Ztrains.com: New "Z Scale Basics" Article

Hi,

We have a new Z Scale Basics article now online at:

www.ztrains.com/basics/plans/harbor/harbor.html

Stop by and have a read!

John
www.ztrains.com

John, This is mandantory reading for a 'new' modelers using Micro Track. Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

Im glad I read it. This helps with some of the planning for my layout.

Zac

Hi Guys,

I'm glad we could be of help and hope to do more in the upcoming articles. Thanks too to MTL for sponsoring Z Scale Basics ... they've been great!

If there are suggestions for new articles, please feel free to contact either Micro-Trains or Ztrains through our websites.

Feedback is good!

John
www.ztrains.com

What software are you using to do the mtl layouts. It would be really handy to have that since I would like to use all MTL track. MTL is readily available where I live in all its forms.

Zac

I use RRTrack for the basic track plans. I bought this several years ago and while it has it limits (what doesn't?), I find it useful as it has a Marklin sectional track library. For the graphics I use Adobe Illustrator. I find illustration programs a bit more intuitive.

John
www.ztrains.com

This may be a dumb question, but I see on your trackplan that you have two turnouts connecting parallel tracks. Do you have to modify the ballasted MTL turnouts in order to be able to do this? It is unclear from the MTL literature that I have seen, and their track plan book shows parallel tracks that are connected using the curved piece of track that connects to the turnout, thus placing two pieces of curved track between the two turnouts, instead of the two turnouts connected to each other on the diverging tracks.

Sorry about the awkward explanation and I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

Not a dumb question. The MTL instructions may assume you want to use all the track items in the turnout set. They give you a LH or RH turnout, a 13deg curve track, + a modified straight track.

The curves of the tunouts can be put together, making a crossover with 2 turnouts. The modified straight sections will be required for the straight section.

The main point of the Harbor switching layout is to modify curved track to a profile similar to the straight track to get it to fit. This is because of the added width of the plastic roadbed material. Marklin sectional track lacks this feature.

From the mainline, you can have as many LH or RH turnouts as you want, making a "tree".
If you want branches off the tree, you may have to modify the turnout some to get it to fit. If you want to use the turnout to lead into a 90degree curve, you will have to learn to cut a piece of track. You could use the turnout to lead into a 64 degree sharper curve with the 13degree left for the other end. It would be better to cut down the 45degree curve into 2 32degree segments. Some modelers may want to cut a piece of flextrak to make the curve.

I can't wait to see the tutorial on track cutting and how to join it.

zac

Zac, If you are talking about MTL Micro Track you are not doing your research. Go to 'Gallery', click it. Click 'All Catagories', click on 'General Z', scroll down til you find Socalz44 misc. Click. Then go to page 3/4 and see how one goes about shortening Micro Track. Cheers, Jim CCRR:ohmy:

I saw that the other day, but they were teasing it on the next ztrack layout. I was just curious to see what they were going to do with it in their layout.

Zac