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Offline BenP  
#1 Posted : 25 September 2022 16:06:26(UTC)
BenP

United States   
Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: Michigan, Ann Arbor
Getting ready to work on a Marklin Z layout.
Just a visual reminder of the big difference in scale between HO and Z.

20220925_095954.jpg
Digital M (+ some K) track layout with mostly vintage rolling stock and accessories, and small Z scale layout.
https://youtube.com/play...0kgVYbh0CeDTF-bYXoD_2-V9
thanks 5 users liked this useful post by BenP
Offline Toosmall  
#2 Posted : 25 September 2022 21:04:24(UTC)
Toosmall

Australia   
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 608
Location: Sydney
Looks like you have some track for decent radius in the background.
Offline BenP  
#3 Posted : 25 September 2022 23:15:49(UTC)
BenP

United States   
Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: Michigan, Ann Arbor
Originally Posted by: Toosmall Go to Quoted Post
Looks like you have some track for decent radius in the background.


I designed a two track layout with marklin pieces I already have (except short on R2 curves). Will post the test layout shortly, for community comments and wisdom.
Digital M (+ some K) track layout with mostly vintage rolling stock and accessories, and small Z scale layout.
https://youtube.com/play...0kgVYbh0CeDTF-bYXoD_2-V9
Offline BenP  
#4 Posted : 21 October 2022 00:27:19(UTC)
BenP

United States   
Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: Michigan, Ann Arbor
I enjoy technical tinkering with my layouts and found an inexpensive, electronic module on ebay (JLK60, from France) that stops a Z-scale train (or any form factor, for that matter) and restarts after an adjustable time. It does so by interrupting power, thus creating a sudden stop (like old analog signals do), but nice effect nonetheless. The trigger is a reed switch under the z track that is activated by a small removable magnet at the bottom of a wagon.

The picture shows the wiring and a test track with a homemade isolating segment (stock z track has unseemly large wire connectors). Final soldering will use thin black wires, but these color wires help with planning and testing (white wire creates the powerloop connection in the test track that full layouts otherwise have).

There is also an option to control a signal, but I have none. Instead, I connected a lamp that turns on when stopped and off when restart (opposite off-on is possible too).
Ben



20221020_151529.jpg

Edited by user 21 October 2022 15:25:32(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Digital M (+ some K) track layout with mostly vintage rolling stock and accessories, and small Z scale layout.
https://youtube.com/play...0kgVYbh0CeDTF-bYXoD_2-V9
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by BenP
Offline Carim  
#5 Posted : 21 October 2022 10:48:00(UTC)
Carim

United Kingdom   
Joined: 15/09/2014(UTC)
Posts: 649
Location: London
Originally Posted by: BenP Go to Quoted Post
Final soldering will use thin black wires, but these color wires help with planning and testing



I would not be too hasty in dumping the coloured wires - once you have built a more complex layout, if you keep to a colour code standard (such as the Märklin one) it will make fault finding or extension building much easier.

Carim
Offline BenP  
#6 Posted : 21 October 2022 13:21:59(UTC)
BenP

United States   
Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: Michigan, Ann Arbor
Originally Posted by: Carim Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: BenP Go to Quoted Post
Final soldering will use thin black wires, but these color wires help with planning and testing



I would not be too hasty in dumping the coloured wires - once you have built a more complex layout, if you keep to a colour code standard (such as the Märklin one) it will make fault finding or extension building much easier.

Carim


Fully agree. I solder short thin black wire to rails and then extend with colored wires to do just as you say.
Digital M (+ some K) track layout with mostly vintage rolling stock and accessories, and small Z scale layout.
https://youtube.com/play...0kgVYbh0CeDTF-bYXoD_2-V9
thanks 2 users liked this useful post by BenP
Offline BenP  
#7 Posted : 21 October 2022 20:05:59(UTC)
BenP

United States   
Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: Michigan, Ann Arbor
This is the layout I will build, using the Z track I have. Two separate loops with dual transformer control (simplified Noch Cortina). No catenary.
I plan to post progress, with landscaping my new frontier.

snapshot.png
Digital M (+ some K) track layout with mostly vintage rolling stock and accessories, and small Z scale layout.
https://youtube.com/play...0kgVYbh0CeDTF-bYXoD_2-V9
thanks 3 users liked this useful post by BenP
Offline Toosmall  
#8 Posted : 22 October 2022 09:15:26(UTC)
Toosmall

Australia   
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 608
Location: Sydney
Just a couple of personal opinions. The inner loop, if you are running anti clockwise be careful with gradient. Clockwise on the diagram you can have better gradient.

If you bring the track in a bit from the edge, you don't really lose that much track, but having some scenery on the edge of the layout will improve the look of the track considerably. Growies are handy to hide a multitude of sins!

_MG_7483.jpg

_MG_0988_060547.jpg
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Offline Toosmall  
#9 Posted : 22 October 2022 11:18:56(UTC)
Toosmall

Australia   
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 608
Location: Sydney
A photo to encourage catenary. Also shows the outer rail 50mm in from the edge and using topography RLs (relative levels) to enhance the "building site".

Vertical topography at the edge is not difficult, actually a vastly under utilised freebie which will visually enhance the scenery above and below track level.

My lowest bit of scenery is 35mm below the rail (in photo below), but even if you can go about -20mm for a creek or culvert it will really stop looking like the layout is built on Lake Eyre (Australia)!

_MG_1013_081010.jpg

I have also replaced all the short lengths of rail with 660mm.

(Shot with 135mm lens, cropped)
thanks 5 users liked this useful post by Toosmall
Offline BenP  
#10 Posted : 11 November 2022 18:41:00(UTC)
BenP

United States   
Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: Michigan, Ann Arbor
Testing the basic layout with frame and (old) mat on dense foam base. Turns are 8520 and 8530, as 8510 radius seemed a little tight. The outer loop turnout section uses flex track, as I could not get standard track to work. Ramps and bridge for inner loop is next.



20221111_114315.jpg
Digital M (+ some K) track layout with mostly vintage rolling stock and accessories, and small Z scale layout.
https://youtube.com/play...0kgVYbh0CeDTF-bYXoD_2-V9
thanks 3 users liked this useful post by BenP
Offline Toosmall  
#11 Posted : 11 November 2022 21:56:34(UTC)
Toosmall

Australia   
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 608
Location: Sydney
It would be great is Marklin sold rail on say 100 metre rolls then I wouldn't have to waste my time silver soldering back together chopped up lengths of rail.

https://www.marklin-user...8-Continuous-Welded-Rail
Offline Mman  
#12 Posted : 12 November 2022 23:16:48(UTC)
Mman

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/05/2021(UTC)
Posts: 247
Location: England, Guildford
@Ben P, steer clear of the 8510 small radius curves as the modern Märklin locomotives cannot negotiate them.
ChrisG
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Offline BenP  
#13 Posted : 12 November 2022 23:25:04(UTC)
BenP

United States   
Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: Michigan, Ann Arbor
Originally Posted by: Mman Go to Quoted Post
@Ben P, steer clear of the 8510 small radius curves as the modern Märklin locomotives cannot negotiate them.
ChrisG


Agree, but annoying that there is no ramp piece for 8520, so i have to make a ramp myself.
Digital M (+ some K) track layout with mostly vintage rolling stock and accessories, and small Z scale layout.
https://youtube.com/play...0kgVYbh0CeDTF-bYXoD_2-V9
Offline Toosmall  
#14 Posted : 13 November 2022 03:07:14(UTC)
Toosmall

Australia   
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 608
Location: Sydney
I made up the columns myself and spray painted with touch up spray cans. The bought columns looked a bit ordinary. If you need various bridge radius, use high impact styrene. If you don't really see under the bridge, don't bother with the detail underneath.

To get a textured finish with spray cans, for concrete use grey, white and black. From a distance to get drier texture paint, spray grey, then a touch of black and white colours. Then a touch more base colour grey to cut back the black and white as bit, looks better from acute angles, as the last colour shows up the most, so you need the base colour.

If you are after a bit of moss paint bottom of columns with a whisker of green. Also looks better with a bit of base colour over the top. For finer spray warm spray cans up in a bucket of hot water. Practice on test pieces first.

_MG_1075_115807.jpg

_MG_1073_122428.jpg

_MG_1088_125826.jpg

Same spray painting process for road texture. The bridge structure I spray with a touch of heritage red colour to cut back the plastic look, but it doesn't show up in these photos.

In Australia you can buy these colours from https://www.crlaurence.c...;ModelID=22122&pom=0 a mixed dozen or two is the way to go to amortize freight cost.

An old colour chart, quite a few of these colour are not available now.

5819903863503208861.jpg

The paint is the same as the touch up cans from the auto stores, but just in the building colours and powder coat colours, and a lot cheaper (on the left is a can from Eckersley art and craft supplies, they are expensive but they are a different range of colours. Bought this colour for one of the Unimogs when I eventually get around to finishing it)

2083884725262828374.jpg
thanks 2 users liked this useful post by Toosmall
Offline Toosmall  
#15 Posted : 13 November 2022 20:32:55(UTC)
Toosmall

Australia   
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 608
Location: Sydney
An example of building up RLs (relative levels) on an architectural model. Whether it is an architectural model or gradients for train layouts you need to put the effort in to get RLs correct.

Give the base of your layout a RL and always add from there, it can be 0, -10 or whatever, but it becomes the reference for all the gradients.

You can go about this a number of ways, but at the very least great a master plan. Butcher's paper is fine. You can then plot on the master plan the RLs at each critical point. So for example if you have a loop crossing over itself you can then plot at regular intervals the increasing height for the required clearance.

12519_100457.jpg

It doesn't matter how long it takes to do a master plan, but it will save you 10 times avoiding reconstruction stuff-ups.
Offline Poor Skeleton  
#16 Posted : 13 November 2022 21:26:28(UTC)
Poor Skeleton

United Kingdom   
Joined: 09/10/2015(UTC)
Posts: 550
Location: England, Cambridge
I'm quite in awe of Toosmall's artistry. It's in stark contrast to my build, busk and bodge approach!


Cheers


Chris
Offline BenP  
#17 Posted : 18 November 2022 05:15:24(UTC)
BenP

United States   
Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: Michigan, Ann Arbor
More progress. Adding a little automation with station stop-and-go and lights switching, using a small and inexpensive electronics module (from France). The semaphore cannot be controlled with the current module. Love the new diesel loco with 'silberlinge' wagons.

Digital M (+ some K) track layout with mostly vintage rolling stock and accessories, and small Z scale layout.
https://youtube.com/play...0kgVYbh0CeDTF-bYXoD_2-V9
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by BenP
Offline BenP  
#18 Posted : 02 December 2022 18:46:35(UTC)
BenP

United States   
Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: Michigan, Ann Arbor
Track and automation done. Trains stop and go automatically and station lights and signal switch accordingly. All running on single transformer (hence train speed changes).
Next is ramps and some landscaping.

Digital M (+ some K) track layout with mostly vintage rolling stock and accessories, and small Z scale layout.
https://youtube.com/play...0kgVYbh0CeDTF-bYXoD_2-V9
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by BenP
Zme
Offline BenP  
#19 Posted : 21 December 2023 02:01:51(UTC)
BenP

United States   
Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: Michigan, Ann Arbor
Progress with layout. Added more track, functional catenary and some electronics. Three transformers control motion. Shuttle bus works with a power module. Next is the final crossover track (changed parts to 8510 for tighter curves). Still need signals and then ... scenery. Dreading the latter, as I am not good at that.
Ben

Digital M (+ some K) track layout with mostly vintage rolling stock and accessories, and small Z scale layout.
https://youtube.com/play...0kgVYbh0CeDTF-bYXoD_2-V9
thanks 4 users liked this useful post by BenP
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