Little Salkeld - 00 layout in folded figure of 8,

[Robert Stokes]

Hello. I am new to this forum having registered earlier today.

 

I have had a lifelong interest in model railways. I am currently building a layout in a shed next to our bungalow. It is in a space on the north side of it which hardly ever gets the sun (only late evenings in mid-summer) so is not much use for garden. The shed is 24 feet long by 6 feet wide but a portion at one end is partitioned off for my wife's gardening stuff.  With the shed insulated and lined this leaves me a space about 5.7m by 1.7m for the railway. That's obviously a good length but I'm a bit restricted for width.

 

I very nearly finished a plain roundy-roundy layout but eventually decided that there were several things about it that I didn't like so I took it all apart and started again. The plan for the new layout is a double roundy-roundy which will give a much longer run on the scenic part  even though it keeps to my 24" minimum radius. I recently finished the storage loops which will be at a lower level with a station above. I am now making the inclines which will lead to the station.

 

Is it possible to post photographs directly from my laptop onto this forum? If so then I will show you what I have done so far.

 

Robert

Edited December 13, 2019 by Robert Stokes
Title change

[lezz01]

I don't see why not Robert. If you can post from a desktop you can post from your laptop. I can post from my laptop from the gallery on my desktop as long as I allow sharing. Well there's more storage on my desktop and you don't need to keep it on both if you have a network. It's not showing off at all it's just smart data storage management.

Regards Lez.Z. 

[Charlie586]

I post pictures from my laptop, so yes it can be done.

 

When you start a reply a paperclip will appear below the text box with text saying:

 

 

Drag files here to attach, or choose files... 

 

click on choose files, pick a picture and then it will upload, press the + against the photo to add to the post and you're away. That's a very good size shed, looking forward to see how you use the space.

[Robert Stokes]

Well I've finally got around to taking pictures of progress so far on building the layout. First the storage sidings. You will see that there are three up loops and three down loops. Each loop holds two complete trains. You may also see that there are two vacancies for goods trains that I need to acquire.

 

I have also made the lower semi-circles and the inclines to the upper level. The next stage is the upper semi-circles which lead into the station.

 

Robert

 

 

Edited September 22, 2019 by Robert Stokes

[Robert Stokes]

I for got to include pictures of the inclines. I suppose that one rising from left to right close to another rising from right to left is a bit odd but it had to be to give me the length of scenic run that I wanted.

[richard.h]

Hi

Looks interesting so far, you need to be careful with the inclines as steam outline locos don't like them and I notice that you have a six coach train in the storage loop.

Do you know what the gradient is? it might be best to test your longest train on them before bedding them in.

 

Regards

 

Richard

[Robert Stokes]

Thank you for the comment. The gradient on the curved ends is about 1 in 100 and on the straight parts is about 1 in 75.

I would be surprised if a steam engine can't cope with that. It's a good idea about testing first (although I don't know what I would do if there is a problem). I suppose that I could temporarily lay about 4m up one of the straights and see whether a train can get up it.

 

Robert

 

[Robert Stokes]

It's been some weeks but here's an update on my layout build.

 

I have laid 2mm cork underlay on the inclines, painted the trackbed grey, and then laid code 75 bullhead track. I have tested the slope and my Bachmann Jubilee can pull six coaches up it. It does slow down a bit but that is just like the prototype.

 

 

I have also constructed the upper curves that will lead into the station and stated track laying on them as well.

 

 

Here is a pictures of my DCC control panel. The switches change the points on the storage level. The LEDs light up when an infra-red sensor 'sees' a loco above it and the push buttons send power to the isolated section that the loco is standing on. The DCC Concepts levers in the middle will eventually work the points and signals on the scenic part of the layout.

 

 

In the next picture you can see that I am only leaving 70mm between levels. I'm sure that many will say that this will lead to trouble at some stage but I didn't want a greater separation because it would have meant steeper inclines.

 

The last picture shows more clearly my way of running the bus bars around the front of the layout. Droppers from each piece of track are then taken through the front support and soldered to them.

[Robert Stokes]

Here's another update. I've made good progress since last month's update. This is because on three days in the last fortnight my wife has been out for most of the day on shopping trips with friends. (I think it's really just an excuse to sit in cafes chatting.) This means that I can spend hours in the shed with a clear conscience.

 

I've installed the station boards over the top of the fiddle yard, laid the underlay for the double track main lines and started laying track on it. The up line is nearly complete. In fact it looks complete but the two points and the first piece of track to the right of them aren't stuck down and don't have droppers fitted either. I have removed the springs from the points but haven't fitted their Tortoise motors yet. The platforms are the ones from the old layout just plonked in roughly the right position. They will have to be replaced because they are a little too tall and got damaged when removing them Please excuse the tools and other junk at the back of the layout - I was never the tidiest of workers.

 

By the way, hanging from the roof are the I.D. backscenes from the previous layout. It was the only place that I could store them.

 

 

 

Looking at the complete up line I wondered whether a train would run round it. It would rely on the track joiners for power on the sections with no droppers but that might not matter. Also the point blades were floating free but since they are trailing points that might not matter either. Well it worked. I've triad including videos of two trains going round but this forum won't 

accept them.

 

 

 

[Robert Stokes]

If I cn do it correctly, here are links to youtube videos of two trains going round the up line.

 

 

 

Please excuse the tools and other junk at the back of the layout. I was never the tidiest of workers.

 

Robert

[Robert Stokes]

Time for another update.

 

I've now finished both main lines across the station boards. Here are pictures of the completed double tracks. You may notice that I have cleared some of the junk at the back of the layout but not all of it.

 

 

 

The next picture is intended to show that I have slightly bent the points so that they follow the curve through the station but I'm not sure that it dies it very successfully.

 

 

Here are two videos of down line trains.

 

 

The next stage is to make the new platforms. I can't lay the sidings until they are in place. I'll post another update when I've made significant progress.

 

Robert