Did you Zee what I got?

[Catt]

What kind of track did you get.  I really know almost nothing about Z.

I bought ROKUHAN roadbed track for this layout.The other two layouts have the MTL track which is really limited to what can be done with it.I plan to redo the bigger layout next fall/winter and other than widening it 2" and stretching it to a full 72"(actually maybe more) I will be replacing the MTL track with Rokuhan track. Here are a few pics of my bigger but bigger by the end of the year Z scale layout.

[Denver Road Doug]

Nice setup!   I like the tilt-wall warehouse you have there.  Are the structures scratchbuilt?  I'm not familiar with what is available in Z, I suspect not too much but I'm not afraid to build it myself if need be.   Frankly I may do nothing but build the TRE yard on a module and some end loops and be done.   I'm still focusing on N, so this is just an experiment of sorts.  Or I may buy some Rokuhan track, run it on occasion, and be done with it.   

[Catt]

The houses are Stonebridge Models card stock kits.The convenience store and the blur fire station are modified Randy Brown kits.All the rest of the buildings are scratchbuilt.

I am still very much a N scaler but for some reason a Z layout at a trainshow just seems to be a natural conversation starter. I am getting to old to be hauling the layout pictured above to train shows so I am building two smaller ones to go along with my N scale show layout.

I will say this much about the AZL commuter sets your going to want as wide a radius curve as you can use because these cars look downright silly on anything smaller than a 10.5" radius.In fact that is the main reason for this new layout plus I plan to scratchbuild some longer freight cars.

[Denver Road Doug]

I will say this much about the AZL commuter sets your going to want as wide a radius curve as you can use because these cars look downright silly on anything smaller than a 10.5" radius.In fact that is the main reason for this new layout plus I plan to scratchbuild some longer freight cars.

When I was building my TRE layout in N (never finished, long story) using same basic trainsets from Athearn I had about a 13" min radius which equates to the 245mm radius in Z, which is what I was planning as my minimum but shoot for the 270mm as my standard.  Yes, it does look silly (even the 270mm is barely over your 10.5" threshold) but I kept the ugly curves fairly disguised...as long as the cars were at stations of a fairly tangent nature it worked out and didn't look too bad. 

Now, my concern really has more to do with the performance on those curves.  I saw somewhere a recommendation that the 245mm may or may not work with the couplers as installed.   So I'll have to check that out.  I'll adjust accordingly.   May not even do a roundy roundy anyway.  Contemplating a more of a FreeMo-style approach, and just have some big loops on each end.   Short term I have put together an order for track to build a small tabletop setup...will place that order once my sets arrive.  I may just decide this really isn't a path I want to traverse at this time.   Still happy to have those sets though...I'll eventually do something with them, if not now.

[Catt]

The layout my Metrolink is pictured on has 8" radius curves.The train goes around them just fine,but flat out looks silly doing it.With the 10.5" radius of the 270 MM track I think it is going to look a lot better.I went for a 44" long by 25.5" wide layout because it will fit either in the back seat of our Fusion or in the trunk.The big layout started as a 24" by 48" layout by it's second season it was 52" long.It is now 64" long but once it is set up in the basement it will get even bigger.

[Catt]

Here's a couple update pics for the new layout.The only name I have for it is Grande Valley Railway so I think I need to come up with a specific name (all of my other layouts have names).Anyway waiting for a pair of bridges and a turnout to show up before I start a official layout thread,but these pics may show you what direction I am headed.

[Catt]

Very rough draft of layout plan.Road and track intereact  in at least 3 places so far.Road crosses at grade level center top,road crosses over track upper right hand corner,track crosses over road on girder bridge bottom center.Except for basic track plan everything else is subject to change.



I think it is about time to start a layout thread if anyone is interested,because otherwise it is just a waste of time that I could waste time on something else.

[Denver Road Doug]

I would say start the thread.   You clearly meet the criteria...starting a layout, have purchased benchwork and track, etc.   Small layouts need love too!   

I got my F59PHI sets in, still waiting on track, an AZL GP38-2, and a few freight cars.  Also found an undec RDC for a great price that's on the way.

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I'm very happy with the way they look.  Can't wait to see how they run.  I probably won't be starting a layout any time soon since I'm trying to focus on my N-Scale layout at the moment.   But I'll throw down some Rokuhan track and put some scale miles on them I'm sure.

[Catt]

You will find the locos run very nicely.You will also find your vocabulary growing as you try coupling the coaches together and to the loco.I am seriously concidering using deaw bars between the cars and fine some other couplers for the loco to first car coupling.