Unnamed layout.... you'll see why.

4620 Views 17 Replies 5 Participants Last post by billericaybill, Feb 18, 2009

Dave Jones

Discussion Starter · Feb 3, 2009 (Edited by Moderator)

Guys,

This layout thread will be 2 fold.

1.) My small layout to practise on.

2.) My large layout that has not and can not be started just yet!

The first layout, as posted in the newbie forum I have build this small layout to have a practice on in my office........

... this will remain unnamed and probably dismantled eventually however I will post progress photos as and when things happen.

This layout is all hornby 00 track but as I say it is a practice layout and as I had most of the hornby track left over from childhood trainsets it mad sense to use it for this pupose.

Eventually the layout of my dreams

will be built in the loft here.....

... however I have to finish the party wall (don't want my skanky neighbours getting at my stuff!) and get more of it boarded out before I can start to build base boards.

So, watch this space!

Planned jobs for this weekend.....

1.) Replace side panel (currently has a hole in it due to previous plans to have a small hidden fiddle yard).
2.) Paint everything a colour (fed up of seeing wood now!)
3.) Build party wall in loft (this is obviously prep work)

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Dave Jones

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 3, 2009

Ok, so the questions start. I need to bear in mind that the final outcome of this is to have the ultimate layout in the loft, this is never going to be prefectly accurate but if I end up with a proper scened railway I can run long fast express trains and frieght trains on I will be a very happy bunny, so......

Once I can't see the MDF on the small layout any more (in other words it's been painted) what is best to do next? Have a go a gravelling or something else?

With the loft plan I haven't even started on a track design because as you can see from the picture of my loft there are beams that run accross at a height of around 4 foot. I'm tempted to build at this height and use the beams as supports however due to the pitch of my roof that would cut the size of the layout down to about 10 foot by 12. If I have it at a lower height I will obviously be able to fit in a larger layout but I'm worried the beams will spoil the look of it. Any thoughts?

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Dave Jones

Discussion Starter · #5 · Feb 3, 2009

Now there's some food for thought! This would work apart from the bit where I took the picture from as I wanted to use the alcoves either side of the chimney breast (I was standing in one to take the pic) and the first beam you can see in the pic would be difficult to model in........ although if that were hidden it could be a massive fiddle yard accessable from the alcoves........ sorry thinking out loud!

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Dave Jones

Discussion Starter · #7 · Feb 3, 2009

... could also run at different levels to help the problem,.... oh the possiblities!

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Dave Jones

Discussion Starter · #8 · Feb 3, 2009

I can indeed, i'll go up there now and take some rough dimensions.

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Dave Jones

Discussion Starter · #10 · Feb 3, 2009

Ok cheers Trevor, looks like I'll be pulling the track pins out again then! lol

Don't worry about the materials either my friend, I have no intention of lugging big lumps of MDF in to my loft. The layout was build purely from stuff I had hanging around in the shed. The whole set up so far has cost me about £20 (excluding a new power supply cause after 20 years in the loft unsurprisingly the originals didn't work!)

Steve - very rough rushed sketch of my loft.......

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Dave Jones

Discussion Starter · #13 · Feb 3, 2009

The hatch is (as you look at the top sketch) just below the bottom beam if that makes any sense?!?! Yeah run around is the idea. The hatch will be at least 3 foot from the edge of the top sketch (obviously further the lower down you go).

The glueing it down with gravel sound logical, boy am I glad I'm having a practice first! lol

What are these foams and cork boards like for painting and glueing to?

Also I have seen people paint track to give it a rusty rustic look before ballasting is this sensible, how does it work with the trains making connection to the track?

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Dave Jones

Discussion Starter · #14 · Feb 3, 2009

Right time to go and earn some dollar. Back later.

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Dave Jones

Discussion Starter · #16 · Feb 13, 2009

Well guys only a micro update......

I finally got some time to mess around so I have removed the now non-required end board and have finally got my small layout up and running (a small not very good video link is below!).

Now I know it's not much and you'll have to excuse the screwdriver removal, the erm, non railway line side items and the noise (someone didn't do their research properly and now has to take all the track up to lay cork under it!) but as this is the first time I've run a train in 20 years I was pleased! Just a couple of sticking points on the... well points to sort now.

Time to think about some sort of elevation as well seeing as the tracks gotta come methinks.

PS - Spot the shaddow, I mean dobermann again!

http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj149/o...nt=P2130228.flv

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