# The Start, Need Direction



## stuart (Jun 12, 2010)

So I finally got some track layed. But could you some advice from you guru's as to where to go from here. I am working on a 4x8 plywood board with grass matting. All my stuff is Tyco non DCC, because I can find it cheap (frugal) on E Bay. I have 3 loco's and right now I can run one at a time. I would like to be able to run two at a time. I was kind of thinking about my layout reflecting the state of NJ, with some northern mountains, southern beaches and mid state industrial ( storage tanks at Linden and manufactering in the seacaucus area. Please dish it out, the good the bad and the ugly. But please remember that I am trying to be frugal. Trying to upload pictures, but ............... its not going! I guess I need addtional help.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Re: uploading pics ... remember to keep you image size relatively small ... under 1600x1200 pixels or so.

TJ


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

Looking forward to seeing your progress......just in my humble opinion..it is your layout and what you what to do is your choose.


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## stuart (Jun 12, 2010)

Everytime I upload a picture from my PC, it comes back "up load failed".


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Can you be more specific? Are they jpg images? How big are they? What tool here are you using to upload them ... the "paper clip icon" that points you towards the "Manage Attachments" window? If there, you should be able to Browse to a file on your local PC, choose that, then click the Upload toggle.

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You are trying to upload a picture that is too large. The maximum filesize of a JPG is 2 megabytes, any larger and the upload will fail.


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## stuart (Jun 12, 2010)




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## MarkVIIIMarc (Oct 19, 2012)

A double loop is probably the easiest way to run two trains at the same time. You can fancy it up afterwards by installing a siding track with its own power control switch and insulated joiners so you can stop trains on it and allow another to pass. 

I learned over a 4 x 8 board it can be difficult to get true ho crossover tracks..... 3% grade max I guess gives you 3" of rise over 100" of rail. Not that you asked but it came up for me a few months back.


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## MarkVIIIMarc (Oct 19, 2012)

Oh! And I love the first 8wd locomotive I stalked on ebay. 

Also straight spurs for your industries so the railcars can uncouple easily.


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## broox (Apr 13, 2012)

You can be fairly creative with a 4x8 by using a scenic divider. You want to make it so that you can't see the whole track layout from one position. 

So maybe you can have one side of the loop a town/ industry, and the other a scenic (almost) diorama for railfanning 

When the train leaves to the other side of the layout it gives the impression that the train is going to another place, imagination reigns supreme


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## rrgrassi (May 3, 2012)

Lionel used a trick in the 50's where the train would go into a tunnel, seemd to tak a while then come out. They used a double helix to make the train go down one level after entering the tunnel, the go back up to exit the other end. 

They used that to advertise their magna-traction.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

See this thread on the disappearing tunnel, here ...

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=12789

TJ


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## stuart (Jun 12, 2010)

Thanks for all the replys. I will try that double loop idea. Thanks again.


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