Shelf Island

Hi Richard, I do like this approach - building up small layouts/sections bit by bit and joining them together. One fine day I hope to do the same. I saw your progress on the Shelf/yellow section over in the SI Modelling thread, looks like good progress already. 

Edited April 10, 2020 by Mikkel

I have redrawn the plan to include "Shelf Marshes" (this has its own layout topic) and the latest mock-up of "Wellwood". If I can bring the whole of this scheme up to the scenic standard of Fairport then it should be quite a satisfying little railway.

 

In many ways, the whole scheme is now two layouts with their fiddle yards connected end-to-end each side of the chest of drawers. Operationally, this is rather good. I can run whole the railway on my own, or bring in a second operator(*).

 

- Richard.

 

(*) Right now, I am in a Covid Tier 2 area and home visitors are forbidden. But the thought is there.

Edited October 27, 2020 by 47137

That's an interesting arrangement. I have been thinking of how to link my layouts, and it never occurred to me to put the FY in the middle. Thanks for the inspiration!

1 hour ago, Mikkel said:

That's an interesting arrangement. I have been thinking of how to link my layouts, and it never occurred to me to put the FY in the middle. Thanks for the inspiration!

I claim no originality for the idea. Some years ago, I saw a narrow gauge scheme at a show, this layout had two termini and a fiddle yard between them. It seemed a really flexible way to run a layout; also the owner could choose to take only one to a show.

Thanks Richard. Those link spans, can I ask how you secure them to the layout sections?

On 29/10/2020 at 06:41, Mikkel said:

Thanks Richard. Those link spans, can I ask how you secure them to the layout sections?

 

The whole arrangement at Wellwood is temporary. The baseboard is hanging between the chest of drawers and the front of Shelf Marshes; and the link span across to the fiddle yard is a simple length of timber resting on strips of wood at both ends. The track is Kato Unitrack, laid loosely and run across the link and onto the baseboards at both ends:

 

With the track removed:

 

And the link span lifted out:

 

The arrangement at Fairport is complete. This link span is a narrow baseboard resting on supports at each end. Timber support at the left and a bit of aluminium at the right:

 

The link is held to stop lifting, sliding and twisting by two pairs of pop rivets used as dowels:

 

 

The pop rivets simply pull out and I can then lift the link span out of the way. I have to use removable dowels here because Fairport is fixed to the wall and the baseboard to the right is jammed against the  wall in the corner of the room. There is no free space to slide things along to dis-engage the usual pattern makers dowels.

 

See also Wellwood (provisional version)

Edited November 1, 2020 by 47137

Clever use of Pop rivets. that really is thinking outside the box!

Many thanks for that comprehensive response Richard, and illustrated too! As Don says, nice use of the pop rivets. 

 

This is all very inspiring. I have some magnets I can hardly pull apart. The question is, would I trust them to hold a layout link, and thereby my precious trains? 

 

Anyway, it looks like there is room for more layouts in your room. Should keep you busy for a while yet!

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by Mikkel

3 hours ago, Mikkel said:

Should keep you busy for a while yet!

 

Sometimes I feel it will never end. I intended to build "Shelf Marshes" as far as its track and turnout motors, and then do the scenics on the main baseboard. But as "Shelf Marshes" has progressed, I've realised I have built the basis for a better layout and I could even remove the main baseboard and build something else.

 

There is also a thought, to build "Wellwood" in 1:55 scale. My H0 trains would run through without difficulty, but the section would be home to a 3 ft gauge railway built in the larger scale.

 

What is good, it to be able to connect the TrainSafe tubes onto the layout. The original access for these through the fiddle yard has been blocked off by the chest of drawers for ages, ever since I closed up the gap between the them.