A small O gauge layout

[Halton Boy]

Hi every one

The Halton Light Railway has again been postponed therefore I have decided to build a small O gauge layout so that I can run some engines.

The layout will be built on four plywood base boards.

The size is 16’x1’6” 4800mm x 450mm  There will be no back screen so the layout can be viewed from both sides.  Along both sides will be clear plastic to protect the layout.  At end A will be two cassette fiddle yards 3’6” long 91.44mm.  At end B will be one cassette fiddle yard 3’6” long.  This is a total length of 23’ or 7mtrs.  Therefore the layout will be operated on the patio.  When not in use the layout will be split down.  The boards will lay on metal shelving supports in the garage.  

 The track is Peco with medium turnouts operated by DCC Concepts Colbalt analogue point motors. The buildings are by Skytrex.

I estimate the cost of the build to be about:-

Base board £50.00           Support trestle’s £45.00                Clear plastic £30.00         Storage racking £25.00

Buildings £200.00              Track £240.00     Point control £110.00      Total £700.00

I have a DCC controller and some stock.  With the boards being this narrow I am hoping that it will be easy to set up and take down.

I have attached some images to show what things will look like.RMWeb images.docx

Ken  

[Dava]

Good to see a new O gauge Light railway project. 23 feet is medium-large in my book as my current microlayout is 6ft!

 

I couldn't open the drawing file, maybe this is an iPad thing?

 

Dava

[muddys-blues]

Sounds interesting Ken, same here with the pictures, Ii tried on an Phone.

 

Best regards

Craig

[gismorail]

Good to see a new O gauge Light railway project. 23 feet is medium-large in my book as my current microlayout is 6ft!

 

I couldn't open the drawing file, maybe this is an iPad thing?

 

Dava

Same here file would not open . good luck with the layout though

[Halton Boy]

Hi everyone

 

I will try and upload the pictures again:  

 

 

Since posting this the Finance Director has told me to reduce the cost.  Two ways would be to change the points control to manual but I am not sure how.  The other would be to change the buildings and not have a bridge at end A.  New platform and loading dock could be made from timber.  The station building could now be a shelter.

 

 

I how this is now ok

Ken

[Dava]

I wonder how you could make the plan more interesting in this length, maybe curving one of the sidings away from the running line?

 

A straight running line & loop with all tracks parallel are not that visually interesting.

 

Dava

[Kenton]

 

Since posting this the Finance Director has told me to reduce the cost.

 

 

Suggest the Finance Director looks for a new job, or work a few hours overtime and allocate the resources accordingly.

[Mike Bellamy]

 

 

Two ways would be to change the points control to manual but I am not sure how.  

 

 

 

 

Try this - manual push pull operation with all the electrical switching included

 

http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/TRA/blue_point.html

 

 

.

[Halton Boy]

Try this - manual push pull operation with all the electrical switching included

 

http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/TRA/blue_point.html

 

 

.

Thank you for the link.  I purchased an Ixon Fowler diesel from them at the O gauge show in Bristol.  It sounds really good.  The problem now is that I see they are selling the Peckett E class with sound.  Oh no more money.  Ken.

[81A Oldoak]

You could also use a simple slide switch like this to operate the operate a driving rod to the points and switch polarity. Cheap and simple.

[Nearholmer]

Interesting stuff.

 

You could consider scratch-building the structures to control cost; light railway building are pretty simple, and can easily be knocked-up from bits of spare plywood and cereal packet card (I joke not).

 

K

 

PS: I think it is a medium sized layout too!

[81A Oldoak]

Interesting stuff.

 

You could consider scratch-building the structures to control cost; light railway building are pretty simple, and can easily be knocked-up from bits of spare plywood and cereal packet card (I joke not).

 

K

 

PS: I think it is a medium sized layout too!

I quite agree. Buildings are a great way into scratchbuilding and there is something very satisfying about constructing them from basic or even waste materials for next to nothing.

[railwayrod]

Hello Ken.

 

It is nice to see a new layout being built and I will follow your progress with interest.

 

I have to agree with comments made above re your layout being in the medium length bracket. Ramchester is only about six feet longer in in my shed but is a U shape with the fiddle yard on the opposite side. I note that you have a Fowler diesel so you have made a really good start, the Peckett can come later when the layout is much more advanced.

 

You can scratch build the buildings using all sorts of "throw away" materials and it is quite satisfying when you have completed a model especially if it has not cost you an arm and a leg. My first scratch built building was a permanent way hut made from card which I scribed to represent wooden strips I then went on to a house followed by a goods shed - all valuable learning experience.

 

If it is not too late can I also suggest that you do not lay the track in a strainht line from end to end but try to curve it or add an additional siding to give you more visual impact and a better operating pattern.

 

Of course rule 1 applies - it is your layout and you can do what you like.

 

Please remember that every great journey begins with a single step so don't try to rush things too much but enjoy the journey.

 

Rod

[Halton Boy]

I wonder how you could make the plan more interesting in this length, maybe curving one of the sidings away from the running line?

 

A straight running line & loop with all tracks parallel are not that visually interesting.

 

Dava

Hi Dava

I must admit that you are right.  My layout is based on Catcott by Chris Nevard.  He has used one running line and one siding, but it is the scenic detail that makes his layout look so good.  I am hoping that the scenic detail on mine will make it interesting.  Is Catcott a diorama or a layout?  I am not sure.  Ken   

[Halton Boy]

   

Suggest the Finance Director looks for a new job, or work a few hours overtime and allocate the resources accordingly.

Hi Kenton

No overtime for me, only three weeks to retirement 

[Halton Boy]

Well thank you everyone

As I mentioned above it was Catcott by Chris Nevard that brought about this layout idea.  His track work is very simple but the whole thing looks so real.  My previous ideas have ended up with loads of track so I thought, keep it simple but do it well.  You are right about the buildings.  Nothing looks worst than buildings everyone has seen many times before. Maybe I could buy one cheap building so I can get the scale right.  On the plan the track at the top is the main line and the track at the bottom end A goes to a off scene business like a mill, dairy or tractor dealer.  I have two 1/43 scale tractors.  Ken   

[Halton Boy]

Hi everyone

I have revised the plan twice and would be interested in your thoughts. 

 

 

 

In these plans the track at the bottom at end A, which goes to an off scene farm machinery dealers, is very close to the baseboard edge.  This may be a problem.  I have kept the track straight to make it easier to connect to the cassette units.  With more points on the base boards I will have to section the boards up so that the points are not on a join.

Ken

[John R Smith]

Hello Ken

 

The plans look functional and railway-like, but why have the platform so short? As you have 16 feet to play with, there seems no reason not to have a decent platform length and then you can handle some impressive passenger traffic when you are in the mood.

 

John

[Dava]

The second plan would give you an end loading dock, handy for agri machinery. May be worth hanging on for the shorter radius Peco points at that end, you can use your small locos to shunt the diding.

 

Dava

[hartleymartin]

Track plan reminds me of Asenby-St-Peter.

[railwayrod]

Platform length is one of those areas on model railways which are usually far too short. Even small stations usually have a platform about three times longer than the length of the train using it  In your case there is no reason to cut the platform short as from the plans above there is nothing to impede the length. A longer platform would improve the station even if you only intend to run short passenger trains.

 

As I have said before rule ! applies and its your layout.

 

Rod

[Hesperus]

The costs of a model railway can be cut to very little if you are happy to recycle wood and other items,  that said perhaps that is what you are planning as £50 of plywood and hardware isn't much  to build 23' of baseboards..

 

On my 0 gauge layout I have built the track from code 100 flatbed rail rescued from an old 00 scale layout with sleepers mostly cut from card.  The boards are from foam and ply that was heading to the skip at work.  Pointwork is operated by the switches that Chris has shown above and bicycle spokes.

 

I think a normal modellers wife would either threaten divorce or give in and consent to a layouts budget if the modeller started bringing home all the rubbish I do in the name of saving money..

 

Best of luck with the build however you go about it.

[Halton Boy]

Hi everyone

Sorry for the delay in replying, but work got in the way.  My main idea is to have four narrow boards so that I can move them with ease.  This is why I thought it was a small layout.

The basic width would allow three tracks.

But this does not leave much room for landscape.  Will this be a problem?

This is the latest idea using a halt platform and a loading dock.  They are both only half normal width with no buildings on them.  This allows more space for the railway track.  But will this work?  My original idea was not to have any buildings, just track, permanent way, gravel and grass.

The more I look at this, the less I am sure.  As you say I think it will cost more than my estimate.  But will it be worth it?

Ken 

[muddys-blues]

Hi Ken, I note with interest these boards are very similar in size to the ones I am using, and on mine I have the main board width of 400mm which will suffice for the main trackbed, but my plan is only 2 lines wide, I will then be adding on some 100mm lightweight land forming to give me embankments falling away at the front of the board, and 100mm added on again at the back to plant trees or hedges, just to give some more depth and 3D, and the boards will still only be 600mm (2ft'ish) wide.

 

Hope this helps to give you and idea or option.

 

Craig.

[Hesperus]

I filled my tiny 0 gauge layout with track and I wish I'd left a bit more space for scenary. Your trackplan looks sound to me but if you can live with the extra space it would take up I would add an extra 6" or so to the width and let the track work flow down the board and leave a bit of room for some greenary. Don't worry about the cost of buildings,  scratchbuild them for virtually free then replace them with bought ones later if you don't like what you made.