Popular Post Pete 75C Posted January 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted January 30, 2020 (edited) Ok, I blame everyone on RMWeb that has ever said something along the lines of "Once you've tried O gauge, you'll never go back". You know who you are. Having downsized from a 6 bedroom house to a tiny 2 bedroom cottage, space is very much at a premium, but I still get the urge to dabble. Having next to no spare space, I decide to move up a scale. Bright, huh? I have been taking a break from model railways recently but the editor kindly sent me a freebie copy of Traction magazine recently that features my first layout Croydon North Street. Memories came back, tools were dusted off etc etc etc. Despite many valiant efforts, I don't think I've ever been able to improve on Croydon. Everything just clicked and came together for me and produced a pleasing little layout. I could be really boring and replicate it but that would be too easy. Late 80s/early 90s O gauge in a space of approx 6 feet x 12 inches? Yes, it's pretty much just a siding. Think "Sheringham" on the Bittern Line. Zero operational interest, just a DMU shuttle and maybe an 08 with a couple of wagons. Like Sheringham (in years gone past), the little station is at the end of a triangle which allows, in my head, the occasional interesting loco working that requires turning. No 3rd rail, perhaps West Country this time. This is as far as I've got, which is not far! I miss posting in RMWeb's "Layout Topics" subforum, so indulge me while I make lots of mistakes and offer them here for judgement... More soon. Edit: Oh, and for those that know me, spot the Lego! Edited January 30, 2020 by Pete 75C 26 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 30 minutes ago, Pete 75C said: Ok, I blame everyone on RMWeb that has ever said something along the lines of "Once you've tried O gauge, you'll never go back". You know who you are. But it's true, isn't it? Slippery slope, Sir. Slippery slope.... 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 30, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 30, 2020 11 minutes ago, F-UnitMad said: Slippery slope, Sir. Slippery slope.... Is that modelling O or the Lego tiles he used? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Love it! I have only 5ft to play with so 6ft is pure luxury. I was amazed at the Bristol o gauge show at the weekend how many people were there, O gauge is the way forward... 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 (edited) Great idea for a layout, I'll be interested to follow this. I love that location, will you have a crossing at the end leading to a preserved line, I liked that on Croydon North Street, could be an excuse for an unusual stock movement? Edited January 30, 2020 by sb67 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted January 30, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 30, 2020 O yes - troublesome scale.... 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KTM Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 4 hours ago, Pete 75C said: Edit: Oh, and for those that know me, spot the Lego! The 'cheese' pieces, 1x1, either side off the planks in between the rails? I'm am a big Lego fan, although have backed off in recent years. I was one of the founder members of the Brickish Association (a club for 'Adult Fans of Lego') back in 2002 but was really into the trains more than the overall Lego thing. There is some excellent work out there using Lego as an artistic medium to create reasonable O-gauge-ish models. Jon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBRJ Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Nice bit of work so far....and O is definitely the way forward....well it is to me (at least one of em!) I too think the Lego is the cheesy wedge shaped bit that looks a bit like the ends of a AWS ramp poking out from under the sleeper crossing 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Temeraire Posted January 30, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 30, 2020 5 hours ago, F-UnitMad said: But it's true, isn't it? Slippery slope, Sir. Slippery slope.... Oh gawd I do hope not ! Nice to see you back Pete. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AireValley1962 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Evening, Pete. Croydon North Street was one of my favourite layouts, despite being much later in time period than I normally model. I'm looking forward to seeing how this small O Gauge attempt progresses. Cheers, Will 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted January 31, 2020 Author Share Posted January 31, 2020 Thanks for the comments - much appreciated! I've been lurking on RMWeb for a while but it does feel good to be building something again, even if it's just a length of track stuck to a ply frame. I can't really think of this as a "layout", more a scenic test track. Well spotted - the deflector ramps either side of the barrow crossing are indeed those little 1x1 Lego cheese slices. The funny thing is that in OO I doubt I'd have bothered with them, but in O it seems much easier to make the effort. I guess it's all in the detail. Steve - I had thought about putting in a gate and embedding the rails to allow for a possible extension at the left hand end, exactly like Sheringham today. In fact, the concrete-sleepered flatbottom you can see in the pic does become bullhead further along and I have taken this bullhead right up to the board edge and soldered it to copperclad. Call it future-proofing. However, I'm going to put a buffer stop in and cover about 10 inches of track with a removable hardstanding big enough for a couple of cars to park, but yes, it would be possible to extend. At the moment, although I'm taking a lot of inspiration from Sheringham, I don't want it to be Sheringham. I do want it to look like the line continued on somewhere in past days though. With even a fictional location, I think there needs to be a back-story as to how the line came to be there. Like North Street, there will be a road overbridge as a scenic break, and a path will lead down behind the platform from the bridge. No station facilities, just a basic shelter and help point. The platform will be just big enough for a 2-car DMU. After ballasting, the next job is to paint and fit around 14 little brick piers to act as platform supports. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted January 31, 2020 Author Share Posted January 31, 2020 (edited) I forgot to mention, this was what started it all... Heavily reduced at Rails of Sheffield (we like a bargain), it would have been rude not to buy one. I genuinely was not expecting it to be so heavy! A Dapol 08 and a couple of wagons will shortly follow. Edited January 31, 2020 by Pete 75C 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted January 31, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 31, 2020 Model it without any trains, call it Basil Road and claim it's a model of up to date GA operations. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted January 31, 2020 Author Share Posted January 31, 2020 2 minutes ago, beast66606 said: Model it without any trains, call it Basil Road and claim it's a model of up to date GA operations. A Sanders coach on the forecourt and half a dozen angry looking passengers - you might be on to something! I need to pop into Norwich later on one of the new Stadlers, probably jinxed it now... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted January 31, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 31, 2020 O gauge in 6 x 1 is like writing a poem, you are limited only by your imagination... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TheQ Posted January 31, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 31, 2020 1 hour ago, Pete 75C said: Steve - I had thought about putting in a gate and embedding the rails to allow for a possible extension at the left hand end, exactly like Sheringham today. In fact, the concrete-sleepered flatbottom you can see in the pic does become bullhead further along and I have taken this bullhead right up to the board edge and soldered it to copperclad. Call it future-proofing. However, I'm going to put a buffer stop in and cover about 10 inches of track with a removable hardstanding big enough for a couple of cars to park, but yes, it would be possible to extend. At the moment, although I'm taking a lot of inspiration from Sheringham, I don't want it to be Sheringham. Careful, you'll need the Oliver cromwell to open the level Crossing on the High street.. Then the council will put a limit on how many trains are permitted to cross the road each year. Ps the BR class 7 is 1.6ft long in "O" so it will fit... 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted January 31, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 31, 2020 No willpower some people!! Mike. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted January 31, 2020 Author Share Posted January 31, 2020 5 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said: No willpower some people!! Mike. None. Zero. Zilch. Some people are so weak... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHC Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Croydon North in O has a ring to it................... Is there not a Cromer model out there in O as well with fully working signalling may be you could work back to back at some point. K 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben B Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 I sympathise... I live in a smallish house with a wife and three young kids, don't have room for a permanent layout- then after coming into a little bit of money last year as a treat I made the mistake of buying a Dapol 08 from Hattons on a sale. Purely impulse purchase, and I think it's a brilliant model, but... I barely have space for 009, let alone 0, but I keep thinking I ought to do something Looking forward to how this progresses! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenc Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 5 hours ago, Pete 75C said: A Sanders coach on the forecourt and half a dozen angry looking passengers - you might be on to something! I need to pop into Norwich later on one of the new Stadlers, probably jinxed it now... Nothing wrong with a Sanders I am driving one of there ex optares down in Devon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Super, i didn’t think you’d ever been away to be honest....sure to be a good siding with your eye for detail ... I have three park side 16T gathering dust on my shelf, that was my venture into O gauge. I decided my skills weren’t good enough for scrutiny on that scale, in actual fact I should probably look at Z ! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted January 31, 2020 Author Share Posted January 31, 2020 1 hour ago, rob D2 said: Super, i didn’t think you’d ever been away to be honest....sure to be a good siding with your eye for detail ... I have three park side 16T gathering dust on my shelf, that was my venture into O gauge. I decided my skills weren’t good enough for scrutiny on that scale, in actual fact I should probably look at Z ! Are you kidding Rob??? Your attention to detail would be fantastic in 7mm. I remember you taking some 1:76 Land Rovers apart so you could tape some paperwork to the inside of the windscreens before using them as wagon loads. That's attention to detail. Or perhaps insanity. Jury's out. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 3 hours ago, Pete 75C said: Are you kidding Rob??? Your attention to detail would be fantastic in 7mm. I remember you taking some 1:76 Land Rovers apart so you could tape some paperwork to the inside of the windscreens before using them as wagon loads. That's attention to detail. Or perhaps insanity. Jury's out. Good memory ! Yes, that was the quartermasters orders on an army landie. This O gauge though, It’s right there in your face, no hiding ! anyway, will watch with interest - I’d love O in the garden if I ever have a big enough one.. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 What's this "no space for O gauge" nonsense??? I give you O scale, in a boxfile Now go and try harder... 17 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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