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Minimum space O gauge layout


marc smith

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Hi Marc,

 

Ignore my comments on the fiddle then - sorry, didn't realise it was progressed, I thought that you had only just read NR's article and were contemplating it.

 

I would be very interested to see how it turns out. I look forward to see more updates on the layout now I have found it.

 

Must stop thinking O gauge now...I will probably be reaching for the RM tomorrow and preparing budget quotes for a layout, again using an IKEA shelf, which is my preference.

 

Must fight it....Must fight it....

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Hi Marc.....

 

Must stop thinking O gauge now...I will probably be reaching for the RM tomorrow and preparing budget quotes for a layout, again using an IKEA shelf, which is my preference.

 

Must fight it....Must fight it....

 

Oh go on.....give in....I did......!

 

Oscar Wilde said "I can resist anything but temptation"

I however can resist anything but trains.....

 

....Oh and beer!

 

A nice little shelf layout sounds good :D

Somehow, in O, and with sound, I think you really don't need that much -

it's just so atmospheric...

 

Go for it, go for it.... :D

Marc

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Go for it, go for it.... :D

Marc

 

Well....my initial investigations, seem to reveal that with circa £500 for a loco, this will knock this idea back a little :icon_mutter: - I can usually hide the odd 2mm purchase somewhere in the books, but thats normally about a 1Oth of that price!!

 

However, it certainly has got me thinking, and if not in the immediate future, something that I might map out for when the economic crisis stabalises a little.

 

Any chance you could post some overall shots of the layout (like the first one) just to see the layout with the fiddleyard when attached?

 

Thanks Marc,

 

Pete

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There's cheap stuff about Pete, e.g. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rivarossi-O-Gauge-Diesel-Shunter-3-Wagons_W0QQitemZ250588640443QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Trains_Railway_Models?hash=item3a583f34bb#ht_500wt_1182

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Pola-Maxi-O-Gauge-T-3-DRG-Class-89-Loco_W0QQitemZ220564139917QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Trains_Railway_Models?hash=item335aa5af8d#ht_500wt_1182

OK, they need some work but it's a starting point for something to chop and bash.

 

Marc, this is a wonderful little layout and something I could certainly see myself having a go at with some of the budget stuff that's around on eBay.

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Just another couple of pics, until I complete the sector-plate and frontage.....

 

More great stuff, Marc.

 

I like the lighting - is it just plain sunlight?

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Well....my initial investigations, seem to reveal that with circa £500 for a loco, this will knock this idea back a little :icon_mutter: - I can usually hide the odd 2mm purchase somewhere in the books, but thats normally about a 1Oth of that price!!

 

Get a Lima CL33 or a Triang Hymek with a detailing kit and some Parkside/Slaters wagons and you could do it for a lot less than £200.

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Hi Marc,

 

Slightly off topic (well actually completely off topic!) - did Bracty Bridge ever make it into print ?

 

Stu

 

 

Hi Stu,

 

Hope you are well.....

It's in the next Hornby Mag (April)

They seem to plan well ahead at HM!

just a couple of days now.... :D

Marc

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.....with circa £500 for a loco, this will knock this idea back a little.....

 

Any chance you could post some overall shots of the layout (like the first one) just to see the layout with the fiddleyard when attached?

 

Thanks Marc,

 

Pete

 

Hi Pete,

 

My other small O gauge plan utilises some small locos....

Skytrex do a couple of small locos; an 0-4-0 diesel shunter (class 02?) a little 0-4-0 sentinel,

and I think they're doing a tram loco too?

These are quite a bit cheaper, at around £225 a loco -but you can get them cheaper, if you shop around.

At shows, I've seen a few bargains - at the Bristol O gauge show a few weeks back,

I was tempted by a very well made GWR 2-4-0 Tank, it was marked up at £320, but I could have haggled, I'm sure.

 

Like I said, in O you don't need much, and it is a very "satisfying" scale.

...Hope you get to do something in this scale - one day.....!

 

I was working on the sector-plate base this weekend,

but alas, SWMBO also had other plans....!!! (Got me making her a greenhouse :rolleyes: )

I'll post some more piccies when the sector-plate is complete, and the two parts can be joined properly.

- It's nearly there, so I'm hoping to finish it this week...

 

Cheers again :D

Marc

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More great stuff, Marc.

 

I like the lighting - is it just plain sunlight?

 

Cheers again!

Yes, I used sunlight coming in from my modelling room window,

(a moment of rare sunshine a few weeks back!)...

but I filled in the shadows with a bit of flash on some views.

 

Some models suit being lit by plain old sunlight....

...but you have to do it on the right day!

 

Marc :D

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Well....my initial investigations, seem to reveal that with circa £500 for a loco, this will knock this idea back a little icon_mutter.gif - I can usually hide the odd 2mm purchase somewhere in the books, but thats normally about a 1Oth of that price!!

 

However, it certainly has got me thinking, and if not in the immediate future, something that I might map out for when the economic crisis stabalises a little.

 

Any chance you could post some overall shots of the layout (like the first one) just to see the layout with the fiddleyard when attached?

 

Thanks Marc,

 

Pete

 

 

Hi Pete,

 

My other small O gauge plan utilises some small locos....

Skytrex do a couple of small locos; an 0-4-0 diesel shunter (class 02?) a little 0-4-0 sentinel,

and I think they're doing a tram loco too?

These are quite a bit cheaper, at around £225 a loco -but you can get them cheaper, if you shop around.

At shows, I've seen a few bargains - at the Bristol O gauge show a few weeks back,

I was tempted by a very well made GWR 2-4-0 Tank, it was marked up at £320, but I could have haggled, I'm sure.

 

Like I said, in O you don't need much, and it is a very "satisfying" scale.

...Hope you get to do something in this scale - one day.....!

 

I was working on the sector-plate base this weekend,

but alas, SWMBO also had other plans....!!! (Got me making her a greenhouse rolleyes.gif )

I'll post some more piccies when the sector-plate is complete, and the two parts can be joined properly.

- It's nearly there, so I'm hoping to finish it this week...

 

Cheers again biggrin.gif

Marc

 

I started in 0 some years ago and built a 10ftx2ft2in layout. I had one loco and around a dozen wagons. When I took it to Guildex I had to borrow a loco and coach. The loco cost about £200 the wagons were about the same. I built all the track from C+L parts. It was great fun and didn't break the bank.

Donw

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Well....my initial investigations, seem to reveal that with circa £500 for a loco,

There are plenty of kits at around the £100 mark - all you have to do is find the time and effort and will power to build one.

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I started in 0 some years ago and built a 10ftx2ft2in layout. I had one loco and around a dozen wagons. When I took it to Guildex I had to borrow a loco and coach. The loco cost about £200 the wagons were about the same. I built all the track from C+L parts. It was great fun and didn't break the bank.

Donw

 

I know I've said it before, but.....

 

There is a theory, that whatever scale you model in, it actually costs around the same!

 

Sounds implausible I know, but think about it...... because we tend to use all the space available to us - even if we don't "cram" the layout full of track, buildings etc.

 

An O gauge layout in around 6 feet by 2, and all you need is a loco a point, 3 yards of track, and 10 wagons.....

 

A 4mm layout, in the same space, and I guess you'd have around 5 - 7 locos, 4-5 points 6 yds track, and 25 wagons.....

 

In an n gauge, in the same space, you'd be looking at 12 + locos, 10 points, 9 yds track, and 35+ wagons....

 

All that, and I haven't even mentioned point motors, lights, buildings, trees, scenery etc.

 

I know the figures above are fairly arbitrary, but I haven't seen many n gauge layouts in 6 feet,

which use just one point, and as little stock as the O gauge example.......!

Could be there's at least something in that theory....

 

But whatever scale you model in.....

...the important thing is to enjoy it :D

 

Marc

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There are plenty of kits at around the £100 mark - all you have to do is find the time and effort and will power to build one.

 

I've often thought about the card model which is made by Alphagraphics,

it's a cracking little kit of a locomotive, which I think is called something like

a "Sunderland Tram?" - please forgive my ignorance if this is incorrect :(

 

Anyhow, it costs under £10, and the loco is basically a steam-powered coal wagon -

with an open driving position at each end......

That could easily be powered, using a very small motor -

there would still be bags of space for adding weight, and even sound...

 

You could build a really tiny layout - even without points (maybe in a crate :rolleyes: )

Perhaps using a wagon turntable?

(A good basis for this, is the spindle you get from buying 50 or 100 blank cds)

 

The card loco kit is a little basic, but you could easily re-make some parts from plastic-card, and I'm sure a very cheap layout could be made....quite quickly too....

 

Marc :D

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Hi Marc

 

I would agree with your comments on the cost of various scales.

In 0 gauge, a loco and 3 wagons looks like a train, whereas in 00 you need a loco plus 6 or 7 wagons to make it look like a train.

0 gauge only becomes more expensive when you build larger layouts.

 

I built a small 0 gauge steam 0-4-0 loco several years ago (can't remember who made the kit), it was targetted as a starter kit and relatively basic. Was about £40, plus wheels, motor, gear box, crew and a few fittings. I guess all this would be about £100-£120 now. Great fun to built, a good learning excercise and nice to run when I had chance. It still lives in its box and hasn't been run for quite sometime (no 0 gauge layout to run it on). I will get a couple of photos over the weekend. All I need now is a small layout, very similar to yours, Marc, and could spend many a happy hour 'playing'.

 

Richard

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Hi Marc

 

I would agree with your comments on the cost of various scales....

 

 

I built a small 0 gauge steam 0-4-0 loco several years ago (can't remember who made the kit), it was targetted as a starter kit and relatively basic......I will get a couple of photos over the weekend. All I need now is a small layout, very similar to yours, Marc, and could spend many a happy hour 'playing'.

 

Richard

 

Hi Richard,

Will look forward to seeing the photos.....

 

I'm certainly happy with just one or two locos in this scale.

It's quite satisfying just shunting a few wagons about,

and you don't really need a tremendous amount of space to achieve that.

 

I was initially thinking of doing the inside of a loco depot -

I drew up plans, built the walls for the building...

...then out came that fab model "Worcester Rd" in gauge 1 !

I didn't really want to essentially copy that idea in O,

so it became yet another idea on the back-burner.

 

I've also thought about modelling the inside of a goods depot.

Now if I could get a crane, to actually unload / load wagons.....

....a pannier tank or ex-GWR 14, a bit of smoke wafting...

There I go again :rolleyes:

 

Cheers

Marc

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Hi Marc

 

I have added a couple of photos of the tank engine. It does need a little touching up (around the cab roof) etc, but didn't notice until after I had taken the photos.

 

Just a couple of additions - the cab has a scribbed wooden floor, added clack valves (brass castings, but can't remember from where), lamp brackets, missing coupling from front etc. This a good introduction to 0 gauge modelling. Add a couple of Slaters' wagon kits (which go together very well), a couple of yards of track, a point or two. Must stop stop now, keeping thinking of ideas .... Not enough space or time to start anything else at the moment ...

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post-7854-126877636721_thumb.jpg

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Hi Marc

 

I have added a couple of photos of the tank engine. It does need a little touching up (around the cab roof) etc, but didn't notice until after I had taken the photos.....

...Must stop stop now, keeping thinking of ideas .... Not enough space or time to start anything else at the moment ...

 

Hi Mudmagnet,

 

Looks good - good quality close-up photos often reveal little defects, which you may not ever notice,

if you saw it on someone else's layout.

 

Never stop thinking of modelling ideas mate, could be the next idea turns into a fab layout!

 

I could just picture this little loco, emerging from a tight gap between tall factories or warehouses,

a layout with a single, short raduis point, and a wagon turntable,

which rotates through 90 degrees...

 

The ends of tall buildings on the opposite side of the layout frame the scene.

...a factory door at the rear opens, the wagon enters, the doors close....

...later, the loaded wagon re-appears, and is ready for departure.....

 

A bit of steam sound and some factory noises on a cd,

and hey presto! You've got an evocative, atmospheric layout!

 

...now you've got me planning! :rolleyes:

 

Marc

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...now you've got me planning! :rolleyes:

 

Marc

 

Funny you should say that Marc...

 

Since seeing your thread last week, I have not stopped thinking and researching all things O gauge this week :icon_eek:

 

I printed some point templates to lay out (blimey they are huge compared to my 2FS!) and get this....have even secured an original new Lima O class 33 in BR blue for 100 notes for which I can start to tinker with...coincides nicely with an article this month in Railway Modeller Express, I understand!

 

I am thinking, Ikea shelf layout, Wenfordbridge clay dries, circa 1980, BR blue Class O8 and a few Skytrex clay hoods to shunt back and forth.

 

See the trouble you have got me in to ;) :lol: .....How can I sneak a few O gauge purchases through the front door under the radar!

 

Pete

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