[Stumpy]

Good Evening

Being new to all this IT lark, I was wondering if any of you would be good enough to share your experiences of converting a wooden garden shed to make it suitable for a oo guage model railway?

Whilst I appreciate that this is not the most suitable of buildings , its the only option I have open to me , otherwise I have no other space to build a layout (and I'm now suffering severe withdrawal symptoms!).

My shed which is to be purpose built will be 6 x 14 (can't alter the dimensions due to space constraints I'm afraid). The main issues I would like to hear about are how to go about insulating it especially the floor. Would also like to hear about the effects of temperature variation, security and the effect on locos and electrics with them being in a glorified wooden shed.

Hope this isn't too forward of me.

many thanks

Stumpey

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Stumpy @ 3 Apr 2007, 18:45) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hope this isn't too forward of me.
Stumpey

Not at all - that's one of the reasons the forum exists.

If the shed is to be built in the traditional way, then you could insulate it with polystyrene, jablite or other insulating material & then line the sides & ceiling with plywood or similar. If you line the shed this way you could take the opportunity to run any required mains cables for lighting & power behind the lining (don't forget to mark where they are though). The floor could be lined in a similar fashion.

Security will always be a problem in a wooden building - best advise I can give is to remove locos & rolling stock when not in use and/or extend any existing house intruder alarm (if you have one) or buy a self contained boat or caravan one.

If you insulate the shed then the temperature variations should not be too much of a problem - keep sunlight off the layout when not in use otherwise things will fade & the track may tarnish as well.

If you lay your track in the winter be sure to leave some expansion gaps for the summer.

Hope that covers it, except that to take care with the mains power - make sure that it is installed by a qualified person !

 

[John Webb]

Welcome to the forum.

If you use the 'search engine' on the forum you will find quite a lot of discussion a year or so ago and also more recently about garden sheds and garages being used to house model railways. A good deal of practical advice ought to be available to you in this way.
Best wishes,
John Webb

 

[Stumpy]

Thankyou for the advice fellas

cheers

Stumpey

 

[neil_s_wood]

I covered a bit about this in my blog.

Follow the link below if you want to see what I did to convert my garage.

 

[mikeg]

QUOTE (Stumpy @ 3 Apr 2007, 18:45) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Good Evening

Being new to all this IT lark, I was wondering if any of you would be good enough to share your experiences of converting a wooden garden shed to make it suitable for a oo guage model railway?

Whilst I appreciate that this is not the most suitable of buildings , its the only option I have open to me , otherwise I have no other space to build a layout (and I'm now suffering severe withdrawal symptoms!).

My shed which is to be purpose built will be 6 x 14 (can't alter the dimensions due to space constraints I'm afraid). The main issues I would like to hear about are how to go about insulating it especially the floor. Would also like to hear about the effects of temperature variation, security and the effect on locos and electrics with them being in a glorified wooden shed.

Hope this isn't too forward of me.

many thanks

Stumpey
Stumpey, one thing to watch out for is if you use styrene insulation make sure any mains wiring does not touch it, as the solvent in the insulation melts the PVC sheath of the cables. I think that with the size you are having I would use 3mm MDF as lining and surface mount any mains at high level with drops to plugs about 300mm above the floor.

To insulate the floor I would use fibre glass quilt with chipboard floor panels on it, the ones sold for lofts the come in 1.2m x .45m panels so if you stagger the join a full board and half a board will fit your 6ft width with no waste.

If the shed is not treated remember to do the inside before clading as any wood borers will think they are in heavan with the warm moist conditions that you will get when the sun heats the outside, condensation will form in the void albeit only a small amount.

hope this helps

mike g

 

[80class]

I am currently in the middle of building a new shed for my railway hopefully to be ready for the summer. I will be doing a full write up in my blog which I have started already but its not quite ready to put online yet. One thing I will say re insulation, I was advised after reading a few papers on insulation and speaking to some people I know well in the construction industry not to insulate the floor. I will be insulating the walls and the roof with 3inch glass wool. I was advised to leave the floor as less than 10% of heat loss is in that direction and that an insulated floor can add to condensation build up. The other reason was that it's quite awkward to do! Anyway, here is a picture or two for now:

 

[Merry Go Round]

I have a shed which I use 14 by 27 of for my modelling, I used ordinary 50mm while polystyrene to insulate under the floor with externaly. Inside I used 50mm Cellotex and linned with 5mm ply. I have ound that this has kept my building at a comfortable temperature in conjunction with ceramic greenhouse heaters. The roof is also done in the same way, my tools and magazines were out there all last winter and have not rusted or wrinkled.

Shaun