70's BR Diesel

[rail_blue]

Hello, my name is Matt and my two year old son, Ben and I have been given a Hornby DCC set by father Christmas! Not content with watching trains go round in circles on the lounge carpet I have decided to build a model railway. I've got some experience in modelling but have never tried to build a model railway before, however, I have been doing some research and have a vague idea about what I want to do:

1. (The most important point!) Thomas the tank engine and his friends must be able to come and play on the layout!

2. When Thomas and his friends have gone to bed the BR rail blue diesels will come out to play.

3. The layout will be set in the 1970's (I may get more precise later) and will feature passenger DMU's and some freight traffic.

4. The freight traffic will all be closed containers/wagons, the idea being that loading and unloading can be left to the imagination.

5. The layout will be staged on two 4' x 2' base boards. I have not decided whether these will be joined end to end or "L" shaped.

 

Thus far I have constructed the first base board using 6mm ply reinforced by 2" x 1" batons. I considered using flexible track but as this is my first attempt I think it may be simpler to use Peco set track?

 

Any suggestions on where to go from here will be gratefully received.

 

I will post some photos in the next week or so, as soon as I complete the second board.

[Ragtag]

Once you get the hang of laying it, flexitrack can give you much more realistic shapes and curves. It can also work out considerably cheaper than the set-track alternatives. Depending on your chosen method, it can also mean getting away with less wiring (the golden rule for me is at least one dropper for each section of track). If, like me, you're more keen to get on with the layout building than you are to sit about track-planning, flexitrack gives you a little more leeway when you realise that curve doesn't quite fit where you thought it would

 

You'll have to forgive my ignorance, but is Thomas stuff DCC ready thesedays? If not, are you planning to chip them yourself? If not, I understand it is possible to wire the layout for DC control then simply 'turn everything on' to make it compatible with your DCC control system. If you're comfortable with electrics this might be a more economic method than chipping all of your Thomas locos (depending on how many you have of course).

[rail_blue]

Once you get the hang of laying it, flexitrack can give you much more realistic shapes and curves. It can also work out considerably cheaper than the set-track alternatives. Depending on your chosen method, it can also mean getting away with less wiring (the golden rule for me is at least one dropper for each section of track). If, like me, you're more keen to get on with the layout building than you are to sit about track-planning, flexitrack gives you a little more leeway when you realise that curve doesn't quite fit where you thought it would

 

You'll have to forgive my ignorance, but is Thomas stuff DCC ready thesedays? If not, are you planning to chip them yourself? If not, I understand it is possible to wire the layout for DC control then simply 'turn everything on' to make it compatible with your DCC control system. If you're comfortable with electrics this might be a more economic method than chipping all of your Thomas locos (depending on how many you have of course).

 

The Thomas locos are not DCC ready. I have considered chipping them but that is something I won't do for a while yet. For now Ben is happy running them one at a time using the ???00??? location.

 

There has been a slight change of plan as I have just got hold of three ready made base boards. Two of them measure 66??? x 19??? and the third is slightly smaller. Due to space constraints I can probably only use the two larger ones. I have had a fiddle round using set-track and you are quite right it does look a bit unnatural so I will give some flexitrack a go.

 

Does anyone have any idea for track layouts or features? I would like to include a warehouse and possibly a fuelling siding.

 

 

 

 

 

[Ragtag]

Are you arranging the boards to give 132" x 19" or 66" x 38"?

[agentskj]

I will watch you progress offering any advice and ideas i can

 

Sam

[Dieselbob]

Hi Matt

I hope you have consulted Ben about your change of plan, will he be able to see the track if its in a baseboard, presumably a couple of foot of the deck.

And what ever you do dont let him near a soldering iron.

Even better blow Ben out and only get it out when he's asleep, then you can ditch Thomas for some good stuff.

Happy Modelling (and fatherhood)

Bob

[rail_blue]

Hi Matt

I hope you have consulted Ben about your change of plan, will he be able to see the track if its in a baseboard, presumably a couple of foot of the deck.

And what ever you do dont let him near a soldering iron.

Even better blow Ben out and only get it out when he's asleep, then you can ditch Thomas for some good stuff.

Happy Modelling (and fatherhood)

Bob

 

The base boards are intended to lay on the floor as this is the only way he can see it. I think he would disown me if I didn't let him play with it! But I want to make it a "grown-up's" layout that has the occasional Thomas the Tank Engine session!

[rail_blue]

Are you arranging the boards to give 132" x 19" or 66" x 38"?

 

I'm not sure yet, I had also considered offsetting the boards, but nothing is decided yet. I want to include a station with two or three platforms, a warehouse/freight unloading facility and re-fueling facility. I don't have the time or inclanation to scratch build things, but I'm not against building kits. Does anyone know of any good ones that would fit the bill?

[Ragtag]

11' x 1'7" would give you room for a small terminus with plenty of room for freight sidings etc if you used an end-to-end format. You have the usual restrictions where trains won't get up to any great speed however.

 

5'6" x 3'2" might just get you a roundy roundy, but I think it would be tight (the 'standard' small one tends to be 6x4).

 

Have you considered detachable legs? There's a discussion going elsewhere on this forum on that topic.

 

Knightwing do a nice refuelling point kit, along with various kits to supplement it - tanks, pipes etc. Warehouse kits come from more manufacturers than I care to list - you can probably get some ready-to-plant ones now as well. Check out scalescenes.com for a cheap, customisable option if you're into card construction and for other bits and bobs. Usual disclaimer etc.