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My first O Gauge layout - Version 2


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  • RMweb Gold

I've taken the first steps into building an 'O' gauge layout in my garden shed.

 

It was going to be just a simple test track to run my locos until I built a garden railway, but it has gradually evolved into a small terminal station layout and the track plan is not too different from my first 'OO' gauge layout called 'Rederring', so with a little play on words I've called it 'Knott Rederring'. It is just under 20' long and 19" deep at the station end going down to 12" in the middle.

 

It sits about 2' above my 'OO' gauge layout and I plan to have it going all the way round the shed when I can get some more wood, I had to use whatever scraps I had around to build it so far. 

 

It will be fully DCC with sound.

 

The layout plan will be something like this, but it will no doubt evolve as I build it:-

 

1830065736_ShedOGaugeRevised.jpg.169262730cb68a25904cb6798a2f0526.jpg

 

It doesn't represent anywhere but it will be a kind of preserved railway so I can run anything I like without having any hangups! :)

 

I've made a start on the track and hope to have it all laid by weekend if not or should that be Knott before!

 

The baseboard:-

 

1882966958_KnottRederring002.jpg.40132bf9803386c7e20c5bf13d0a193b.jpg

The leg sitting on the 'OO' layout is actual on the fiddle yard so it will not spoil the view on the scenic part of the 'OO' layout. I suppose if could be disguised as a big mill chimney or phone mast.

 

A 'N' gauge Gaugemaster scenic background just to add some colour.

567025467_KnottRederring003.jpg.769c2db38976f79fc34a51e33e06963e.jpg

More to follow.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Peter Crichton (Savoyard)
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  • RMweb Gold

Thanks Jim, I am enjoying getting my modelling mojo back and also trying something different and little easier to see! :)

 

As I had restricted space the 'N' gauge scenery was the only option and I was surprised how effective it looks, I think the following photos show that.

 

 

 

First point laid and wired up. I am using Smail (decoder fitted Tortoise) point motors, and they are excellent.

 

 

 

Second line laid. I am impressed how effective the 'N' gauge scenery looks in this shot, it gives a real perspective of distance in the background. I've pasted the scenic sections on to foam board so they will be easy to move if necessary.

 

1638614092_KnottRederring007.jpg.b94b8145b78bec29a32d6dd51ee73cfc.jpg

 

Preparation of the next section with the next straight laid. I've positioned the point but I will do the wiring tomorrow. I use the white foam board to make sure the track is as straight as possible.

 

I am using Smails, DCC fitted Tortoise, point motors, they work like a dream. I've done a slight mode to the Smails and added a PCB board connector, I've done it with all my Tortoise motors in the past. It means I can easily unplug a point motor should it go faulty.

 

Here are a couple of pics of the mod, the sockets are soldered to the Smail and the pins line up perfectly with the holes on the Smail.

 

1350510771_Smail001.jpg.63a4ccd51017153bebbb3737a6209e98.jpg

605643510_Smail002.jpg.a7d0853f174aa674006f571ce201cf6b.jpg

Edited by Peter Crichton (Savoyard)
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Good to see this.  It looks great and suitably long.  Thank goodness there's an LMS loco on the layout.

 

Mine's 21' long and is a branchline terminus.  My turnouts are mostly hand built using mainly Peco templates.

 

I'm just putting down the last pieces of track.  See the link below for details.

 

John

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19 hours ago, jcarta said:

This looks impressive...

And so does the shed!!! :yes:

 

A point of order, though :-

17 hours ago, Peter Crichton (Savoyard) said:

As I had restricted space....

For many of us twenty feet is far from "restricted space" - even in O Scale!!! :D :good:

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  • RMweb Gold

A long and busy day but I've completed laying the track on the scenic part of the layout, along with all the Smails wired up and running OK. I been doing test runs with a Dapol Jinty and it all runs quite nicely.

 

Here are some pics of the work so far.

 

686585335_KnottRederring010.jpg.51a9fefecfade2a77f5519a50b1ca07f.jpg

 

Tomorrow I will start work on the fiddle yard section.

Edited by Peter Crichton (Savoyard)
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Hello Peter.

 

It is always nice to see a new layout taking shape. What you have done in such a short space of time is truly remarkable. The N scenic background lends an air of distance to the scene which I like. Many years ago I built a G scale layout in a caravan and used one of Fallers HO background scenes and it worked well.

 

Your pictures take me back to the start of my O gauge layout Ramchester (see RMweb - The Chronicles of Ramchester) which is now just short of 10 years ago.

 

Keep up the good work and keep the photos coming please.

 

Rod

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Rod thanks for your post and I think I have got my modelling mojo back! :) I will certainly look at your thread on The Chronicles of Ramchester.

 

Paul we moved two years ago in March and one thing I wanted was space for a decent sized shed, which I am glad to say I got. It is amazing the prices of sheds, I was quoted in excess of £8000 for a 18' x 10' shed, I ended up paying less than £1900 for a 20' x 12'. So it certainly pays to shop around.

 

Progress over the last couple of days has been a little slower than I had planned but all the track is now laid and running nicely, the Dapol Jinty is a greart test loco. I used my NCE Power Cab to test and program each section as it progressed but tonight I changed to the ESU ECoS so that I can use TouchCab.

 

I have twelve Cobalt S levers which will do nicely for this layout, so I've ordered the Cobalt Mimic panel kit from Coastal DCC, for which I thank Kevin for his guidance on what I needed. In preparation I've made a mimic diagram of the layout using the template provided by DCC Concepts. I've made some adjustments to their symbols, but it was a great starting point, thanks DCC Concepts.

 

1715999527_KnottRederringMimicPanelincAddressCodes25pc.jpg.4c99c202ba084b4d57ba22a8951e9a3f.jpg

 

Here are a couple of pictures of the completed trackwork.

 

1471578922_KnottRederring012.jpg.839f1fdc77e2b92787896e63b553954f.jpg

 

The station end.

 

43987064_KnottRederring011.jpg.814917af5c3b1472a675d09299390294.jpg

 

The fiddle yard. The track nearest the edge has been wired to be a programming track.

 

This arrived today after a mad moment on Ebay. The lining is very wonky to say the least but I will be redoing that as I've ordered the appropriate transfers from Fox Transfers. It will be renumbered 42292 as I've got a photograph of that loco running on the line that is now the edge of the back of my shed. I will fit a sound chip tomorrow and give it a test run, perhaps even a video. 

 

15073925_KnottRederring013.jpg.a0bc421bbbcf6415c46ff3f7e1308a23.jpg

 

Tomorrow I am planning on tidying up the temporary foam board station platforms until I get ones from Ten Commandments. I have also found a reasonably cheap way to store my 'O' gauge stock which I will post about later.

 

 

 

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Activity has been a little slower over the last couple of days as I have been preparing the Fairburn Tank Engine for a partial repaint and resulted in a sorting out of my airbrushes and all the paints.

 

Yesterday I tidied up the temporary platforms and the back scenes, they are a bit of mismatch but I will look at ways to hide the joins.

 

 

 

81160043_KnottRederring016.jpg.dc2c7557e12c6b935e32ceb249527fb8.jpg

 

2005864291_KnottRederring017.jpg.3ba032791c673ee449e7955e40e1e3d5.jpg 

 

I've also added two Dapol O gauge LMS signals. probably not prototypical but there for some play value

 

Last year I bought a used 3 car Derby Lightweight DMU and today I started to convert it to DCC with sound. I completed one power car and will finish off the other tomorrow, I am also considering adding lights.

 

1743258516_KnottRederring014.jpg.5779d5a2c0e83d9e8c8ce9f7d293b339.jpg

 

Here is the converted power car with the centre trailer. The V had been over painted with a yellow panel, which I removed using the sand blasting airbrush. The white domes need repainting and I am considering a complete repaint as the shade of green is different from that of the Bachmann Lightweight being lighter, also to lining is more yellow than cream.

Edited by Peter Crichton (Savoyard)
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  • RMweb Gold
7 hours ago, Peter Crichton (Savoyard) said:

Activity has been a little slower over the last couple of days

 

Blimey..... If this is what you call slow...... I would hate to think what you could achieve if you put your mind to it :)

 

Looking good

 

Jim

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48 minutes ago, jcarta said:

 

Blimey..... If this is what you call slow...... I would hate to think what you could achieve if you put your mind to it :)

 

Looking good

 

Jim

HS2 possibly! :rofl:

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Hi Peter. Nice to see how much you have done in such a short space of time. The 2-6-4t loco looks a useful purchase and will fit in with your theme very well. Look forward to seeing it repainted in due course.

 

Rod

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Thanks Rod, it's been great fun the only worrying thing now is B&Q and Wickes are open so I could get some more wood for going round the shed!

 

The primer I ordered on Amazon arrives tomorrow so all being well I will be finishing off the 2-6-4t.

 

A couple of years ago a friend bought me some wine and it arrived in a very strong wooden box which I decided to keep as it must have a use at some point, then a couple of weeks ago when I was sorting out my O Gauge locos and wanted a better way of storing them so they would be easy to get out and run. So a couple of weeks ago I made the prototype.

 

611916918_OGaugeStockBox00.jpg.6e15160d37af38a8d6bc92b9adeccc63.jpg

 

So I sourced some used wine boxes on Ebay and ordered some, sadly these didn't come with wine. So today I have been making up some stock boxes. They can hold four locos or Mk 1 size coaches, there are slightly different lengths but the minimum will hold Mk 1 coaches.

 

So here are a couple of pictures of the production versions.1296793330_OGaugeStockBox02.jpg.1aa788c2f7537347e790201431ef521b.jpg

 

I have used pieces of felt to protect the models but they also double up as a way of lifting the loco out of the box. 

 

With four locos in a box, it is very heavy and so wouldn't be an ideal way of carrying locos around to exhibitions etc.. but would be OK for the coaches and wagons. What they do is provide a very easy and safer way of storing rolling stock at home, avoiding having to use those boxes which are harder to get in than Fort Knox!

 

Below is a wagon stock box with the dividers at going horizontally. I have decided against this as it is restrictive on mixing wagons they may be slightly larger. I have used foamboard to separate the wagons.

 

1840452699_OGaugeStockBox04.jpg.87e93fff31d08e23f4f974a7154fb508.jpg

Edited by Peter Crichton (Savoyard)
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Now that's a good idea but I just hope that wine case for the loco's has been suitably strengthen in all area's as that must be at least 16 kilo's in weight :unknw_mini:

 

Jim

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51 minutes ago, jcarta said:

Now that's a good idea but I just hope that wine case for the loco's has been suitably strengthen in all area's as that must be at least 16 kilo's in weight :unknw_mini:

 

Jim

Hi Jim,

 

They are strong enough for general use around the shed but as I mentioned earlier I wouldn't use them for general carrying around, it's not so much the strength of the case more the combined weight, but perfect for goods wagons and coaches for taking to exhibitions.

 

I am thinking of adapting some to be stock boxes with lids for general transporting and I suppose there would be no problem having one loco mixed with lighter rolling stock.

 

They would have had to carry some weight with six bottles of wine in each so they have been made to a good strength with good strong wood, but I a few extra nails here and there would do no harm.

 

The majority are about 50 cm long with some going up to 53 cm, so long enough for a Deltic or Class 40. Some of the boxes are only 9 cm high internally so I've increased the height by using either 1x1 cm or .6 x .6 cm pine strip and avoiding any damage to roof detailing. Some of the boxes are nearer 10 cm high so no problem.

 

Overall I have reduced my storage in the shed to about 30% of what it was in the boxes.

 

 

Edited by Peter Crichton (Savoyard)
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  • RMweb Gold

Peter

 

I do like the idea and it has got me thinking that I could do with something similar as all my stock is upstairs so when I want to run the trains outside I currently have to bring them down stairs one by one by handling them which would be prone to bits breaking off especially Heljan's ...... so I am on the lookout for wine boxes, strengthen of course....

 

Jim

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  • RMweb Gold

Jim,

 

For me it will make using the layout more enjoyable than those boxes, knowing I can easily get to any of my stock without any hassle. I am thinking of a small mobile trolley/table which I could use to move a box around and eventually into the garden! :)

 

I did a recalculation on the 6 bay 90 degree version for goods wagons and for the smaller Dapol wagons I've been able to get 7 bays, it's a snug fit with the felt but is OK, I could probably have got away with an extra 1 mm per bay but perhaps the next one. Here is a pic of the modified wagon box.

 

1348755757_OGaugeStockBox05.jpg.968d51e7d81a32ff1dbc48922fcf38d8.jpg

Edited by Peter Crichton (Savoyard)
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  • RMweb Gold

Jim,

 

I forgot to mention I got mine from this seller on Ebay, as I got quite a few he did them for £11 each. He delivered them personally a week last Saturday as he was in the area but he did give me his website address which I will find somewhere in the shed as it may be cheaper buying direct rather than Ebay,

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After tidying up after making the stock boxes I had a look at the Ten Commandments girder bridge and buffer stops that arrived today (Monday), for which I thank Dave for his speedy service.

 

I wanted something realistic as a scenic break and this bridge is excellent for the job. I intended only to look at how it all fits together but I couldn't resist and built the bases. The top bit has only been placed into position as I will be experimenting with the width of the bridge and then how wide to make the actual girder section, but I couldn't resist a trial with a coach.

 

778667126_KnottRederring018.jpg.9eb2fe9710cc43dae18a9f1d6297ee3d.jpg2096546754_KnottRederring019.jpg.cfa193de25db73bdb33130e5900ac45c.jpg

Edited by Peter Crichton (Savoyard)
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17 hours ago, jcarta said:

Peter

 

I do like the idea and it has got me thinking that I could do with something similar as all my stock is upstairs so when I want to run the trains outside I currently have to bring them down stairs one by one by handling them which would be prone to bits breaking off especially Heljan's ...... so I am on the lookout for wine boxes, strengthen of course....

 

Jim

Jim,

 

I've found the website and the boxes are only £10 each direct. 

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17 hours ago, Peter Crichton (Savoyard) said:

Overall I have reduced my storage in the shed to about 30% of what it was in the boxes.

 

 

 

Presumably you will be selling the empty boxes on eBay?!!

If you don't get rid of the boxes, then, on a technicality, you have increased your storage by 30%!

 

Mike.

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