My 00 layout plan- thoughts/input/suggestions welcomed !

[Too Tall]

Hi guys, Having enjoyed building my TT120 layout, (still needs finishing, but that's for winter time as its in house), I wanted to build an larger layout in 00 in my Shed.

So first the plan. The location is fictional but the idea is to be in an area where GWR and LMS would be seen together, set late era 3 and eventualy I will also have loco and rolling stock to do era 4 to 5.
I also didn't want to have any curves tighter than the equivalent R4 set track radius on anything outside of sidings. Track will be Peco Bullhead points and Flexi. It will be DCC.

So after some thought I decided on a 2 height plan, but with the tracks effectively separate so no inclines to worry about !
This is what I came up with:



The lower level will be a roundy single track freight and passenger branch line with a decent shunting area, and a small dock at the top right coming in from the bottom right. The centre will have removable scenic boards built on foamboards.
The high level is planned to sit around 100mm above and will be a twin track mainline for mostly passenger trains, although occasionally there will be the odd express freight train running. A viaduct is planned for the top left before the station, and a limited amount of swapping coaches shunting is catered for.

A backscene will hide the right side of the branch line as it will go into a tunnel under the mainline below the station, but allow access to the track for maintenance or should I need to rescue anything. This will emerge from a tunnel at the bottom left to either pass by, or enter the branch line station before entering another tunnel that will exit a little way before the shunting area and goods shed with road access.

The top, right and lowermost sections are against a wall, the rest will be able to get access from both sides with removable backscenes where required.

At least that's the idea - anything I could change or improve, or given the space (size shown in mm) would you do something completely different ?

(if you right click and open image in new tab, you can see it larger).

[Stese]

Hi,

It seems a well thought-out and designed layout... if rather ambitious. My only advise would be to :-

break the build into small stages, so you have time to evaluate as you go, and make changes to smaller areas before they are prevented by other areas

carefully consider how the upper level will affect access and visibility to the lower level.

Good Luck, and we look forward to hearing of your progress.

[Too Tall]

Thank you, that is less ambitious than it started out ! Initially I wanted a hidden up and down incline to join the branch-line to the main-line, but that just ate up too much real estate plus I thought I would hold back on inclines and that can of worms giving my lack of experience

I will be posting progress in the layouts section once I get underway. the baseboards will mostly be recycled and cut from what is currently my routed slot car track, which will be hosting its last race tomorrow.
That does mean the boards are MDF, so will be a little harder to pin into, but one will have to make it work

[cheshire lines]

Looks like an interesting design with plenty of running potential.
Looking forward to seeing updates as you start building it.

[IanS]

That does mean the boards are MDF, so will be a little harder to pin into, but one will have to make it work

Consider using small screws - they can be obtained in 6mm, 8mm and 10mm lengths. Pre-drilling small holes in through the sleepers existing holes (or make new ones if on flexi-track) makes screwing in relatively easy and you avoid the danger of hitting rails with the hammer!

[Walkingthedog]

Or use Gaugemaster pins, very sharp, perfectly flat head and can be pushed in.

[Too Tall]

I may look into screws, but will try pins first as they can be mostly hidden with some track painting.
I bought a pin pusher when I did my tt120 layout, no more hammered rails or fingers
For that I used Kato N gauge pins, but they did need help getting into ply past 3 or 4mm so will try the Gaugemaster ones, sounds like if they don't work, none will !
I did consider copydex, but as its in the shed, its dry but will have some temperature variations, so may not be the best idea ?

[Brian]

Have you seen the size of the screws that the real railway use to hold their sleepers in position? No? I'm not surprised, as of course they don't use anything, other than the stone ballast.

Pins, if you want realistic looking track, I recommend the use of Peco fine track pins SL-14, fitted into a 0.7mm pre drilled hole in both sleeper and baseboard. Drive in pin to around 2/3 or 3/4 of their length and then bend the remained of the pin over along the sleepers top surface. Once ballasted and glued and it has dried solid for at least 24 hours, pull out the pins = No pin heads showing, No screw heads showing, just a nice realistic looking sleeper track.