A Model Railway in a Toolbox

[AySea]

Work has continued with cutting mount board for the ground surfaces.

 

All three buildings now have parts for a sub-base and I have also cut the card to fill out the rest of the areas that will be permanently fixed to the board.

 

The first photo shows the buildings with their sub-bases. The buildings on either side of the layout have some additional space in front of them for additional details to be fixed. I plan to have a vehicle being loaded with goods from the warehouse on the right hand side, but not decided about the one on the left yet.

 

 

The rest of the areas that need raising up to match rail height were cut out next and the next photo shows all the pieces of card laid in place before gluing commences. The pieces of card between the tracks are only a sinlge thickness of card, but I may need to use some thinner sheet to ensure the road surface isn't high enough for the wagon couplings to snag on it, so they will be the last to be fixed in place after more testing with the road surface layer on top.

The remaining areas where the cork is still visible will be covered with a layer of ballast once I'm entirely happy with the other ground surface cover. Need to get the permanent sections of card glued down before I think about ballasting though.

 

[andyram]

It is looking good. Great progress.

[BobM]

Part of the reason for using the train set controller is because I've got it to hand. I may upgrade to something else at a future point, so thanks for your thoughts on it.

 

Here is my next update with a couple of pictures to show where things are at the moment. Here is an overal view to start with.

 

 

In the top right are two slide switches to change the polarity of the frogs with wire in tube running to the tiebars. I want to keep clear of the hole for the handle of the toolbox's tray to fit through so that I can remove the baseboard from the tray if needed at all and I didn't think the wire in tube would go round a tight enough curve there. It may have done, but I decided to give the angle cranks a go in case it didn't.

I bought a starter pack of the Mercontrol system from Lytchett Manor Models which gave me more than enough wire and tube for this layout and it also included the angle cranks, so I didn't have to buy multiple items for this little setup.

 

I've never used wire in tube before, and while I found the short links from the points to the angle cranks easy enough, bending the wire at the end of the runs to thread through holes drilled in the switches proved a little awkward. It all seems to work okay so far though. Here's a closer shot of the angle cranks which will need to be covered over with some kind of scenery once it's all had a thorough testing.

 

 

Still need to sort out the sockets for the controller to plug into to make sure they're easily accessable and able to be hidden by the removable buildings.

 

As before, there's a couple more pictures on Flickr (click the images above) and on my modelling blog if anyone's interested ( http://misc-model-mix.weebly.com/ )

Hi....

Super work...can I ask how did you attach the wire to the pip on the point....?

Cheers

Bob

[marc smith]

Hello AySea,
I really like the concept behind this neat little layout.
Personally, I would probably have built the fiddle / headshunt as a separate, or perhaps fold-down section, just to make the 3 sidings a bit longer
However, I also appreciate that this adds some problems too, and in some ways it's just nice to have everything on one board and no hinges and solder joins to worry about - it's neater, I suppose

I do like the nifty idea of turning this board upside-down too - although your solution also looks neat
It's great that such a small layout has encouraged some nice ideas from other modellers, and a range of nice, simple, yet ingenious solutions
I'm quite drawn to small layouts, and to layouts built into containers and the like, so I'll watch this one with interest

BTW. I think this toolbox is the same one I have (bought from B&Q, I think?) which In use as a stock box for O gauge wagons....
I think I've just about managed to cram 12 O Gauge wagons into it!

Cheers now
Marc

[AySea]

Thanks for the comments everyone. Not sure when the next update wiill be, but hopefully not too far away.

 

Hi....

Super work...can I ask how did you attach the wire to the pip on the point....?

Cheers

Bob

 

There's a small hole on the tie bar between the pip and the rails. The wire goes underneath and is bent 90 degrees so that it comes up through the hole. The wire is quite a bit smaller than the hole, so I slid a tiny length of the tube the wire runs in over the top and into the hole in the sleeper that filled the gap nicely. A small blob of glue then holds the tube it in place.

 

I hope I've written that in a way that makes sense.

 

Hello AySea,
I really like the concept behind this neat little layout.
Personally, I would probably have built the fiddle / headshunt as a separate, or perhaps fold-down section, just to make the 3 sidings a bit longer
However, I also appreciate that this adds some problems too, and in some ways it's just nice to have everything on one board and no hinges and solder joins to worry about - it's neater, I suppose

I do like the nifty idea of turning this board upside-down too - although your solution also looks neat
It's great that such a small layout has encouraged some nice ideas from other modellers, and a range of nice, simple, yet ingenious solutions
I'm quite drawn to small layouts, and to layouts built into containers and the like, so I'll watch this one with interest

BTW. I think this toolbox is the same one I have (bought from B&Q, I think?) which In use as a stock box for O gauge wagons....
I think I've just about managed to cram 12 O Gauge wagons into it!

Cheers now
Marc

 

I remember when I bought this toolbox I looked at one in Homebase and one in Argos. They were both exactly the same apart from colour and company branding. I chose the Stanley one because it was slightly cheaper at the time.

 

I'm thinking I could do with some kind of removable cassette that joins on to the headshunt to make swapping engines and wagons easier. I've got to think about making some kind of removable buffer stop for that end so nothing runs off the end accidentally, but still looks like the tracks could continue on to somewhere.

[Marly51]

Just discovered your post - I love quirky layouts and creative solutions using mundane containers for micro layputs. Well done so far and look forward to your updates!

 

Marlyn

[shortliner]

 

 

I'm thinking I could do with some kind of removable cassette that joins on to the headshunt to make swapping engines and wagons easier. I've got to think about making some kind of removable buffer stop for that end so nothing runs off the end accidentally, but still looks like the tracks could continue on to somewhere.

 

Rather than something obvious like a buffer stop, why not just use a black track pin, standing proud at a height where it will catch on the axle of the rolling stock and prevent it running off the end - or, alternatively TWO track pins, partially inserted against the inside of the rails , so the wheel flanges run  up against them - that would lower them slightly so they will be less likely to catch on Hands!

[BobM]

Cheers for the 'pip' info.....

regards always

Bob

[marc smith]

The track pin idea, which Shortliner mentions above is a neat idea
You could also think about making it a gated exit. With gate opening inwards (towards the layout) and a track pin behind the gate - to give added strength and make sure your loco can't go crashing through the gate....
A "plug-in" extension is a good idea. Actually, in this manner you could even make this a modular project....

What's to stop you building a mirror image of this layout - perhaps a loco depot / servicing shed, so you can swap engines whenever you wish?
Maybe using one of the sidings as additional wagon storage, so you can swap the wagons on the inglenook half of the layout... (using the 2 locos to do this, as you'll have no run-round)
Ah, now I'm making plans for someone else's layout. lol

[shortliner]

 

What's to stop you building a mirror image of this layout - perhaps a loco depot / servicing shed, so you can swap engines whenever you wish?

Maybe using one of the sidings as additional wagon storage, so you can swap the wagons on the inglenook half of the layout... (using the 2 locos to do this, as you'll have no run-round)

Ah, now I'm making plans for someone else's layout. lol

Don't worry, Marc - I do that all the time!  

[AySea]

A small update on this; I have started cutting out the ground surface from Metcalfe paving and cobblestone sheets, PN111.

 

I've partially glued the buffer stop in place on the siding at the top of the photo, partly to help with cutting the granite setts to fit around it and also because it doesn't fit on code 55 track so well as code 80 track, so it needed a little trimming below rail head height.

 

None of the setts have been glued in place yet which is why the space for wheel flanges doesn't look even between the rails of the siding. The card I had previously cut for between the rails did turn out to be too thick once the setts were laid on top as I had thought it may be. A replacement strip of card was cut from the edge of the metcalfe sheets being used for the top surface instead, which is about half the thickness, and that seems to be better.

 

I decided to have the setts in this section at 90 degrees to the rails with a couple of rows of setts parallel to the rails to mark the swept path of any wagons moving along the siding for vehicles to keep clear of. Clicking on the image should open up a larger version which shows the pattern clearer.

 

I've also modified the removable sub base that the central building will be glued to slightly, but you can't really see much of that in this photo.

 

[AySea]

Time for another small update on Stanley Yard, my layout built in the top of a tool box. It doesn't seem like much, but it's getting there slowly.

 

The buffer stops for the three sidings have all been glued in place. They required a bit of adjustment to get to fit properly as hopefully the photo below shows.

 

 

These are the Peco N gauge rail built buffer stops, product code SL-340. On the left is a buffer stop in position on a section of Peco code 55 track on my layout built in a toolbox. The horizontal sections of rail on the buffer stop is almost high enough to be sat on top of the rail it should be bolted to the side of.

 

The buffer stop on the right is fitted to a spare section of Peco code 80 track that I had, which is coarser than the code 55. The extra depth in the code 80 track brings the buffer stop down a bit lower to the rail sides, but the horizontal sections of the buffer stop are still too high to look correct.

 

The photo below shows the adjusted buffer stop in place where I have trimmed down the legs that clip between the sleepers to bring the height down. If anyone's interested, there's a bit more info about this on my modelling blog found by clicking here.

 

 

Before starting to glue down the sheets of granite setts for the ground surface, I thought I should probably paint the sides of the rails and the buffer stops first. So having bought some Rust colour paint from Humbrol's acrylic Rail Paints range (Code RC402), I painted a coat on and have this as the result;

 

 

The setts are just positioned loosely in place for the photo. The rust colour has a bit of a pinkish tinge to it which doesn't look too bad on the sides of the rails, but looks a bit odd on the buffer stops, so they will need some more work doing to them. The cross bar part of the buffer stops could also do with painting more realistic colours to resemble a timber beam.

[Guest ShildonShunter]

This little layout is coming along nicely no matter how long it takes to build just enjoy and have fun. Your modelling is really good looking forward to seeing more.

[AySea]

Time for another update. Since last time, I have attempted to improve the painting on the buffer stops and have laid the ballast.

 

The first photo shows how the buffer stops look before I started the ballasting
 

 

The setts in the background still haven't been glued down yet, so they don't appear in the next two photos, but now that the ballasting is mostly finished, that'll be the next thing I do.

 

 

 

I used a mixture of Fine Buff and Fine Brown ballast from Woodland Scenics so that it wasn't all one uniform colour. There's a few areas of ballast that will need building up slightly once the setts have been fixed in place to reduce the step down from the top surface.

[1722]

I've not looked at this topic for a while, can't believe how much it's come on. It's looking really good - brilliant idea and really well executed!

[AySea]

Time for another update on Stanley Yard.

 

The ground surface has now been completed with granite setts cut from the paving and cobblestone sheets produced by Metcalfe, product code PN111. The two photos below show a top view of the layout. The joints between the sections of card aren't perfect but I'm hoping I can disguise them a bit with some light weathering to blend everything together a bit. The second photo is basically the same as the first, but with the removable sections taken out that will have the buildings attached to them so they can be removed for storage.

 

 

 

The final photo below shows the overall progress so far with the layout back in the top of the toolbox and buildings loosely placed in position. The next stage is to finish off the buildings before gluing them to their bases, where I will try to bed them in so there's no obvious gaps below any walls. Whether this will be done before mid December remains to be seen, but all being well, Stanley Yard will be appearing at the Nailsea and District Model Railway Club's 2018 Open Day Show on Saturday 15th December.

 

Edit: Forgot to add the final photo;

 

Edited November 10, 2018 by AySea

[Kevin Johnson]

AySea I really like your idea of a layout inside a toolbox. Your card kit building is really good.

[Marly51]

Very. Clever!!! Love the buildings and overall track layout!

 

Marlyn

Edited November 27, 2018 by Marly51

[chuffinghell]

Brilliant

[HonestTom]

I don't know why I haven't been following this topic, it's a really nice little layout and shows just how much you can do in the scale.

[AySea]

Thanks to everyone who has commented on my layout. There's just a minor update related to the layout for this post.

 

With just one week to go before Stanley Yard's first public appearance at a show (the Nailsea and District Model Railway Club Open Day show 2018) and first proper period of operating other than a few tests, I have finished fitting and adjusting the Dapol magnetic couplings on the rolling stock I intend using. Hopefully they will all still work okay when the time comes and that I manage to position them over the magnets without too much trouble.

 

I also needed a way to select three out of the five wagons on the layout at random to shunt into the longer siding as part of the (mini) Inglenook shunting puzzle, so I've made up some cards which are shown in the photo below.

 

 

There's two sets of five cards so that I can either use BR liveried stock or GWR liveried stock. They were quickly drawn up on the computer with a photo of the wagon as a visual aid and a description of what the wagon is with it's running number beneath. Right at the very top of the cards is a unique identifier to ID each item of stock I've got for my records. I didn't need to include that on these cards, but it seemed like a good idea at the time...

Once they were printed out, they were laminated using buisness card sized laminating pouches. Just need to go and put them with the rolling stock so that I don't forget to take them with me to the show next Saturday.

[AySea]

Final update before the show on Saturday.

 

I decided to make a little stand for the selected wagon cards to go in so that they stay in order if accidentally knocked and keep them tidy.

 

The back panel is made up of a rectangle of 1.5mm thick plastic sheet with three wedges glued underneath to give it a slope for a nice viewing angle, shown to the right in the photo. On the left is the front panel, also cut from 1.5mm plastic, with a strip of 2mm half round microstrip glued to the inside of the top edge. In the middle is a spacer cut from 1mm plastic sheet (being the same thickness of the half round strip) that sits between the front and back panels. The holes are so the three parts can be held together with a couple of small machine screws with nuts on the back.

 

 

Pictured below is the completed stand with three of the cards in position. The half round strip on the inside top edge of the front panel allows the cards to slide in easily, but also holds them in position nicely.

 

[AySea]

Been a while since I last posted in here and never did an update following on from the show in December. I don't recall having any problems with the layout during the show apart from locating the uncoupling magnets on the two shorter sidings. Definately need to make some kind marker to show where they are when there's wagons blocking my view in the adjacent siding. Also, shuffling the cards and picking out the next three felt like it took a while to get a random selection of wagons each time.

 

Anyway, the main reason for this update is to show the latest progress.

 

The building that covers up the handle in the middle of the tray has had some concertina style doors glued in on the end, the doorway with the handle directly behind is closed, with the other one being half open. I had some difficulty with the doors included in the kit as the printed face of them peeled away slightly after scoring and folding them up, so in the end I found a sheet of thinner plain green card to use instead. The photo below shows one of the kit doors to the left of the building with my alternative ones glued in place. They aren't quite the same, but close enough for now.

 

 

After that, the roof was glued on. The roof sections are designed to give an even overhang on each of the individual units that make up the total building, so where they are joined together, the roof needs trimming down to fit. I obviously didn't get this quite right as there are small gaps between each of the roof sections.

 

Carrying on from there, I then glued the entire building to the base. This was done while the base was in position on the layout to help ensure the building was in just the right spot. Also, due to some minor warping of the base before reaching this stage, I wrapped a couple of large elastic bands round the layout, across the ends of the base piece, to try and hold it flat while the glue dried.

 

With the main building fixed in position, the small office section was then glued in place. I then left it all for a couple of days for the glue to fully dry before removing the elastic bands and everything seems to be secure and as intended at this stage. The buiding attached to it's base away from the layout is shown below.

 

 

I'm thinking some paper or thin card slid into the gaps between the roof sections could be used to look like some form of guttering. Then with the addition of some downpipes, the gaps and joints shouldn't be too obvious. Also, the joint between the building and the ground surface is a little obvious in places, so will need some improving somehow.

For now though, the final photo below shows the current look of the building and it's base in position on the layout.

 

[JamesGWR101]

Looking good. It's amazing to think that you can make a layout with anything using even the most strangest of things. 

[Mattawa]

Great work. But where do you store your tools now?