Is there a better way?

[jflessne]

I'm hoping I can word this question and it make sense. I'll give it a try.

I wondering if there is a prefered way of starting a new layout?

For example you have a plan....
Do you draw it out on the benchwork then lay roadbed then track?
At what point do you glue down the roadbed? Do you spike your track or just use ballast to hold the track in place? I see people use thumb tacks as a temporary hold????


I see a lot of people posting layout progressions but it always seems to start after the track is layed. Recommend a thread and I'll read.

Thanks in ad

 

[TrainNut]

...Do you draw it out on the benchwork then lay roadbed then track?
At what point do you glue down the roadbed? Do you spike your track or just use ballast to hold the track in place?...

Okay, you'll get a kick out of this...
First, I use AutoCADD to draw all of my plans. When I worked someplace where I had access to a plotter, I would print stuff like this out on 24"X36" sheets. Now, I no longer have access to the plotter so instead, printed it out, to scale, on 8.5"X11"ers at home. I then lined them all up on the living room floor and taped them all together. Picture 1 shows a small section of my layout in the paper form.
Then, after I had some foam up on the benchwork, I overlayed the paper on the foam, took a pencil and poked holes through the paper into the foam at close intervals along the centerline of the track. Finally, I removed the paper and connected the dots with a pen onto the foam. In the firs and second pictures you can kind of see the holes from the pencil.
After all that nonsense, I glue cork down and then use the little N scale nails to hold the track in place. If it does not want to stay in place, I glue it where needed.
OOOPS. I forgot to rotate one of the fotos 180 degrees. Well anyways, you get the idea.

 

[jflessne]

That's awesome. Great idea. Auto cad scares me a bit. I currently have a n scale track plan in Atlas RR that I need to convert to HO scale. I think I'm just going to copy it and redo it in HO. Then I wonder if Atlas can print it out like you did??? Anyone?

I have trouble with placing everything in the right areas. I have a 4 X 4 around the tree layout that I start this weekend. I think that one will be easy.

 

[91rioja]

Yes, the Atlas software will print out at 1:1; you just have to specify the zoom to that before you hit print. I have printed out 1:1 24" and higher radius curves, taped them together, and then used the push pins on the centerline.

I also use a ruler and pencil for laying out centerlines and such on my foam as well, so it is a combination of all of the above.