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G'day I'm Rowan from Ferguson Brothers Rail. In this video I'm gonna to you about the process
for designing a small model train layout.
We started with some basic requirements that would help drive the design process:
portable, coffee table sized low cost and simple
resilient and low maintenance original to inspire imagination (in a childs
mind or a grown mans child mind have 2 locos that could be operated simultaneously
by the 2 directors
We really wanted to avoid symmetry to ensure it felt organic and realistic. We wanted to
use elevation to give the layout more of a 3 dimensional aspect. And by ensuring the
engines are not always visible we'd create an element of mystery. This would also allow
people to focus on other details while the trains are hidden from view.
The biggest challenge with the track design was pushing the limitations of radius and
gradient on such a small layout. To help crunch these details we used the demo version of
AnyRail software. This was really useful for manipulating track and pushing tolerances
as far as we could. Of course, the trains will need to be thoroughly tested before we
get too carried away with scenery.
Probably the most vital aspect is the story. There has to be a reason the railway exists.
This'll be covered in another chapter, but setting a moment and place in time will drive
all decisions relating to locomotive choice, structure design, scenery and even lighting.
Our train yard and small township will sit at the base of a mountain. The passenger line
will ride fairly flat and disappear under the mountain to simulate the train 'leaving
town'. The other engine, our 'mountain train' will ride up a single revolution helix to
emerge at the work site cut into the top of the mountain. From here it'll wind back down
over a trestle bridge and past the train yard.
Once we determined the size of the base board we did some calculations and transfered the
design using a grid. We're using some 16mm builders ply held flat with 70x35mm structural
pine. It's just what we had lying around. Marking compass points on the layout helps
orientate the various weirdly shaped pieces used to build up the contours.
We're using 6mm ply for the contours because it's just flexible to achieve some
super elevation in the corners. Super elevation is the camber in the track that helps balance
the weight of the train as it passes through corners with gradients. We filled
and sanded the ply to get them relatively flat before glueing down cork that the actual
track will be pinned to.
In the next chapter of Ferguson Brothers Rail, we're gonna look at some electronics - soldering
in the switches and installing the flexi-track. Thanks and catch you later.