alchemy Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Hi, Well after a few years of lurking and reading other people's posts, I thought it was about time to post my layout up. Kiptree Lane was born last April. I am lucky enough not only to have a spare room in the house to have my layout but I am also lucky enough to have a girlfriend that understands my hobby. When planning how and where the layout would be, she did say that she wanted a small space in the room to do her hobby....cardmaking. After a few weeks of deep thought, I realised that I could share my railway room with her. We would both share the desk for card making or model making and when I disappear to the railway room, she can do her hobby, that way, I spend more time with the trains. Kiptree Lane is a DCC 00 gauge layout running a variety of trains. As you can see from the photo I have uploaded, I have used Peco Track (Code 100) with a cork tile underlay. This sits on a 9mm Plywood top with wooden legs. I will post up photos when I do anything new. I will also post up a track plan as soon as I have done one. Thanks Alchemy . 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A1X Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 nice looking layout,track flows really well , i see that your a fan of diesel power? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 Hi Thanks for your kind comments. Yes most of my trains are diesels, although I do not mind steam, I grew up in the diesel, electric, era as steam had long gone, so this could be the reason why. Regards Alchemy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeJ Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Looks great so far, does it go all the way around the room? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Hey and welcome to the forum! Some interesting trackwork there. I do like it when lines have rather fluid curves like yours there. Certainly a lot of operating potential too! Will be looking forward to seeing more of your layout Regards Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 LeeJ - It does go all around the room, although where the track runs under the window and down the longest wall, it is only two tracks. Please see the picture below to have a better idea . To bridge the gap where the door is, again it is a 2 track lift out section (with support leg). I designed it so the bedroom door could be left open when this is in place. Lee m22 - thanks for your kind comments. Thanks Alchemy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 Hi, I have managed to do a track plan....please see below. I hope it helps and I hope it is ok. Thanks Alchemy. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Looks good to me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stehill1 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Lovely flowing throat to the station mate Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted January 26, 2012 Author Share Posted January 26, 2012 Looks good to me! Thanks lee, I wanted to try something a little different with the view of the track plan. I'm pleased how it looks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted January 26, 2012 Author Share Posted January 26, 2012 Lovely flowing throat to the station mate Cheers, got a few ideas regarding the station. I will hopefully be building the platforms this weekend. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted January 28, 2012 Author Share Posted January 28, 2012 (edited) Good Evening All, Today has been a good day on Kiptree Lane. I had a good running session with the trains, but after few hours of having fun and enjoying myself, I decided to build the free Metcalfe model that came with Railway Modeller magazine. I have never built any of these cardboard structures before, so it was a good learning curve and fun to build. I must say that I am very surprised how easy it was to built and how good it turned out. A quick picture below is the finished item. Thanks Alchemy Edited January 28, 2012 by alchemy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A1X Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 looking good! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted June 26, 2012 Author Share Posted June 26, 2012 Hi, Well I must start by saying sorry for the lack of updates. After what has been several months of not updating and not doing much modelling, well none to be exact, I finally found my modelling inspiration once again. I had started to add wires to each piece of track to connect them to the DCC bus wires under my layout. Although I was not looking forward to doing this, I must say that I found it rather fun and very rewarding once I plugged it all back in and it worked first time. As you can see below, a small section of my layout had been tested to see how well the ballast went down. It was fine but then I decided to add wires to each piece of track. I drilled a small holes next to each piece of track and fed the wires through and then soldered them to the track. It was easier to do this before the ballast had been done, so I was pleased that only a small section had been ballasted. Once the wires had been soldered to the track, I gently pulled them back through the baseboard to get a neat finish. When I have weathered the track, I am hoping that you will not see the wires too much. I hope you like the latest updated and can promise that the next one will be along shortly Thanks Alchemy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypops Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 (edited) Hi Alchemy, Its looking good to me too! As said above, the good size and flowing track should make it look good. One thing I found when doing the "dropper" wires after ballasting is that I tended to have a lot of problems with excess solder filling in the track and causing horrendous running problems - so my tip is to use lot of flux, and the bare minimum of solder. Also, you mention you've used peco code 100 track - did you cut the webbing between the sleepers along the bottom of the rail? If you did it'll be a bit easier, but if you didn't don't worry. You'll find there is a gap every few sleepers, but it can be quite small (there's a bit of overflowing plastic in this gap), so trying to solder to the underside of the rail is tough. Again, I would recommend you tried to be careful withyour soldering, since the join was hard to get to amongst the ballast, II managed to melt lots of plastic (some into the join!) which isnt good for scenery OR for electrical conductivity! All the best, and I'll be following with interest, Andy Edited June 26, 2012 by andypops Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 did you cut the webbing between the sleepers along the bottom of the rail? If you did it'll be a bit easier, but if you didn't don't worry. You'll find there is a gap every few sleepers, but it can be quite small (there's a bit of overflowing plastic in this gap), so trying to solder to the underside of the rail is tough. Hi Andy, Thanks for posting a reply....One thing that I over looked, that you have said is actually soldering the wires to the underside of the track. I have soldered some wires (most of them) to the outside of the rails...so now Im in deep thought about changing the way its done. Thanks Alchemy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 Hi all I have been sorting out the bus wire underneath the layout. Here are a few pictures on how I have done it. Is there a right or wrong way or doing it.....I do not know. . This is the way I have done it though. Holes were drilled through the cross beams so that the wire could be fed through. Once all the holes were drilled, I fed the bus wire all around the underneath of the layout. Once the dropper wires were pushed through the small holes in the baseboard and pushed through to where the track is, I connected the dropper wires to the bus wire. I am happy how it looks and I have tried to keep it as neat as possible where I could. As you can see in the photos, I have secured the bus wire to the baseboard with black cable clips. Thanks Alchemy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted September 21, 2012 Author Share Posted September 21, 2012 Hi Everyone, As I have not posted anything in a while I thought I would just give you a quick update on what has, or in my case what has not happened at Kiptree Lane. I have only just started again on my layout. I have done a little more with the ballast. I use the method of Pva glue, a drip or 2 of fairy liquid and water. I find that it works reasonably well and it suits me with the drying time required. It is only a little bit but at least it is a start. Thanks for looking Alchemy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 Good Evening and Happy New Year To All. I never really thought that my reply would be so long in coming but due to a total loss of modelling mojo, I have found it hard to get up and do some modelling. I have fallen into the no modelling but reading RMWeb all the time. Something I need to address to an equal balance of both. To get me back into the modelling side of things, I have purchased myself a couple of point motors that I intend to fit to a few points in the near future. I have settled for the Gaugemaster PM2 Seep point motors. One that can be mounted under my layout and one that is affordable to my budget. I also have purchased 2 Eckon signals. First impressions are that they are reasonably good.....I think. As you can see, I have most of the bits to start the job, so hopefully it will all go to plan Thanks Alchemy 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Very nice setup you have!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 Very nice setup you have!! Thank you class "66". The real big issue I have is that every time I go into the railway room to start work on the point motors, I end up having a quick play with the trains and no work gets done. Regards Alchemy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Thank you class "66". The real big issue I have is that every time I go into the railway room to start work on the point motors, I end up having a quick play with the trains and no work gets done. Regards Alchemy Yer!!! i no what you mean there!! i do this all the time at our club..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 Hello, Just a quick update to say that I have finally started on the point motors. A bit later that n I really wanted but at least I have made a start. As you can see from the photos below, I used a different colour wires to the bus wires and in turn the wire for the signals will also be different colours to the bus wires and point motor wires. At least that way, I will know what colour wires do what As you can see, I have started the wiring of the choc blocks. I will then solder the 3 wires to the point motor. Once the wires are soldered to the point motor, they can then be secured to the underside of the base board, awaiting the final wire runs to the control panel once I have made it. This is the first point motor I have done and I fell like I have done a reasonable job doing it. Thanks for now, Alchemy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchemy Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 Good evening, Well today I had a day off work, so it was time to crack on with the point motors and installing them under the layout. I had 9 to do to finish them. I enjoyed my day and I can confirm that all 9 were completed. Although they are only wired up to choc blocks, it will not take long to run the wires around to connect them up to my control panel. That takes me on to the next bit...designing my control panel. I have a few ideas but will need to go and buy a few bits so that I can get started on that. Anyway, a few pics to show some of the work done today. Ok the layout is my temp workbench Point motors ready for soldering the wires to Point motors ready to be fixed to the underside of the baseboard Holes drilled ready Point motors fixed in place Thanks Alchemy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Still coming along well i see....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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