SCARM Layout & Image File Sharing

Here's a couple to start with.  Russ

Thanks, Russ. I took the water tower and grouped the objects. Now, one can select it and move it or rotate it anywhere on the layout. I find I have to leave one of the lower objects edges protruding enough to select it, then I can group vertical objects. Added some rust to the spout.

Here's my crude version of a Korber 304 Roundhouse. Needs details.

OK here are some more and this time they are NOT ON30.  These are two of Atlas O structures.  The Jack's Lumber Company #6907 and Deep Rock Gas and Oil #6908.  Russ

Hi,  

I'm Paul and I'm new to the forums.  A few years ago, I found my old O-27 Lionel train set in a box in my parents garage.  It's from 1960 (when I was 2).  I think my dad got it for himself at the time.  He had purchased new track back in 2004 shortly before he passed away.  I stored the box containing the set in my garage as my home at the time didn't have the room for a layout.  

This past Christmas, while looking for the Christmas decorations, I stumbled across the box with the train set.  I set it up on the dining room table with a very small loop, hooked it up and found it ran like it was new!

Also one of the bedrooms has became vacant and I decided to build a more permanent layout on a 4' x 8' plywood sheet. (I have quite a few of those for when the Hurricanes come to town here in Tampa Bay, more than I need for the windows.)  

Being a software engineer in the mapping GIS industry, I was going to use AutoCAD to design the layout.  Then I discovered SCARM and what you see here is an attempt to model a scene that was painted on a tin-tunnel that my set had. This painting fired my imagination as a child and so I decided to try and model it with most of what I have available or can obtain/make on the cheap.

Here is what I plan to build. It will about twice as much O-27 track as I currently have, but being on a tight budget, I can't upgrade to some of more realistic tracks like Atlas or Fastrack or ScaleTrax. (Everything is to be done on the cheap for now)

Well, here is one of the layouts, and the painting that inspired it.

Let me know what you think...

Paul

Keep them coming great stuff on here, here Is another layout that someone else constructed but I thought was cool.  Also Roundhouse and turntable layout as well.

Please make sure to post SCARM files as well so others can use.

Merlin1280 and all,

Searching for SCARM on this forum site may not produce much because most times, the only clue is the attached file in another thread.  I know that several layout builders have included several iterations of their proposals for comment or critique in those threads, but they appear as file attachments and I'm not sure a search finds those.  I also don't know how long the forum holds on to those old threads.

I know you can find some O gauge (and other scales) examples on the SCARM website, and I make it a habit of "grabbing" a copy of every SCARM file I can, but sometimes I get overwhelmed with this and everything else I try to grab off the web.  I just recently found a Youtube video downloader which allows me to keep a copy of train videos (model or real) that can be found there.

Further, from this site, I grab track plan picture files (jpg etc), track plan pdf files and any other track plan file (rrt, any, etc) generated by planning software, even if I don't have that software yet, because you never know when those files might become useful.  As a result, I have a small array of other members' plans, but most are only identified by the forum member's name and the description they used.  I do all of this because things disappear from the web all the time, but only disappear from my storage if I choose to make it so, or if I choose not to back up that storage.

Hopefully, Merlin1280's effort to create a thread that just holds SCARM drawing files will work and people will post their efforts.  I, for one look forward to seeing plans that I might have missed before.

Chuck

Paul,

Nice design! The nice part of O27 is that you can actually get something to fit on a 4x8 sheet.  Yours is a creative 2 level design. 

And welcome to the forum!

Ed

That's by Albert and myself, it's squeezed into his limited space. He wanted large radius curves in a small area.

Thanks for the welcome Ed!  

Yes, the tighter curves of the O-27 can make for a compact layout.  I have always wanted a two-level layout or at least an elevated portion.  SCARM's elevation and grade tools allow you to figure out what will work and what won't.  

The goals for the layout were:

1. Be able to fit on a 4'x8' area. 
2. Re-create the scene in the painting of a trestle over a stream and between two tunnels and have the siding and building in the foreground.  
3. Have two main-line loops with the means to move between them. 

This is about the 15th iteration of the design and the one I like the best.  

The clearance at the track cross overs is 5". My engine and caboose only take 4" max and that is including the height of the O-27 track.  The grade is 5% or less on all track sections.  

Most of the track is at 2" above the base plywood because of a 2" thick foam sheet. What is hard to see in the pictures is that "inner" loop cuts into the foam to be actually down on the plywood base. By doing that, it allows the clearance of 5" at the cross overs.  

The Trestle height between the tunnels is 6" above the base.

I will add the SCARM file attachment to the original post later so it can be downloaded by others. Being new to the forums, I didn't see a way to attach files, only image links. I see how to do that now and will edit the post with the files tonight.

Paul

Now this might be old news for some but I have been modeling for a 'few' years and it is always so hard to get dimensional data for things.  So while surfing this AM I came across a site http://marketplace.collector-modeltrains.com/ that has a very clever way of showing PARTS that they have for sale.  Check it out, I am most impressed that such a simple solution is staring me in the face!  Cool!  Graph paper under the part that is being photoed.  Russ

Paul, welcome to the forum,

It's a nice looking layout and well designed within your Givens and Druthers.

here is a 317 trestle bridge and the 214 plate girder bridge to add to your 3D objects. Open them in a separate instance of SCARM, selct it, select copy(CTRL-C). Then go to you layout that is open and select paste. Next right-click the object, select properties and set the height. You can rotate it to position it.

You probably know that already, but I thought I'd share the process.

This layout is from the Lionel 1954 Operators Manual modified to fit a 4 x 8 table in Lionel O Gauge track.

Attached is the same plan for 4 x 8 in FasTrack. It's an interesting plan for the simplicity.

Here are some more good ones compliments of www.scarmhirailers.

i really need some help - i am trying to learn "scarm" but having a bit of difficulty getting going - i have watched the tutorials - but - may i ask for "help" in getting started

could someone please one end of a point to point layout using atlas O-3 36 degree track and switch - just the return  - i just need to see it

thanks so much, rdeal

Thanks for the SCARM files Carl!  I will be sure to post a picture of them being used in the design.

Paul

Start a new thread for specific help. This is a different topic.

Anyway, will this help?

Carl

I put the bridges you posted in the layout and took another snapshot...

Thanks!

(The truss is a bit large LOL)

Paul, looks like the bridge might be to close to the curve for any long cars to make the corner and CLEAR the bridge.  In Scarm make a block the size of your longest car and then see if it will make the corner.  Russ

Paul,

I didn't know you were going to do the bents for the mountain pass. That's where the truss would work. All girders on the lower crossing.

The bents look nice.

Thanks Carl.

I have an 18" truss bridge that came with my set. So it will be perfect for the stream crossing in the front-middle of the map. If I can find a girder bridge I will use that also on the main-line that is at the very front of the table.  

As a kid, my family would drive up I-4 to Orlando/Sanford area to visit my grandparents and there was a girder RR bridge over the interstate near Lakeland FL. (its still there last time I went through there.)  Only once did I ever see a train on that bridge. (it was stopped).  Always wanted a girder bridge on my layout. If I can't find one for a reasonable price, I will make one out of sheet styrene.

Paul

The bridge in SCARM is not the bridge I will be using at that point. The bridge in SCARM is for O-Scale and is about 25" long.  The actual bridge i will be using at that spot is only 18" long (two O-27 straights) so it won't be an issue.  

Unlike AutoCAD (which I use at work), SCARM can't "scale" objects or do a diagonal in the 3rd dimension. That's why bridges look "blocky" as you have to approximate the diagonal truss supports with lots of little blocks like a staircase.

SCARM is free while AutoCAD is over $3,000!  Also, SCARM is designed to build model RR and AutoCAD is a general purpose, do everything, high end CAD program.

Paul

Paul,

I think Russ gets it. He's creating steam engine parts and other cool items with a 3D printer.

3D printing is awesome!  I can't wait to see the results Russ!

Carl,

Since the truss bridge you posted earlier was a tad large for the O-27 track, I wrote a quick and dirty VB.NET program to scale it down by scale factor of 0.72.  Its now the same size as the actual O-27 truss bridge I have.

I have attached the rescaled bridge for anyone that's interested.

Paul

Paul Smith: Thank you very much! I have a couple of Lionel's metal truss bridges on my layout and I do not have the patience to learn how make my own in Scarm. I just "borrowed" (took) yours. Now, how would one go about stretching this out to make it somewhat similar in size to the Atlas O Pratt Truss Bridge, which is 40" in length?

File Sharing is a wonderful thing!

The bridge I can't take credit for.  Its just a rescale of one Carl (Moonman) posted yesterday.

Can you send a link to a picture of the one you are referring to?

Here's a 6464 10.5 inch boxcar (I think, I don't have one to measure).  I'm doing some Lionel stuff as a payback for the use of this great forum and this really fun software.  If you have requests please post em' and I'll give er' a shot.  Next up a 15 inch smoothside modern passenger car.  Russ

Testing some clearance issues so I made a couple of test cars.  A 10.5 incher and a 15 incher and also that pesky bridge!    Russ

One of the clearance cars.  The trucks will swivel indendant.

Test bridge scene with da' pesky bridge.

10.5 cars pinched at the bridge curve combination.

 15 inch cars will not make the curve and the 10.5 would be suspect.  

I measured the old truss bridge I am using and the openings are  4.5" wide (outside dimension is 4.75" width.)  Having an O-27 curve into and out of presents no issues with my current limited supply of rolling stock (its going to be some time before I can even think of acquiring more with prices as they are).  The SCARM model of the truss I rescaled is about the correct length but the interior dimensions are narrower than the bridge I have.  I will see if I can correct the model so it's an exact match in L,W and H. 

OK, all fixed. Inside width to check clearanceis 4.5" and length is 18".

This is about as close as I can get to the bridge I have in the above picture. 

Paul

Link

Can you take some measurements for me and I will try and see if I can turn this bridge into that one. (including making it black)

 length: 40-1/4”; width 5-1/2”; height: 9-1/2”

Absolute precision isn't necessary. Up until today the Scarm depiction of my layout had no bridges at all. Just the idea of the Atlas truss will be just great.

Here you go!

I have a few items created in scarm .

These are awesome!  Thanks for sharing!

Thanks so much - it looks just right!.

Paul can you post your SCARM file you are building I like the effect you have on the waterfall.  Also anyone have any SCARM images of engines.  Here is the start to my garage layout.  Not sure what type of industry I  want in the middle looking for suggestions.