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Dismantled - Indoor layout


mick
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Unable to make a start in the garden without my new shed in place, and with some new fencing being installed next week, and unable to do anything in the attic because of work to the kitchen and bedroom early in January next year, I'm seriously considering getting the indoor layout erected in the garage and constructing a fiddleyard on the end as originally intended. I've got plenty of spare boards and sufficient track and points available so if nothing else I can use it to get some photographs of some of the new models I've acquired recently. Operationally it might help me decide on a suitable track plan for use in the shed on the new outdoor line. In fact it could also form the proposed terminus section of the new outdoor line?

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I'd almost forgotten how cold it can get outdoors, even when you're in the relative shelter of a garden shed, but today I did at least manage to spend a couple of hours working on the layout and messing around with some new stock.

There's been no progress here for some time but the two baseboards that currently form the entire layout have survived the move south without suffering any damage. I erected the right hand section that will house the station buildings and completed adding the 'tarmac' surfacing to the platform area using a covering of wet and dry paper. I'd come to the conclusion previously that it was too coarse a grade but after painting it looks a lot better and so I have continued as before. Rather than attempting to get anything absolutely correct I'm using this as the basis for some much needed practice, having never done any scenic work before.

I left the platform requiring just a small additional strip of wet & dry to complete and whilst there was still a bit of daylight I tried to take a few photos of the Gresley non-corridor coaches. This wasn't very successful but I'll include a few to give an idea of what they are like along with one showing Flying Scotsman standing alongside that is extremely short of depth of field. I had intended moving the layout into the garage to erect it where there's more room but then I remembered that I needed the garage next week for something else so I did what I could with the space available.

The first photo shows the 4 compartment brake 3rd standing opposite the station building.

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The photo below is of the 8 compartment all 3rd class...

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...followed by the semi-corridor Lavatory Compsite. The gaps between the coaches are rather excessive but Hornby do supply replacement couplings with each coach to enable closer coupling. These photos are of course taken with the standard tension lock couplings in place.

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And finally, here's a frontal view of my recent NRM version of 4472 Flying Scotsman in LNER lined green standing alongside the opposite platform. You'll see that although the platforms are now almost covered, there's still plenty of work to do with the track itself - not least of which is painting the rail sides and ballasting.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mick,

I remember my first venture out here in the Canaries.

I built in sections (under cover) and then placed graded sandpaper under all the track. I covered some platforms in realistic dark grey wet and dry as well. My, I was so pleased with the result.

Then of course the intrusions of sun and a bit of winter drizzle showed up my folly. The glue seeped out, the sand obviously dis-intergrated with no holding agent and the paper simply curled upwards.

What on earth was I thinking about?

Had to rip it all up and start again. It did look well though.

You sometimes don't realise how big this learning curve is.

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What works for someone in one location clearly doesn't always work for others elsewhere. I've had some platform sections covered for more than 12 months now and the layout has been stored all over the place from inside the home, to integral garage and finally to an outdoor detached shed. You're right, it's all a never-ending learning curve and even though we may be rightly advised otherwise I think we all have to take the tests first in order to gain our experience badges.

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  • 2 years later...

At the end of November Griff asked what our plans were over winter and I replied that I'd like somewhere to run trains all year round no matter what the weather - an indoor layout of some kind. I've visited this scenario before but never got very far with anything and so I can't promise that this time will be any different but I have returned to the indoor layout I started in February 2010 to see if I can actually make something of it.

The partly completed layout isn't ideal and if I were to start over again then I'd certainly do things differently but I don't like the idea of ripping everything up and starting over. What did bother me is that the two sections that currently make up the layout were rather big and heavy and that's with just a bit of track and some basic platforms in place. So today I've reduced one of the boards in width by approximately 6 inches to give something a bit more manageable and tomorrow, all being well, I will do likewise with the other. That's where my current crop of ideas comes to an end because I've not thought beyond that just yet and one of the primary facts to consider is where will I actually be able to use it if ever I manage to get it in an operational condition? For now I'll just plod onwards and see what happens.

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The photo above shows the board I've been working on today. It's simply a 3x1 softwood framework with an MDF top - nothing fancy here. Track is Peco finescale code 75 and platforms are softwood strips covered in a fine grade wet & dry paper on top and plasticard sidewalls glued in place. There's still work to do on the platforms. To the left of the platforms is an empty space - much like what's between my ears - and this will probably become storage roads or perhaps even a goods yard depending on what I decide I'm going to do with it all. I just want to see something moving....!

It's all wired up and has Tortoise slow motion point motors installed so when connected up to the sister board I can run back and forth through the points, up and down the platforms and over the junction located on the other board. It seems a shame not to do something with it - but what am I going to do? Whatever I decide, there's going to be a need for another board to act as a fiddle yard otherwise I'm going nowhere - and continually up and down a platform face isn't going to satisfy my desires. It's a work in progress.

Now a story to enrage some other modellers. The new Hornby K1 hit the shops yesterday and if you read other forums you'll discover some irate modellers who have placed advance orders that haven't yet been fulfilled. No sooner was the K1 in stock than it was sold out. I didn't pre-order one myself but I saw it in stock, placed an order and got hold of one via post the following day from one of the stores that allegedly has not fulfilled all it's pre-orders. Not sure how I did that but hey oh. Here it is alongside the platform on my barely started boards at the head of a couple of Kyle line coaches.

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This afternoon I came within an inch of calling it a day with my renewed efforts to revitalise the old indoor layout baseboards. I removed the second board from the shed in readiness for reducing the width of the board in similar fashion to the one I did yesterday. I propped it up against a wooden planter for a moment while I brought some other things from the shed and there was such a crash as the wind toppled it over. The board came crashing down onto its platform face (luckily???) which caused some concern as there is a bank of miniature switches set into the top for changing the points. Fortunately they don't appear to have come to any harm but a short length of track has been ripped up and will need to be replaced. Had the board fallen onto its other side it could easily have damaged a number of point motors which stand slightly proud of the lower timbers. I'm not sure if that was a sign that I should give up the idea and start afresh. I very nearly decided to. In the end I carried on and reduced the width of the board along its rear side but I have left the front side due to the aforementioned point motor switches which are located on the front edge and will need moving if I decide to reduce the width further.

I attached an old Hornby 12v controller to the point motor busbar and was relieved to find that all motors were working correctly - a relief after the toppling of the board earlier in the day.

A part of me wants to keep going as I do like the lay of the track and there's a nice space to model a goods yard or a number of storage roads but another part of me says I would probably be better with some new baseboards and to start over. At the end of the day all I want is somewhere to be able to run a few trains, perhaps do a bit of shunting, and switch a few points, but the priority is for it to be easy to get out, use, and easy to pack away again afterwards. At the moment it's somewhat cumbersome and only just manageable on my own. I've also got to think about where to store it so that it doesn't get damaged. Most of those criteria apply, of course, to whichever route I ultimately decide to go down so again, as yesterday, I'll just see what happens.

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  • 11 months later...

Almost a year to the day since my last post here, I'm somewhat sad to say that this 'effort' was dismantled a few months back and most parts salvaged. One of these days I really will get round to completing something and have something to show for my troubles. I have learned a few lessons from this one but it was too heavy and cumbersome for my requirements and for the space I had available. It's time to move on.

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I know exactly where you are coming from Mick, I have been there many times, I am currently pondering a similar project myself but keep running up against the same old problems. By the time you have decided just what you must have in your "very small" layout you need a spare room in which to keep the ruddy thing and a removal crew to shift it! If we all had a spare room available then the chances are we would not be sloshing about outside in the garden, trying to kid ourselves that we really do prefer to be outside instead of in a cosy room where we can run at any time we wish. I have just seen in one of the latest issues of either "Hornby Mag" or "Railway Modeller" I can't remember which, a fantastic "small layout" on a 5ft x2ft board but by the time the fiddle yard is added it becomes 8ft x 2ft.................back to where we started! :(

Just a thought, I have recently put up a small 6x4 shed, one of those cheap horrible things for about £100 but with a bit of work it has turned out ok. I completely covered the sides with roofing felt laid horizontally and its totally water proof and wind proof, I replaced the crappy plastic window with a glass one, and "Bob's your uncle" I have used it as the end of our branch line with a couple of industries. If you only want to run a few engines and do a bit of shunting it would be ideal. You could build a country terminus and a few bits and bobs, you know the sort of thing I mean.

Regards Nige. :)

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That looks a great idea and well worth the £100.

I sometimes wonder if I'll ever get anything completed. I have some small baseboards erected in the attic just waiting for track laying but it feels so cold to go up there just now :? I'd really like to build something small and manageable but then I also need somewhere more expansive to run all these trains I keep buying that won't be used outdoors when I do eventually get Worsley Dale operational. It's a pity we can't have a OO gauge Garden Railway club!

I particularly like small layouts where the owner creates his own town around the station etc... I wouldn't want to do that on a grand scale. With larger layouts I prefer open countryside running. I just take a lot of getting started.

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For my layout all boards are to be light weight and removable.

For convenience of building the boards will be 4x2 ft foam with plywood edging. There will be some odd shapes but boards will be no larger than this.

So the modelling can be carried out in the house or down at the model railway club. Running can wait till its warm enough.

So by my thoughts you should either insulate your loft space better and leave the loft hatch open for the heat to rise up and in. Or you should make your boards lightweight and removable.

Very easy for me to say but my shed has been some years in the making giving me time for lots of research.

On Nige if you've kept the " crappy" plastic window use it to double glaze the glass window it makes an amazing difference to keeping the cold out!!

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I just thought it might be an idea for you Mick, If you look at the 3rd picture, I was thinking something on the lines of a small fiddle yard on the right and if you look to end of the shed you could build a small town /village on a raised bit creating a tunnel which would hide the tight curve and then a small terminus on the left to include a goods yard and some sidings etc. :) It gets toasty warm with a little fan heater on for a few mins as well! :) It would get you running!!!! :D

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It's more a case of motivation than anything else. I have everything I need to be able to create something but just need that kick start to get me going. Look back earlier this year at how little I had done before I got the urge to return to the viaduct. Within a few days I had it almost completed. Once I get started I barely stop to feed myself.

As for getting something running, up in the attic I have approximately 12 feet of sectional plywood baseboards built, stood on legs, and ready for track laying. What I need now is that motivation that becomes all consuming. It will come, I am sure, and then I'll hopefully have something else I can share on the forum.

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