I'm doing loco maintenance on the dining-room table, but no good at all for a permanent layout in an unheated shed. I have also acquired a few nickel-silver rails, but most of them date from before Hornby started putting R-numbers on them and they're falling irretrievably to bits. I might be able to rescue and reuse some of the fishplates though ...

It's looking like I might have to buy new track for the whole layout.
How do you guys deal with this problem? Do you just say to heck with it, and go ahead and buy? Or are there some sensible ways of keeping the initial cost of a new layout down to manageable levels?

Go for new Peco rail and points. Points are the expensive bit - but depends how many you need and whether they will operate manually or need point motors etc. Someone with more experience than me might be able to make some suggestions.

New Peco streamline track and points every time for me. Flexitrack is best bought in packs of 25 for extensive layouts but as far as points go, just buy them as you need them - and steer clear of Setrack as the radio can be a bit restrictive.
Good quality, well laid track is a must and any deficiencies will ruin your enjoyment.