New layout in converted garage

[Nearholmer]

Thank goodness - I thought you were about to tell us you’d just knocked through a brick wall and installed an expensive inward-opening door!

 

I retained the front c1.5m of mine as a store too, very useful for pots of paint, stepladder, that sort of stuff.

[Johnny Rock]

The plan I've posted would probably give me a  visible running sweep of about 20 feet which should be adequate for a realistic  look. 

What first inspired me to build this type of layout was David Jenkinson's "Garsdale Road".

 

On another note I'm quite taken with the idea of the Dapol motorised working signals. Anyone using these?

[Zomboid]

12 hours ago, Johnny Rock said:

Following the excellent replies and suggestions from others. I've put a possible plan together. The entry door is in the top right of this image. Its a bit rough but its a start!

Are you planning on building your own pointwork? Because there's probably no other way to get the curved single slip (and whatever that is next to it in the goods yard - a double slip?).

 

Seems like a reasonable basic concept though.

[Johnny Rock]

Not upto building own points yet. I've got a peco single slip which will have to be on a short straight section. There will be two points at the goods yard back to back. May even use a triple at the siding end. 

[Johnny Rock]

Whole plan should look much clearer once transferred to any rail program. 

[tomparryharry]

Hello Folks. I'm just about to embark on a shed- based layout myself. I'll be watching this episode with great interest.

 

Happy modelling.

Ian.

[Johnny Rock]

Having read some other RM posts, I'm now considering saving some space where the fiddle yard is and using cassette storage. This will allow a viaduct feature to be placed where the FY is at present. Any thoughts on cassette storage anyone?

[Robert Stokes]

On 06/03/2020 at 18:24, Johnny Rock said:

On another note I'm quite taken with the idea of the Dapol motorised working signals. Anyone using these?

 

I've got six of them. Not yet installed on my new layout, but they worked well on the previous one. If you have a power supply with variable voltage then run them on the lowest voltage that makes them work. I have read that they last much longer that way.

 

Robert

[Johnny Rock]

Update to my S and C plan via Any rail software. The addition of extra running length to accommodate the viaduct, I think should work well. I only have 7 locos and 3 will be only the layout most of the time. The track plan is now based upon Kirkby Stephen and should have a visible running length of around 8 metres, around 27 feet.  The goods sidings and lay by could be moved a little to the right to allow for more station length. With appropriate tunnels, embankments, valleys and cuttings could look quite scenic. Should keep me busy for a while.

Plan to follow very soon. 

[Johnny Rock]

Kirkby St. John Plan update..docx

[Johnny Rock]

[Harlequin]

Hi JR,

• The curves at top left look a bit sharp.
• Your cassette connections allow trains to exit from the layout but you haven't got any connections or crossovers to feed trains in.
• How would the inner cassette spur actually work and where are the cassettes stored? Is it going to be practical?
• The line though the goods shed will have to be straight and that could affect all the nearby curves.
• The viaduct section will obviously have quite deep baseboards but that's right where you'd ideally duck under.
• Can you reach the back of the scene bottom left? The baseboards look very wide there.
• It would look better, and help setting out later, if you could make parallel tracks actually be parallel.

If you abandoned the cutting you could maybe re-arrange things like this:

 

Or like this:

 

Hope that  helps.

[Nearholmer]

The second of Harlequin's designs above is  much more practical from an access viewpoint, although I would still strive to have an outward, rather than inward, opening door.

 

My other thought is that this looks a lot like the vast majority of bigger exhibition layouts, which "waste" nearly half the available are in FY accommodation, which would be an especial pity here, where trains battling through huge hills is the theme.

 

Even without going bi-level, I wonder if it is possible to get to the point where the man (or woman) in the middle is entirely surrounded by scenery.

 

 

[Johnny Rock]

Thanks for your ideas. Obviously I'm knew to any rail and in reality tracks will be parallel. I do like the idea of the lifting section and fy at the back. 

[Johnny Rock]

One problem with the viaduct is that I would need to scratch build a curved one. The wills kits I've bought are straight. Maybe abandon the viaduct idea and use the kits to make a couple of over bridges. 

[The Johnster]

On 08/03/2020 at 16:11, Robert Stokes said:

 

I've got six of them. Not yet installed on my new layout, but they worked well on the previous one. If you have a power supply with variable voltage then run them on the lowest voltage that makes them work. I have read that they last much longer that way.

 

Robert

This will also tone down the insanely bright LED lamps. 

[Johnny Rock]

I'm  warming to the second plan you have suggested Harlequin and a small lifting area would be vert viable. I may even hang the door to open outwards thus allowing a little more room to get in and out. 

I may even consider moving the station into a more central position with some additional sidings as at Tebay. The viaduct could then be sited where the station currently is and could remain a  straight structure. 

[Robert Stokes]

You could consider building the layout high enough that ducking under as you enter and leave would be really easy (assuming that you are not too tall). This would avoid the alignment problems associated with a lifting flap. It would also have the benefit of much more storage room below the layout.

 

Robert

[Johnny Rock]

Sorry Robert, should have read " that's what i'm now considering ". 

Typo error in last post.

Edited March 13, 2020 by Johnny Rock
Typo error

[Johnny Rock]

The timber has been ordered and arrived. Begin lining the garage walls tomorrow.

[Johnny Rock]

During lockdown and in the absence of additional timber for garage conversion I've started creating coal loads for some of my wagons. Cat litter for the loads glued with diluted pva and painted once dry. 

[Johnny Rock]

[Johnny Rock]

[RAF96]

My railway room is a converted garage - previous owner used it as a photo studio.

My door is also top right of your plan opening inwards, so I have gone for a four foot space at the door end to act as workbench and operating area, PC, controllers, etc.

 

For access to the centre well I have a four track at two levels bridge section. At first I tried it as a lift-out but it was awkward to remove and refit and my chosen method of powering and locating it using plug-in choc block connectors was problematic so I changed the design to a slide in ‘drawer’ arrangement. The choc blocks are mounted one half on the drawer and the other half on back stop blocks. The section just slides in on wooden runners and the electrical connections self locate, reliably.

 

The drawer is secured by a bolt either side at the front. The electrics as wired so as to provide an isolated section either side of the gap when the section is removed. When the section is secured the isolated sections power is restored. It works like a charm.

 

 

[RAF96]

On 09/03/2020 at 10:59, Johnny Rock said:

One problem with the viaduct is that I would need to scratch build a curved one. The wills kits I've bought are straight. Maybe abandon the viaduct idea and use the kits to make a couple of over bridges. 

 

I also have to scratch build a curved viaduct with the added angst of one side being curved and the other straight straight at one end and curved the other, due to a point at one end.

 

Cardboard mock up so far, bit hoping to be able to convert Metcalfe kit bits to suit.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by RAF96
Typo