New Layout - 'Hufeisental'

[Alan Kettlewell]

Here's how it all fits in with the new plan for the shed: 

 

 

Cheers … Alan

[Satan's Goldfish]

Looks a good sound plan. Very nice.

[Allegheny1600]

Hi Alan,

Interesting! Like you, I have had a keen interest in British outline 0 scale, well 0 scale in general really. Tried it at least three times but I just couldn't buy this, that and the other in this scale without regard to my finances. However, if you limit yourself to just UK outline, you should be fine!

I'm pleased to see that you intend to keep at least some of your H0 and you can be assured of a continued following here, even if not so many as there will be for the 0 scale layout!

Cheers and congratulations on your recovery btw,

John.

[Vecchio]

I can fully understand the interest on 0 scale - it is the same with me, but because of lack of space (my summerhouse is used as a workshop) I put my efforts into a club layout (Frimingham, far from being finished, but always nice to work on large buildings or rolling stock)

And of course also financing is an issue. So far I own one locomotive, one (auto)coach and 6 wagons.

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by Vecchio
link added

[Alan Kettlewell]

Many thanks for the supportive comments, appreciated.  After a few hours of demolition, this is the state of the shed now!  Austria is gone!  A pity that my planned H0m mountain line has had to disappear but never mind, I'll be selling on the Bemo stock and track I bought and thinning down the accumulated H0 trains in due course. If anyone wants a list just let me know by PM. 

 

Its surprising when dismantling a project to realise just how  much work went in to building it - and all swept away in a couple of days.  Next is the big tidy up and to salvage what I can from that pile of timber.  Onwards ...

 

 

Cheers ... Alan

 

[PaulRhB]

You’ve still got a pretty big layout left  If you have multiple railway interests you can’t do everything so something usually has to go to make way for other ideas. I demolished my RhB and two G scale layouts to make way for and to finance the next ones  

[PaulRhB]

You’ve still got a pretty big layout left  If you have multiple railway interests you can’t do everything so something usually has to go to make way for other ideas. I demolished my RhB and two G scale layouts to make way for and to finance the next ones  

[Alan Kettlewell]

1 hour ago, PaulRhB said:

You’ve still got a pretty big layout left  If you have multiple railway interests you can’t do everything so something usually has to go to make way for other ideas. I demolished my RhB and two G scale layouts to make way for and to finance the next ones  

 

Hi Paul,

 

Yes that is indeed true as we still only have the same amount of time.  I too use the same method of continual funding, using proceeds from one to fund the next.  In this case I'll be raising funds for the new 0 gauge layout from sales of the HOm and some of the H0 stuff, plus I have tons of track and points, motors etc from even earlier layouts to shift, not to mention all manner of stuff up in the loft!

 

My trouble is I have a low boredom threshold, often finding I only get so far with layouts before it grinds to a halt.  I'm hoping having two to work on may just provide additional interest that when one stagnates a bit I can switch to work on the other.  I like the idea that, subject to building the additional spirals on the H0 layout, I can still run some trains around if and when I fancy a break from working on the new layout. 

 

I have no Idea if this will prove to be the case and you might have spotted I deliberately planned the new 0 gauge layout so it could be extended later.  Anyway, time will tell.

 

Cheers .., Alan

 

[PaulRhB]

1 hour ago, Alan Kettlewell said:

 

My trouble is I have a low boredom threshold, often finding I only get so far with layouts before it grinds to a halt.  I'm hoping having two to work on may just provide additional interest that when one stagnates a bit I can switch to work on the other.  

Good luck, I thought that and now got er (8) layouts!!!!

Some are very small though . . . 
 

 

[brittannia]

Good to hear from you Alan, Good luck with your O gauge  set up.

[Railpassion]

Gosh, I've just seen the devastation. The layout was an inspiration.  I've tried OO twice, N twice, HO, TT and HOm in the last ten years. I'm now on layout 7 with HO and making good progress. It's the building phase that I enjoy most, but this recent layout is now at the scenery stage and I'm still interested. It could even by finished by summer.  Excellence is the enemy of the good and all that.

 

[Alan Kettlewell]

49 minutes ago, Railpassion said:

Gosh, I've just seen the devastation. The layout was an inspiration.  I've tried OO twice, N twice, HO, TT and HOm in the last ten years. I'm now on layout 7 with HO and making good progress. It's the building phase that I enjoy most, but this recent layout is now at the scenery stage and I'm still interested. It could even by finished by summer.  Excellence is the enemy of the good and all that.

 

 

Yes it does look quite a devastating scene.  It looks a bit like this now:

 

 

You certainly have dabbled in quite a few gauges, I guess most of us work through many layouts in our modelling lives,  although you do read the occasional story that begins with something like '... I started this layout in 1964....'   however my boredom threshold kicks in a lot sooner than that.  

 

Anyway, there's unlikely to be much further work done on the remaining part of the H0 layout as I'm on with laying the track on the 0 gauge layout now - until my boredom threshold kicks in!

 

Thanks for following.

 

Cheers... Alan

 

[Michael Hodgson]

Just seen this fascinating thread.  Congratulations on all the work you have done Alan.  I was surprised and a little saddened to see the demolition though!  Whilst I understand the attractions and benefits of O gauge (especially as one gets older) it is a pity to lose what has already been achieved,

 

I was especially interested in your helix construction and the various issues you have had with Z21.  I have the same command station and probably be using it with iTRain.   I am working with British outline 00.  I anticipate constructing helices as my railway room is split level, the upper part being about 2' higher than the lower.  I expect to want to raise a 4-track main line, but don't fancy a 4-track spiral, so I think it will be a pair of helices one for the Up lines another further along for the Down, perhaps arranged to emerge as two double tracks.  

 

I do have a question about strength of the helices though.  What diameter threaded rods do you consider appropriate ?  I was thinking probably M6 or M8.  Obviously the stouter they are, the stronger they will be, but there's no point in overdoing it.  6mm ply won't support my weight anyway as certain other parts of my baseboard need to for access reasons, and no doubt as a good Yorkshireman you'll appreciate the £££ difference in not overengineering.

 

I can see there have been no posts on this thread for a few months so I do hope you have been able to make more progress on the new layout and are not suffering further health problems.  

[Alan Kettlewell]

Hi Michael,

 

Thanks for your comments and yes it is a bit of a shame when enthusiasm for a layout runs dry.  No further health problems either touch wood.    Half of it is still up but I'm uncertain if I'll continue with it.  A big put-off to dismantling it is that I'll have to remove and sell off all that good quality continental H0 stock.

 

 Regarding helices, I used 5mm rodding for the supports and for the track base I used 6mm MDF, which I certainly found to be strong enough.  I rationalise that the thicker the track bed is the steeper the gradient needs to be for each turn of the helix.  Having said that, as I ran mainly diesel and electric locos, they will handle gradients far better than steam locos will.  The steam locos I have will haul about 5 coaches up, whereas the diesel and electric locos will manage 10 or more effortlessly.

 

To make the spirals I started by cutting out 4ft outside diameter 'donuts', which is about the minimum diameter to fit Peco setback 3rd radius curves.  A double track would be a 2nd radius inside a 3rd radius which worked well - I found settrack is far better and more robust than attempting to use flexitrack - which anyway is hard to line up the joints on such a curve.  Oh and also I made them so the tighter, inner curve was always the descending line.  

 

Anyway, good luck with the project - helices are an interesting challenge and a nice combination of handyman skills and mathematics - got to get the maths right.  

 

Cheers ... Alan

 

Ps - the remaining half of the layout can still be seen if you're ever up North Yorkshire way.  

Edited August 17, 2020 by Alan Kettlewell

[Denbridge]

On 17/08/2020 at 16:49, Alan Kettlewell said:

Hi Michael,

 

Thanks for your comments and yes it is a bit of a shame when enthusiasm for a layout runs dry.  No further health problems either touch wood.    Half of it is still up but I'm uncertain if I'll continue with it.  A big put-off to dismantling it is that I'll have to remove and sell off all that good quality continental H0 stock.

 

 Regarding helices, I used 5mm rodding for the supports and for the track base I used 6mm MDF, which I certainly found to be strong enough.  I rationalise that the thicker the track bed is the steeper the gradient needs to be for each turn of the helix.  Having said that, as I ran mainly diesel and electric locos, they will handle gradients far better than steam locos will.  The steam locos I have will haul about 5 coaches up, whereas the diesel and electric locos will manage 10 or more effortlessly.

 

To make the spirals I started by cutting out 4ft outside diameter 'donuts', which is about the minimum diameter to fit Peco setback 3rd radius curves.  A double track would be a 2nd radius inside a 3rd radius which worked well - I found settrack is far better and more robust than attempting to use flexitrack - which anyway is hard to line up the joints on such a curve.  Oh and also I made them so the tighter, inner curve was always the descending line.  

 

Anyway, good luck with the project - helices are an interesting challenge and a nice combination of handyman skills and mathematics - got to get the maths right.  

 

Cheers ... Alan

 

Ps - the remaining half of the layout can still be seen if you're ever up North Yorkshire way.  

Any news on your HO layout, or did you fully succumb to the lure of 7mm scale?

[Keith Addenbrooke]

I came across this layout thread a few days ago while looking around in the Swiss Railways Forum and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working my way through it all (just a few of the longer videos still to watch).  Perhaps the most telling thing about the whole concept were the various comparisons to well known museum layouts - I think that shows just how highly regarded Hufeisental was when the build was in full swing.  For a solo project that’s some compliment, and well deserved.

 

Although I’m rather late to the party, I’d still like to record a thankyou to @Alan Kettlewell for sharing this journey.  Keith.

 

 

[Alan Kettlewell]

6 hours ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

I came across this layout thread a few days ago while looking around in the Swiss Railways Forum and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working my way through it all (just a few of the longer videos still to watch).  Perhaps the most telling thing about the whole concept were the various comparisons to well known museum layouts - I think that shows just how highly regarded Hufeisental was when the build was in full swing.  For a solo project that’s some compliment, and well deserved.

 

Although I’m rather late to the party, I’d still like to record a thankyou to @Alan Kettlewell for sharing this journey.  Keith.

 

 

 

Hello Keith,

 

That's quite a bit of reading, It is a shame I lost my way with it.  Glad you enjoyed the thread though and thank you for the compliments. 

 

The layout is half dismantled now and a new 0 gauge terminus to fiddle yard layout is underway along one side of the shed - although at a much slower pace as in this case the trackwork is mostly hand-built.  Eventually I'll dismantle the rest and I'll set about selling off all the H0 stock - funds from which are needed to fund the 0 gauge project.  It's intended that the 0 gauge layout will eventually be extended round to the other side of the shed making it a U shape.  

 

Thanks for your interest.

 

Cheers ... Alan