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Offline Lizardking0069  
#1 Posted : 03 December 2022 23:09:26(UTC)
Lizardking0069

United States   
Joined: 19/11/2022(UTC)
Posts: 8
Location: Florida, Melbourne
Hi,
I’m new here. Last Christmas I purchased a vintage Z scale Marklin 8172 train set to add to my moms tiny city as fun decor. I fell in love with the simplicity of the set and was impressed with the quality considering it was an older model. This Christmas I got the bug and purchased some track from ebay (T3 expansion) and additional track from ajckids.com (great seller btw) to make my own little layout. The only limitation was that it had to fit my coffee table in the office. The results are what I think is a decent track with some switching fun. I have been moving the switches manually and plan to get a piece of foam board to perforate for the wiring and perhaps add some simple decor (I have a lighted Christmas tree from my previous N scale experience). I don’t want to overcomplicate the layout scenery as the main seller for this scale is obviously the size as well as the minimal storage. I considered using a tube of towel paper roll as a rudimentary tunnel. I want a minimalist set I can dismantle when Christmas is over and store safely in a small amount of space (wife acceptance factor is very high for this train).

Please look at my layout (first time I use SCARM) and feel free to provide feedback. I bought too many 8500, so I have spare track I can add more lines perhaps. Let me know. Thats it!

Cheers,
LizardkingBFA1FADC-E6DE-469C-8644-136DF2F4FDBA.jpeg
thanks 9 users liked this useful post by Lizardking0069
Offline Toosmall  
#2 Posted : 03 December 2022 23:30:36(UTC)
Toosmall

Australia   
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 608
Location: Sydney
Is that walnut. You could make the rest out of nice timber as well.
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by Toosmall
Offline Lizardking0069  
#3 Posted : 04 December 2022 00:00:24(UTC)
Lizardking0069

United States   
Joined: 19/11/2022(UTC)
Posts: 8
Location: Florida, Melbourne
Its a hazelnut 😂. I wanted to recreate the box art of the original set, but didn’t have a walnut on hand.
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by Lizardking0069
Offline Toosmall  
#4 Posted : 04 December 2022 04:02:06(UTC)
Toosmall

Australia   
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 608
Location: Sydney
Originally Posted by: Lizardking0069 Go to Quoted Post
Its a hazelnut.

The problem with walnut or hazelnut is the Marklin 8999 nails are going to make a dog's breakfast of it if you ever decide to redesign the track plan. Probably worth using some double sided tape or a bit of acrylic sealer as a mild adhesive.


This is a handy reference to timbers commonly used in Australian construction and cabinet work. The book is useful, failing that there is a list of the timbers on this page.
http://www.skillspublish.com.au/Skills%20TBG.htm

P.S. I once saw a cross section of Huon Pine in Tasmania, it had tree rings to 2500 years. Things like the year 536 you could see the very thin tree rings and for the next number of years. Puts a few things into perspective!
Online river6109  
#5 Posted : 04 December 2022 09:51:40(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,634
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Will the layout ever become bigger so it fits onto a dining room table ?
https://www.youtube.com/river6109
https://www.youtube.com/6109river
5 years in Destruction mode
50 years in Repairing mode
Offline Lizardking0069  
#6 Posted : 04 December 2022 10:34:53(UTC)
Lizardking0069

United States   
Joined: 19/11/2022(UTC)
Posts: 8
Location: Florida, Melbourne
Oh I misunderstood the question. On the photo there is a single hazelnut on one of the load carts I was pulling with the small loco. The table itself is made of mango tree and is rather expensive. I won’t be using nails on it any time soon. Between the layout and the table there will be a piece of foam to hide the wires.

Offline Lizardking0069  
#7 Posted : 04 December 2022 10:39:03(UTC)
Lizardking0069

United States   
Joined: 19/11/2022(UTC)
Posts: 8
Location: Florida, Melbourne
Originally Posted by: river6109 Go to Quoted Post
Will the layout ever become bigger so it fits onto a dining room table ?


Never say never. Once the kids are older and decide to move out I may make a bigger one. For the time being its a seasonal track and those are the size limitations I decided to work with.
Offline JohnjeanB  
#8 Posted : 04 December 2022 12:44:04(UTC)
JohnjeanB

France   
Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 3,083
Location: Paris, France
Hi LizzardKing
Welcome to this great forum.
My 2 cents from a Märklin HO digital fan is:
- better have the layout fully encased in a glass box to protect from dust
- then you can do landscape or make changes without ruining your table

Drawbacks: the "table" is of rectangular shape
Here is a picture of a glass box I have made for a boat.
Approx, it is 90 cm long, 60 cm wide and 21 cm deep.
It is supported by 2 square rods anchored on the wall (so the box is faily solid)
- Made of 4 mm glass
- assembled by L-shaped anodized profile, glued using epoxy (Araldite)
Sans titre.png

In your case, since you probably need a bigger box size, you may need 5 mm thick glass
Cheers
Jean

Offline Alsterstreek  
#9 Posted : 05 December 2022 12:14:42(UTC)
Alsterstreek

Germany   
Joined: 16/11/2011(UTC)
Posts: 5,666
Location: Hybrid Home
Or a simpler solution requiring only one glass top:
Bildschirmfoto 2022-12-05 um 11.11.21.png
The IKEA "Liatorp" couch table might serve as a basis...
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Offline Alsterstreek  
#10 Posted : 05 December 2022 12:19:22(UTC)
Alsterstreek

Germany   
Joined: 16/11/2011(UTC)
Posts: 5,666
Location: Hybrid Home
Another MU forum member once had a go at a abstract coffee table layout, too:

https://www.marklin-user...ract-Coffee-Table-Layout
Offline Lizardking0069  
#11 Posted : 05 December 2022 12:27:16(UTC)
Lizardking0069

United States   
Joined: 19/11/2022(UTC)
Posts: 8
Location: Florida, Melbourne
Originally Posted by: Alsterstreek Go to Quoted Post
Another MU forum member once had a go at a abstract coffee table layout, too:

https://www.marklin-user...ract-Coffee-Table-Layout


Wow I love this! Its exactly what I was looking for!
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Offline Toosmall  
#12 Posted : 06 December 2022 22:46:15(UTC)
Toosmall

Australia   
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 608
Location: Sydney
Originally Posted by: river6109 Go to Quoted Post
Will the layout ever become bigger so it fits onto a dining room table ?

You have got it all wrong. Radiuses will increase and the coffee table will turn into a donut!
default_3.jpg
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Offline kiwiAlan  
#13 Posted : 07 December 2022 00:33:05(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,082
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: Toosmall Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: river6109 Go to Quoted Post
Will the layout ever become bigger so it fits onto a dining room table ?

You have got it all wrong. Radiuses will increase and the coffee table will turn into a donut!
default_3.jpg


LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
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Offline Manga  
#14 Posted : 13 December 2022 23:40:59(UTC)
Manga

Australia   
Joined: 22/07/2022(UTC)
Posts: 46
Location: New South Wales, Sydney
Hi LizardKing,

You may want to consider adding two extra turnouts so that you can run the train in either direction.
If space permits, maybe also offset the outer line so it’s asymmetrical and adds more interest.
Turnouts.jpg

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Offline Lizardking0069  
#15 Posted : 14 December 2022 02:24:22(UTC)
Lizardking0069

United States   
Joined: 19/11/2022(UTC)
Posts: 8
Location: Florida, Melbourne
I agree, thanks for the feedback on the layout.

Offline Toosmall  
#16 Posted : 14 December 2022 02:37:52(UTC)
Toosmall

Australia   
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 608
Location: Sydney
Stick in some transition curves from the 195/220 radius to straight using some 8591 sections 490mm radius. Looks a whole lot better with a softer tangent.
Offline Zme  
#17 Posted : 18 December 2022 20:06:30(UTC)
Zme

United States   
Joined: 02/10/2013(UTC)
Posts: 760
Location: West Texas
Hello everyone, hope all is well.

Quite a few years ago, someone was selling plans for the construction of a coffee table layout. It was a more traditional coffee table style, more like the IKEA table above.

It seemed like a good idea because the enclosed aspect would protect against dust or accidental bumps and drops. When it’s open and on display at home or outside the home, it is more likely someone might pickup your favorite locomotive to get a closer look or to take. The Mini Club size still amazes many who are not familiar with them and they break easy.

I have not seen much about coffee table layouts for a long time but it is likely even a traditional style table could be used for a layout which has that modern/abstract style like those above.

Perhaps a table plan is still available on the web.

Take good care. Happy Holidays!

P.S. I have heard many great things about SCARM, but don’t think it would work on an iPad.

Dwight
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