Jump to content
 

Recommended Posts

Hi Everyone!

 

I've been planning to do a boxfile layout for ages and now I'm finally ready to start.  I seem to have some sort of Inglenook fetish as this will be the forth one I've built, but the first in a boxfile.  The inspiration for this layout came when my partner gave me 2 n-scale trams and an n-scale bus for xmas a couple of years ago.  I had collected a handful of 4 wheel wagons and 0-6-0 engines a few years previously but they had been rarely used as my main focus in n-scale was US outline.  So now I had more reason to think about a UK layout and the ideas raced round my head for some time.  Anyway, long story short, I finally drew up an idea on Anyrail that seemed to have everything I wanted in it, so I put together a mockup today and, as a result, I have just finished drawing the final plan shown below.  The idea is to make that layout on the inside of the box lid and have a 3D ultra low relief backscene in the base of the box (the blue bit in the attached pic of the mockup).  The badly drawn shapes in the bottom right corner of the mockup pic are there to represent a partial building with a window to make it easier to see that the sector plate is correctly lined up.

 

I hope you all like the pics and I'll keep this thread updated as the build progresses.

 

Ian

 

post-15735-0-30157700-1426250867_thumb.jpg

post-15735-0-04262600-1426250899_thumb.jpg

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

Great to see a start on this little box file Ian

 

It's hard to believe that it is a box file foot print looking at the photo mock up.

 

Clever use use of the diagonal and angles to make it look bigger that it is.

 

Look forward to the upcoming updates as you progress.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Time for an update on the layout. 

 

I've glued the track down, done a bit on the retaining walls and started the wiring on the board that will mount on the inside of the lid.  The track has been glued to the sector plate/cassette but I still need to attach the wires and extend the sides.  The bits of black paint next to the tracks are where the Peco unclouplers will be fitted.  The front 2 will be operated by one lever possibly disguised as a yard light and the back one will probably be made to look like a spindly tree or vine growing up the retaining wall.  In the third pic you will see how I an lining up the track. 

 

Ian

post-15735-0-77910000-1426831812_thumb.jpg

post-15735-0-60552500-1426831828_thumb.jpg

post-15735-0-07951100-1426831951_thumb.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Time for another update.

 

Today I finished all the wiring and ran a test loco - very happy but I need to make or find a better quality controller as it was a bit jerky.

Also finished sides of cassette/sector plate and made top surface for tram shed and bus depot area.  The slot in the top is for the lever operating the uncoupler on the rear track - I've decided to disguise it as a telegraph pole that will slide off when the box is closed.  Now it's time to start on some buildings and I need to decide how much of the yard track is going to be inset with concrete/cobbles.

 

Ian

post-15735-0-68365800-1427006985_thumb.jpg

post-15735-0-02681600-1427006999_thumb.jpg

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

Ian,
that’s an interesting plan for such a small layout! I like it! Especially the upper level area – this solution is not like so many others we see… Really clever this.
And the lining up of the sector track to the other three ones – nice and tidy work (
looking much better than mine… :O
  :O  ).

I'll be following along to see the progress you make. Keep us posted, please.

  Armin

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi everyone,

 

Thanks for the likes and comments - always makes me feel good to get that feedback.

 

Now that the track as been tested I have been thinking more about the buildings.  Today I made a quick mockup of the scalescenes factory/warehouse to see how that would work and I'm pretty pleased with it.  I did a lot of editing on the computer so it is just a flat printout with buttresses made of thin card but I think it looks good enough to go ahead and make it properly.  Next I think I'll do a mockup of the tram shed and bus depot.

 

Ian

post-15735-0-49627600-1427342080_thumb.jpg

post-15735-0-11198700-1427342094_thumb.jpg

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

Looks great Ian the buildings give it a much bigger presence than you would expect possible from a box file size foot print.

I think the clue you have hit on is to use the angles within to create the Illusion of a larger space. Angled track, tramway, retaining wall and the buildings finish off the visual illusion, well done be it planed that way or not.

A stroke of genius the pole activated uncoupler on the rear yard track.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well I've just finished the last of the building mockups and I'm very happy with the composition of the scene.  Time to get on with making the proper ones.  I should mention too that, although the trams have poles, I plan to model the tram tracks with a centre groove to represent the plough/shoe method of electrical pickup rather than over head wires.  The retaining wall will be done in scalescenes random ashlar and I'm planning to make a partially collapsed/bomb damaged building for the front right corner to hide the cassette join.

 

Ian

post-15735-0-34037900-1427418385_thumb.jpg

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

Hi Everyone!

 

Well it's been over 2 years since I did anything on this layout but it looks like it is all go now.  

 

When I took this down from the shelf a few weeks ago it was still just a board with 3 tracks on it but since then I have put down cobblestone hardstanding and build a canal barge and warehouse.  The barge and warehouse started life as free Scalescenes OO kits from Hornby Magazine which I scanned and reduced by 50%.  I will probably remake the barge at a later date as some of the card I used wasn't the correct thickness and thus it doesn't look quite right when you get up close to it.   You will notice that the window on the warehouse has been boarded up as the local youths have been using it for target practice from the park across the canal.  I plan to use Scalescenes for all the buildings on this layout as I have the original factory/warehouse and northlight engine shed along with the bus garage from the 100th edition of Hornby Magazine stored on the computer and ready to print.

 

I Hope to keep things moving along now that I have re-started this layout so "watch this space" for updates.

 

Ian

 

post-15735-0-67635500-1542695896_thumb.jpg

 

 

post-15735-0-50402300-1542695944_thumb.jpg

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...