TT Scale. The Ideal Scale.

Hi All,

New to this forum. Trying to design a TT layout for a loft space. I'm in the UK where lofts often are the best/only option - LOL. My plan is quite ambitious I think - it will take me years. This year's task is to insulate and to built baseboards...

I've always had an interest in German rail...

The concept for the layout attached here as a JPEG file is a main station from which long (hopefully close to prototypical) German epoch III and IV intercity trains depart and arrive (or return if you like). The mainline gives the impression of a double line, but is in fact an out and back loop - not sure if that makes sense. There is a point to point goods line as well. I suspect I may have crammed in too much, but tried to make use of tunnels and height differences to separate things. I do like the extensive station area and the very long mainline run. Not too interested in modeling cities etc.

I'm pretty much a novice when it comes to layout design, so any advice would be welcome!

Juup

Welcome to the site Juup! I agree that maybe you crammed in too much. The goods line is my first point of question. With such a huge passenger station (which I like) the freight trains will look tiny compared the passengers and that feels a bit odd. The under station staging - it seems from your diagram that it won't be connected to any of the lines - or am I wrong?

Hi ConducTTor,

Thanks for your response. I agree the thinking behind the single freight/goods line is not very developed. I guess I need to develop a clearer understanding of what goes on in the kind of station I am trying to represent. I do want to have something more going on than only passenger trains... but it does have to fit somehow.

On your staging question, I have attached another visual that hides the station tracks but reveals the staging layer. This staging is about 25cm below the station level (achieved with maximum gradients of about 2.5 - 3 percent).

Juup

Hello, Juup! Welcome aboard!

Very exciting project. If I may make a suggestion about your freight operations; perhaps you could install an extra cross over or switch which would have goods trains entering and exiting the staging without entering the main station. This way the freight is simply passing through on route to a separate, not modeled depot. You could then get rid of the green line so the tracks aren't to tight. If the occasional goods train strays into the main station, sometimes things like that just happen. Also, I wondered if you considered a plan that is a full circle around a center pit. It would mean construction of a duck under, but that tight curve in the top right could be eliminated and avoid a "spaghetti bowl" appearance by opening things up. Are you going digital?

Hi CSD,

Thanks for the useful comments! Yes, I expect to be going digital, but still far away from considering the complexities of this.

I like your thoughts on the freight line.

One the 'duck under' ... There is a lot of space below the baseboard as the ceiling slopes away and we need this space for household storage. So, don't want to obstruct access too much.

Second, and this is one for you to critique if you like, the concept of a large end station, with passenger trains going on a long journey (more than 50 meters in TT scale is not bad I think) and then coming back ... this concept would change wouldn't it with a full circle design. A full circle without any twists or turns would give me about 15 meters of mainline - of course that's looking at it in a very one sided manner and I am definitely not wanting to reject any alternatives at this early stage.

Yes, I do appreciate that the sharp curve in the top right. I can perhaps alleviate this a bit by going under the purlin (holding the roof up) as I have done with the hidden track on the other (lower) side of the layout (would require lowering the entire layout by between 7 and 10cm), or hide more of the sharp curve in a tunnel plus surrounding it by trees and rocks...

Juup

the concept of a large end station, with passenger trains going on a long journey (more than 50 meters in TT scale is not bad I think) and then coming back

This seems to be the main idea for the layout and your design looks like it will handle a lot of passenger train traffic in the space you have. It makes other considerations secondary. I'm impressed, for what it's worth since I'm also a novice. I'm envious, too.

I think you should drop the freight line. As CSD mentioned, freight does wonder into passenger stations occasionally that problem is solved. That would reduce some of the congestion. If you really want to do something in the top right corner (where the freight yard is) you can put a locomotive depot there.

Hello Juup. Had a chance to scribble over your drawing to illustrate my idea. I don't think that the circular track has to eliminate the brach line to the station. I'm a fan of dead end stations myself, definitely keep it! So, heading out from the staging passenger trains can do a back and forth to the station, whereas goods trains can hang a louis continuing back to staging. This would leave you with more spaces in which you could put an engine or car service area and perhaps find room to reinstall that single line. Having started a rather large layout myself, I find that I am now eliminating and simplifying a number of aspects. Just some thoughts. Please pardon my drawing.

Can't see the drawing for some reason.

Hrumf?