RMweb Gold Corbs Posted December 18, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 18, 2013 (edited) In all my 26 years, I think I've had about 5 00 layouts, none of which were ever finished (Although I could run trains, which is of course where I would just end up running trains and imagining the scenery). Now, embarking on my North Western Railway project (See my blog for locos) I need somewhere to run them, and as the locos I now have are (I hope) to a higher standard than when I were a lad, I want to provide them with a suitable backdrop. So, I want to use a proven track layout that provides interest, and have settled on the classic 'Timesaver'. I'd like to base part of this on Bristol Harbour, so a docks will provide the setting. Here's my totally-not-to-scale initial sketch: The idea is to build a bigger layout in sections. The first section would be the main 'timesaver' board, which ends at the boundary wall for the harbour area. The dockside at the 'front' features a curved line with a steam crane, the 2nd road is under a travelling crane, the 3rd road leads to a closed door leading into the warehouse. This is me, so unlikely to be done any time soon, however I hope that doing a thread about it will help! Now, one of the things that bothers me about a lot of layouts is the lack of depth - even the most beautiful backscene can still look odd from certain angles. Since this is designed to be operated from the front, I'd like to provide it with some depth. One of my biggest challenges is storage, and transport in/out of my flat, so the modular approach will help here. To the rear of the layout is a retaining wall, atop which is the 2 or 4 track main line (Where I can do more stock posing) - this would be a separate board that would clip in to the front board. Further to that (Both in space and time) would be the lower relief buildings - possibly in HO scale to give some forced perspective, inspired by this wonderful little layout: So, here goes! Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted January 4, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2014 (edited) I've been fiddling with the track plan a bit, to enable larger locos (Like 704 and 805) to haul trains out of the port, I decided the two lines leading in should have the curves eased. A few new bits of track arrived in the post today, allowing me to try it out. I'm currently thinking about ditching the 'dog leg' in the quayside, extending the front siding and having the travelling crane over this line. Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted January 6, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 6, 2014 I am currently trying to fit something similar on a 4x2 baseboard so will be watching with interest. I might go for a canal basin rather than a dockside though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted January 6, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 6, 2014 Cool! Are you going for an adapted shunting puzzle as well? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted January 7, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 7, 2014 Cool! Are you going for an adapted shunting puzzle as well? Yes a time saver with a 3 way point thrown in as well. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted January 15, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 15, 2014 Right, so I've only ever had insulfrog points as my layouts tended to be the roundy roundy continuous run type with fairly high speeds (!). Reading the Hornby Sentinel thread has made me wonder - should I sell off my insulfrogs and replace with electrofrogs now, before it's too late? Getting rather nervous about the potential for stalling at slow speeds, which on a shunting layout is probably quite likely. Hmmm..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2014 Must admit after returning to OO I have only bought electrofrog. Even as a DCC beginer I have done OK with these. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted January 19, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 19, 2014 Hmm I think I should make the 'switch' then as I really want this to be a well-running shunting layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted February 11, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 11, 2014 (edited) Well lucky me! Whilst sorting through timber in my friend's barn I found a perfectly sized pre-built baseboard! Fits in the back of the landy and the track plan plonks straight on. It's a ply top with some other wood as a frame. Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted February 13, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) A couple more photos of the baseboard, I've been quite enjoying just running the locos up and down! Photo also shows another of stanier's creations in the fleet, bought as a donor, but it is rather nice, so I may yet preserve it... Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted July 29, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 29, 2014 (edited) In the time since I last posted on this thread, I've moved house, decided to swap the timesaver for an MPD, buried the baseboards under gubbins, cleared up the gubbins, decided an MPD might not be the most exciting thing to operate, and gone right back to a timesaver. The old maxim of 'run trains as soon as you can' holds true - as soon as there was power to the rails and locos moving, I was more motivated! Dug some stock out of the drawers where they had been since the house move and let them stretch their legs a bit. The short radius points have been replaced to allow the larger tender locos to access the harbour, meaning they can bring trains in, the shunter can take over the train, and the tender loco can scuttle off to the sheds to be turned. I bit the bullet and ordered replacement electrofrog points - the jerkiness of the pannier over some of the insulfrog ones has me a tad concerned, so I want to get it running right before nailing anything down. The fictional NCB loco, as yet unnumbered, and NWR No.308. A variety of motive power out to play - 503 'The Green Five', 805 - Swindon-built from the remains of an ill-fated loco (As yet unfinished), 704 - former GNR prototype, and a Hornby 8F that was bought as a donor, but is just too good to cut up. Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted July 30, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 30, 2014 (edited) Beware of the local wildlife. They can be quite curious! Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted December 16, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 16, 2014 (edited) Endless changes, and daunted by the amount of work needed, I failed to make a proper start on the above. What did happen was I saw a little shunting layout in the classifieds section, which I collected last week. I've given away my old baseboard, hopefully it will be used on a project What's great about this is the track is all wired, it's mostly scenic (although needs some TLC, I imagine I'll have endless fiddling and detailing to do!) and it has point motors installed and working! Great! Bear seems to like it a bit too much so I think I'll have to fashion a cover for it. Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cklammer Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Hello, you got yorself a very nice layout there. Especially the cat is very nicely detailed having very graceful poses - just it is slightly out-of-scale, I am afraid. Best Regards, Christian 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted December 18, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 18, 2014 (edited) What cat? Edited December 18, 2014 by Corbs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
phixer64 Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 A lot of model railways have these oversized furry animals, can't seem to find any in the Hornby and Bachmann catalogues....... t Regards Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cklammer Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 What cat? I must have been seeing things - cats really are everywhere on the 'net these days ... But then why the gras is so furry on the black hills ... and why are they perambulating? Questions, questions ... more pictures, please. Best Regards, Christian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted February 3, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2015 (edited) At last a bit of progress - I do rather like the large buildings on the left side of the layout, but the sawmill and loading dock were showing their age a bit and didn't fit with what I intended to do (The cat using the yard crane as a scratching post did not help, either!) so they are being removed and the sawmill donated to my cousin's layout. I am planning to relocate the merchants huts to this corner of the yard, possibly give the famous Sudrian stonemasons A.W.Dry an office there? I've finally bought some more wagons, and at the same time, some Kadee couplings. This was my first time installing them, so thought a wagon was less likely to go horribly wrong than a loco. Happy to say it went very well! I've done a test by wedging some neodymium magnets in between the sleepers, the only issue with this is it doesn't reliably uncouple the wagons every time, so may need an extra row added to make a 2x4 group rather than 1x4. Very positive though! I'll hopefully be converting most if not all my fleet to Kadees as the 'hands off' approach appeals to me, especially on a shunting layout such as this. Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweasel Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Right, so I've only ever had insulfrog points as my layouts tended to be the roundy roundy continuous run type with fairly high speeds (!). Reading the Hornby Sentinel thread has made me wonder - should I sell off my insulfrogs and replace with electrofrogs now, before it's too late? Getting rather nervous about the potential for stalling at slow speeds, which on a shunting layout is probably quite likely. Hmmm..... I would definitely go with live frog points. Wiring is easy with motors that have built in switching. I would also suggest a double slip if you want save space. All kinds of horror stories about wiring them, but they are only 2 points back to back. I run a Hornby Pug, Sentinel and a Planet and don't have stalling problems. All DCC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted February 4, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 4, 2015 Thanks for the message - the layout I've bought (above) is DC and has dead frog points but so far has been very good. I'm about to start experimenting with battery power/radio control on the shunting engines so watch this space! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted February 9, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 9, 2015 Transmitter and receivers have arrived today, need to identify a suitable test subject! I've also experimented with 3 rows of magnets in between the sleepers, the glue was drying on them last night, so didn't have a chance to test properly. It just seemed that the 'window' to activate the kadees was too small, so hopefully this will work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
souwest Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 At last a bit of progress - I do rather like the large buildings on the left side of the layout, but the sawmill and loading dock were showing their age a bit and didn't fit with what I intended to do (The cat using the yard crane as a scratching post did not help, either!) so they are being removed and the sawmill donated to my cousin's layout. I am planning to relocate the merchants huts to this corner of the yard, possibly give the famous Sudrian stonemasons A.W.Dry an office there? I've finally bought some more wagons, and at the same time, some Kadee couplings. This was my first time installing them, so thought a wagon was less likely to go horribly wrong than a loco. Happy to say it went very well! I've done a test by wedging some neodymium magnets in between the sleepers, the only issue with this is it doesn't reliably uncouple the wagons every time, so may need an extra row added to make a 2x4 group rather than 1x4. Very positive though! I'll hopefully be converting most if not all my fleet to Kadees as the 'hands off' approach appeals to me, especially on a shunting layout such as this. I'm sure puss will oblige with the frogs - dead or alive! Mind you our old one brought back fushia heads. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted March 21, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2015 (edited) The wooden loading dock (With brick buildings on top - ?!) has now been ripped out and binned, leaving a nice gap at the right side of the layout. I spotted this second hand coaling tower at the Nailsea MRC exhibition and thought with a bit of paint, it could make a good addition. Trouble is, the more I looked, the more holes I saw, and noticed none of it was square! I resolved to fix it up properly, so popped it in the sink in cold water, and eased/ripped it apart. This pic is once reassembly had started and I'd filed the edges off the hopper and glued back together, and turned half of the girders so they were all the same way up! Filling gaps and sanding back Adding more bracing for rigidity I added plasticard to fill the gaps and started filler priming it and sanding back Still needs the elevator and platform adding, as well as ladder, handrails etc. But getting there! Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted November 6, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 6, 2016 (edited) Many moons have passed since I had done some 'proper' work on the layout. The coal hopper has had some finishing touches done which I'm rather pleased with. Having glued the main structure together I felt it needed some reinforcement on the viewing platform. Once that was in and painted, I needed some handrails. Styrene square section rod, with some small holes drilled in it, and handrail wire threaded through I've also added a ladder pinched from a Ratio water tower Since there are no coal mines in Sodor, and there is no MPD here, I feel like coal traffic would have been incoming to the yard, possibly house coal or for industry in Tidmouth, so it may make more sense to have the hopper loading road vehicles? Not sure. At the moment I have some NCB wagons to shunt with, but likely going to replace them with BR house coal hoppers. Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Nice job on the tower Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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