bmthtrains' N gauge projects

I know exactly what you mean, although a Northerner there is something about these 3rd rail emus that cries out 'buy me!!'

 

I too am a lifer to N gauge having sold all my OO stuff when I reached the age that a simple loop was not enough (mind I only have very limited space now that I am married with children).

 

But seeing these units makes me think simple terminus - one platform and a bay, couple of stabling sidings and perhaps a very basic freight siding.

 

Of course we can hope that Bachmann fulfils it promise to replicate N/OO ranges and Dapol (ugly word for you at the moment I know) do some Southern units in N.

I know exactly where you coming from here David, I have for many years thought about 00 layouts, always wanted a engineers yard with a couple of 08's or 09's, problem for me has always been i'm spoilt for choice, My father has a large loft layout in 00 which i built a lot of and in doing so purchased a fair bit of 00 stock as well, only trouble is its 1950's western region steam, not a problem until i bought 3 Hornby class 60's then some Heljan 47's Bachmann 37's and so on, now i have a lovely selection of modern image loco's and rolling stock but no Modern layout to operate them on, I to will probably get a VEP and CEP and quite probably the EPB so now i may have to build a 00 terminus. To cut a long story short i think if you can afford it and you have the space you do as you please.

You think 00 is a problem i've got 12 yards of 0 gauge track and some points to play with, a cause of many headaches...

 

Graham.

I will steer clear of O gauge for now!! That would get expensive!

 

Here's how a version of my '4 day layout' would size up in OO. My maximum size, if I keep it thin, at say 16 inches, is 13 feet long, so including a 5 foot run off board (to allow 4 car sets to park up), I end up with 8 feet visible. I've blocked on some sizes of locos and an EMU - but would this entertain me? This stock could only run on this layout, unlike in N, where the stock can go wizzing round Ring Road...

 

David

 

Hi David,

I've been wondering the opposite with all the beautiful models being released in N gauge!

Your OO layout would be very different to your N gauge projects - space constrained I suspect! That's no bad thing. I'd maybe consider an inner city terminus, retaining walls, busy street scenes, roads crossing the railway at several points along it's length. Cyril Freezer's classic minories theme would be perfect. I have considered building an urban minories based layout for about 6 months but with the 2010 project and an incomplete Paxton Road it will have to wait (until someone releases a kit for a 507/508 EMU - it's a Merseyrail based concept!).

 

Good luck. You will enjoy the greater scenic fidelity you can achieve in 4mm.

 

James

Hi David,

I've been wondering the opposite with all the beautiful models being released in N gauge!

Your OO layout would be very different to your N gauge projects - space constrained I suspect! That's no bad thing. I'd maybe consider an inner city terminus, retaining walls, busy street scenes, roads crossing the railway at several points along it's length. Cyril Freezer's classic minories theme would be perfect. I have considered building an urban minories based layout for about 6 months but with the 2010 project and an incomplete Paxton Road it will have to wait (until someone releases a kit for a 507/508 EMU - it's a Merseyrail based concept!).

 

Good luck. You will enjoy the greater scenic fidelity you can achieve in 4mm.

 

James

 

I was just going to say that I've always thought that a Minories type plan would particularly suit a MU based layout and it would be quite easy and quick to build and prefect if you are short of space.

I'm going to buy a length of track and a wagon at the weekend, and sit and stare at it to help me get into the OO mood!

 

If I do venture into it, it will certainly be in DCC as I'd like the occasional sound loco, but DCC does seem hugely scary, and there doesn't seem to be much 'beginners' info out there. Ian Morton's DCC book is reprinting, so I can't find a book to give me tips. I need to scour the net for a really basic website - my main thing is, how do you wire the track if its all live - points come to mind!

 

David

I'm going to buy a length of track and a wagon at the weekend, and sit and stare at it to help me get into the OO mood!

 

If I do venture into it, it will certainly be in DCC as I'd like the occasional sound loco, but DCC does seem hugely scary, and there doesn't seem to be much 'beginners' info out there. Ian Morton's DCC book is reprinting, so I can't find a book to give me tips. I need to scour the net for a really basic website - my main thing is, how do you wire the track if its all live - points come to mind!

 

David

 

David,

 

The beauty of DCC is that all track needs to be live. My layout (Buxstone see the old RMWeb) is my fisrst attempt and it is conventional wiring that always put me off - in particular my confusion around cab control!

 

With DCC simply use electrofrog points and make sure you put insulating fishplates at the opposite end to the toe (sure there is a name for it but I'm having a blank spot! - the end where the point has two tracks). Personally I used a Track Bus kit from Express models and put power to the toe end of each point. It really is a s simple as 2 wires. Blue to the far track, brown to the near track.

 

Have a go, I am sure you won't be disappointed.

 

Jeff

Thanks for the advice, I'm going to look into controllers, see what cheap but non-basic ones are available.

 

It will be very hard to think in OO - having just cut out some lining paper to the size I can play with (13feet x 15inches), what's the first thing I do? Plonk an N gauge 60 on it I could model the approach to Manchester Piccadilly on there!

 

Must think 'background for nice model locos' and not 'cor, what a huge space!'

 

David

Right, plunge taken - have ordered a Dynamis controller and a DCC Sound class 37 to play with. For the moment that will have a few yards of track on the table to run on, until I decide whether to embark on a OO layout!

 

David

Thanks for the advice, I'm going to look into controllers, see what cheap but non-basic ones are available.

 

It will be very hard to think in OO - having just cut out some lining paper to the size I can play with (13feet x 15inches), what's the first thing I do? Plonk an N gauge 60 on it I could model the approach to Manchester Piccadilly on there!

 

Must think 'background for nice model locos' and not 'cor, what a huge space!'

 

David

 

Ha, there you go, OO musings have led you to your next big layout in N - go on do Man Picc, you know you want to.

The EMUS are long! Too long possibly in fact! I bought a Hornby Toad brake van today, to get used to the size, and actually, it doesn't do much for me! I can see why steam is better in OO as you can appreciate the shapes and curves of the loco, but most modern stuff is basically a box, so when 'blown up' from N to OO, its rather disapointingly unspectacular!

 

There are certainly OO locos I would like, the sound 37 is on its way, then there's the sound O8 later this year, and hopefully the Bachmann MPV. However, looking at the length of the EMUs I would like, I honestly dont think I can build a layout in OO that would do them justice. I think my foray into OO will be limited to a small shunting/depot layout to run up and down favourite loco models, as when I start to plan anything like a station layout, I immediately see why I model in N!

 

OO will be for collecting models, N will be for running trains!

 

David

You are being seduced into the modern man's BLT - a shed/wagon works.

 

But of course the reason the BLT was so popular in the past is exactly why the shed/wagon works is now - space, something that becomes very apparent when compared to your majestic efforts in N.

 

There was a small shed layout at Wakefield, George St Stabling Point. It had been updated since I last saw it and it was now a Freightliner fuelling point and wagon repair depot. The only engines I saw apart from an 08 was a selection of 66s in different but striking liveries. It was operated with sound but the only thing I could hear was ying ying and I actually thought what's the point. So if you do go down this route, make sure for your own sanity there is a variety of locomotive types, preferably blue!

Yes, this will actually be a different era for me - late BR, 80s/90s stuff. I heard a sound 66 and it just sort of hummed, not what you want for ??200! 37s, 31s, 08s, noisy things! I will indulge my fascination with PW stuff, so now have a Toad and 2 Urchins for the 37 to pull, and a nice circle of set track to get to used to DCC on.

 

The point of any layout I end up with will be to showcase and enjoy the sound locos, as you are right, space is a huge issue and I can acheive far greater things in N

 

David