New Garage Layout

183151 Views 860 Replies 60 Participants Last post by David Todd, Aug 2, 2017

Anthony566

Discussion Starter · Aug 13, 2012 (Edited by Moderator)

I like many decided one day that I was finally going to build that layout I had been telling my son I was going to build for many years.... we did have a very small "Train Set" on a board at the last house we lived in but space was very tight so the layout was quite small. We moved house 10 years ago and as this house had a double garage 18ft x 18ft we always intended to build something in there so 8 years later we FINALLY decided it was time to crack on but buy this time the garage had become a storage unit rather than a garage ..... like so many others

so we cleared a space in the centre of the garage...

A few months passed and a bit more clearing out and and some white paint on the walls we ended up with this...

A 16ft x 8ft layout based on one of the layouts in an old Hornby track plans book now while this was a fine layout the issue for me was having to crawl under the board to get to the centre of the layout ( I have pins in my spine and sometimes this is not always easy to do

) but as time passed I also cleared out more and more of the " you never know when you might need that pile of C**P " and this then started me thing that I should make the most of the garage space I have and create a section that allows me to walk into the layout rather than crawl under it.... so this takes me to the end of my base board journey as I have now finally built the correct base board for me and this is around the outer edge of the garage wall and its 18ft x 17ft x 3ft

I have also made this higher than the old layout as this makes it much easer to work on... now I know there are some out there that will say 3ft deep is to deep for the base board but the track will not be 3 feet away from the edge this is 3ft deep to allow me to develop scenery on the wall edge of the layout and will be built up first... well that's the plan in my head anyway

Now for control...

I have been using the Bachmann Dynamis Pro system with 5 receivers for almost 2 years and I find this to be more than adequate for my needs I have mounted it on the ceiling of the garage in a star configuration and this works really well this puts me at around 5 feet away from a receiver at any one time.

I have been using the Bachmann Dynamis Pro system with 5 receivers for almost 2 years and I find this to be more than adequate for my needs I have mounted it on the ceiling of the garage in a star configuration and this works really well this puts me at around 5/6 feet away from a receiver at any one time and I have been using this system being much further away from the base unit/receivers this without any issues.

This all gives me 4 areas now to work on and to date these will be a TMD area 10ft x 3 ft a Station area 12ft x 3ft a container yard 9ft x 3ft and a forth area 8ft x 3ft that I'm not quite sure what to do with yet....

Sorry for the long post but its been a while the links below are the link to my first layout and a link to my test track.

http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index...p;hl=anthony566

http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index...p;hl=anthony566

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Julian2011

· #71 · Sep 15, 2012

Hi Anthony,
That nice David Todd chap put me onto something in your thread here, the Tracklay system.

I had been working out how to lay the Gaugemaster Ballasted Underlay stuff on a small layout I am designing, as the 2x baseboard tops are 3mm ply. I don't want to glue the track to the boards direct and the idea of a large bag of loose ballast and chasing round over 75 ft of track, with a pipette, does nothing for my enthusiasm.

I was not aware of the Tracklay System before and it looks more straightforward to fit than the Gaugemaster Underlay, although a little longer time to do.

Their website suggests after sticking the track to the Tracklay they should be pinned down to the baseboard. I would prefer to use a bead of glue, perhaps Copydex or even PVA, along the centreline, under the underlay. I am not sure how yours has been attached to the baseboard but guess pins as you are reusing some track and didn't say anything about peeling it up or easing any glue. Do you think that the Tracklay would be OK attached to the baseboard with Copydex along the centreline and then the outside edges would also help attach it where the side ballast is glued?

Question 2, which Tracklay do not address in their website, is passing the Droppers through the Tracklay to the centreline to a hole through the baseboard. There is plenty of thick foam on the Gaugemaster to hide the Dropper wire, is that also the case for the Tracklay or do you have to glue and cover the wires in ballast?

Thank you for reading.

Julian
Gaugemaster thread:- http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index...mp;#entry270846

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Julian2011

· #73 · Sep 16, 2012

Thank you JH,
It sounds better by the moment. I will look at the ballast closer and see if it can be matched. I am assuming it is still available and had better ring Tracklay to see what the position is re buying it.

Thanks

Julian

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Julian2011

· #79 · Sep 16, 2012 (Edited by Moderator)

Many thanks for the detail from both Anthony and Jimmy and of course that nice David Todd chap for kicking me in your direction.

Without having seen materials it is difficult to see what will work with what, particularly with flexible or soft stuff like underlay. Your comments have given me a really good picture and factual information about dimensions, which would have taken days of experimenting to find.

Many thanks to you all, there are some really good guys out there despite what the press say.

I would have posted earlier but the internet wireless wizzer stopped working for several hours, then the 2 x direct line phones ran out of battery in the middle of talking to the internet provider thus cutting me off, followed by the mobile running out of top-up in mid conversation when I got back to them again. [ One for you David, given the little proverbs at the base of your posts. The router eventually decided to come back all on its own while we were going through the final internal checks with another direct wired router. ] Probably not best described as the most productive day and my 6 yr old daughter took one look at the smoke from the ears and fire out of the nostrils and has been hiding for most of the day.

All the best to you all, there is definitely a pint in it if we ever cross tracks.

Julian

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Julian2011

· #81 · Sep 16, 2012

DT.
Coincidence indeed, the October MR is sitting on my sofa waiting to be opened. I shall go and seek the article once the aforesaid little one has had enough of the latest story.

Assam, first class, is present all day and hope to get at least one to you sometime.

Retired a short while ago, from the RAF earlier and later from in front of classes who sit amazed that any human being can put up with daily antics which would make a tribe [ ? ] of Chimps look lazy. Not sure it was worth the pension. Being away from it makes you very aware of the word grateful.

Julian

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Julian2011

· #84 · Sep 18, 2012

Love flowing curves too.

Julian

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Julian2011

· #293 · Apr 8, 2013

Hi Anthony,

Those backscenes are really smart stuff ....
but they should come with a bit of a warning not to use any glue that makes them significantly wet .... mine soaked it up and swelled unevenly .... then they can't be stuck to the Backboard, without creases ...
I even used the recommended ready made wallpaper Paste .......

I think Richard mentioned sealing the Backboard and using the Spray Mount or similar ... I tried that and it seems to work just fine ... as expected

J

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Julian2011

· #307 · Jun 12, 2013

Hi Anthony,

QUOTE ....... running base that's 27" long but I don't need this.......

Was that a layout that went to Exhibitions? I did see one, earlier this year, at the Bentley Exhibition, Melksham [ think it was this year anyway ]
It looked quite tricky to operate ... fun though ...

QUOTE that's 27" long
That's an awful lot of baseboard just to get a crane and a few magnetic boxes ......

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Julian2011

· #311 · Jun 12, 2013

~~Feet~~ inches ..... oops ...

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Julian2011

· #332 · Jul 9, 2013

Lovely video Anthony,

Particularly liked the train as it came out of the Tunnel and the clattering over the points/rail joints ...........

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Julian2011

· #348 · Jul 18, 2013

Hi Anthony,

QUOTE And yes I had removed the pre fitted caps first ...

J
PS. Thanks for the video - nice and smooth there.

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Julian2011

· #420 · Sep 28, 2013

Hi Anthony,
That is looking very good. It is looking very different with the trees, very much coming together.

Regards
J

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Julian2011

· #470 · Jan 24, 2015

Hi Anthony,
Good to see you posting again, looking forward to some more pictures of progress ....

Julian

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