Layout Design Techniques and How To
Spoiler alert, this is a review of a non LEGO® product.
Today we’re reviewing baseplates produced by Brickyard Building Blocks. These are what many might consider a clone brand, but their baseplates are a little bit different than the LEGO style we’re all used to. That said, they have some unique advantages to offer builders and may be of use in your own train layout building. So let’s take a closer look.
Continue reading Review: Brickyard Building Blocks LEGO Compatible Baseplate
It’s already October 7th, and that means OcTRAINber is in full swing! We have seen some pretty amazing WIPs in the last month that show us extending OcTRAINber to also include SepTRAINber seems to have been a good idea, which we are very glad of!
As of several days ago, the entry threads have officially been opened up over at the BMR Flickr. Because most probably not everybody had been aware of this, due to a lack of proper update functions on Flickr, the threads will be shown underneath:
As you can see, we have seperated the Real Life Entries in the three respective categories. We have chosen not do so for Digital Entries, becuase in the end BMR always tries to stimulate IRL builds. So if you enter a Real Life build, you have three times more chance of winning!
Also, we have opened up the “The WIPs” thread. Here you can post all of your WIP pictures, so that everybody has a good overview of all the WIP stories that are being posted!
Now, what would OcTRAINber be without prizes? It would just be OcTRAINber, but without prizes. And thats no fun. So, just like the previous three years, we have reached out to some of our favourite third-party L-Gauge related suppliers. We are glad to say the again reacted very positive, which means this year we can again give away a lot of amazing prizes!
This prize was donated (twice!) by Fx Bricks, and includes the following:
BrickTracks has decided to donated their amazing new R104 switches this year, also twice!
All winners in their respective categories will get a pair of BMR Knuckle Couplers of their choice. Winners can choose one of the respective four versions:
And, like every year, we also have the current Lego Train Set as a prize. This year that means obviously the 10277 Crocodile Locomotive! And this year, this set will be sponsored Brick Model Railroader!
We don’t have a sample yet, but all winners of OcTRAINber 2020 will win a printed brick, commemorating their win in OcTRAINber 2020. This will be a one-off product, which will finally give the winners some visual bragging rights. We are very excited by this extra prize, and hope to show the design of the Winners Brick as soon as possible!
So, that’s it from us at the moment. Good luck with building, and happy OcTRAINber!
Since announcing OcTRAINber 2020: Dioramas, dioramas everywhere, we have seen a lot of enthousiast reactions, which we are very glad about. This post is the first follow-up post, and several more will most probably follow in the coming weeks, to keep the well-known Hype Train going.
As part of this years Challenge we will host a BMR Podcast this Sunday over at Youtube, be sure to check it out!
As has become tradition, OcTRAINber is judged by a panel of three BMR Judges, combined with one Guest Judge. Just like last year the BMR Judges will be Cale Leiphart, Glenn Holland and yours truely.
Our Guest Judge this year will be Falk, who is better known as Bricknerd over at Flickr. Falk is very skilled in building little dioramas that – if his train designs weren’t so awesome – would surely stand out in any build!
We also however received some requests for clarification on the rules, which we would like to give.
First of all, let us say one thing: For the last three years OcTRAINber has been a building challenge that both challenges and brings out the creativity. For this reason we on purpose stay vague on the rules, because we like to see exactly that creativity.
The first question was about what a diorama actually is. It’s always a bit shady difference between the two, but with layout it at least implies that some form of operations is possible, whereas a diorama can be totally static. However, as is the case with most layouts; if you just take a part of it, it becomes a diorama quite fast.
Google has the following definition: “a model representing a scene with three-dimensional figures, either in miniature or as a large-scale museum exhibit.”
The emphasis here lays on the scene part. Other than a layout, a diorama is a scene that tells some form of story. That story can something big like a train robbery, but can also just be a field of green with cows. Just as long it’s a scene, it’s fine.
In the rules it is stipulated that every diorama needs to have some form of train and track. This being a Brick Model Railroader hosted Building Challenge this is kind of a must-have. However, different than the last three installments of OcTRAINber, the train & track don’t have to take center stage this time around.
That means that for the first time in the history of OcTRAINber, you are allowed to enter a Lego train set, a MOD or any other Instructions-based third party design. However, the choice to do so has to be an integral part of the diorama. This means that instead of judging the trains for their build, taking a look at them and how/if they fit or enhance the scene will be how they are viewed.
Just for an example, take this motorized diorama by bogieman that has a minifig loading crates into a boxcar designed by Jeffrey Fonda over at BTD. That’s a build where one would say having the train there is essential to the story of the scene, and that level of integration will be scored higher for tying it all together.
Last year OcTRAINber had the “Technic Challenge” theme, where it was all about movement. Even though this year is about dioramas, the whole ‘scene’ thing that is part of a diorama does mean that if some movement is ‘necessary’ for the scene, it is for sure allowed.
As we found out in last years survey, a lot of builders were not able send in their Entries because for the first time we lacked a Digital Builds-category. Here at BMR we are very much in favour of IRL builds, because that’s in the end the best way to grow our hobby: To show those trains and let them run! However, we understand that not everybody is able to have huge piles of Legos laying around, let alone have the space for a full Diorama. Therefore, we have decided to allow Digital Builds this year again.
We know there are some things happening in the Digital World with Procedural Builds, which means you could technically build amazing pieces of nature with just one click. However, because a diorama is so much more than some pieces of rock, we don’t see a bit problem in this. We will however keep an eye out on this, so that it won’t take over the creativity (and fun) of this building challenge.
Some clarifications on size, which we also kind of discussed in the OcTRAINber BMR Podcast and on the BMR Flickr:
1) Builders are not restricted to 32×32 baseplates but can create any form of base that they like in any size or shape using any LEGO parts they see fit.
2) Size will be determined by the number of studs and how it equates to a 32×32 baseplate.
3) The minimum size for a diorama is 1024 studs, equivalent to a single 32×32 baseplate.
4) The cut-off point for each category is 1 stud less than the start of the next category. So, for example, Small is 1024 to 3071 studs (the equivalent of three 32×32 baseplates minus 1 stud), Large is 3072 to 6141 studs and Huge is 6142 studs and over.
(kudos to HodCarrier for the great summary)
(if more questions will come in, we will add them to this post)
In the past, we have seen great and highly informative articles from Hod Carrier and Matt Csenge on simple but good-looking details anyone can build to add detail to their track. Today, I’d like to do the same, but for a relatively unexplored genre of L-gauge modeling: Light Rail!
Light rail is a very important mode of public transportation in a lot of major cities throughout the world. Although I will be covering details that aim to replicate things found in America, hopefully this article is helpful to anyone looking to model a rapid transit railway.
Before we get into the larger details, lets look at some simple details that don’t take many parts, but can add a lot of detail that is sure to catch any spectators eye.
Tie Choices
I 100% agree with the things Matt said in his 2nd article about USA Track Detailing. Ties are everything. Concrete ties are quite common on light rail systems, so here are a few ways to do them:
Concrete ties left to right:
Its also recommended that you put ballast in between a double track mainline as well.
Trackside Signs
Whistle Board. Used at grade crossings, it alerts the driver to use the horn in order to warn motorists of the incoming train.
Absolute speed board. Tells the driver the current or absolute speed limit of the track.
Upcoming speed board. The slant of the board indicates that the speed listed on it will be in effect when the next board arrives.
End of Track Bumper
There are many different types and designs of end of track bumpers out there, but this one is modeled after the one used on the DART system, which is the closest light rail system to me. Rest assured, this detail will look great on any layout, and looks general enough to match other designs seen all over America. The end of track bumper is obviously used to stop a train from going too far off the rails when its going too fast. Sometimes it works better than others, as seen in an incident in a Chicago Metro station a few years ago. The bumper is attached to the rails, which is modeled by the 1×4 plates in between the ties, and the 1×2 jumpers hanging over the rails. Also modeled are the rubber pads, which are meant to soften the impact, but don’t really help much if the train is going fast enough to hit the bumper in the first place. I used 1×2 grills for these. Since these bumpers are so common on light rail / rapid transit lines, this detail will bring a lot to any layout, and is sure to catch the eye of any spectator.
Next, we have a simple line side signal that can be found pretty much anywhere on a light rail system. Signals are necessary not only to light rail lines but any type of mainline anywhere in the world. Their job is fairly simple and works much like a traffic light on a road. It tells drivers weather or not it is safe to proceed, and if anything is occupying the right of way in front of them. The most common aspects seen on such signals is as follows: Green or clear = proceed at line speed, flashing yellow or approach medium = proceed with caution and be prepared to stop in the next 2 signals, yellow or approach = proceed at a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour, and be prepared to stop at the next signal. There are many more aspects, meaning lots of different things, but that should give you a basic understanding on how they work. Light rail signals appear more box-like than signals found elsewhere. It is important to make sure the signal looks like it is set in concrete, hence the LBG bricks at the bottom. This also goes for crossing gates and catenary poles. Some signals have two ‘heads’ on them, which means they display two aspects at one time. The second head can easily be built under the first one if you need it.
Don’t worry, this detail is compatible with the PennLUG style of track ballasting found on L-gauge.org. Light rail lines often have to weave through small spaces to get where they need to go, so on especially tight corners an inner 3rd rail is used to make absolutely sure the train stays on the track. It’s not like the 3rd rails some of you may have heard of; it doesn’t provide power on the outside of the track, it provides stability o the inside of the track. These can be seen in maintenance bases, yards, and on the mainline, as well as be attached to either the inside or outside edge of the rail.
That was my last detail for this article, and although it was a short one, I hope it gave you some inspiration and jumping off points if you ever take on a project involving light rail. If you’re wondering why I didn’t talk about a catenary pole, its because the height usually changes depending on the scale of the train, and I didn’t want to create a size limitation for people who don’t build the same scale as me.
To all who read this far, thank you. I hope you enjoyed this brief look into the world of light rail.
Play well,
Conrad.
As a continuation from my Part 1 of this series, here are a few more trackside details to get your creative juices flowing!
As Hod Carrier discussed in the UK Track Detailing article, railroads often use grease or other friction modifiers to reduce rail noise and vibration on tight curves (R40 would definitely be lubricated!). These systems consist of a wayside tank and pump, applicators mounted to the rails to dispense lubricant, and wheel sensors to detect an approaching train and begin pumping lubricant. Wheel detectors come in various colors based on the manufacturer, but dark turquoise is a good match for the ones I’ve installed in the past.
Many lubricator installations on North American railroads are out in the middle of nowhere, like an installation I did on the outskirts of Lemoyne, Nebraska (the entire town was the outskirts, honestly…) for example, where hardwired power would be very expensive to install. In these situations, it’s very common to install solar powered units. The dark blue 1×4 tiles on this design are stand-ins for 1×4 tiles with solar panel print (part no. 2431pb499).
Whistle posts are another self-explanatory item: when they see the post, the engineer blows the whistle (or horn, but horn post sounds…wrong). These are palced in advance of grade crossings so the engineer can start the telltale horn pattern of a grade crossing: long-long-short-long.
Different railroads have different designs of whistle posts. Most modern ones are signs mounted on poles, but older styles include concrete pillars with a “W” molded into them. In both of these examples, the 1×1 tile is a stand-in for the 1×1 letter “W” tile (part no. 3070bpb031). Usually the concrete post or signs would be white with black letters for better visibility, but the 1×1 letter tiles don’t come in white.
Mileposts are very common on railroads, since there’s an average of 1 per mile. Yes, you read that correct; track and right-of-way realignment often leads to short or long miles rather than redoing the mileposts over the entire line. These markers help train and maintenance crews know precisely where they are on the line (give or take about a mile).
As with whistle posts, each railroad has its own standard design for mileposts. In this design, the 1×1 tiles are stand-ins for the 1×1 number tiles. Placing these every mile (on average 4224 studs, for those of you counting) would be a quick way to add detail to a layout. As with the whistle posts, the signs would typically be white with black letters but the 1×1 number tiles don’t come in white.
Railroads have a long history in North America, which means they have seen many different technologies come and go. Pole lines played a crucial role in delivering information from one point to another. These lines carried not only telegraph transmissions, but also information for the signal system. I could go into great detail, but I’ll save that for another article and summarize: rail lines are divided into blocks, and each block has an electrical circuit that is on when the block is empty and turns off when a train enters the block. Each wire on a pole line carries that status information along the line to different parts of the signal system.
The wires are connected to the poles with glass insulators (the trans-clear, blue, or green plates), and the pole line would also have wires connecting to every signal and relay cabinet. Here I’m using Lego string elements, but it would almost certainly be more cost effective to use non-Lego thread or string. While pole lines are not commonly used anymore, in many places they were never removed. Abandoned pole lines with broken wires hanging to the ground would therefore also be a great detail on a modern layout.
Tell tales are another piece of old railroad technology that has succumbed to innovation. In the early days, before trainline braking systems, brakemen would walk the roofs of railcars applying each car’s brakes anytime the train needed to slow down. As you can imagine, life expectancy for a brakeman was relatively low. Tell tales were one of the brakeman’s safety devices: a beam extending over the track above head height with ropes dangling down. If a brakeman was walking the roof of a car and felt the tell tale hit them, they would drop to their stomach immediately! Why? Because tell tales meant that the train was approaching a tunnel or overpass, and warned the brakemen to duck or they would be hit and killed.
This tell tale is a cantilevered type, and is clearly missing the all-important ropes. This design would feature additional non-Lego ropes to support the cantilevered beam, as well as ropes to allow the tell tale ropes to be lowered for maintenance. Like pole lines, though tell tales fell out of use they were often not removed and thus would be great details on a modern layout.
Switch machines, as shown in Part 1 of this series are a modern item used primarily for main lines and high-traffic switches. For low-traffic switches and branch lines, switch stands are still the best tool for the job. Switch stands are how track workers manually line the switch, by lifting the lever and rotating it 90 degrees. The red and green parts are called “targets,” and they rotate with the stand to communicate the status of the switch to an approaching train: red means the switch is set for the diverging route, and green for the straight route.
Similar to the switch machine, this switch stand design will require a bit of additional ballast extending off the PennLUG standard cross section. There are many designs of switch stands with variations of the target location and design, and the throw (lever) design and location.
Some railroads paint their crossties different colors for different purposes. Union Pacific (UP) paints a tie blue at every culvert crossing under the track (blue=water, right?). They do this because often the culverts are pretty far down in the subgrade under the ballast, and often the inlet and outlet become obscured by brush. The blue tie helps maintenance crews locate culverts so they can check if they need to be cleared out, thus preventing washouts. Similarly, Amtrak often paints ties yellow when there are gauges or instrumentation mounted on the tie and they want tamping crews to be careful while maintaining the ballast around those ties. The defect detectors shown in the image are from Part 1 of this series. The culvert design is more suited to a MILS module than the PennLUG standard ballast, but the blue tie can be placed independently.
Varying the type of ties on your layout can also be a simple way to add some detail. While branch lines and short line railroads may use exclusively wood ties, most Class I freight railroads (BNSF, CSX, CN, etc.) do not use just one type of tie from end to end. There is a wide variety of materials that crossties are made from, as well as the forms those materials come in. Concrete ties are used for high tonnage or high speed lines; plastic composite ties, synthetic ties, and tropical hardwood ties are used in wet areas where treated hardwood would be susceptible to rotting; and steel ties are sometimes used in yards, as they need less ballast than regular wood ties.
From left to right in the image above:
Concrete ties come from multiple different manufacturers, each with their own designs. If a railroad had multiple types installed they would typically be in large sections, rather than a mix of different ties. Concrete ties and steel ties typically use elastic fasteners rather than steel plates and cut spikes used on the other types, so the chunkier fasteners can easily be represented with the stud of a plate. Dual-block concrete ties have a steel beam in the middle connecting them, which would be buried in the ballast. Though they have yet to be widely accepted by North American railroads, some railroads are experimenting with dual-block concrete ties. Steel ties are not commonly used on signalized tracks as the rails need to be electrically isolated for the signal system to function properly. Additional variation can be achieved by mixing slightly different colors, like reddish brown and brown for wood ties, black for weathered wood ties and brown or reddish brown for new wood ties, and light bluish grey and light grey for concrete ties.
Some railroads also have test sections of track where multiple different types of ties are installed, with measurement devices monitoring their performance and wear. Shown above is a possible test site, with small bunches of multiple different tie types, relay cabinets housing testing equipment, and a pile of old crossties that were removed from the track, including a broken concrete tie. (See Part 1 of this series for more of the relay cabinet and piled ties) Piles of new ties of any kind would also be fitting!
Hopefully these examples help get some ideas going. Be sure to share photos of the details of your layout to inspire others too!
After Hod Carrier’s wonderful article on UK track detailing, we thought it’d be good to look at track detailing for North America as well. These digital designs represent details found on American railroads and though the designs were based specifically on my experience with railroads in the United States, railroads in Canada and Mexico tend to follow similar practices and use similar equipment. All of these designs are compatible with the PennLUG standard of track building, instructions for which are available for free at l-gauge.org.
Defect detector is a general term for a number of wayside vehicle monitoring devices used by railroads to inspect the cars in their train as they pass. Some common types of defect detectors include Wheel Impact Load Detectors (WILDs), Dragging Equipment Detectors (DEDs), Hot Box Detectors (HBDs), and Automatic Cracked Wheel Detectors (ACWDs). These detectors monitor the train as it passes over them and log and alert the crew to any defects that are detected, so that the offending car can be scheduled for repair or removed from the train.
Here I’m focusing on DEDs and HBDs. DEDs (at left) consist of sensors mounted between ties that deflect, or bend when a dragging piece of equipment, like a chain, strikes them. HBDs (at right) use an infrared detection system to monitor the temperature of the journal bearings where the car sits on the axle. If the journal is too hot, there is a problem with the axle causing too much friction. These two detector types are some of the most common on North American railroads, and are often sited together. When sited with a DED, the HBD will have guard slopes on either side to ensure any dragging equipment doesn’t damage the sensors.
Lego’s new Slope 45 1×1 Double (part no. 35464) is perfect for the DED. The 2×2 tile represents a junction box where the wires for the detectors would come together before going to a relay cabinet (shown later).
Derailers, also known as derails, are installed in places where the consequences of derailing a train or car are less severe than the consequences of not derailing the train or car. The most obvious example would be at a movable bridge: when the bridge is open (raised) the derailer would be set to derail a train, as derailing the train is not as bad as the train crashing into the river below.
This type of derailer is known as a hinged derailer, which sits on top of the rail and lifts the wheel over the rail. These are commonly seen in yards or on industry sidings, to prevent stored railcars from rolling out onto the main line. In the US, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) requires industry sidings from main lines to have derailers installed for this purpose. The FRA also requires them to be painted a clearly visible color, like yellow. As the name suggests, the derailer has hinges so that it can be folded into the gauge of the track (i.e. between the rails) so cars can pass over it.
Here’s two versions of a hinged derailer, one in the derailing position and one in the open position. The blue sign is an optional feature, which is typically used when workers are doing maintenance on a piece of equipment. The “open” derailer requires a bit of modification of the track structure in order to get the tooth plate upside-down, but allows for it to be included on the layout without preventing use of a track.
Mainline switches on most railroads are controlled remotely by a dispatcher, and switch machines have the job of physically moving the switch. There are many models of switch machine produced by many different manufacturers, and this is a representation of just one type.
The switch machine requires a bit of expansion of the ballast section under the tracks. The black tile at the top represents a junction box where the wires go into conduit to be run to a relay cabinet.
The purpose of a switch heater is pretty straightforward. Parts of North America are subject to low temperatures and heavy snowfall in the winter, and many switches are susceptible to freezing or getting packed with snow and becoming inoperable. Switch heaters use a wayside generator and ducts between the switch points to blow hot air into the movable part of the switch to prevent freezing of snow buildup.
This design uses the new Bracket 1×1 – 1×1 (part no. 36841) to connect the hose to the ballast section, making it look like the hose is buried in ballast.
Relay cabinet is a general term for wayside electronics cabinets on the railroad. The name comes from the signal relays, or magnetic switches, that they originally housed. Shown here are two types, a smaller, older style at right, and a larger, newer style at left. These cabinets are not used exclusively for relays, and they can be found at signals, switches, defect detectors, grade crossings, and numerous other locations along the railroad.
Using Lego’s door parts allows for the interior of the cabinets to be detailed as well. This one includes a junction box at left, battery backup in white at bottom, and three magnetic relays using trans-clear headlight bricks (part no. 4070) and round plates to represent the magnetic coils. The large cabinet features headlight bricks at the roof representing the lifting points, as these are installed by crane. These features could make for fun vignettes, with signal maintainers working inside the cabinets or using a crane to install a new one!
Maintenance on North American railroads is often carried out by track gangs; large teams of workers specializing in replacing one component of the track. Typically the materials for these gangs are dropped along the track in advance of them arriving at the worksite. Thus, it’s common to see bundles of new ties and buckets of spikes, clips, or other track materials along the right of way.
Similarly, old ties are often piled or discarded along the right-of-way awaiting a crew to pick them up (or simply being left to decompose). It’s pretty common for these ties to be deteriorated or have plates still attached to them, so in this case studs showing is a good thing!
Hopefully these ideas help get the creative juices flowing and give you some ideas to add detail to your home or club layout!
Every now and then there are some articles online on one of the well-known fora that you just HAVE to share to a broader audience. A while ago my eye fell on an article by Hod Carrier over at the Train Tech forums of Eurobricks. Hod Carrier is no stranger here at BMR, having contested twice on OcTRAINber, and one time almost. Today we present his second part about Trackside Structures, one of my favorite parts of any realistic Lego Train Model Railroad:
Thanks so much for the fabulous feedback that I’ve received so far. It’s really amazing to have prompted such a response.
I’ve been busy adding a few more details which I hope you won’t mind me sharing. Don’t worry, though. I’m not intending on reproducing every single piece of UK rail infrastructure.
In order to reduce noise and wear to rails and wheelsets, flange lubricators (sometimes referred to as grease pots) are provided because, lets face it, no-one likes a dry flange. *Ahem*. These automatically apply a small amount of grease to the train wheels as they pass to help reduce friction. These are often found in areas where the route follows tight curves or at junctions.
When clean these are generally yellow to make them visible, but over time, and through careless refilling, these eventually become black.
Very simply, this is a drain. At some locations the ground or environmental conditions means that the ballast and formation of the track is insufficient to provide adequate drainage. In this instance additional drains are provided, either at the sides or between the tracks. I won’t insult anyone’s intelligence by showing the design in isolation, as I’m sure it should be clear.
This is a Hot Axle Box Detector (HABD) together with it’s associated small portable-type lineside equipment building. These detectors are dotted around the network and are used to detect an overheating axle box. These automatic installations sound an alarm at the signalbox and tell the signaller which axle and on which side of the train the defect is occurring so that the train can be stopped and examined.
The central detector between the rails is offset to be nearer one rail or the other to help the system determine which side of the train the defective axle is.
There are many different designs of point/switch motors in use across the UK, and this is just one of them. It is an older design that has since been superceded but which remains in operation in large numbers across the network.
The design does not affect the operation of the switch and should not interfere with passing trains either. I would have liked to have had a go at one of the successor designs, but the studless nature of the standard LEGO points/switch preclude this, although third party offerings may be different.
All of my designs so far have been made to be compatible with the PennLUG ballasting standard. While it’s great for LEGO modellers by being compact and not too demanding in terms of parts, I don’t think many operational railways would tolerate such a shallow bed of ballast. Certainly in the UK the trackbed is much wider and ballast shoulders are built up at each side.
I suppose you could call them shoulder pads in that they bulk out the track ballasting to more realistic proportions. There are side sections and centre sections.
Used together for a twin track arrangement (as in the previous picture) the total width comes out at 34 studs, two more than a standard 32×32 baseplate. Consequently I have shown the design split across two baseplates with the centreline as the join. To make this compatible with the MILS modules, the centre section is built in two halves to facilitate splitting of modules into individual 32×32 sections.
The following article is a summary of some tips and tricks for layout designing combined with some basic facts that involve the layout designing progress. This article won’t summarize every subject which involves the designing process since there just too many. However, there will be tips and tricks for both beginner and experienced builders.
First thing when deciding to design your layout is to figure out what epoch you want to built in. Every epoch reflects a particular time within railroading history. The idea is that you can build whatever you want, as long as it makes sense within that epoch (or one below or above), because the chance of prototypical railroading would be highest, ie. the chance that two trains, or buildings, or cars, would have been able to ‘meet’, would be the highest if we follow these rules. For the AFOLs out there that may not be familiar with the epoch system I hope this explains:
| Epoche | Time period |
| I | 1835–1920 |
| II | 1920-1949 |
| III | 1949-1970 |
| IV | 1970-1990 |
| V | 1990-2006 |
| VI | 2006-current |
The epoch system is an important thing for layout building since your chosen epoch effects your entire layout. For better understanding we take a station as an example. During the Epoch III period there were different safety regulations when it comes to station’s compared to the Epoch VI period. Take platform length or height for example. Also, station designs, a “modern” design won’t match a full Epoch III layout. Details like these give your layout a lot more realism but can also act as a starting point when considering designing.
Another good example is level crossings. During the Epoch I-IV level crossings where common to see. In the Epoch VI period, especially in Europe, level crossings are becoming a thing of the past especially on main high-speed lines.
Continue reading Tips and Tricks for Layout Design
Every now and then there are some articles online on one of the well-known fora that you just HAVE to share to a broader audience. A while ago my eye fell on an article by Hod Carrier over at the Train Tech forums of Eurobricks. Hod Carrier is no stranger here at BMR, having contested twice on OcTRAINber, and one time almost. Today, his piece is about Trackside Structures, one of my favorite parts of any realistic Lego Train Model Railroad:
As we’re all grounded at the moment, I thought I’d use some of the time to have a little look at ways to make subtle improvements to the track. It’s always great to debut a new loco or item of rolling stock, but apart from ballasting the track on which these trains run often gets overlooked. As a train driver here in the UK I thought I’d see how to add the sort of details seen along the lineside in order to add realism, often with only a few parts.
Continue reading Track Detailing – UK Outline: By Hod Carrier, Part One
In the LegoWorld 2018 Report Raised promised that somewhere in March 2020 the 2019 article would be published. Since Enrico considered that to be a bit late, he volunteered to write the 2019 article, but in 2019. However, since Raised was supposed to edit, it only goes online now. So you guys know who to blame now!
The Event
LegoWorld is an 8-day event (9 if you include the pre-show set-up day) and is held annually during the Dutch autumn break. The event is the biggest Lego event here in The Netherlands and attracts around 100.000 visitors every year. The event is held in Utrecht and is thereby located in the center of the Netherlands.
Those 8 days ask a lot of our trains, and since the layout is a rather big one and the trains run for multiple hours straight, it asks a lot of our models. They tend to break down every now and then, but also batteries need to be charged. Due to the huge amount of young visitors, we want to have at least 2 trains running at any point, so this event not only ask a lot our trains but also a lot of us.
The Team and the Layout they built
The team this year was made up by 6 people: Raised, UrbanErwin, Tijn, Gijs, Esran and Enrico. We each contributed a different part of the layout.
Unfortunately, we don’t have our own tables (yet), so we are always depending on the tables provided by the venue. Most of the time these aren’t properly aligned at all, but luckily we got more than enough beer coasters to get this fixed. Hooray for beer coasters!
The plan for the layout was different compared to last year, as we decided to not re-use the diorama style. Instead, we went for the oldschool circle layout, just like most other LTC’s do. This solved two problems: Less track necessary for the staging yard, and all track would be on MILS level instead of having to build a ramp to go down to table level. That system didn’t work out properly last year, because even the smallest incline meant a lot of stalling of our engines, partly due to the way they are build, partly due to flawed powertrains *cough Raised cough* . We christened this our “Christmas tree set up” from a joke Tijn made when we came up with the layout design, because it looks an awefull lot like something that runs around a Christmas tree. Or, in our case, a concrete pillar…
Let’s divide the layout for this article into 4 sections: North, East, South and West.
North
The North section was a typical Dutch piece of landscape, flat, green and some cows, a typical Dutch Polder in fact. This piece was mostly built by Raised, who built a beautiful curve into the track, so it gave a smooth and “prototypical” presentation of our landscape. The last piece of the North side, all the way into the North West part was built by Gijs and the r104 curves in the North East side were built by Enrico, with Tijn providing the small siding with the baseplates surrounding that. The North West side had a small factory with a siding, which led into the Shadow Station, from where we could easy do the many repairs that were necessary for this event.
East
The East section was Bahnbetriebswerk Neukirche by Enrico, which turned out a bit bigger than expected: 1/3rd bigger than it was, in fact. The Bahnbetriebswerk was connected in the North east by a triple switch made by TrixBrix and the amazing R104 curves by Brick Tracks. The mainline continued on the back side of the Bahnbetriebswerk to the South East part of the layout. In the middle was a turntable with engine shed and a couple of platforms where “passengers” could get on and off. The Bhw had everything to keep a steam engine running, except for batteries… Continuing into the South East part the Bahnbetriebswerk transformed into a museum line which split up into 2 parts.
Both going into a forest bit where one stopped, the other going into the Esran’s amazing Steam Pump and small Railway station.
South:
Esran’s Steam Pump connected into Tijn his beautiful city and Railway Station in French Style, all in beautiful MDF masonry bricks. His city starts at the old Railway station Esran made in the South East part. From there some amazing winding streets and old buildings went down onto the main street where his station is located. Due to the difference in height between his city and the rest of the layout it has got a cool and realistic feel to it.
Passing the station is the grand warehouse where the parking is located for the station. Because the parking and a road disappear into the background it looked like the layout had a lot of dept to it. From there the mainlined continued pass the last couple of buildings onto the bridge made by UrbanErwin. The bridge might be simple in its design but it’s 100% made from Lego and didn’t break down for the entire week!
West
The West part of the layout is where our Shunting Yard was located. Here visitors could see most of our rolling stock which wasn’t running (or which fell apart) and children where able to ask: “why isn’t that train running?”. Almost all of the switches were motorized in this part. Your were able to control the switches by using an IR remote (only bad thing was that some off our trains where set to the same IR channel). Next year we are just going to use Polarity Switches instead, but it did give a cool vibe to it, and felt very realistic. The South West side had some big trees which created a great photo location. The North West side had a small harbor scene made by Gijs and my ICM “koploper” was set there with the scaled drawings in front, showing the public that our trains are built in scale.
Special Guest:
This year we invited a special guest, BigDaedy and his MOC’s. He joined us from Friday afternoon onto the end of the Sunday. It was great having him around and comparing his MOC’s with ours. He also had some great advice for Enrico’s Bahnbetriebswerk, apparently all of the signals weren’t placed correctly. That can happen to everyone, right?
Here is small piece about LegoWorld from his point of view:
Greetings fellow train heads and readers of BMR. My name is Raimund, but I’m usually known as “BigDaedy” on the internet. Thanks to a special invitation by the Dutch Lego train community I was able to participate at this year’s LegoWorld in Utrecht. They asked me to write a brief summary of my experiences during my trip or let’s just say about my adventure going to Utrecht.
Now what was so special about LegoWorld Utrecht 2019 for me?
First, this would be the first time for me to meet the masters of Dutch train building and their mocs in real life. Then it would’ve been the second time ever for me to be part of an event like this, the first time being at an event in a different country (since it’s still within the EU it’s not really a big deal) and the very first time to actually see how my MOCs would perform on a larger scale layout, other than a circle of R120 lying on my bedroom floor. So, there is room for lots of things to go wrong, but fortunately in the end everything turned out perfectly. As a matter of fact, this weekend has been one of my most pleasant experiences so far in my life. I’m still baffled and overwhelmed by all the hospitality, generosity and overall cheerfulness I’ve received by all the people and amazing builders I’ve met during my stay. Please let me take this opportunity to express my deepest thanks to the whole Dutch community – You guys rock and make this such a wonderful hobby!
That being said, let’s get back on the road again. LegoWorld in Utrecht is actually really easy to reach. You stumble out of the central station and all you’ve got to do is to literally walk across the street and you’re already inside. Raised picked me up at the entrance of the show and guided me directly towards the layout, giving me lots of info and advice on what to expect during the next 48 hours. I guess it’s safe to say, that I must’ve experienced some sort of sensory overload during my first few minutes at LegoWorld. Strolling through countless amazing builds felt like walking in a wonderland and left me stunned. I think that’s what an unsupervised child must feel like in an “all you can eat” candy store. Anyhow the rest of the herd gave me a wonderful welcome and showed me around the layout, pointing out all the little details scattered around. Now it was time for me to unwrap all of the nice things I’ve brought with me. Luckily my rolling stock didn’t take any major damage, so I was quickly set up and ready to go. The first trial run of my consist was indeed very successful. As a matter of fact, my Traxx was so reliable and fast that it blew over some of the foam boards at the side of the track due to its airstream. Partly cause of this incident a speed limit was imposed for it, as the other guys were quite “scared” of the speed of my train and worried that it might derail in the curves. Luckily for me, my design proved to be quite sturdy, I’ve lost less than ten parts during the two days and my trains seemed to handle the inevitable accidents quite well. Most derailments actually happened cause someone’s *cough Raised cough* mocs lost vital parts during their laps on the layout. I really enjoyed discussing all the different designs and techniques used on both the rolling stock and the layout, so I’ve spent most of the time taking mental notes on what designs to steal and incorporate in possible future builds or collabs.
At the end of the day there was an official part by TLC. Two Lego Star Wars designers, Jan Neergaard Olesen & Kurt Kristiansen, held a presentation about the creative process and how a set is designed what changes it has to go through in order to be released to the public. Very interesting behind the scenes information and we’ve even got a sneak peek on what’s coming up next. Once the presentation was over, the attention shifted to the more community related part of the evening. There were speed building challenges and of course every participant received a large Lego gift. Sadly, I didn’t get one, as I was only a guest, but this will surely change next year!
I was also able to get an autograph of the two Lego designers on my engine. How awesome is that? Looks a little bit like graffiti but a lot cooler!
Saturday turned out even better than the day before. A seemingly never-ending crowd of people, especially children gathered around the layout fascinated by the moving trains, the huge engine shed, Tijns city, Esrans factory and all the tasty little details on the countryside. Since I don’t speak any Dutch, it was kind of difficult to answer the questions of the visitors, but there was always one of the guys around who patiently translated everything into English for me. Being a little know-it-all, I also used the chance to point out a few mistakes on Enrico’s Bahnbetriebswerk, mostly regarding the signaling. Sorry mate couldn’t help myself!
The overall performance of the rolling stock was quite good. Only a few crashes happened and none of them were really disastrous (for me). We also had lots of room for trying different compositions of the trains and comparing the individual performances of the locos. Of course, this led to debates on what traction system is superior, like geared L-motors or ordinary train motors and the consent that ball bearings should become mandatory. UrbanErwins automated train operation was also very fascinating for me. Looks like there is indeed some potential within the new PU system.
Once the show was over for the day Tijn invited us over to his place, where he and his wife cooked us a delicious dinner (compliments to the cooks once again!). More stories were told, we drank some apple cider, which I’ve brought from home, together and we laughed and laughed and laughed. A perfect ending to an awesome day, if I might say so.
As the sun rose on this beautiful Sunday morning, I was hesitant to wake up. Being in Utrecht amongst all these wonderful people was so enjoyable that I’ve really wanted to stay until the end of the show. Sadly, I had to be back at work on Monday, so I spent the morning filling up with my mind with more pleasurable memories, until I had to catch my train back home on the afternoon.
And that’s how my adventure at Utrecht went by. Thanks for sticking through until the end and I wish happy building to everyone out there.
Cheers,
Raimund
Line-up’s:
On Saturday night we decided to stay a bit longer and before we noticed, we started from lining-up all the TRAXX locomotives at the show, into sorting all of our trains by their colors. This resulted up to 2 line-ups: the red and the yellow one.
The Red-Line-Up
On the inside corner there was from front to back: A Snngs made by Urban Erwin, 2 double-decker coaches made by BigDaedy, a Eanos made by Raised and the red 1600 made by Raised.
On the outside corner there was a 0-6-0 Tank Engine made by Esran, a Vectron and TRAXX in 6 wide made by Gerard Salden, BigDaedy his 2 TRAXX locomotives and as last again Raised his “FYRA” TRAXX.
On the Siding going into the Shadow Station were Raised’s NS 6400 and Enrico’s V100.
The Yellow Line Up
Lets start at the front and work our way into the back. On the front siding: Enrico’s ICM “koploper” (because it needed a lot of repairs, he wasn’t confident enough to place the entire train at this line-up).
On the second siding: Tijn his Sik, Raised his yellow 1600 and a ICR coach in 6 wide made by Gerard Salden.
On the Third siding: The IC Direct TRAXX made by Gerard Salden, the NS 1100 provided by a member of our crew from the layout last year (Christiaan), the NS 1200 by UrbanErwin, and the Plan W coach by Christiaan again.
On the Forth siding: Mat 64 (“Apenkop”) by UrbanErwin.
On the outer corner: Enrico’s NS 2454 locomotive and Raised his ICR 8 wide coaches.
Traxx line up
The third of the special line-ups held at the event was the Traxx line up. 2 from BigDaedy and 1 from Raised.
The Backdrop:
Last year we learned a very important lesson. To get the best view of the layout itself, it a good thing to not be able to see the chaos behind the layout, aka the repairing of broken trains and us eating lunch. Last year we fixed this problem by using a blue linen backdrop with wooden rods to keep it all as straight as possible. It looked fine, but just didn’t work as planned: It was too instable due to its own weight, not so easy to set up, and mostly a bit too high. So, if you were standing in the front of the layout you couldn’t see what happened at the back of the layout, which isn’t that handy if you know 50% of our track was behind the layout last year…
Luckily, we fixed that problem this year by using foam plates as a backdrop. These were held together by using Lego pieces on the top and the bottom. The provided a great backdrop so that visitors were able to see the train running on the layout but not our lunch. However the organization managed to placed us in a way that we had 2 concrete polls right in the middle of our layout, obstructing our view, so trains were still able to stop running for 5 minutes before we found them.
Impression of the layout.
Here are some more pictures/videos of the layout for you to enjoy!
Our Legoworld 2019 Photo Pool at Flickr
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