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New Garage Layout

182645 Views 860 Replies 60 Participants Last post by  David Todd, 
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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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I have been asked quite a few times now about how I have laid my points and the tracks going to and coming from them so here is a few photos covering the steps that I followed ... not sure if this is the best way but it was my way ... ( is there a song in there somewhere ?? )

Once I have the point laid and have drilled an 8mm hole for my point motor I fix the point in place then using Track Setters to align the track to the point i follow the next 3 steps.

Step 1 - connect the track and use a straight track setter to make sure the track is lined up with the point and is aligned with the point rails and fix the end in place.



Step 2 - use a curved track setter to set a smooth curve 2 inches from the point connection and fix the curved section.



Step 3 - I use peco track spacers and a straight track setter to manage the track distance and fix in place.

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Not only have you been pinching my stock thru the night, but now reading the same books as me...


But seriously folks...funny how you learn something from everywhere and yr comment re using 8mm drill for the point motor rod is a big help as I had cut out a complete ~20x10 mm hole for the motor with a jigsaw (and fixing it diect to the point) and it was a pain ie shaking the board to pieces...I think I have seen those extended actuator rods somewhere - is that what you used?
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QUOTE (reddo @ 5 Feb 2013, 16:50) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Not only have you been pinching my stock thru the night, but now reading the same books as me...


But seriously folks...funny how you learn something from everywhere and yr comment re using 8mm drill for the point motor rod is a big help as I had cut out a complete ~20x10 mm hole for the motor with a jigsaw (and fixing it diect to the point) and it was a pain ie shaking the board to pieces...I think I have seen those extended actuator rods somewhere - is that what you used?

Hi reddo, im useing Cobalts and these come with very long arms... :) but you can get extended arms for the point motors you are useing


Or try Piano wire

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Piano-Wire-3m-lo...=item3cce46d580
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silky_jack
Hi Anthony, that looks an excellent technique.....I always just go by what looks right, but I prefer your method.
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QUOTE (silky_jack @ 5 Feb 2013, 16:56) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Anthony, that looks an excellent technique.....I always just go by what looks right, but I prefer your method.


Hi Jack, I also used to go by eye but I had the odd point that some loco's came off on so when I started again I used this method and to date I have had no issues at all so i can only asume my eyes are not as good as I thought they were
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i love your gentle sweeps Ant there excellent just like the real thing
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QUOTE (steve-scfc @ 5 Feb 2013, 17:07) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>i love your gentle sweeps Ant there excellent just like the real thing

Thanks Steve
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David Todd
THE ABOVE.........Has again been copied from the files of dt's method's, and adjusted to suit Anonymity's 566. requirements......
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QUOTE (David Todd @ 5 Feb 2013, 17:42) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>THE ABOVE.........Has again been copied from the files of dt's method's, and adjusted to suit Anonymity's 566. requirements......


Oh you wish .......... Im sure I told you that you dont need track setters for set-track !!!!!
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Nice backscene. Looks like the Cleveland hills! I was looking for Roseberry Topping at one point!

Guy
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QUOTE (poindexter @ 5 Feb 2013, 19:04) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Nice backscene. Looks like the Cleveland hills! I was looking for Roseberry Topping at one point!

Guy

Hi Guy,

They do a bit but I was thinking from over the other side of Guisbrough Hills ...

you can have Roseberry Topping if you want all you need to do is take some shots and contact the ID Backsecnes chap vis the link below and he will turn what you send him into a backscene....

http://www.art-printers.com/index.html
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Thanks for the link Anthony. Might come in handy in the future.
I used to live in Brotton (parents still do) that's why the hills caught my eye and I though they were local at first glance.

Guy
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Hi Guy well as you know im only a few miles away from there......
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Back scene update ..... so yesterday I put the first test sections up of my back scene up using the same spray glue that I used on my Two Tunnels test section, now tow tunnels is mounted on the wall in my house nice warm environment but my layout in my garage .... now I have put a ceiling up in the garage and 330mm loft insulation and sealed my garage door and i have to say it does feel ok in there but not ok enough for the spray glue as this is what was waiting for me when I popped in there tonight :-



So into phase 2 we go .... pva and water mix at about 60/40 ish maybe 70/40 and I have also added the final back scene for this side of the layout :-



The pva/water mix held the back scene almost as soon as the paper was pressed against it so this is what I will use in the garage for the other back scenes.
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Hi Anthony,

The re - glued full length backscene looks excellent & not a "bubble" in sight. Out of interest what is the max length of each backscene section that can be printed, or should I look on the earlier link ?

As for the empty box shef, it looks like you are planning to put more rolling stock on the layout, given the space below the soffit & the top boxes LOL !

Cheers,

Norm
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David Todd
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QUOTE glued full length backscene looks excellent & not a "bubble" in sight.

He was once again, under guidance from me, via "Free Skype Video Calling", (at my expense no doubt), Anthony called for help.
2hrs of my modelling evening he took from me, in that time, all I had to say was, "Up a bit", "down a bit" via live video, by then, it was midnight.
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QUOTE (Norman Byrne @ 6 Feb 2013, 08:29) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>As for the empty box shef, it looks like you are planning to put more rolling stock on the layout, given the space below the soffit & the top boxes LOL !

Don't get him started...Hattons can't keep up with his orders as it is...
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silky_jack
I know what you mean re the spray glue...I tried some in the loft and it was useless, so using PVA now.

The backscenes look excellent Anthony...nice work.

Ian
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QUOTE (Norman Byrne @ 6 Feb 2013, 07:29) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Anthony,

The re - glued full length backscene looks excellent & not a "bubble" in sight. Out of interest what is the max length of each backscene section that can be printed, or should I look on the earlier link ?

As for the empty box shef, it looks like you are planning to put more rolling stock on the layout, given the space below the soffit & the top boxes LOL !

Cheers,

Norm

Hi Nom,

The backscenes come in 5ft strips and im sure he does them in longer strips so jus give them a call ....... as for more stock im on a Hattons/Rails ban at the moment !!!!!!!
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QUOTE (reddo @ 6 Feb 2013, 08:18) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Don't get him started...Hattons can't keep up with his orders as it is...


Oh you are spot on ..........
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