Hello all,
Well after spending a lot of time at the computer and tinkering with designs I have over the last two days built the baseboards for the new layout. If anyone is thinking 'hang on, wasn't he building a quarry terminal?' then I should probably explain that I decided that Aslanvale wasn't really fit for its purpose - the multi level layout wasn't conducive to getting it in and out of a wardrobe and I realised that in my heart of hearts I want to be able to run long trains and have a tailchaser layout.
The brief for the new layout is the same - it has to pack away in to my double fitted wardrobe (which admittedly is HUGE). With that in mind I decided to keep the existing boards I already had...
But topped them with fresh 12mm plywood as the old surface had some blemishes (namely a whacking great whole for the turntable). I also negotiated with the local planning authorities (aka bought another handbag
) to allow me to use the shelf at the top of the wardrobe for further boards storage meaning I could use this track plan on 6 boards...
The track plan is based very loosely on Coleshill (hence the name Coezull...) Parkway and the freight terminal at Hams Hall. The layout is again going to be DC (I don't like the idea of installing decoders myself, and don't really want to double the cost of a loco to have someone else put on in...) which gives me much scope for complicated wiring involving lots of isolating sections and many points to switch electronically. I also intend to fit Micro-train couplers to most stock if I can and have magnets all over the place!
With the track plan sorted I moved to building the other boards...
Here are the frames all assembled, although the trestle arrangement here isn't great, more on that in a minute...
And the frames again topped with fresh 12mm ply. Here you can see the new legs I've cut for the non-scenic boards (that's everything except the front/middle two) the boards all bolt together snugly and the legs are modular so that I don't have to remember which goes where. All-in-all it's extremely sturdy.
Finally we have the whole thing (well, almost, I didn't buy enough) topped with 1/8 inch cork. It's still drying as a I write, the stones happened to be lying around in the garage and seemed the obvious thing to keep it all down while it dried!
Track order is going in to Hattons very soon, I'll update when I have more to show.
Well after spending a lot of time at the computer and tinkering with designs I have over the last two days built the baseboards for the new layout. If anyone is thinking 'hang on, wasn't he building a quarry terminal?' then I should probably explain that I decided that Aslanvale wasn't really fit for its purpose - the multi level layout wasn't conducive to getting it in and out of a wardrobe and I realised that in my heart of hearts I want to be able to run long trains and have a tailchaser layout.
The brief for the new layout is the same - it has to pack away in to my double fitted wardrobe (which admittedly is HUGE). With that in mind I decided to keep the existing boards I already had...


But topped them with fresh 12mm plywood as the old surface had some blemishes (namely a whacking great whole for the turntable). I also negotiated with the local planning authorities (aka bought another handbag


The track plan is based very loosely on Coleshill (hence the name Coezull...) Parkway and the freight terminal at Hams Hall. The layout is again going to be DC (I don't like the idea of installing decoders myself, and don't really want to double the cost of a loco to have someone else put on in...) which gives me much scope for complicated wiring involving lots of isolating sections and many points to switch electronically. I also intend to fit Micro-train couplers to most stock if I can and have magnets all over the place!
With the track plan sorted I moved to building the other boards...
Here are the frames all assembled, although the trestle arrangement here isn't great, more on that in a minute...

And the frames again topped with fresh 12mm ply. Here you can see the new legs I've cut for the non-scenic boards (that's everything except the front/middle two) the boards all bolt together snugly and the legs are modular so that I don't have to remember which goes where. All-in-all it's extremely sturdy.

Finally we have the whole thing (well, almost, I didn't buy enough) topped with 1/8 inch cork. It's still drying as a I write, the stones happened to be lying around in the garage and seemed the obvious thing to keep it all down while it dried!

Track order is going in to Hattons very soon, I'll update when I have more to show.