New Comer Starting Out

[David Wright]

Hi the RMWeb,

 

I'm looking to start my adventure into O Gauge modelling, a hobbie I've had a huge interest in but never really got round to it (and always been put of by the price of things). Around a year ago I went of travelling for 11 months and posted on the forum about some publications that would be useful for me and with some kind feedback from users I was advised and brought Gordon Gravett's 7mm Modelling Part One - An Introduction and two Trevor Booth books; Based Board Basics & Creating the Scenic Landscape. I'm starting to read through these now so apologies if some of my questions are inside these books. 

 

My questions to you 7mm modellers are:

 

- What is a good size layout to start with? My guess would be a small shunting yard at 6" x 3"?

- What is a good kit to start building, for a locomotive 0 Gauge Guild recommends the Connoisseur 0-4-0 Industrial tank engine as a starter kit. Are wagons as complicated or can you dive in with any wagon?

- What tools do I need to buy that are essential? So far I know I need a soldering Iron and scalpel.

 

Any replies are much appreciated and if you do have time to explain a few things in more detail that most modellers would understand I am very grateful.

 

Thankyou,

 

Dave

[asa]

Hi David,

I would recommend the Barclay 040 ST or the class 02 diesel from the Tower collection at Tower Models.

They are very simple to put together and can either be soldered with low melt or glued together with epoxy.

Because of their weight they will pull anything.

Some plastic wagon kits from Parkside or Slaters to shunt up and down will keep you amused for hours.

As far as space is concerned I don't think you will ever have enough,although a small shunting plank will be cheaper and quicker to get running and finished.

The Connoisseur kit would also be a good one to start with as would his starter wagons.Jim offers loads of advice for building his kits.

Good luck with whatever type you choose.

Regards

Alistair.

[Vin]

Hi Dave,

A good set of files, round, square, flat and half round. Will last you for years and are an essential set of tools.

I'd personally start with something small, like a wagon. This will hone your skills and is something that will get finished. Then you sit back and say "I built that! Next kit."

O gauge loco kits are complicated for the best of us, which is why there are always part finished ones up for sale or just langishing in draws.

 

Regards

Vi

[David Wright]

Hi David,

I would recommend the Barclay 040 ST or the class 02 diesel from the Tower collection at Tower Models.

They are very simple to put together and can either be soldered with low melt or glued together with epoxy.

Because of their weight they will pull anything.

Some plastic wagon kits from Parkside or Slaters to shunt up and down will keep you amused for hours.

As far as space is concerned I don't think you will ever have enough,although a small shunting plank will be cheaper and quicker to get running and finished.

The Connoisseur kit would also be a good one to start with as would his starter wagons.Jim offers loads of advice for building his kits.

Good luck with whatever type you choose.

Regards

Alistair.

Thanks very much for you advice! I'll look into those kits.

Hi Dave,

A good set of files, round, square, flat and half round. Will last you for years and are an essential set of tools.

I'd personally start with something small, like a wagon. This will hone your skills and is something that will get finished. Then you sit back and say "I built that! Next kit."

O gauge loco kits are complicated for the best of us, which is why there are always part finished ones up for sale or just langishing in draws.

 

Regards

Vi

Thanks very much for you advice! I'll have a look and see if I can find some files. A wagon seems like a good place to start for a cheap price. 

[81A Oldoak]

Other tools:

 

- A good vice.

- Pin chucks and a selection of drill bits. An electric mini-drill is also very useful.

- 3/8 inch parallel reamer for axle bearings.

- Miniature engineers' squares.

- Pliers. Small, long nose for bending handrails and a more general purpose pair.

- Jeweller's screwdrivers

- Fibre glass burnishing pen.

- Razor saw.

- Metal hair clips for hollding parts. Also useful as heat-sinks.

 

Trevor Booth's book on on constructing 7mm scale locos and rolling stock is good for an 0 gauge beginner.

[jamie92208]

I can reiterate about the Slater's wagon kits they nealy fall together.  The one tip that I would give you is to fit the buffers and couplers to the ends before you assemble the body.  It gets a bit fiddly if you leave it till later.  Another good idea is a small sheet of plate glass to put vehicles on to check that the wheels are level.   However just remember to have fun.

 

Jamie

[BG John]

As another newcomer to O gauge, I think it's worth building a very small and quick starter layout, where you can run your first few pieces of stock. That's what my Cheapside Yard is for, although I've complicated things by adding O-16.5 too! A 3-2-2 inglenook shunting puzzle only needs 5 wagons and one small loco. It's a bit boring to operate with the four I have running at the moment, but still worthwhile. You could squeeze the O gauge part into 3ft x 1ft, with a traverser as I have, using less than 2 yards of track. Or have a look at Jim Read's micro layouts. If it's very quick and cheap, you can dump it when you've got enough stock  and time to build something bigger, or keep it because it's fun and you can practice techniques by altering and rebuilding it, before applying them to a bigger layout.

[David Wright]

I can reiterate about the Slater's wagon kits they nealy fall together.  The one tip that I would give you is to fit the buffers and couplers to the ends before you assemble the body.  It gets a bit fiddly if you leave it till later.  Another good idea is a small sheet of plate glass to put vehicles on to check that the wheels are level.   However just remember to have fun.

 

Jamie

Thanks for your advice, I'll have a look at the a slater kit to start then as your the second person to mention it. Thanks.

 

As another newcomer to O gauge, I think it's worth building a very small and quick starter layout, where you can run your first few pieces of stock. That's what my Cheapside Yard is for, although I've complicated things by adding O-16.5 too! A 3-2-2 inglenook shunting puzzle only needs 5 wagons and one small loco. It's a bit boring to operate with the four I have running at the moment, but still worthwhile. You could squeeze the O gauge part into 3ft x 1ft, with a traverser as I have, using less than 2 yards of track. Or have a look at Jim Read's micro layouts. If it's very quick and cheap, you can dump it when you've got enough stock  and time to build something bigger, or keep it because it's fun and you can practice techniques by altering and rebuilding it, before applying them to a bigger layout.

Brilliant, thanks for your advice. The shunting puzzle looks quite easy to start with. Thankyou!

[alant]

Hi David,

 

Welcome to the fold !

 

I started many years with a Slater's wagon kit and then Connoisseur Models 0-4-0 starter kit loco as you mention. As many people will say, Connoisseur kits go together relatively easily and Jim, the owner, is very approachable and helpful.

 

Good luck with your plans.

 

Alan.

[Poggy1165]

I agree that some of the Slaters and Parkside wagon kits are quite simple and mainly of plastic construction. However, choose with care as they are not all equally simple. The Slater's cylindrical tank wagon, for example, is quite demanding and some of the brake van kits are complex too. ABS do some very nice simple white metal wagon kits, which can be glued although low-melt solder is better. (The hard bit is getting hold of them. The ABS stand at the three main GOG exhibitions is your best bet.)

 

One problem you may come across as a beginner is where to get detailing bits. The most accessible source is Slaters. Parkside Dundas will sell you pretty much anything from their kits if you ask nicely. The ABS stand will also have many useful detailing parts for wagons. Laurie Griffin Miniatures does some wonderful detailing parts, mostly for locos but a few for wagons. Hobby Holidays is another good source of 'bits'.

 

Final thing is - don't be afraid to ask! I made some really silly mistakes when I started because I didn't. To be honest, looking at prototype photos and drawings is often a good thing as there's a lot of detail work in 7mm scale, and if you don't understand the prototype it can be confusing.

[brianthesnail96]

I reckon that the Parkside kits are probably slightly easier than Slaters, on balance- although I've only done a few. The handful of Peco ones go together well too so I'm told.

 

I'd suggest starting with say a Parkside 16T mineral wagon, they aren't overly expensive and will give you a good introduction, admittedly finding prototype info is a bit of a minefield due to the sheer number of variants. Good opportunity to practice weathering too.

[David Wright]

Hi David,

 

Welcome to the fold !

 

I started many years with a Slater's wagon kit and then Connoisseur Models 0-4-0 starter kit loco as you mention. As many people will say, Connoisseur kits go together relatively easily and Jim, the owner, is very approachable and helpful.

 

Good luck with your plans.

 

Alan.

That's great, I'll look into the Connoisseur starter kit when I have a few more tools and maybe start with a Slaters wagon kit. Thanks for the advice.

 

I agree that some of the Slaters and Parkside wagon kits are quite simple and mainly of plastic construction. However, choose with care as they are not all equally simple. The Slater's cylindrical tank wagon, for example, is quite demanding and some of the brake van kits are complex too. ABS do some very nice simple white metal wagon kits, which can be glued although low-melt solder is better. (The hard bit is getting hold of them. The ABS stand at the three main GOG exhibitions is your best bet.)

 

One problem you may come across as a beginner is where to get detailing bits. The most accessible source is Slaters. Parkside Dundas will sell you pretty much anything from their kits if you ask nicely. The ABS stand will also have many useful detailing parts for wagons. Laurie Griffin Miniatures does some wonderful detailing parts, mostly for locos but a few for wagons. Hobby Holidays is another good source of 'bits'.

 

Final thing is - don't be afraid to ask! I made some really silly mistakes when I started because I didn't. To be honest, looking at prototype photos and drawings is often a good thing as there's a lot of detail work in 7mm scale, and if you don't understand the prototype it can be confusing.

Fantastic, you've provided me with some really useful information, thankyou. I'll look into what you've mentioned.

 

I reckon that the Parkside kits are probably slightly easier than Slaters, on balance- although I've only done a few. The handful of Peco ones go together well too so I'm told.

 

I'd suggest starting with say a Parkside 16T mineral wagon, they aren't overly expensive and will give you a good introduction, admittedly finding prototype info is a bit of a minefield due to the sheer number of variants. Good opportunity to practice weathering too.

Okay sir I'll look into those wagon kits. Thanks for your advice!

[81A Oldoak]

There are also reasonably priced RTR locos that can get you going quickly.

[Simond]

Yeah, I've heard some good reports about Dapol....

 

(Sorry Chris, couldn't resist!)

 

Best

Simon

[TheGhostofNigelGresley]

Hi Dave,

 

Start with a wagon would be my advice.

 

Then sit back when you've built it and be freaked out by how big it is....

[MarcD]

Dave.

 

I agree with the advice about getting tooled up buy the best you can afford in the way of tooling on the whole when it comes to tooling you get what you pay for.

 

As for wagons and rolling stock there are 3 options "Ready to Run", Kits and scratch build. Each one has its merits and I have examples of all in my stock box. When it comes to kits life becomes a matter of what you like and how confident you are in building. There are 5 main types of kit: etched metal; cast metal; cast resin; ejection moulded plastic and ones that use a mixture. All have there plus' and negatives. You just have to remember most kits are some with out wheels, motors, transfers, etc so when you buy a kit make sure you ask what's need to complete it. 

 

When I started out I was told to build at least 10 wagons kits be for trying to build a loco as if you balls up a wagon its less costly. Also wagon building is quicker and you will pick things up faster as you will see the results in a short space in time. Without wanting to blow my own trumpet we have all our kits labelled with a corresponding skill level 1 being very easy mainly plastic and white metal up to 4 which is an etched kit.

 

If you want some advice on which way to go there is the Reading 0 Gauge show in a few weeks and I think I can say on behalf of my fellow O gauge traders all you need to do is visit the stands an ask questions. We are on the whole modellers who run thing for fellow modellers.

 

As for layouts if you go to the "Scratchy Bottom" thread you can see my latest efforts. It measures 14ft by 18inches including the fiddle yards. I bought my base boards from Grainge and Hodder as flat packs, glue and pined them together and used peco track.

 

The main thing is have a go, enjoy what you are doing and your are always better than you think you are as you will be your own worst critic.

 

Marc       

[David Wright]

Dave.

 

I agree with the advice about getting tooled up buy the best you can afford in the way of tooling on the whole when it comes to tooling you get what you pay for.

 

As for wagons and rolling stock there are 3 options "Ready to Run", Kits and scratch build. Each one has its merits and I have examples of all in my stock box. When it comes to kits life becomes a matter of what you like and how confident you are in building. There are 5 main types of kit: etched metal; cast metal; cast resin; ejection moulded plastic and ones that use a mixture. All have there plus' and negatives. You just have to remember most kits are some with out wheels, motors, transfers, etc so when you buy a kit make sure you ask what's need to complete it. 

 

When I started out I was told to build at least 10 wagons kits be for trying to build a loco as if you balls up a wagon its less costly. Also wagon building is quicker and you will pick things up faster as you will see the results in a short space in time. Without wanting to blow my own trumpet we have all our kits labelled with a corresponding skill level 1 being very easy mainly plastic and white metal up to 4 which is an etched kit.

 

If you want some advice on which way to go there is the Reading 0 Gauge show in a few weeks and I think I can say on behalf of my fellow O gauge traders all you need to do is visit the stands an ask questions. We are on the whole modellers who run thing for fellow modellers.

 

As for layouts if you go to the "Scratchy Bottom" thread you can see my latest efforts. It measures 14ft by 18inches including the fiddle yards. I bought my base boards from Grainge and Hodder as flat packs, glue and pined them together and used peco track.

 

The main thing is have a go, enjoy what you are doing and your are always better than you think you are as you will be your own worst critic.

 

Marc       

Wonderful Marc, thanks very much for your comment - I'll take alot from it so I appreciate it.

[peter220950]

Welcome David,

 

Sorry I'm a bit late to the party, I've been out playing trains. - I agree with pretty much everything above, all sound advice it's also worth considering a Jim McGowan Connoissuer wagon kit as a 'bridge' between a Parkside/Slaters wagon and a brass loco. It's a cheaper way to get used to working with brass. He also has some very useful guides on the website, that will be of use.

 

http://www.jimmcgeown.com/Print%20Outs.html

 

Cost out the loco kit first though, by the time you have bought wheels, motor, paint etc. you could be close to the lower end of rtr loco costs. If you have a burning desire to build a loco it's fine, but you may wish to get something going first, in which case there are usually rtr options in the £150-£175 range around.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IXION-HUDSWELL-CLARKE-0-6-0-STANDARD-CONTRACTORS-TANK-O-GAUGE-LOCO-BOXED-/141821634942?hash=item21053a697e:g:KEYAAOSwWKtUwAP~

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IXION-FOWLER-GWR-O-4-0-DIESEL-MECHANICAL-O-GAUGE-LOCO-BOXED-/131651545227?hash=item1ea70b288b:g:MZAAAOSwVL1V~EEE

 

Initially Peco/C&L track is a good start, though with a bit of practice making your own points becomes a cheap alternative.

 

The important thing is to get started, and even if you make mistakes they are rarely fatal. Once you have something to play with you will be hooked, Also don't discount  some of the exhibition stand 'offers' on Skytrex rtr wagons, if they are still around there's usually a few coal wagons to be found for around £15 a piece, they're not that accurate but provide a good start  to getting some working rolling stock.

 

Once you have got the feel of O you can start to formulate plans based on what appeals to you. - Gordon Gravetts second volume is also a good buy. - A visit to any of the O Gauge Guild/ALSRM shows, Telford,, Reading etc. is also worthwhile, even if you don't join the Guild, as it gathers a lot of the suppliers together, and often has good second hand offerings..

 

Keep us all posted with progress, and don't hesitate to ask for advice, there's some pretty  useful modellers lurking around these pages.

 

Peter

[David Wright]

Welcome David,

 

Sorry I'm a bit late to the party, I've been out playing trains. - I agree with pretty much everything above, all sound advice it's also worth considering a Jim McGowan Connoissuer wagon kit as a 'bridge' between a Parkside/Slaters wagon and a brass loco. It's a cheaper way to get used to working with brass. He also has some very useful guides on the website, that will be of use.

 

http://www.jimmcgeown.com/Print%20Outs.html

 

Cost out the loco kit first though, by the time you have bought wheels, motor, paint etc. you could be close to the lower end of rtr loco costs. If you have a burning desire to build a loco it's fine, but you may wish to get something going first, in which case there are usually rtr options in the £150-£175 range around.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IXION-HUDSWELL-CLARKE-0-6-0-STANDARD-CONTRACTORS-TANK-O-GAUGE-LOCO-BOXED-/141821634942?hash=item21053a697e:g:KEYAAOSwWKtUwAP~

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IXION-FOWLER-GWR-O-4-0-DIESEL-MECHANICAL-O-GAUGE-LOCO-BOXED-/131651545227?hash=item1ea70b288b:g:MZAAAOSwVL1V~EEE

 

Initially Peco/C&L track is a good start, though with a bit of practice making your own points becomes a cheap alternative.

 

The important thing is to get started, and even if you make mistakes they are rarely fatal. Once you have something to play with you will be hooked, Also don't discount  some of the exhibition stand 'offers' on Skytrex rtr wagons, if they are still around there's usually a few coal wagons to be found for around £15 a piece, they're not that accurate but provide a good start  to getting some working rolling stock.

 

Once you have got the feel of O you can start to formulate plans based on what appeals to you. - Gordon Gravetts second volume is also a good buy. - A visit to any of the O Gauge Guild/ALSRM shows, Telford,, Reading etc. is also worthwhile, even if you don't join the Guild, as it gathers a lot of the suppliers together, and often has good second hand offerings..

 

Keep us all posted with progress, and don't hesitate to ask for advice, there's some pretty  useful modellers lurking around these pages.

 

Peter

I really appreciate all the information you've given me. I will post in here when I start my first wagon to update you all I'll just focus on starting to get some tools for myself first before I buy any kits. Thanks for your time! Dave

[Derbys65]

Welcome from another slow newcomer , my layout is 12x3

[hartleymartin]

Build a few wagons first. The Parkside Dundas and Slaters open wagons are probably the best place to start.

 

If you want to get things running a good purchase is an RTR loco. The three now available are the Dapol A1/A1x Terrier, Ixion Hudswell Clarke and the Minverva Peckett E class. The Fowler Diesel is another good option if you like diseasals!

 

Plastic kits are the easiest followed by cast whitemetal and urethane then etched brass. I don't get along with brass etch but some people take to it loke the proverbial duck. Open wagons are the easiest followed by vans, 4 wheel coaches and then bogie stock then locos.

 

Take your time with kits. It is very easy to loose patience. I usually take a couple of months to build a kit because I break it down into very small projects. The first few sessions are often just cleaning up castings and checking that everything fits in a dry run. Saves a lot of headaches later down the track.

[David Wright]

Welcome from another slow newcomer , my layout is 12x3

Just had a mooch at your layout, looks great and you seem to know what your doing, I'll follow it closely.

 

Build a few wagons first. The Parkside Dundas and Slaters open wagons are probably the best place to start.

 

If you want to get things running a good purchase is an RTR loco. The three now available are the Dapol A1/A1x Terrier, Ixion Hudswell Clarke and the Minverva Peckett E class. The Fowler Diesel is another good option if you like diseasals!

 

Plastic kits are the easiest followed by cast whitemetal and urethane then etched brass. I don't get along with brass etch but some people take to it loke the proverbial duck. Open wagons are the easiest followed by vans, 4 wheel coaches and then bogie stock then locos.

 

Take your time with kits. It is very easy to loose patience. I usually take a couple of months to build a kit because I break it down into very small projects. The first few sessions are often just cleaning up castings and checking that everything fits in a dry run. Saves a lot of headaches later down the track.

Thanks very much, wagons seems to be the way to break into the 7mm world. I'll start with a slaters I think. Thanks for you help!

[Derbys65]

Wish I did mate lol, trial and error . Got some more to update it hopefully this weekend

[Sun VI]

Like you, I'm just beginning with O gauge.  If you want to have a go at a low cost brass model, have a look at Severn Models and the 7mm pent roof shed that is offered.  For £16 it would give you an introduction and the shed could easily be used somewhere on a layout. (For a reason unknown to me I can't paste the web site address.)  N.B. I've no connection with the business, just a satisfied customer.

 

[David Wright]

Like you, I'm just beginning with O gauge.  If you want to have a go at a low cost brass model, have a look at Severn Models and the 7mm pent roof shed that is offered.  For £16 it would give you an introduction and the shed could easily be used somewhere on a layout. (For a reason unknown to me I can't paste the web site address.)  N.B. I've no connection with the business, just a satisfied customer.

Just had a look at that Sir, looks nice and cheap and I may invest when I have some tools. Looks like a good place to start with brass. I'll maybe have a pop at one or two plastic kits first then invest in this before I start on brass kits. Thanks for your advice mate.