Burton Street Sidings - 7mm light railway

[LisaP4]

I've really not done much in the modelling world lately, but there's been a niggling urge to do something...

 

So maybe a late entry in the competition?

 

Back when the first rmweb challenge was started I posted an idea for an 0 gauge layout - in 6 square feet (and thanks to shortliner it ended up in Model Trains International #71).

 

(click for larger image)

What we have is part of a light/industrial railway, a loading dock at the rear(top) left, a traverser/sector-plate/cassette fiddle yard at the rear(top) right. A line in front hides the fiddle yard by being inside a building which looks to continue off the front of the layout; giving the chance for some interesting detailing. A retaining wall along the back will act as a backscene.

 

Here's a mockup using a fullscale print out on the floor, some boxes boxes and my only 0 gauge loco in working order:

 

With this challenge allowing a larger size than the first challenge, I could go for a little more width, giving a chance to have the scenics a little less cramped in. The loading dock can become attached to a half relief building, and the front half relief building can gain a little more width, to allow for a dock of it's own. Overall size will end up being 18" wide by either 6' or 8' long, depending on what I can get out of the ply I've got.

 

So I've just dug out the fullsize printout of the plan, and have gone over what I need in order to build it:

baseboard material: have some 9mm ply on hand

trackwork: plenty of 3mm ply to make sleepers from, and some pcb for making decent Vees and tiebars, no rail though

point motors: several tortoise motors on hand

wire: lots of it

ballast: crusher dust on the neighbour's driveway looks interesting

buildings: several years worth of cereal boxes on hand, some transparent plastic offcuts from a printer, and some more of that 3mm ply

other scenics: an assortment of paint, gravel, and scouring pads from the kitchen should do the job.

 

Stock:

a part built A3 from a certain magazine series - not suitable, but I can test run it on the front straight, and maybe through the middle of the 3-way

an 0-4-0 tank, loosely (very loosely) based on a Barclay 'piano tank', scratchbuilt many years ago from Hornby 00 scotsman wheels, a Bachmann pannier tank motor and gears, Meccano rods for the axles, and an assortment of bits couple with a home turned chimney and whistle.

 

So I just need to get some rail (a few lengths of peco 00 code 100 flex should do the trick), and a couple of wagons to shunt around.

Seems doable?

[Kenton]

Seems doable?

It certainly does - now all you need is time to complete it

[shortliner]

I see no reason why not!

[Jack]

More O guage stuff is always good and I like the plan, its very similar to Malcolm Carlsson's Freight Terminal on p29 of the Guage O Guild's Small Layouts Volume 1. His was 6' x 14ins and the 3-way was 2' & 3' radii. Obviously great minds like a think ...

 

I look forward to following the progress on this as I had toyed with a layout based on Malcolm's. I think his in effect worked like a 3-2-2 Inglenook - the fiddle yard would be bottom left on yours.

 

Enough waffle, its definitly do-able and should make an interesting project, good luck.

[shortliner]

....also appeared as a series of 4 or 6 in Scale Model Trains with details of building - I think under the name of Micro Yard

[Jerry1975]

It was called Micro Freight Terminal and focused of instead of expanding outwards, think upwards.

It uses small 4 - 6 wheeled locomotives.

 

Its a very inspiring layout.

 

Jerry.

[LisaP4]

An update:

So as to remove possible excuses for not building the layout, I went ahead and got the baseboards ready. I'm not that fast a builder, the frames have been laying around for a while (having been used on various layouts since some time in the mid-late 90's), so all I had to do was clean them up a bit, and screw on some (already cut to size) plywood. Laying the plan out showed that through what I'll claim was good design when I planned it in the first place, the pointwork was able to avoid the baseboard join nicely (albeit with the plain turnout on one board and the 3-way on the other). So with the plan down, the aforementioned pug, some scraps of wood and a handy toolbox, I did a bit of a mockup:

 

 

The size is 8' x 18", so (8x12)x18 = 1728 square inches (actually slightly less as the boards are metric, but either way it's under 2010 square inches).

[LisaP4]

Just did some sums, and some hunting on hobby shop websites, looks like I can get everything needed to make the track for about $100 ('bout 60 pound). This includes some wood strips of suitable width for sleepers/timbers, which should be better for what's left of my sanity than cutting by hand from ply.

 

Now I just need to get to the shop that has all this in stock...

[LisaP4]

Picked up the rail today, and some of the sleeper material, the rest should be here in a couple of weeks. I should at least have enough to make the front straight and the 3-way though, I hope.

 

Here's a couple of pics of the rail and wood for the sleepers:

 

The rail is code 100 from some Peco 00 flex, as a result I now have a pile of 00 sleepers:

If anyone would find this useful for something (fencing, yard detailing, wagon loads, etc) send me a message.

[LisaP4]

Cut the sleeper material I have to size today, a small jig made cutting those for plain track somewhat simple:

 

Slide the wood in, cut at the edge of the guides, remove correct length sleeper, repeat.

I've got all the timbers for the turnouts cut, along with the front straight... the rest will have to wait till I have the rest of the wood.

 

So, plan glued down, sleepers and rails just resting in place:

[LisaP4]

I have tentatively named the layout Burton Street Sidings, I was thinking Burton Street Yard; but that didn't have the right sound to it. Burton Street Sidings isn't quite 'it' either, but will do for now (Nothing more permanent than a temporary ...).

 

I probably could have got at least one of the Vees made today, but I'm still trying to build up the enthusiasm... last time I built 0 gauge track I swore I wouldn't do it again (although that was a slip in code 124 bullhead), likewise, last time I built a 3-way I swore I wouldn't do it again...

 

Which is why I've got an 0 gauge 3-way to make... with flatbottom rail no less.

[3 link]

You think you need to build up the enthusiasm !! I wish I had half of your enthusiasm I have been having that horrid feeling of "can't be bothered " just lately a bit like writer's block I suppose. Anyway enjoying the build,

 

All the best, Martyn.

[LisaP4]

My "can't be bothered" feeling has been in effect for a couple of years Martyn.

 

Built a vee/wing rail assembly this afternoon, not sure if it'll get used though as I'm not completely happy with it... might end up rusted and lost in weeds somewhere.

[Allegheny1600]

Hi there,

Come on now, these "Can't be bothered" feelings have to be defeated! ALthough, i admit thats how the mood takes me sometimes!

Thank god theres nothing on the TV to keep me glued to the armchair, RMweb is another matter!

Seriously,

This has the makings of a really nice layout - i love the snaking track plan and the effective re-use of peco rail!!! Well done for the handmade track, i wish i could be bothered!

Cheers,

John E.

[DonB]

Prototype for every thing.......If you really mean

"Built a vee/wing rail assembly this afternoon, not sure if it'll get used though as I'm not completely happy with it... might end up rusted and lost in weeds somewhere"....

Here's a little cameo on a cycle path / abandoned rail track nearby for inspiration

Joking aside, I hope your enthusiasm returns, you have impressed me in the past.

[LisaP4]

This has the makings of a really nice layout - i love the snaking track plan and the effective re-use of peco rail!!! Well done for the handmade track, i wish i could be bothered!

Thanks John, I actually quite enjoy building track... just the filing part that I don't like.

 

Here's a little cameo on a cycle path / abandoned rail track nearby for inspiration

Joking aside, I hope your enthusiasm returns, you have impressed me in the past.

It's highly like that that is exactly what will happen to this vee... think I'll mark it down as a practice run after a long absence.

[Turin 60]

Thanks John, I actually quite enjoy building track... just the filing part that I don't like.

 

 

It's highly like that that is exactly what will happen to this vee... think I'll mark it down as a practice run after a long absence.

At least yuor track is being built with real wooden sleepers, my last O gauge track was built with copper clad sleepers and code 100 rail. Still have a whole load in stock though!

 

John.

[LisaP4]

At least your track is being built with real wooden sleepers, my last O gauge track was built with copper clad sleepers and code 100 rail. Still have a whole load in stock though!

I've still got a few feet of track built like that (copper clad and code 100) left from my last 0 gauge layout.

 

Been to hot last couple of days to do anything in the garage, so I haven't done anything to the layout. Now it's cooling down again I should be able to make some progress on the trackwork.

[LisaP4]

Sleepers have now been glued down, and I got a phone call the other day to say the rest of the wood is now available for me to pick up. I've also scrounged up some material from which to make a couple of 0 gauge track gauges... when I get in the mood for some lathework.

[LisaP4]

Very little progress in the last couple of days, however I do now have the rest of the sleeper material, and managed to dig up a bit of PCB which will help with building the crossing vees.

 

So it's really just a matter of getting on with it, when I have a spare day or 2 for track construction.