Heinz57 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Hi all,After selling my layout last month, I've been planning a new one.The concept of the layout is simple, there will be a small station, plus a small stabling point.When developing the design, I wanted to include various features that arn't often shown on layouts. So, what are they? Well for starters the main feature of the layout will actualy be (part of) an arena type building, but the back end - so the area shown will be the loading bay which will be complete with a couple of trucks delivering show equipment. The station will actualy be serving this arena building. So when the passengers leave the station via the stairs, they go over a foot bridge direct into the building. The idea comes from the station at the NEC but on a much much much smaller scale.Other features include the back and of a retail park, and a couple of other things spread around the raised scenic area.As for the stabling point, this will be again simple, a fueling road, and a couple of stabling roads. No shed as such.The fiddle yard will be of three tracks and hidden below the retail park, but I will also have the ability to extend and add a proper fiddle yard at a later date if I want to.Here is the plan:The layout will measure 9x2ft, and will be DCC controled with DC points.I have been developing and perfecting the idea for a couple of weeks now. I've finalised it and will be starting construction tomorow.I can't however think of a name, I did think of 'BA Arena' (BA Arena as in British Airways Arena) - basicaly naming the layout after the station and arena). However, I will also be launching a website, and I'm not sure if its right to make a website which essentialy uses the BA name. Or am I just being silly now?Anyway, hope you like the idea! Progress can be followed on here, and the website when I get around to launching it.Cheers,Heinz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 How about The OO Arena? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollieholmes Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 This looks to be very interesting. I shall follow this with interest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Will have to keep eye on this!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted December 20, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 20, 2012 I like the concept. It sounds like a number of actual locations which exist (or have existed) in reality but firmly your own "take". Kensington Olympia and Wembley Stadium (as was rather than as is) come to mind for starters. You could always incorporate a modellers or rail enthusiasts joke in the name. An arena is also known colloquially as a shed and so is a class 66 loco so why not "Shed 66" ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard_S Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 3 prototype examples from the Manchester area spring to mind; Manchester Arena is built on top of Victoria Station, probably the closest match to your proposal Manchester United Halt Old Trafford Metrolink station by Lancs CC ground; formerly a heavy rail station on the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway Manchester Arena has carried 2 different sponsors names; originally the Nynex Arena then the Manchester Evening News Arena. So if you get tired of your chosen name then find a new sponsorship deal! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz57 Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 Thanks for your interest in the layout. I have decided to name it 'Arena Parkway'. Thanks so Snitzl for the suggestion. That means I can call the arena whatever I like (and change it if I want to, as Richard says) without having to worry about titles and website adresses and so on. Construction started yesterday and saw through the building of the baseboards including fold away legs, and the first few bits of track laid. This evening saw the track laying finished. So it will be on to the wiring next. hopefuly I'll have trains running before the year is out. I have also made a few changes to the design. Firstly, the arena (which according to the original plan is 4ft, including the attached resturant building) has been reduced in size to 3ft so it doesn't have to run over a board join, the island on the road has been moed to the left slightly where the resturant sat. A bus garage has been penciled in and will sit either where the island and substation was on the original plan. Or to move the retail park to this area and put the bus station where this was. The road will also now cross over the head shunt, before turning and sloping down towards the stabling point car park area. If all of that makes sence! I do have some photos of the boards and track laid. But I can't upload them, the camera saves them at a file size far to large for the uploader. So I need to find a way to reduce this, or next time don't use my brothers camera! Cheers, Heinz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 What is the timeline for this layout as if it is from the mid 80's onwards you could dispense with the run-round loop and top'n'tail loco hauled trains something that is not modeled that often? XF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollieholmes Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Try using picresize.com to resize your photos. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz57 Posted December 22, 2012 Author Share Posted December 22, 2012 Thanks for the link Ollie, I've given it a try and it works. So here are the progress photos. The first two show the completed boards and track laying in progress The next two show the track laying completed, apart from the stabling area. I can't lay these tracks until I know the dimensions of the fuel point, and (should I decide to have it) the maintinence building. Finaly, this is a new diagram showing the scenic alterations I spoke about in yesterdays post. You can see the new layout to the road, and added buildings (green and red). So the next stage will be to lay the stabling tracks, and wire it up. I hope to have some trains running before the year is out. Cheers, Heinz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollieholmes Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 That looks very nice and i cant wait to get going on my layout, it will be a few months yet though due to other commitments. No problem, photography is my thing more than anything so i have plenty of usefull websites like that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Looks very good start!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz57 Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 Thanks chaps. Glad you like the layout so far. As its edging closer to it, I'm starting to give the scenry some good thought. What buildings I want on there, how I want them to look and so on. I'd like to start putting some together, but I can't because I don't know sizes. And I can't plan them until I've built the raised area which can't be done until wiring has been finished.... Joy Merry Christmas Heinz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz57 Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 Latest Update, 3/1/2013 Hello all, Happy New Year! So this past week I have been rather busy on the layout. Firstly, I have laid the track for the stabling point. This actualy means that all the track laying on the layout is now complete. With baseboard joins cut. I have also installed all droper wires (as the first image shows), and wired up the main power bus. All the track was tested using a tempory feed from a standard DC controler. At the time of wiring, I hadn't made the cross board connections so I just used tempory link wires. I have since made these but need to connect them up to the layout. There's still a bit of tidying up to do, which will be done after I have wired up the point motors (which will use the standard DC control method) and installed lighting circuits. The layout lighting will run on 5 separate circuits - three on the raised area, and two on the lower stabling area. That makes it two circuits for the two main boards, and one on the 'fiddle board'. I think I've decided on a DCC system, I want to use the Gaugemaster prodidgy. It seems to tick the right boxes for me - speed control knob (as apposed to buttons) and plenty of function buttons. Droppers installed The completed track in the stabling area and a Freightliner 66 completing test runs. I have also been completing this re-painting project. I have been repainting a Oxford Die Cast trailer. I started with this freezer trailer (Photo from Hattons)... Removed the fridge unit and logos. I then repainted it into the new livery, and then applied the logo using vinyl stickers custom made for me by a friend... Not bad eh? So my next job with the layout is to complete the wiring, hopefuly I can get some done this week. If not I'll be doing it towards the end of next. Cheers, Heinz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Class 108 Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Looks like this will be a great layout. Like the plan. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hybridangel77 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 hi matt a very good start to the layout mate.looking forwards to your progress. you have also done a top job on the halfords trailer, at least now i know where to send my trailers for re-naming!!! regards terry......(GLEBE ROAD JUNCTION). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammyboy Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I once remember reading an article about a small layout in 'Railway Modeller' that was based on a similar idea to yours, but just was a modern loco stabling point built next to a football ground. Only the back of the stand was modelled and a bridge was built over the railway which had a load of football fans on it going to the match. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swifty11 Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 This looks like a great layout, Now a follower! The halfords trailer looks fantastic! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz57 Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 Thanks chaps for your kind comments about the layout. Glad you like it! Glad you like the Halfords trailer too! I'm pretty pleased with it too, it doesn't look too bad does it? I just need to do a cab for it now. I also have a couple of other truck projects for the layout, so I'll probably do the cab at the same time as them. I have proceeded slightly with the wiring (installed point motors) and built the station platform. Nothing worthy of an update though. Later on this week I will proceed with the wiring more and hopefuly finish the point wiring, bar the control panel. I also aim to build the raised area on Friday. Around that time I will post an update detailing how its gone, and hopefuly share some ideas with you about exactly what I plan to do with it. Cheers, Heinz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Taking shape very nice Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack00 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Agreed! The new Halfords trailer is a very neat repaint. Best of luck with the layout build , good plan so will work out nicely for you. Jack. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack00 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Edit: with a cement mixer you could re-spray into Bardon Agragates as they have a lot of connections with arena's. Freightliner and Bardon helped with the Olympic Stadium!!! Just a thought haha. Jack. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1722 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I once remember reading an article about a small layout in 'Railway Modeller' that was based on a similar idea to yours, but just was a modern loco stabling point built next to a football ground. Only the back of the stand was modelled and a bridge was built over the railway which had a load of football fans on it going to the match. Sounds like Harchester Stabling Point to me. Layout is looking excellent, and the Halfords lorry, to echo other people, is just stunning. Top work! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz57 Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 Thanks. Glad you like the layout! Also, thanks for your kind comments on the Halfords trailer. It does look good doesn't it? I never expected it to look this good. I have a few other truck repaints coming later in the layout project, so stay tuned! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz57 Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Latest Update 14/1/2013 Hello all, I've progressed a little more on the layout. I havn't finished the wiring as I said I was going to, instead I've constructed the station platform, and proceeded with constructing the raised area. This photo shows the station platform, and part of the raised area where the arena building will be. And here we have the other end, note the road ramping down towards an area that will be an office building and parking area for the stabling point. I'm still not 100% sure what I'm doing with the rest of the raised area. A few ideas I'm kicking around include the original retail park idea, a small warehouse with a Stobart wagon outside, a Tesco (with a Stobart wagon outside), a small distrobution centre/lorry depot (Stobarts), a bus garage and a new idea that came to me last night was a Royal Mail/Parcel Force distrobution/sorting centre (with a couple of trucks outside, I'm sure I could get a Stobart in there somewhere! ) I am however currently drawing a 1:1 scale plan of the raised area, in doing so that will help me decide what I want. I hope to finish building the raised section this week. Then I will bring a board home to finish the wiring on it and then start on the fun stuff! Stay tuned! Heinz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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