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So welcome to my latest layout, Drum Lane (the name is temporary until I think of one that suits the industry I would like to include). So I was thinking about building a new micro layout a couple days ago and I decided that I would like to have a go at building a pizza layout in oo gauge. As far as I know oo gauge isn't the most common scale to make pizza layouts in (n gauge and variants of narrow gauge seemed most popular)but with some short wheel based stock I reckon it is possible. Now my layout has uses an unusual baseboard (hence the name) as I plan to build it on a small cable drum (it has a 2 foot diameter). The cable drum was 'rescued' from the side of a foot path after it had been abandoned there as litter by some lazy builders a couple weeks ago. It was still in fairly good nick and was the right shape so why complain. It was taken home and is currently drying out in the garage to make sure that there is no damp in it before I take it inside the house. I hope you are interested and I will try to update you soon.

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The drum saves you trying to cut a square into a circle. I have a non scenic test track on a two foot board, my shunter fleet and short wagons get around without any problem.

I'm not very skilled at woodwork so finding a pre built baseboard to that shape required (it is a perfect circle) is a great help. The strength of it is also very helpful and means I dont have to worry about weight limits. I think that if I was cutting and building the baseboard from sheets of wood I would still be trying to cut out the circle bit for the top! Anyway, I've got some flexi track so will hopefully start laying it soon, wiring it up and having some trains running. This is my first ever continual run layout so I think I'm a bit over excited to watch a train go round in circles. :)

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So welcome to my latest layout, Drum Lane (the name is temporary until I think of one that suits the industry I would like to include). So I was thinking about building a new micro layout a couple days ago and I decided that I would like to have a go at building a pizza layout in oo gauge. As far as I know oo gauge isn't the most common scale to make pizza layouts in (n gauge and variants of narrow gauge seemed most popular)but with some short wheel based stock I reckon it is possible. Now my layout has uses an unusual baseboard (hence the name) as I plan to build it on a small cable drum (it has a 2 foot diameter). The cable drum was 'rescued' from the side of a foot path after it had been abandoned there as litter by some lazy builders a couple weeks ago. It was still in fairly good nick and was the right shape so why complain. It was taken home and is currently drying out in the garage to make sure that there is no damp in it before I take it inside the house. I hope you are interested and I will try to update you soon.

 

I too have seen discarded cable drums and immediately thought of using one for the basis of a pizza type layout but, I'm not allowed to bring any more rubbish home until I have used up the rubbish I've already collected... :dontknow:  you gotta love 'em though.

 

Bill

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I too have seen discarded cable drums and immediately thought of using one for the basis of a pizza type layout but, I'm not allowed to bring any more rubbish home until I have used up the rubbish I've already collected... :dontknow: you gotta love 'em though.

 

Bill

There's that same rule in my house. :( I was told if i wanted to keep the cable drum then I had to throw away one of my other micro layouts so out went one of my failed projects. Oh well hopefully I will have more success with this one. One thing I did notice is the easy opportunity for expansion, a cable drum has two circular layers on its side so when I've finished this pizza layout why not build another one on the layer below.

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Right so I have some progress from yesterday. I have layer half the track on one side of the cable drum.post-32204-0-83172800-1517817621_thumb.jpg I can tell you now that flexi track is a right pain to bend to the right curve and hold it there - it is now also apparent to me that most other flexi track users wont ever need the curves to be so tight. There is so much spring in the track I had to constantly clamp it down tightly with g clamps. But regardless to the struggles half the track is down now I need to see if I can squeeze in some modeling time today to lay the other yard lf flexi track. The flexi track was given to me by a friend so this layout hasn't cost me anything yet.

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So I have now laid all the track in a kind of circle shape. The rails joints have now been secured with fish plates and solder. There is a kink on the rail on one of the joints which has to some extent been rectified. It looks much worse than it actually is. I have test pushed wagons over it and they are fine so I am not that worried about it. Hopefully I will get some time to wire up the track and have trains running soon.post-32204-0-38010200-1518026479_thumb.jpg

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I like the idea of this project. I recall exhibiting at a show a few years back. Several local modelling pals were there - all with end-to-end shunting type layouts
But our pal Paul arrived with his circular layout.... we were all intensely operating all day - he just set his layout running round and round, and was the most relaxed operator ever!
He just swapped the loco & wagons every couple of hours. Since then, I've dreamed of doing a roundy-roundy pizza type layout...

I like the use of a novel "baseboard" too. But tell me, will you be rolling your layout to shows? ;)
Nice idea - I'll be watching this with interest

EDIT: I've got to say, I quite like the name "Drum lane" too - I'd be tempted to keep it....

Edited by marc smith
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I too have seen discarded cable drums and immediately thought of using one for the basis of a pizza type layout but, I'm not allowed to bring any more rubbish home until I have used up the rubbish I've already collected... :dontknow:  you gotta love 'em though.

 

Bill

I know that situation all too well Bill :)

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I thought that you would use the inside face of the drum so that the "inner" made a sort of backscene and you could have a lighting pelmet.

 

PS: Am now angry with myself for throwing out a similar cable drum not that long ago.

Edited by Joseph_Pestell
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I thought that you would use the inside face of the drum so that the "inner" made a sort of backscene and you could have a lighting pelmet.

 

PS: Am now angry with myself for throwing out a similar cable drum not that long ago.

That was an initial idea but I will use that space for an extension of the layout if everything works. I chose the top layer primarily because I can fit full size buildings onto it and I can also have the easiest access to it whilst I fine tune the track work.

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We have trains running!!!!! Yay! :) now this early but essential stage has made me quite happy because I have never had a roundy layout before so finally getting one is great. It is also nice and simple to watch a train go round in circles but also very satisfying I've found. So on the roster today is my Hornby Sentinel and my Hornby Caledonian pug. They have just the right wheel base length for the tight radius curves and handle them well.post-32204-0-43491200-1518269481_thumb.jpg

Edited by luke the train spotter
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What size is the drum, and the approximate radius of the track. I've seen flexitrack squeezed down to about 9" radius and work pretty well, this looks even tighter! Anyway, nice scheme, instant baseboard on a plinth! :)

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What size is the drum, and the approximate radius of the track. I've seen flexitrack squeezed down to about 9" radius and work pretty well, this looks even tighter! Anyway, nice scheme, instant baseboard on a plinth! :)

So the cable drum has a diameter of 24 inches exactly and the rough radius of the track is just over 9 inches but my dodgy track laying skills mean that certain areas of track work are much tighter than others. The wagons I am running are short wheel based good wagons with the largest being an LNER cattle wagon and they get around the loop no problem.

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So unfortunately after much progress on the layout I have experienced my first set back. The Hornby sentinel died on me yesterday and isn't running smoothly at all. Instead it seems to be running very erratically and getting very hot. It is also drawing much more current than usual. So this has resulted in a discussion with rails of Sheffield (the sentinel was a Christmas present for me this year and the loco was bought from rails of Sheffield) who have agreed to take the sentinel back in for repairs. They dont have any in stock apparently and the Crossley and Evans variant is out of production so they wont simply swap the model for a working one. I myself have checked the loco for faults checking the gears, pickups, motor, rolling resistance, back to backs and oil points but nothing has come up as a problem. At least I still have my Hornby puq which is currently providing top notch service.

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