# The Beginnings Of An Empire



## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

Please feel free to critique!
Flatland I know!!!

Finally got a table built and some foam board laid down. Laid out some track to play with the trains. 
The Kato turnouts work flawlessly, as I've read about. I must say I'm thoroughly impressed.

The layout is a generic version that was on the box that it came in. I plan to tweak this as well as expand the layout into an L or U shaped layout.

Where the two curves are I plan to make a tunnel where both or one track enters and other wraps around. This is where you guys come in! Any and all ideas are welcome.









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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Is that a 4x8 table?

There are many interesting possibilities in that amount of room.

Atlas has several books with layouts that fit that space.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

MichaelE said:


> Is that a 4x8 table?
> 
> There are many interesting possibilities in that amount of room.
> 
> Atlas has several books with layouts that fit that space.


Atlas track plans are designed to sell Atlas track, and they don't work with other brands without major rework.

The OP is using Kato track sets which are designed to produce a given configuration of track (basic oval, additional siding, over / under, etc.

I agree that he may be limiting his options, but he appears to be staying in a comfort zone (roadbed track sets) and there's nothing wrong with that.


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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

MichaelE said:


> Is that a 4x8 table?
> 
> There are many interesting possibilities in that amount of room.
> 
> Atlas has several books with layouts that fit that space.


Yes it is for now
I plan to expand it somehow. So depending how I lay the track will dictate what the future holds. It just seems short and so obviously flat right now.

Im not really good with woodwork so I started off simple. I started playing around with this layout and it had some type of topography, and raised track.

Learned a few things and plan to incorporate them into this new layout.









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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

CTValleyRR said:


> Atlas track plans are designed to sell Atlas track, and they don't work with other brands without major rework.
> 
> The OP is using Kato track sets which are designed to produce a given configuration of track (basic oval, additional siding, over / under, etc.
> 
> I agree that he may be limiting his options, but he appears to be staying in a comfort zone (roadbed track sets) and there's nothing wrong with that.


Right!
I knew it was limited going in and it is a major drawback! But to me, it makes up for it in reliability and less issues.

I may incorporate flex to give me more options. But yes, I plan on sticking with the roadbed tracks, it just seems less tedious for me but does limit what I can do.

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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I don't know what Kato offers in the way of different turnouts and radii for their roadbed track. Hopefully enough variety to take you where you eventually want to go with your railroad.

I mention Atlas because it is where a lot of people new to the hobby start. You can learn a lot from building a 'canned' layout regardless if it is the evil Atlas offering the trackplan or someone else.


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## Nikola (Jun 11, 2012)

I see nothing wrong with OP's track layout. It is interesting, especially being laid out on an angle. I actually like it a lot.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I did not mean to infer there was anything wrong with what he now has running.

The OP states he will eventually be expanding and enlarging this layout and I was offering suggestions.


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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

MichaelE said:


> I did not mean to infer there was anything wrong with what he now has running.
> 
> The OP states he will eventually be expanding and enlarging this layout and I was offering suggestions.


Keep em coming!

I already tweaked it a bit and added an atlas turnout, which was fairly simple.
It seems the biggest hurdle will be elevation or actually getting the track to go under and pop back up. That is where the flex will come in.
Im ready to go grab wood and start the expansion, lol, but I have a ham too cook for Easter.

Ive looked at atlas plans and others to get an idea of what I want. I ended up actually stealing one from a member here. Forget who it is/was, peace river maybe...
But this is the general idea of what Im going after.









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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Looks good.


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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

MichaelE said:


> Looks good.


The track plan? I agree it looks awesome...
What Ive accomplished so far?...
I was more proud of the turd I left in the toilet this morning. Lol

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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

The trackplan you have designed looks good.


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## Mark VerMurlen (Aug 15, 2015)

Trentonmakes said:


> I ended up actually stealing one from a member here. Forget who it is/was, peace river maybe...
> But this is the general idea of what Im going after.


The track plan you posted is of my layout. I'm flattered that you want to build it or something like it. If you want to see how I built mine, I have a thread on it at http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=53721.

There's a couple of things that you should know. My plan is a customized version of the original Peace River RR that was published in Model Railroader magazine in March 1987. I had to make it smaller to fit my spare bedroom. My plan was designed using Walthers/Shinohara turnouts, some of which are curved. Using curved turnouts was one of the ways I was able to make the original track plan smaller to fit. If you have more space, you might want to go back to the original plan to avoid using curved turnouts. The Walthers/Shinohara curved turnouts have worked marvelously for me, but they are much more expensive than standard turnouts and only a few manufacturers make them. Apart from the turnouts, all the rest of the track is formed from flex track.

Mark


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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

Yes, I was looking at that thread and really like that layout. Ive been looking and looking for ideas and that layout had practically everything I was looking for.
You did an excellent job on it BTW!
I hope I can manage a percentage of that and I would be thrilled.

Im not sure how closely I can follow that or the original plan with unitrack but hopefully I can use it as inspiration and follow a loose interpratation of it.

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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

Slight progress on layout. I keep rearranging and can't seem to settle on anything. So far this is what I came up with and likely attempting to achieve.

I need/want to get this layout done and move onto some scenery! 1st goal is to make sure everything runs smooth and then i can move on.









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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

How are the loco's handling the grades?


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

It's a nice layout, but I agree with MichaelE, that does look like a pretty steep grade. If your loco's can handle it, though, go for it!


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## Trentonmakes (Mar 5, 2018)

With a bit of trial and error they are handling it without many issues. Alot of shims and supports and not getting to aggressive on transitions.
Thats where I had most issues, at the transition from flat to start of incline. The plan is to fill in the gaps with expandable foam,(great stuff), to give it more support and hold the track in place. Then have mountain/ hill on both ends with tunnels at the differing grades.
Still tinkering with it making sure everything runs smooth and placing turnouts to easily access different sections.

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## Vincent (Jan 28, 2018)

Where's the bridge that says "Trenton makes...The world takes"?


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