Shed/garage layout in 00

[Derekl]

I have just moved into a new house following retirement and plan on building my (if not anyone else's) dream layout in 00 notionally based on BR London Midland Region inspired by the Settle and Carlisle and the Midland route to Manchester via the Pennines (yes, I know, they are very different). Era is intended to be 1960 or thereabouts. I have built a layout in 00 (mainly Hornby-Dublo) many years ago and have had a few ventures on N and 009, but this is the ultimate dream, so it would be quite good if I could get it right this time.

 

The house had a detached garage which I thought promising until investigation established that it was badly built and not in great condition, so I had that demolished and bought a Lidget Compton concrete garage to replace it. I installed (that is me with the help of my son, not a contractor - who might have made a better job) ceilings with insulation above and lined the walls with insulation backed Gyproc (product is called Thermaline). The floor is concrete (obviously - but a newly laid slab with damp course lining) with a foam type insulation layer supporting a laminate floor. (Warning in passing - don't drop heavy things on laminate floors, because that breaks the floor, and I can't see how that can be repaired).

 

That gives me what I hope is a reasonably comfortable space for the layout - 19' 4" by 8' 10". Although it is garage shaped and sized, the door is an outward opening personnel door, rather than the normal garage door.

 

I looked at the station diagrams on the S&C and the Pennine route - none had a hope in hell of fitting my space, so have I ended up with the attached proposal, on which comment would be welcome. Track will be Peco Code 75 (FB, not the new bullhead) and control will be DCC. Couplers will be Kadee.

 

200708 plan.pdf

 

Points to note - it is on graph paper, which is metric, so bears no real relation to the dimensions. It is also worked down from bigger larger scale plans, so things that look like they may not fit - the trailing curved crossover on the down side, for example, will - or there is enough space to make it do so. I used a 3 way point to create the up side trailing crossover plus the line to the loop platform - I am not sure whether this is a good idea. There is a noticeable gap between the platform loop track and the adjacent loop - this could be resolved by use of a single slip. I don't want to do that, as the Peco slips are 2' radius, and my minimum is 3'. I will have to think of some scenic explanation  for the gap.

 

On radii, I absolutely dislike the yawning gaps between vehicles and hope that generous radii may help ease that problem by enabling closer coupling.

 

I thought that the plan was such that trap point should not be needed - if anybody thinks otherwise, please say. I have not yet dealt with signalling, al;though it does not look that difficult. The goods yard area is yet to be planned, as is the fiddle yard and branch terminus.

 

Comments welcome.

[Andrew P]

That sounds and looks Good Derek. I'm glad to see you gave some serious thought to warmth, and comfort, especially under foot, so many people don't think about that area.

The plan looks excellent, and I wish you well in your retirement and the project, and remember, there are many knowledgeable people on here will gladly advise if needed.

 

All the best and stay safe.

[tomparryharry]

Hello Derek. As an outside observer, it looks fine. I also dislike the yawning gaps. I don't own many coaches, just a Great Western B set, and an autotrailer. Everything else is wagons. Trap points are (as you possibly know) there to protect converging or conflicting movements.  

 

The greatest enemy for your proposed layout is a possible lack of environment control. Too hot? Too cold? or comfortable? I'm building a shed at the moment, and I know that it'll get seriously hot right now, but I also know, it'll get cold in equal measure.  My work here will deliberately include a high-level extraction fan, set to come in above 20-odd degrees C. In addition, I intend to install a lower-level fan wired through a humidity meter, to draw out any moisture laden (heavier) air. 

 

There are a lot of skilled & knowledgeable people on here, and I'll shamelessly steal their ideas if they are good.  I've seen good layouts ripped up by the elements, not the owners....

 

Best wishes,

Ian. 

[Nearholmer]

My experience is that with lots of insulation, trickle ventilation, and no windows, the cave-like environment of my detached-garage utility (layout really) room is very good for the purpose. 
 

It needs a heater, which I set to 1kW 10 degrees C, in winter to keep above condensation level (the heater barely ever switches itself on, so is more a precaution than anything else).

 

It needs no cooling or dehumidification in summer, and the only time it has ever got “stuffy” was with four of us playing trains for a morning with the door shut, which is more than was ever intended.

 

Mine does have a big loft-space above the ceiling, very well ventilated, which I think helps keep solar-gain down. Suffice to say that I hid in there for an hour yesterday afternoon when it was blazing sun and 33C outside!

 

Remember, excess heat and humidity have to come from somewhere. Without windows, unless you have kW of electronics cooking away, the biggest source of heat is likely to be you (c100W if not doing physical exercise), and you are also the source of humidity (unless you stop breathing). If you install too much ventilation, you risk importing humidity and heat, and all air-conditioning does is create heat and waste energy.

[Derekl]

Thank you for the best wishes. So far (and a bit to my surprise) the interior is warm, as you might expect, but not baking. It has a shallow pitch tile roof which may have something to do with that. There are a couple of opening windows down one side, which may help. I had been considering a fan, but that is about as far as I got. For later in the year I have a 2 Kw oil filled radiator (donated by a friend) so we will see how that goes.

 

Thanks also to Nearholmer - that is encouraging.

 

Progress so far:

[Derekl]

I fully appreciate the comments on the shed. I was also looking for comment (particularly critical - I doubt I could get it right first time) on teh layout plan, which is embedded in the original post as a PDF.

 

For convenience I have re-scanned it as a JPG and here it is:

 

 

[AireValley1962]

Looks like a good plan, and I like the shed. I can't comment much on the track layout, but if you're shunting the goods yard, it might be difficult to always have to use the branch line as the head shunt. Or maybe I've just misread the plan. 

 

Funny about dropping things on laminate floors - I've managed to drop full jam jars on them numerous times, and neither jar nor floor broke! 

 

Anyway, all the best!

 

Will

[Derekl]

Moved on a bit since last post - the base construction is complete - open framed at the ends and solid top under the fiddle yard and station. This is the underaly for teh fiddle yard:

 

[Derekl]

And the beginnings of the through station, leading to the curve (the cardboard edging was temporary to avoid damage on derailment - it was a nuisance and is mostly removed):

 

[Derekl]

The through station beginnings:

[Derekl]

And the station tracks with the test trains:

 

 

[lmsforever]

Like the look of the shed and trackplan  ,one point you have windows they should have blinds so as anyone who should not be there cannot see what you are doing.In our area the police reccomend covering the outside of windows with bars but do them so as you can open the windows .Sorry to be serious but there are people about who will happily do damage for the fun of it.Keep having fun like the underlay  Have a look at Railcam they have cameras at Kirkby Stephen and Ribblehead with regular services and good shots of station areas.

[tomparryharry]

On 08/08/2020 at 09:37, Nearholmer said:

My experience is that with lots of insulation, trickle ventilation, and no windows, the cave-like environment of my detached-garage utility (layout really) room is very good for the purpose. 
 

It needs a heater, which I set to 1kW 10 degrees C, in winter to keep above condensation level (the heater barely ever switches itself on, so is more a precaution than anything else).

 

It needs no cooling or dehumidification in summer, and the only time it has ever got “stuffy” was with four of us playing trains for a morning with the door shut, which is more than was ever intended.

 

Mine does have a big loft-space above the ceiling, very well ventilated, which I think helps keep solar-gain down. Suffice to say that I hid in there for an hour yesterday afternoon when it was blazing sun and 33C outside!

 

Remember, excess heat and humidity have to come from somewhere. Without windows, unless you have kW of electronics cooking away, the biggest source of heat is likely to be you (c100W if not doing physical exercise), and you are also the source of humidity (unless you stop breathing). If you install too much ventilation, you risk importing humidity and heat, and all air-conditioning does is create heat and waste energy.

 

Hello NH, apologies for not replying sooner. The extractors I've alluded to should  (hopefully)  iron out any peaks or troughs in the environment. Like yourself, there will be lots of insulation, and I've allowed 100mm (4") within the wall carcass to accept this, before the membrane and  outside cladding.  The trusses here have a bottom chord of 150mm at 400mm centres, so I can pack it in easily.

I too, am a sort of sociable person, so the intention is to allow people with a like mind to visit, and 'have a go'. 

 

Cheers,

Ian. 

[Derekl]

On 28/09/2020 at 10:27, lmsforever said:

Like the look of the shed and trackplan  ,one point you have windows they should have blinds so as anyone who should not be there cannot see what you are doing.In our area the police reccomend covering the outside of windows with bars but do them so as you can open the windows .Sorry to be serious but there are people about who will happily do damage for the fun of it.Keep having fun like the underlay  Have a look at Railcam they have cameras at Kirkby Stephen and Ribblehead with regular services and good shots of station areas.

 

Thanks for the compliment on the underlay. It has advanced a bit since then and I will post more later. Test running is reasonably smooth through most of the pointwork (and even on the straights). My ever supportive son says yes, it would be, given the large radius points you use, but I am quite impressed - no jerking or bumping (a feature of my previous attempts).

 

Thanks also for the heads-up on the blinds. I have installed them, more to reduce the effects of the sun (there was some a few months ago) which blasts directly in during the mornings. The shed is in the rear of the house, although there is side access through a gate. You can't see in from the street, and would have to be seriously trespassing to do so, but I am aware that people do that.

 

I will have a look at Railcam - I have looked at other sides, but thanks for pointing out what should have been apparent!