Building a model layout in Trainz can be difficult!

[JCitron]

Well I found out something very interesting yesterday. I took the Atlas Nine N-scale layout number 7, the Scenic and Relaxed, and made it into a Trainz layout. This was my original N-scale layout before I started my very long and less frustrating journey in Trainz.

Atlas has pictures of these layouts on their website. This is in a section where you can order the different layouts as a "kits". The good thing is the little JPEG images can be added to a 1k Basemap, and the track traced over the object.

This was the easy part of the layout. The difficult part came with the elevations and track layout, which turned out to be the same problem I had with the original plaster and plywood version! The advantages of Trainz here overwhelm the original by far with the ability to redo things without wasting materials, and the ability to take some extra license here and there without the added expenses and mess.

If this route works out to be sucessful, I may make a series of different layouts and upload them to the DLS.

John

 

[Vern]

ISTR there's been a couple of attempts at the Hungry Horse Timber Line, probably one of the most famous Kalmbach layouts. Years ago, probably back in CE or TRS2004 I had a crack at doing the Cajon layout from 101 Track Plans but came unstuck on sharp curves and of course tunnels (back then I don't think we had the dighole method).

I do think there's something to be said for taking a crack at a model plan now and again, for a quick fix, rather than sweating over miles of scenery placement on a prototype route.

The other layouts I could think of would go well in Trainz is the Allegheny Midland by Tony Koester and the famous V&O from W. Allen McClelland, unfortunately I only have a track plan for the former.

 

[JCitron]

ISTR there's been a couple of attempts at the Hungry Horse Timber Line, probably one of the most famous Kalmbach layouts. Years ago, probably back in CE or TRS2004 I had a crack at doing the Cajon layout from 101 Track Plans but came unstuck on sharp curves and of course tunnels (back then I don't think we had the dighole method).

I do think there's something to be said for taking a crack at a model plan now and again, for a quick fix, rather than sweating over miles of scenery placement on a prototype route.

The other layouts I could think of would go well in Trainz is the Allegheny Midland by Tony Koester and the famous V&O from W. Allen McClelland, unfortunately I only have a track plan for the former.

I agree Vern. The little S&R gave me a chance to do something on the lighter side, and step back from my rather large route that I started way back when I first got TRS2004 and has survived the subsequent versions in between, and has grown to about 150 route miles.

I have that same book from Kalmbach publishing. Linn Westcott did a great job with these different layouts. I've been eyeing a few of the routes in there as well, including the famous Cajon Pass! Tony and Allen are great guys and their routes are wonderful. I had the opportunity of meeting them at the 50th anniversary NMRA meeting in Boston. Tony had a nice slide show of his layout and Allen did some clinics on track laying and scenicking. I was thinking of presenting my route with some pictures to the folks over at Kalmbach publishin to see their reactions.

John

 

[SuperFudd]

Ah good. Another chance to preach my layout philosophy.
I sugest Copying a layout but with broader curves and longer straightaways. Besides being easier, this leaves room for more sidings and industries.
Keep in mind that a one base board N scale layout fills entirely the average two car garage.
That is what I did on my Elko and Lincoln layout, on the DLS. It was originally a 5.5 foot by 10 foot N scale layout in my garage, expanded to one base board.

 

[Tracker99]

One of my goals with Trainz 2009 is to recreate some of the great model railroads that I've admired and envied over the years. I'm not a fan of the old school spaghetti bowl layouts such as those by John Armstrong. With Trainz we have endless space, and therefore a true, realistic linear approach can and should be used unless a referenced prototype uses another concept to accomplish said operation(s).

Famous model railroads that come to mind are Chuck Hitchcocks two layouts, Joiner's Great Southern, The Cat Mountain & Santa Fe, and Koester's new layout. There are dozens more, so I'll never run out of projects in between my own semi prototypical trainz layouts.

 

[StorkNest]

There are some model layouts on DLS. CincySouthernRwy did some, jpkeenan also, I think a few others.
SuperFudd is right, increasing size makes a difference, how much depends on what you want. For example, both Coal Fork (an extension of the Allegheny Midland) and V&O Muddlety Sub would scale to less than a baseboard but both are on DLS and you can see the scale increase, makes running the routes better.

 

[tommy2tap]

as far as memorable layouts go would it be possible to do Jim Hedigers Ohio Southern? How would you do a two level layout in trainz?

 

[cascaderailroad]

ASAIK...No...the lower level would be underground...

It could be offset though...lower level, in front of the upper level.

 

[Tokkyu40]

...lower level, in front of the upper level.

That's how I simulate an upper level. You could also do part of the upper level as an elevated track.

Claude

 

[mjolnir]

How would you do a two level layout in trainz?

Well, one starts by remembering that most everyone who made a two level layout did done because they did not have enough space to make the layout they wanted on one level.

ns

 

[tdstead]

great subject

The large Canyon Pass line of the SF & SP came out well that was released.

If you want to play with Hungry Horse Timber there is a dem of it on DLS that will give you a good start. I partly finished it and gave it to someone else to complete, not sure how he is going, also gave hime a wnter textured version.

The Layots from Layots you can Build and More layots you can build that sadly I got rid of when I moved are just great layots I like the GM&O the return loops could be replaced with portals also though not nessary . the time table decribed would probly work ok in traniz also.

Thought of building a modified verion of the Great Northern Pacific from those books with modes from How to operate your model railroad and even some of my own with a expanded timetable, the only thing is is not a layot you can operate from the AI as it is all Shunted passing, where trains need to shut into sindings to allow others to pass. I just never worked out the conversion right. I have a basic compiled program for the waybills for this line that i was going to used for the Model railroad version.

Tom

 

[SPNGTyler]

If you want to play with Hungry Horse Timber there is a dem of it on DLS that will give you a good start. I partly finished it and gave it to someone else to complete, not sure how he is going, also gave hime a wnter textured version.

That would be me . Yea...I havent realy worked on it much since you gave it to me, except mabie screw around with the town of "Hungry Horse" by adding interactive lumber. But besides that (and deleting some track at the time I thought was "not needed") I reletered some Passenger Cars for the "Hungry Horse Railroad" (I might as well go back and re re leter them as Hungry Horse Timber) ah well, if anyone wants to know anything bout that, pm me, and mabie someday I will get to it after my project and finish it up...

Until next time:wave:

 

[StorkNest]

Two Level Layout.
I would say you have to get creative and put the levels near each other and redo the track.
If the connecting track just goes down a grade, you rotate one level 180 degrees, put it roughly back-to-back with the other level and hide the connecting track with scenery.
Now if it is done by a helix you have to redo the trackage between levels.
Planning out on graph paper may help. I bought some and did some rough drawings of one board layouts using 3 grid squares = 8 baseboard squares. If you plan on more than one baseboard, either you use multiple pages or rescale it. Just like planning a model railroad, the drawings help. I usually estimate 3 baseboard squares for 1 railcar when drawing, about the size taken up by a 50 foot boxcar and some 70s-80s locomotives in the USA.