[Shunting Layout in a laptop box]

UPDATE 27/06/2019:

 

Purchased a few more Westfoam boards from Hobbycraft and started making the details. Purchasing a basic roll of brick paper. To keep the budget quite controlled, applying the paper to the cut out allows for an extra layer inside the box, with a smoother edge as well. 

 

Also painting the platforms with a mixture of greys and stone colours to create a dirt and gritty platform as if it were relayed. The yellow lines are a bit rough around the edges but a tidy up later down the line will clean it up.

[Shunting Layout in a laptop box]

6 hours ago, rodshaw said:

I see the shunter has incompatible couplings but no doubt you have plans to replace them.

Aha yeah, I have a spare OO Gauge compatible coupling hook which I need to attach to the front of the chassis and find another to replace the rear coupling. Serves its purpose for pulling rolling stock, but could do with new couplings.

[Shunting Layout in a laptop box]

14 hours ago, south_tyne said:

Great start Tom!

 

Very personally, I would be tempted to drop one of the sidings and just go for three. Then you could probably squeeze in a 3-2-2 inglenook, which would help with 'play' potential. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

 

David 

 

Thank you very much, David! I had a little tweak with the track and removed the siding branching off closest to the platform, and in replacement a second island platform will be there as pictured below. Thank you for the advice, I like the look of it more now. Thanks again.

[Shunting Layout in a laptop box]

5 hours ago, MrDuck said:

It’s great to see another little box layout coming together. As TA said it’s a good idea to reinforce the base of your layout.

 

On 22/06/2019 at 22:06, TechnicArrow said:

Looks like a good start. Over the past year I've found having a shunting layout at Uni is certainly very therapeutic, even more so if there is very little setting up involved to be able to run trains.

As for this scene, I recommend you reinforce the base by sandwiching another layer of card or two - either the stuff you find as the back of paper pads, or a few layers of cereal box card, to allow the base to take glue and paint comfortably. I look forward to seeing what you can achieve!

 

Hi guys, thanks for the advice, I put an extra layer of corrugated cardboard underneath both the fiddle yard/power track and the layout itself, and the track pins have been very sturdy when testing. Thank you both again for the advice.

[Shunting Layout in a laptop box]

27 minutes ago, Berry said:

Nice start. I'll follow your work with interest. Maybe you can find some ideas in this video:Nice start. I'll follow your work with interest. Maybe you can find some ideas in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlytgYOxyJo

 

 

 

Brilliant! Thank you so much I’ll give it a look! I’m glad you like the start of it, saw your oval layout as well, I like the look of that and the progress of it. Nice one!

[Shunting Layout in a laptop box]

Hi all, I’m fairly new to model railway-ing, and I’ve been intrigued by how you can fit detail and layouts in small spaces, so this thread is just a process of me learning detail in a small shunting layout and budgeting well. 

 

My intention is to have a complete small layout to take to university as something to look at in my down time. If you find the development of this layout interesting I look forward to hearing your feedback. Thank you

 

The images below are the first starts of my layout, it’s inside a 15 inch laptop box, using a LIMA shunter from the market. The platform is made from Westfoam A1 sheets