Lovely.
Julian
Julian
My HO Loft Layout
3
Hi all,
This is a brief overview of my HO layout in the loft.
I started collecting Fleischmann track, locos and rolling stock back in the seventies but only had the space, and time to create a couple of temporary layouts.
In 1989, after starting my own electrical contracting business, I decided I needed some permanent office space, so I moved up into the converted loft space. Well, I didn't need all the space for an office, did I
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!
I spent the next 5 years or so, on and off, designing and building my layout. It is not meant to be prototypical in any way and is purely the product of my imagination. I wanted only steam locos, but there are
probably some items of scenery and signals that belong to a more modern era. By the mid nineties, I had a working railway that I could run 8 locos on and about two thirds of the scenery completed.
The layout includes 3 round and round tracks and a shuttle line from the main station, that works its way up over 3 levels to another station on the top level. Each of the 4 tracks has a passing zone hidden
behind the scenes.
This was of course, a DC layout, and I used block signalling to run 2 locos on each of the 4 track circuits.
By this time I had noticed the onset of DCC and was amazed at what it could do (and the prices
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) This left me a bit disillusioned with my layout and I left it untouched for several years running it occasionally.
This time last year, my grandson was 2 years old, he is a typical boy who loves cars and trains. That was all the excuse I needed to re-start the layout build. Being of the age where I find myself with a bit more
disposable income, I decided to go DCC, and over the past year or so I have stripped out all the spaghetti of the DC control wiring, installed a DCC bus system, soldered up hundreds of droppers. completed a lot
more scenery, including the main railway station, and invested in several DCC sound locos (all Fleischmann) and had some of my old DC locos converted to DCC sound.
The layout also incorporates an original Faller Road System. When it ran with the DC layout, it was synced with the level crossing gates and lights to stop the cars when a train approached and the barriers closed.
That went when I stripped the old control wiring out, but I will eventually re-do it with DCC control. I have new Viessmann electronic barriers in place , as the original Faller ones were controlled with lengths of
cotton that eventually tangled and snapped, the Faller level crossing house is still standing though.
The next job is to rewire all the points back and connect them to DCC control.
At the moment I am using a Fleischmann MultiMAUS system to run the locos. I have purchased a Z21 system and eventually want to run the majority of the locos with Train Controller Gold.
Below is a track layout plan. The thin red line represents the loft wall or scenery line, all track above and to the right of it cannot be seen.
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Below is a brief video overview of the layout to date, please excuse the dodgy video.
http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xvQjgm8CjXo?rel=0
Regards
Alan
This is a brief overview of my HO layout in the loft.
I started collecting Fleischmann track, locos and rolling stock back in the seventies but only had the space, and time to create a couple of temporary layouts.
In 1989, after starting my own electrical contracting business, I decided I needed some permanent office space, so I moved up into the converted loft space. Well, I didn't need all the space for an office, did I
I spent the next 5 years or so, on and off, designing and building my layout. It is not meant to be prototypical in any way and is purely the product of my imagination. I wanted only steam locos, but there are
probably some items of scenery and signals that belong to a more modern era. By the mid nineties, I had a working railway that I could run 8 locos on and about two thirds of the scenery completed.
The layout includes 3 round and round tracks and a shuttle line from the main station, that works its way up over 3 levels to another station on the top level. Each of the 4 tracks has a passing zone hidden
behind the scenes.
This was of course, a DC layout, and I used block signalling to run 2 locos on each of the 4 track circuits.
By this time I had noticed the onset of DCC and was amazed at what it could do (and the prices
This time last year, my grandson was 2 years old, he is a typical boy who loves cars and trains. That was all the excuse I needed to re-start the layout build. Being of the age where I find myself with a bit more
disposable income, I decided to go DCC, and over the past year or so I have stripped out all the spaghetti of the DC control wiring, installed a DCC bus system, soldered up hundreds of droppers. completed a lot
more scenery, including the main railway station, and invested in several DCC sound locos (all Fleischmann) and had some of my old DC locos converted to DCC sound.
The layout also incorporates an original Faller Road System. When it ran with the DC layout, it was synced with the level crossing gates and lights to stop the cars when a train approached and the barriers closed.
That went when I stripped the old control wiring out, but I will eventually re-do it with DCC control. I have new Viessmann electronic barriers in place , as the original Faller ones were controlled with lengths of
cotton that eventually tangled and snapped, the Faller level crossing house is still standing though.
The next job is to rewire all the points back and connect them to DCC control.
At the moment I am using a Fleischmann MultiMAUS system to run the locos. I have purchased a Z21 system and eventually want to run the majority of the locos with Train Controller Gold.
Below is a track layout plan. The thin red line represents the loft wall or scenery line, all track above and to the right of it cannot be seen.
Below is a brief video overview of the layout to date, please excuse the dodgy video.
http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xvQjgm8CjXo?rel=0
Regards
Alan
141 - 160 of 195 Posts
5
Hi all,
Thanks for your comments
Babs, its still very much a work in progress, but here's where I am at the moment. Starting on the left of the original layout, panning left, past Waldbrunn station, then up to bring Zindelstein station into view before moving back to the right at higher level. Over the bridge that spans the loft access ,then around past the castle ruins and the new Scharzburg station before continuing along and round back to the left of the original layout, that you may remember had the round house and turntable on a small extension board in that corner. I still have to relocate the turntable and round house loco shed, along with a whole list of jobs to do
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http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed//Z75J_gzDvFs?rel=0
In the recess of the wall behind the Bayerische Gattung G5/5 loco in this video, I intend to have some form of industry or goods handling facility, that the trackwork will run past, joining into the main lines and another small branch line still to be finalized.
The old town walls are not in their final locations and a have a couple more sections and towers to build.
I have discovered this item
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Again, final positioning and shaping to be done, but it is just the right size to cross the open level crossings and is a good colour match with the existing Faller road system.
![]()
So that will be replacing the original little country road I had running in that area.
These arrived today too,
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for the platform lighting on the new station, plus these,
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which I hope to use under the canopy covered areas on the new station.
So plenty to keep me going over the coming weeks.
Well, that's it again for another little update
Regards and stay safe
Alan
Thanks for your comments
Babs, its still very much a work in progress, but here's where I am at the moment. Starting on the left of the original layout, panning left, past Waldbrunn station, then up to bring Zindelstein station into view before moving back to the right at higher level. Over the bridge that spans the loft access ,then around past the castle ruins and the new Scharzburg station before continuing along and round back to the left of the original layout, that you may remember had the round house and turntable on a small extension board in that corner. I still have to relocate the turntable and round house loco shed, along with a whole list of jobs to do
http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed//Z75J_gzDvFs?rel=0
In the recess of the wall behind the Bayerische Gattung G5/5 loco in this video, I intend to have some form of industry or goods handling facility, that the trackwork will run past, joining into the main lines and another small branch line still to be finalized.
The old town walls are not in their final locations and a have a couple more sections and towers to build.
I have discovered this item
Again, final positioning and shaping to be done, but it is just the right size to cross the open level crossings and is a good colour match with the existing Faller road system.
So that will be replacing the original little country road I had running in that area.
These arrived today too,
for the platform lighting on the new station, plus these,
which I hope to use under the canopy covered areas on the new station.
So plenty to keep me going over the coming weeks.
Well, that's it again for another little update
Regards and stay safe
Alan
2
QUOTE (dwb @ 20 May 2021, 17:22) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Beware that even with a brush, the liquid glue still flows very freely.
For windows, I apply the glue from the inside wherever possible with a light touch to as few corners as possible - usually two diagonally opposite each other.
Despite all the practice I have had recently, I still find roofs a challenge. The glue flows so readily to the viewing side and as it dries over time you can see the marks where it overflowed. On occasions where I have been really badly caught out, there will be finger prints as well!
Gravity helps, so angle the roof so the flow tends to come back inside.
For ridge tiles, apply to the cavity for an initial stick and then if it's a gable end, try drop a teeny amount into the end and hope it flows deep inside to the middle.
One day I will come to weathering the roofs and I am hoping that will disguise the larger calamities...
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David
Hi all,
My method of trying to disguise a shaky glue hand when fixing a ridge tile.
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Regards and stay safe
Alan
For windows, I apply the glue from the inside wherever possible with a light touch to as few corners as possible - usually two diagonally opposite each other.
Despite all the practice I have had recently, I still find roofs a challenge. The glue flows so readily to the viewing side and as it dries over time you can see the marks where it overflowed. On occasions where I have been really badly caught out, there will be finger prints as well!
Gravity helps, so angle the roof so the flow tends to come back inside.
For ridge tiles, apply to the cavity for an initial stick and then if it's a gable end, try drop a teeny amount into the end and hope it flows deep inside to the middle.
One day I will come to weathering the roofs and I am hoping that will disguise the larger calamities...
David
Hi all,
My method of trying to disguise a shaky glue hand when fixing a ridge tile.
Regards and stay safe
Alan
Hi Alan I don't feel so bad now looking at other peoples work so i am going to make some moss to go on the roof when i get round to it. i add my pic of the brewery. Babs
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QUOTE (dwb @ 14 Jun 2021, 15:42) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I've had a look back through some holiday photos which have plenty of those wood shingle style roofs. Discolouration by glue is very close to bird mess, particularly storks, but all the other changes seem to be going darker as the shingles age. There is very little green to be seen so it seems moss is not a big problem.
David
Hi David,
Glad you got the gist of what I was doing and hope you don't think the idea was sh*t
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Regards
Alan
David
Hi David,
Glad you got the gist of what I was doing and hope you don't think the idea was sh*t
Regards
Alan
I spent a long time browsing looking for suitable houses for my Continental Shelf layout, and trees, people ...
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David
David
10
QUOTE (Babz @ 15 Jun 2021, 14:22) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>David Thank you for the information you must know the catalogue backwards. Will keep a look out for them coming in. Babs
There are many manufacturers of weathering powders and washes, Mig and vallejo immediately spring to mind.
I have had these powders for about 20yrs, they go a long way
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I was into building and converting Tamiya 1:16 scale remote control tanks about 10/15 years ago and used washes and powders along with airbrushing quite a bit.
Below are a few pics of my favorite work.. I converted and adapted a standard Sherman into Oddball's sherman from the film Kelly's Heroes
For anyone not familiar with these Tamiya tanks, apart from remote control driving with engine sounds they also have turret rotation and gun elevation along with firing sounds synched with pyrotechnic muzzle flash.
On this particular conversion, I even added a micro sound system that played several songs and tunes from the film, all remote control activated of course.
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I still run them occasionally, for anyone interested in seeing my build log for this project the web link is below
https://www.rctankwarfare.co.uk/forums/view...oddball+sherman
Regards
Alan
There are many manufacturers of weathering powders and washes, Mig and vallejo immediately spring to mind.
I have had these powders for about 20yrs, they go a long way
I was into building and converting Tamiya 1:16 scale remote control tanks about 10/15 years ago and used washes and powders along with airbrushing quite a bit.
Below are a few pics of my favorite work.. I converted and adapted a standard Sherman into Oddball's sherman from the film Kelly's Heroes
For anyone not familiar with these Tamiya tanks, apart from remote control driving with engine sounds they also have turret rotation and gun elevation along with firing sounds synched with pyrotechnic muzzle flash.
On this particular conversion, I even added a micro sound system that played several songs and tunes from the film, all remote control activated of course.
I still run them occasionally, for anyone interested in seeing my build log for this project the web link is below
https://www.rctankwarfare.co.uk/forums/view...oddball+sherman
Regards
Alan
2
Hi all,
I am still building additional town wall sections, and I am waiting on a couple of items.
In the meantime I built this Vollmer goods depot (5715) that I got from eBay. Chose it as it was fairly large compared to any of the current Vollmer or Faller offerings I could see. I'm assuming its an old discontinued model. The instruction sheet was a bit crowded, shall we say, and not that easy to follow, but got there in the end. I now have it roughly in place and can now organize some trackwork to serve it.
![]()
![]()
Still looking for some more industry like buildings for this area.
Regards
Alan
I am still building additional town wall sections, and I am waiting on a couple of items.
In the meantime I built this Vollmer goods depot (5715) that I got from eBay. Chose it as it was fairly large compared to any of the current Vollmer or Faller offerings I could see. I'm assuming its an old discontinued model. The instruction sheet was a bit crowded, shall we say, and not that easy to follow, but got there in the end. I now have it roughly in place and can now organize some trackwork to serve it.
Still looking for some more industry like buildings for this area.
Regards
Alan
QUOTE (Babz @ 14 Jun 2021, 12:53) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Alan I don't feel so bad now looking at other peoples work so i am going to make some moss to go on the roof when i get round to it. i add my pic of the brewery. Babs
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Hi Babs,
I have ordered the brewery kit as it looks quite interesting, still awaiting its arrival, but have got this Faller 180690 smoke unit for use within it's chimney stack.
http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed//TaHWAIa2zGE?rel=0
I noticed some wiring coming from your kit and wondered whether you have it as well.
Regards
Alan
Hi Babs,
I have ordered the brewery kit as it looks quite interesting, still awaiting its arrival, but have got this Faller 180690 smoke unit for use within it's chimney stack.
http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed//TaHWAIa2zGE?rel=0
I noticed some wiring coming from your kit and wondered whether you have it as well.
Regards
Alan
141 - 160 of 195 Posts
