 Joined: 16/04/2014(UTC) Posts: 775 Location: Bangalore, India
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My good old friend, a pediatrician, wants model railway layout in his clinic. He has approached me and I agreed to meet him. Before I do, I have few questions. It would be great if you can share your experience in this field and answer my queries. I'm not doing this for any commercial gain but see it as a good chance to promote this hobby.
What I'm clear on
- Use C tracks to build a two level layout (I might as well repurpose my last layout - scratch built Mittenwald 4ft by 8ft)
- Use Start Up locos without sound as the layout will be enclosed in a display case
- Have two locos run, one passenger and another with some coal load, cargo containers on a lowside car and oil tankers
What I'm not clear on
- Which controller to use? Is it okay to use an IR controller for this setup? My experience says that IR controller auto stops all the locos after 3 mins if no buttons are pressed (this could be a blessing in disguise. But I've seen IR controllers fail to work in brightly lit area)
- Since this layout is kept in a common area, the locos need to be run quite frequently. Is some sort of automation possible here?
- Assuming 3 hours of running every day, can these locos last long?
Regards,
Madhu
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 1 user liked this useful post by madhu.gn.71
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 Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC) Posts: 3,894 Location: Michigan, Troy
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I'd reccomend one of the My Start with Marklin battery sets, an dyes, a couple have a battery remote control.
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Joined: 16/04/2014(UTC) Posts: 775 Location: Bangalore, India
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Originally Posted by: marklinist5999  I'd reccomend one of the My Start with Marklin battery sets, an dyes, a couple have a battery remote control. Since this is in a public place, some person needs to constantly keep changing batteries right? Additionally these locos have plastic wheels and not sure about their durability
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 Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,422 Location: Montreal, Canada
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Originally Posted by: marklinist5999 I'd reccomend one of the My Start with Marklin battery sets, an dyes, a couple have a battery remote control. Hi Madhu I thought for a moment that the battery sets would be the simplest but it would be kind of pain to be changing the batteries everyday, as I see you mentioned. We have two of the MyWorld battery sets: The Thayls and the Mauszug which were fun to use with my girls because they were very simple, magnetic touch couplers, and the controller gives you a couple of sounds and lights. (Plus back then you still got C-track with the sets. The new sets have plastic rails which I find very short-sighted if you want kids to move into electrified rails eventually. I can't imagine the cost savings for Marklin and consumers worth it.). Either way, I would not use the battery sets for display since the kids will not be touching the trains, there is not need to worry about them fiddling with it. If you wanted kids to actually play with the sets accompanied by an adult or say a pediatric therapist, then yes use the battery sets, which would allow them to handle the cars and make consists. No display behind plexi then. We have had our show layouts running trains for more than 3 hours a day. They ran well, except for a few snags in complex parts with switches and other issues I have been wanting to explain in detail sometime. With these, we were constantly present to allow kids and adults to use the controls. A standard fixed control does not disappear like a remotes might. Analog is the way to go if you need simplicity and steady use. (Too much history of our own to cover here) ...so IMHO making a layout with multiple layers in a clinic is probably not a great idea unless you can spend time with the layout nearly everyday. The key issue is maintenance. Any potential snags or derailments will mean you need someone to remove the protective plexi to get at the rails. Will someone be on-hand to maintain it regularly? ...as in everyday? ... if the answer is no, then I would recommend a perfectly flatly laid layout with no inclines and minimal tunnels to retrieve the trains from. You can still create something really interesting with other obstacles, hills, buildings, trees, that will give the sense of the trains disappearing and appearing. You could have two controllers with two independent but loops that stop at the same station. I would probably do a crushed dogbone, one of my favourites to put the lines closer to each other and keep the maintenance in the same area. However if you are doing a 4x8 then something more like two ovals could work. Alsterstreek is the layout suggestion king on the forum, you might want to get some layout plans from him. Best of luck and please let us know how it goes! I think its a great idea! Peace, Mark |
DB DR FS NS SNCF c. 1950-65, fan of station architecture esp. from 1920-70.
In single point perspective, where do track lines meet?
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2 users liked this useful post by Mark5
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 Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC) Posts: 3,563 Location: Paris, France
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Hi Madhu
You can do 2 things:
- have a simple layout in a glass box with a train operating after a standby time (to limit the wear of the loco)
- have a Märklin Myworld for free use by children. Without a minimum supervision be prepared for locos being left running, derailment, missing items, etc.
Cheers
Jean |
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2 users liked this useful post by JohnjeanB
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 Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,485 Location: Hrvatska
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Backo mini express made a small layout for the youngest visitors and later a much bigger one, I wrote about it earlier in the description of the layout in Zagreb I think it would be good to start with something smaller and later, when you gather experience and see the children's reactions, do something more extensive?  This is another more complex layout  The third one that is in use today, someone must always be present with smaller children   
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2 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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 Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,475 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
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A layout for this purpose would be a good place to use the old analogue 6600 controller. A loop of track with a passing loop at the station, a trigger point in the track each side of the loop, and a 6600 set up with short delays for starting and stopping. A pair of analogue locos (a 3000 with a goods train and a 3005 with a passenger train perhaps) and a button on the outside for the patients to press to start everything going.
With some clever thinking about wiring points and signals should be able to get both trains in the station when the button times out to stop the trains until the next push.
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2 users liked this useful post by kiwiAlan
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 Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC) Posts: 635 Location: Sydney
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There is a simply train loop in a news agent / gift / toy / book shop near me. It's been there decades but it has stopped running some years ago. When it was running, you pressed a button and the train went around the loop once.
What I found annoying was the noise of the track when I was in the shop. It would be a good idea to deaden the sound for the employees' sanity. The same sound over and over month in month out will be very irritating and might cause an OH&S (occupation health and safety) issue.
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2 users liked this useful post by Toosmall
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 Joined: 17/09/2006(UTC) Posts: 18,771 Location: New Zealand
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If you're going to put your layout into a glass enclosure, be sure to keep it out of direct sunlight and away from any heat source.
Otherwise everything inside will cook and most likely warp.
Our club learnt that the hard way....
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4 users liked this useful post by Bigdaddynz
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Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC) Posts: 635 Location: Sydney
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I built architectural models, models in covers will cook and warp models if there is a hint of sun on them. If you have to have a cover have a good volume of air through the model.
Also make sure the wiring complies with regulations. More than likely you will need an electrician to sign off, and check insurance. You will need an electrician if the transformer is anything other than a simple plugin type like a phone charger.
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3 users liked this useful post by Toosmall
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Joined: 16/04/2014(UTC) Posts: 775 Location: Bangalore, India
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Thank you all for your responses. Based on the feedback received I would keep things super simple. Plan is to create two ovals as shown below. The size of the layout to be 4ft by 6 ft with no gradients. I would elevate the entire layout by an inch so that a bridge can be accommodated on one side. I'll repurpose the IR controller and the two start up engines I have (one from forestry set and another from Haribo set). Much appreciated for all the guidance 
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1 user liked this useful post by madhu.gn.71
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Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC) Posts: 635 Location: Sydney
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Can you put in a transient curve, it might reduce long term wear and tear going from straight to a tighter radius.
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1 user liked this useful post by Toosmall
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Joined: 16/04/2014(UTC) Posts: 775 Location: Bangalore, India
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6 users liked this useful post by madhu.gn.71
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Joined: 06/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 54 Location: Goa/India
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Very well done Madhu, an excellent result. I must say i was a bit worried about your previous posts given the very sporadic nature of power supply in this country! I had thought maybe battery operation was the way to go, but then thought maybe a pediatric clinic would have a backup power supply, which i guess is the case?
Hope to meet up with you sometime?
Regards
Charles in Goa
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2 users liked this useful post by scarfo
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Joined: 16/04/2014(UTC) Posts: 775 Location: Bangalore, India
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Hello Charles,
Thank you for the lovely words! The clinic does have a stable power supply and a backup too. Additionally I've used a spike buster (if that is of any help:)). I'd love to meet you too. I've heard a lot about you from other model train enthusiasts in India.
Regards,
Madhu
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