Kidmore TMD

[noctilux2]

Keeping the momentum going, this will be my third micro started in the past four months it needs to be completed in time for Maidenhead & Marlow MRC's exhibition in January 2020.  Complying with the given micro stipulation of a maximum of four square feet, the board will be 48 x 10".  Theme, a green diesel era TMD fully DCC with no fiddle ... all movements in view.  I also propose to use a Hornby TTS box van within the maintenance shed to provide workshop "noise".

 

Track plan below.

[.Lachute]

Very interesting project. I'll follow your thread with a great interest.

[noctilux2]

Baseboard now completed along with electrics.  Note point switches at top LH corner of board.  The intent is to hide these within a building or bridge. Next step will be to prepare the hard standing for the maintenance building & start the backscene.

[noctilux2]

Progress image attached.  Background retaining wall now in place with grass bank started; usual polystyrene bits covered with plaster bandage.  Hard standing for the maintenance shed now in position, this will be covered in SMS concrete paper left over from a previous layout.  Wanted this done before I started the ballasting.

[noctilux2]

Pleased that ballasting now completed, mucky job, and "concrete" added to hard standing where the maintenance depot will be.  Grassy bank given its first coat of grass with bushes etc still to be added & maybe some rabbits !

 

Next will be the placing of buildings & the construction of a bridge to hide the LH end & point switches etc.  RH side will remain open.

[Bo-Bo]

I like your own baseboard construction, the track plan looks great. Your progress is coming along nicely with the retaining wall in place and grassed embankment.

The ballasting is a dirty job and not a lot of people like doing this. Look forward to seeing more of this layout build.

[noctilux2]

Things are progressing nicely with two low relief buildings completed.  The first, fronted by a maintenance platform, is a north light type warehouse (unpainted resin by Skytrex) & the second a scratchbuilt card warehouse.  Not generally a fan of card buildings I needed something to fit a specific space between the north light & the intended bridge.

 

Next step will be the bridge to hide both the false exits at the LHS & the point motor switches.

[noctilux2]

Cracking on with this one at same time as "Kidmore End Yard" as it is booked for an exhibition on 4 January. 

 

The derelict bridge has been completed using cut down MDF trellis; I may add a vandalised burnt out wagon.  The bridge is to disguise the LH end of the layout & partially obscure the point switches.  At the moment the bridge is not fixed in place as I prefer to build this type of structure "off layout".  The point switches are operated through a hole in the LH side edge board.

[noctilux2]

With the layout being booked for the Maidenhead MRC's exhibition on 4 January, thought I'd better crack on & complete it.  The following images show the completed but not finished effort.

 

 

[LongvalIon]

Congrats. It's a wonderful layout.

[mbenson]

I particularly like the overgrown trackwork on the bridge and the portacabin / container area

[Dungrange]

Now that the Maidenhead & Marlow MRC's exhibition in January 2020 is in the past, how much fun was it to operate at the show?

 

I fancy a small layout, but as I prefer operation to construction, it would need to have some operating potential, so needs to be more than just a 'fork'.  Are you able to run anything other than two or three locomotives on a layout that size?

[noctilux2]

Given that the layout ran for 6.5 hours I was more than happy as to both the comments received and to its overall operation.  One thing that did prove enlightens was by having the loco shed at the very front, it proved an effective viewblock for locos to be hidden behind & then miraculously appear.  As to the number of locos in situ, four was no problem at all ..... particularly with DCC.  

32 minutes ago, Dungrange said:

Now that the Maidenhead & Marlow MRC's exhibition in January 2020 is in the past, how much fun was it to operate at the show?

 

I fancy a small layout, but as I prefer operation to construction, it would need to have some operating potential, so needs to be more than just a 'fork'.  Are you able to run anything other than two or three locomotives on a layout that size?

 

Edited February 29, 2020 by noctilux2
Additional info added. Successful to the extent that two further exhibition invites were received on the day.

[Dungrange]

Scenically it's a lovely layout, so I'm not surprised that you've been invited to another couple of exhibitions.  I'm just wondering if I'd get bored operating something similar for an hour or two let alone a whole day at an exhibition.  Unfortunately, trying to find an idea to copy isn't easy when sticking to a micro-layout format.