Got experience with designing complex OOLS layouts? Fancy helping me?
Hi Guys. I am a complete novice when it comes to railway modelling, but I want to build a layout that my kids will enjoy in a new house we will be moving to in the Autumn.
Originally I was planning on this being a plain OO gauge layout but after seeing the OOLS layout at Alexander Palace I was convinced that this would be a better way to go. Ideally of course it would be mixed, but I understand that this is probably unlikely to be possible with the power and control arrangements for OOLS.
Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to talk to anyone in depth at the show about layout design, and at the time I hadn't made a final deision. However, since the show I have purchased an A3 and A4 set plus a rolling road and joined OOLS.
Clearly OOLS is not as straightforward as conventional OO gauge, and my feeling is I am best off tapping into someone elses existing expert knowledge in designing a suitable layout. Hence the appeal on this forum.
The target is a layout that could be sat on top of a standard snooker table, so something a bit over 12x6ft overall (but with no central hole to stand in!). Obviously ideally something a bit more intreesting than just a large oval. Multiple tracks, sidings (turntable?),..... Ideally also the ability to run more than one train, but this is an area where I have no knowledge whether this is even possible.
I am in London SE24. I am obviously prepared to compensate anyone for their time in getting me a design and spec that fits my needs. I'm just hoping there are members out there who have the experience and interest to take on the project to make an exciting OOLS layout! Fingers crossed!
Nick
It's interesting coming back to this since most of the discussion was 18 months ago but mostly because I am planning a project that does involve mixing OOLS with DCC.
In my case it will be 8x4 so the outer OOLS circuit will be independent with eased curves. There is no room to take the OOLS locos inboard because the radius will be too tight. It will go on tighter curves but the combination of tight curves, short distances and necessarily very tight curves on points coupled with the (prototypical) response lag on OOLS control just makes it impractical if not impossible.
Think of it like this; on the corner of the cab on your BR liveried LS locos you will see "RA9". That is (at the risk of teaching grandmother to suck eggs) "Route Availability 9", the most stringent on BR rails and effectively restricted A4s and A3s (and lots more) moving onto unsuitable sections. OOLS is so like the real thing that "RA9" should be really applied to the model too.
Don't get me wrong; this doesn't restrict fun. You can give yourself lots of challenges with OOLS like varying the load, build in a way to change the gradient (eg using the kitchen cabinet levelling legs mentioned earlier) and buying more OOLS locos. They all behave differently.
What I will be doing is (through suitable isolation borrowing the "token" idea from real life single track operations) is allowing a DCC loco to act as station pilot and come onto the OOLS circuit to swap stock around.
You could do this but with your extra space what would be real fun is to let your OOLS locos have access to an MPD shared with your DCC locos. Moving onto a turntable and then into a loco shed to swap between locos will be challenging and fun.
Also fun and what a good idea David, divert your LS loco (he suggests to a station terminus) up a gradient. Have a downhill too. Not part of the continuous circuit - it would be too much hard work - but just for the challenge.
I'm glad you're still on board with this challenge Rob. Have fun. Keep us posted.