JamesGWR101 Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 I am thinking of doing a small OO gauge layout using a shoebox. The shoebox is one of those Dunlop ones which open out to the side. I haven't decided on the track plan yet but i am working out what would be suitable for it. I will let you know on updates of the layout. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 17, 2019 Author Share Posted April 17, 2019 This is the shoebox I'll be using for the layout. I'm thinking to have the layout as either a end to end with a fiddle yard or have it without a fiddle yard so I can put more stuff on it such as a level crossing. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke the train spotter Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Sounds good. Id definitely recommend having a fiddle yard. Any ideas what scale / region / era / theme the layout will be? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Keith Addenbrooke Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2019 Hi there. If you have access to the carendt.com website then page 28 August 2004 of the Small Layout scrapbook has a number of ideas, including OO gauge. I never got beyond lining my box with hardboard before moving house a month later, but others reached completion and were very good. Hope it helps, Keith. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor_harley Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 James it’s amazing what kind of layout you can build in a box. I look forward to your plans and progress. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 17, 2019 Author Share Posted April 17, 2019 3 hours ago, luke the train spotter said: Sounds good. Id definitely recommend having a fiddle yard. Any ideas what scale / region / era / theme the layout will be? It's going to be in OO gauge and I'm thinking of either doing the layout in the 'Big four' era, the BR era or BR blue era. As I have locomotives with liveries in these eras. I also have rolling stock which is suitable for each period. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 17, 2019 Author Share Posted April 17, 2019 I've cut the back of the shoebox and flattened it out. The layout is now starting to take shape. I'll have to sort out a track plan before I can do anything else. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 17, 2019 Author Share Posted April 17, 2019 There is also a rather large gap where I've cut down the corners. I'm going to have to sort that out! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor_harley Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 James an idea with the gap. You could put a bridge of some kind in that gap with the track running under and may be a farm track or road on the bridge. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 17, 2019 Author Share Posted April 17, 2019 22 minutes ago, Ivor_harley said: James an idea with the gap. You could put a bridge of some kind in that gap with the track running under and may be a farm track or road on the bridge. Thanks for the idea Ivor. I'll have a think about it. Maybe I will put a bridge across to hide the gap... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 17, 2019 Author Share Posted April 17, 2019 I haven't got much track so my options are limited as most of it has been used on another larger OO gauge layout. Here's what I've got. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor_harley Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 James you should be able to make a great track layout with the track you have. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 17, 2019 Author Share Posted April 17, 2019 37 minutes ago, Ivor_harley said: James you should be able to make a great track layout with the track you have. Thanks Ivor. I appreciate your comment. I have a track plan sorted out for the layout Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 I've just encountered a problem. The shoebox is not as long as I thought it was. The only solution for me is to flatten out the side of the shoebox so I can put the short length of track in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 Good news! I have just found another piece of short track (R800) which had been hiding in a box for a while. So now I have 2 R800s to use on my project. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 I've sorted out the problem of not enough space for the track. What I've done is I've cut the handle on the side of the shoebox so it isn't a wall anymore. I'm then going to bend the handle at 90 degrees and glue on card to support it. I'll also do this to fill the gap up (probably) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechnicArrow Posted April 18, 2019 Share Posted April 18, 2019 That's a great box to start with! It's a shame it won't be able to fold back into it's original box, but there's plenty of open space to work with. From experience (see the link in my sig) I would suggest laying another sheet of corrugated cardboard underneath, with the corrugations running perpendicular to the box, to keep the structure rigid. Then protect the top face with something a little more glue-proof; I found shiny cereal box card works well. Good luck, I'll certainly be watching! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 27 minutes ago, TechnicArrow said: That's a great box to start with! It's a shame it won't be able to fold back into it's original box, but there's plenty of open space to work with. From experience (see the link in my sig) I would suggest laying another sheet of corrugated cardboard underneath, with the corrugations running perpendicular to the box, to keep the structure rigid. Then protect the top face with something a little more glue-proof; I found shiny cereal box card works well. Good luck, I'll certainly be watching! Thanks for the advice. I'll see what I can do. I've been busy sorting out the shoebox so track can go in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 (edited) This block of wood used to be a station platform on the OO gauge layout I mentioned earlier. I have stripped the platform surface off it (it was card so it was easy to get off) and I'll either use it as a embankment with a railway line on it so I have trains running on two levels. Or I could just use it as a abandoned railway line with rusty wagons or a locomotive on it. Either way, it'll give some height to the layout and it won't have that flat look which most layouts do. Edited April 18, 2019 by JamesGWR101 Spelling error Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor_harley Posted April 18, 2019 Share Posted April 18, 2019 James if it were me I would stick with your plank of wood, so many themes could be achieved but I like what you are planning. Just be careful though as you might have a plan fixed in your mind but then your mind plays tricks with you and before you know it you have tons of ideas. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 1 hour ago, Ivor_harley said: James if it were me I would stick with your plank of wood, so many themes could be achieved but I like what you are planning. Just be careful though as you might have a plan fixed in your mind but then your mind plays tricks with you and before you know it you have tons of ideas. The plank of wood isn't that big. And it won't fill up the space what I was going to use. But I'll see what I can do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 Here is what I was thinking: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 I'm thinking of using a different track plan for this instead of the embankment idea and the sidings below. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 I have found a way to solve the gaps in the sides of the shoebox. This box for a Revell kit should do the trick. I'll cut it up and stick the amount needed so I can fill the gaps. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 Having cut it open, I shall now proceed to cut off the amount needed to fill the gaps. I am then going to tape on the pieces of card to the holes. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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