cromptonnut Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 *************************************************************************************************** Edit June 2013: If you're coming to this thread new, I suggest you skip straight to post #183. The early discussions are now mostly redundant following a house move and "layout reboot". http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/48600-first-dabblings-in-o-gauge-perry-street/?p=1049398 *************************************************************************************************** I've just discovered a couple of old baseboards that will give me an 8ft x 1ft run. I know that, in this, I'm not going to get anything more than a straight single line run, and not a huge amount of scenery. Literally, 'a plank' with probably an 18" removeable cassette at each end to run my unit on and off scene.Stockwise I have a half painted Class 122 and that's all. The situation isn't likely to change for the forseeable future with expansion of the fleet.This will be my first ever attempt at anything in O gauge so a large part of the project will be seeing how scenic techniques such as grass, trees etc that I have successfully used in 2mm and 4mm previously will 'scale up'.Is this really too minimalist to be of any use or interest to anyone else - I always like to build with at least the thought of exhibiting in mind - or should I treat it as a 'steep learning curve' and accept that once it's finished it may never be used for anything more than a photographic backdrop?What would you do in this situation? Might I be better in finding a wider board (I know I have pairs of various other sizes around somewhere) that gives an opportunity for more scenics and interest, or wait till I really have the space to do something worthwhile that includes points etc?Stuck at a bit of a crossroads and would appreciate the wisdom of those with far more experience in all things 7mm than me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiDAS Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Hi, It is what you make it, Hobbs Warren http://hobbs-warren.co.uk is 7' 6" x 2' Originally only 5' 6" as with all modelling alot is down to the imagination. Best of luck in the senior gauge. Terry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 That's quite a layout - can't find a trackplan or any overall shots anywhere though. This one in particular caught my eye - I thought it was real for a minute. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Have you seen http://www.gauge0gui...ayouts_1-02.pdf (Gauge 0 Guild small trackplans) ? Page 13 at the top has one in 8ft x 1' 4" [Edited to say that I have no expeience in 7mm - just have found that track plan publication food for thought] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 There are indeed some very nice trackplans on there but I don't feel ready to handbuild track yet - and as Peco points are about 18" long in O gauge (I have a left, a right and a Y collected, and about 10 yards of flexi so far) there isn't a huge amount of board length spare if you wanted to use any points - which, of course, need a purpose and 1ft width doesn't give a lot of opportunity for a parallel track that does much! I know Marcway do tighter radius points, but I don't want to spend a huge amount of extra money on the O gauge project yet, and in all honesty probably won't until I have a decent space to build something in. Unfortunately living in a small flat there isn't much space, and being an upstairs flat the garden is out of the question as well - and I can't fit a shed on top of the fire escape! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ChrisS Posted December 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 4, 2011 When I built my O gauge diorama, I knew what I could not get on it (it's only 11'' deep), so the challenge was to find out what would fit, and at the same time look reasonably realistic. I used a few visual tricks to make it look bigger and more interesting- I think! There is still some further development planned over the winter. I wish I had built my diorama earlier, before my longer term project, as I've learnt a lot. I too have a couple of boards that give a total space of 8'x1' and was actually contemplating what I could achieve with these, and to me, that is part of the fun. At least with a confined space there is more of an opportunity to add detail and experiment. Hopefully there is also a better chance of finishing it to the best of your ability too. There will always be interest in a minimum space layout, as there are many people in the same boat awaiting inspiration. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matloughe Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Good Morning Cromptonnut, I am starting in O Gauge as well - still in the track & bare boards stage currently but I am getting there slowly. A layout that inspired me was Halstead, its a fantastic minimum space O Gauge Layout in a total space of 5' long. It all depends what your after creating I think. My embryonic layout is 8' x 2' and I've got a nice sized run-around loop and station scene with a couple of sidings - plenty to keep me occupied for this first step into a new scale. My thread is on there "Changing up to 7mm Scale" I warn you however its not much to look at right now /end shameless plug. What sort of scene are you thinking of modelling? Cheers, ~ Gary Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share Posted December 5, 2011 Hi Gary, As I said, my initial thought was a singlel line running through simple countryside, as I didn't think I would get much more in - but clearly there are options! Periodwise it's going to be 1970's, as my 122 is going to be painted blue with full yellow ends. Region probably southern somewhere, still deliberating whether to give my "snow" an outing as I've had the tub for years and never got round to using it - we don't see a lot of winter layouts still so there is a possibility for a bit of a twist there. I guess I really need to sit down with some planning software and see what I can get in. A quick dig round Ebay found me this which I think looks quite presentable (assuming my painting skills are up to it), and being low relief helps in a number of ways too so there is a possibility of a small station. I have already 'bodged' to fit a OO gauge DMU sound chip inside the O gauge - and being a small layout if I run at slow speed the motor doesn't use too much power and it works quite nicely inside, so that's a little extra. I know that it's the journey as much as the destination - particularly being something totally new to me - but I guess I'm just concerned that if I have something very simple it won't hold my attention and enjoyment as long as it should once completed, as you can only run one unit up and down a plank so long... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted December 5, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 5, 2011 Go for it. Building something in 8ftx1ft will not take a lifetime. I seem to remember an 11ftx1ft 0 gauge exhibition layout that included a fiddle yard.. Also there is one featured in Ngel Adams Small layouts book called Gasworks Sidings or something like that. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share Posted December 5, 2011 I wanted to avoid a terminus if at all possible - at least with 'through' the train can come, go and come back again whereas with a terminus it'll just run in, sit and go back to where it came from. I'm still a bit struggling with no pointwork in the first place as I really am limited then with what to do and run. I may go to wider boards, and that gives me a bit of a 'less cramped' look. I don't know why but I've always liked this stretch of the line near Boston where the road runs parallel to the line on a slightly higher level, and would quite like to incorporate this feature somewhere. Initial ideas are of a road overbridge on the left hand side, then the road coming down to just below track level on the first board, then running flat along the second, using an industrial unit or something as a scenic break that side - which, if I can dig out the wider boards, gives the option of a siding when I get something in the future to pull freight! I have my eyes (although SWMBO prevents me spending at present) on a Heljan 33, and I'm hoping that the Dapol O gauge wagons will branch out into Railfreight livery box vans in due course - although I'd be just as happy with the right livery on their N gauge 6 wheel milk tanks enlarged to suit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 8ft x 1ft..?? Plenty of room for O scale... Lyddlow Goods is an O Scale layout of mine... it is a whopping 5 feet long in total. It is just two short tracks serving a warehouse and loading platform- there are no points, it is served by a simple 'cassette'. These pics were taken about 18 months or so ago... Or you can get O Scale in a Boxfile.... ... although admittedly these are small freight facilities and end-of-line. I like the sound of your through-route idea. More like the size board you have, here's some pictures of my other UK O Scale layout "Withyn Reach", which is meant to be an Exchange Siding between BR and a Private Railway.... Firstly a 'bare boards' pic to show you what can fit on 6ft x 1ft:- Scenic development has been fairly basic (you're right - it isn't a lot of room in O Scale!) ... but with a 4ft traverser attached my lad and I get a lot of fun out of it... I hope these give you some ideas. If I had your space, I would have two lines, not connected by points at all... One would be the through line at the back, with maybe a platform/halt, and the line at the front would be a freight siding served only from one end of the layout. If both lines exit under a bridge at one end, (served by cassettes), the freight siding can hide the through line at the other end, with a Goods Shed or something, and no cassette would be required at that end.... Go for it!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I wanted to avoid a terminus if at all possible - at least with 'through' the train can come, go and come back again whereas with a terminus it'll just run in, sit and go back to where it came from. I'm still a bit struggling with no pointwork in the first place as I really am limited then with what to do and run. I may go to wider boards, and that gives me a bit of a 'less cramped' look. I don't know why but I've always liked this stretch of the line near Boston where the road runs parallel to the line on a slightly higher level, and would quite like to incorporate this feature somewhere. Initial ideas are of a road overbridge on the left hand side, then the road coming down to just below track level on the first board, then running flat along the second, using an industrial unit or something as a scenic break that side - which, if I can dig out the wider boards, gives the option of a siding when I get something in the future to pull freight! The line into Boston, on the other side of which you have the south forty foot drain. Doesn't get much flatter...........that bit might even be below sea level. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share Posted December 5, 2011 Lots of inspiration here, thanks Still think I'm better off repurposing a couple of wider boards than 1ft so it isn't too much of a 'shelf' but at least has some semblance of surrounding countryside. But I'll keep looking at the above as it's quite surprising what fits where it doesn't look like it should on some of these projects! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Siddall Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 You gotta go for it... unless you're very fortunate (i.e neither constrained by space or cash) O is always going to be a challenge. But I think that challenge is worth it and I wouldn't be taking it if it weren't for the inspirational compact layouts featured on RMWeb and elsewhere and the moral support and advice I've received from RWM members. As far as not modelling a terminus how about an urban setting in a cutting with a road overbridge at either end featuring say a block-post signal box? Look forward to seeing what you come up with. David PS: You've got a 122... well that's precisely 100% more stock than I have a present ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 As far as not modelling a terminus how about an urban setting in a cutting with a road overbridge at either end featuring say a block-post signal box? That reminds me of an OO layout called Mossley Terrace by John Teal. Perfectly do-able in O Scale! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 I only have the 122 because it was £100 less than anywhere else I'd seen it, and I couldn't let a bargain like that pass despite not having anything else O gauge - even a length of flexi track - at the time. I've picked up some flexi, a couple of points, a couple of vacuum formed buildings that need painting, and that's about it. Sadly like you I'm not fortunate to have the space or cash to make O gauge 'easy' but I have an image of how the scenery will look in my mind, I'm just struggling to get the trackwork into the space I have in a way that provides the flexibility I would like as far as operational potential goes. Now I know that I'm not going to get an equivalent of Clapham Junction in about 8ft... but I would like something a little more than just a length of single, straight track that goes from left to right. My biggest problem so far is that I don't feel confident to try building my own pointwork so I'm sticking with Peco - and they take up quite a lot of space. I wish they did a wider range but I suppose that the market is relatively small. I have thought about the Marcway ones but don't know how well they'd match the Peco trackwork visually. I'm also unsure about how the geometry looks but am unwilling to pay £7.90 for the "photoplans" when they should really be offered as a free PDF download. Some images and/or dimensions of the product range on their website would be helpful too. There's really no excuse these days when websites are so easy to create and maintain. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 That reminds me of an OO layout called Mossley Terrace by John Teal. Perfectly do-able in O Scale! .. and a very nice layout it is too, parts of the Gospel Oak-Barking line looks very similar and of course had the benefit of first gen DMU's until a few years back, but it's not "what I'm looking for" in my layout if that makes sense? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold bcnPete Posted December 6, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 6, 2011 Interesting topic this one (from someone else also fighting the pull of the senior scale ) Its when I attend an exhibition (in the case below, Burgess Hill Model Railway Club 2011) and see a small 7mm model as this...I really get twitchy... Not sure the name of it...or indeed the length of it...but it was on the 0 gauge guild stand...and had a very nice chat with the bloke running it... Hope this helps... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 ... it's not "what I'm looking for" in my layout if that makes sense? Perfectly - no problem!! Copying another layout directly is probably never a good idea anyway..... Right with you on the cost of Marcway 'plans' - I currently would like to know a bit more about their US-outline pointwork geometry, but don't want to fork out so much for in effect, just the two or three point types I'm interested in.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 I suppose that their "business model" as such must be profitable enough as to not worry about people like you and me that might only be interested in one or two points *shrug* Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webbo Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Cromptonnut, The photo is of the Boston to Sleaford line and was taken at what is locally known as the boardsides. About half a mile to the west is a crossroads, a 2 platform station with a passing loop, a signal box, a level crossing, and a bridge over the 40foot drain. There used to be a wooden fence barrier between the road and the railway all the way along that stretch of line, hence the local name. It could make an interesting model, with a sector plate at each end you could probably run 2 trains incorporating the passing loop. Modern passenger duties are made up of 158's, 156's and 153's, it was obviously steam and 1st generation dmu's before that. There used to be plenty of different types of freight, coal from the midlands, agriculural machinary, agriculural produce and general cargoes, using vans, open minerals, open woodens, bolsters and conflats. Now there is only the steel train that goes into the Boston docks exchange sidings. Webbo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 Hi Webbo I know the area fairly well - assume you're talking about Hubbert's Bridge? I don't know much about the history of that particular station though. Was there ever sidings there? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webbo Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Hi Webbo I know the area fairly well - assume you're talking about Hubbert's Bridge? I don't know much about the history of that particular station though. Was there ever sidings there? Yes it's Hubberts Bridge, there was 1 siding at the west side of the level crossing, I can't remember seeing it but I think it would have been about 200 to 300 yards in length with a stop just before the level crossing. Haven't been near there recently so can't tell you how long it actually was. Webbo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 Interesting, I never knew that was there despite going past many times. You can see most of it fairly clearly on Google Earth but it doesn't look like it's connected to the main line any more. Any idea what its purpose was? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webbo Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I have no idea what it served, I assume it was a dead end, there is a raised section just before the crossing with what looks like a ramp from road level. There would not have been enough length for an exit onto the running lines, the entrance was on the east bound line. There has been track rationalisation and the line east from the station is now singled all the way into Boston, there could have been a crossover either side of the station to allow goods into the siding. I will have a word with a couple of blokes that may have the answer, will let you know the outcome, it may be some time as I don't know where either of them live. Webbo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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