Damwee Yard, 1 foot x 10 inches ( revised from post 60 onwards ) micro layout.

[Jerry1975]

Hi Everyone.

 

Well now that most of my modelling projects are finished I fancied doing a little project over Christmas and new year, hence Damwee Yard.

 

I found a piece of pine shelf lurking in a wardrobe so I thought, what can I build on that.

 

It's 2ft x 1ft and will include the fiddle yard, so will be a challenge in OO gauge.

 

This is very much in the planning stage at the moment but will probably be a fork layout with coal siding and another with a provender store or other small goods shed.

 

More soon.

 

Jerry.

Edited January 11, 2018 by Jerry1975

[Tony Davis]

Sounds intriguing, Jerry, watching with interest.

[Jerry1975]

Thanks Anthony,

 

I have been playing about with track and buildings etc trying to see what fits where etc.

I'm going to do some more today and hopefully lay some track.

 

More soon.

 

Jerry.

[1722]

Like the sounds of this, Jerry. To me, 00 once that size is screaming no points and a plug in ‘fiddle stick’ for off stage fettling. You could even use a loco lift for this.

Looking forward to progress.

[Jerry1975]

Thanks Chris for your reply,

I did consider a pointless layout but decided on a fork layout with just one point, the fiddle yard can hold a small loco and one wagon and the sidings can hold two wagons each.

 

Hi Everyone.

 

As mentioned above a bit more progress has been made on this little layout, all the track has been laid and now I'm thinking about how and where to put things.

 

Here are a couple of photos:

 

 

A bare piece of ply shelf all 2ft by 1ft of it.

 

 

Track laid, positioning things to see how it may look.

 

Nothing is fixed down yet except for the track, I need to build a few little kits and place them on the layout.

 

More soon.

 

Jerry.

[Bungus the Fogeyman]

Stick a sector plate on instead of the point/fiddle yard combination and you'll have bags more room all round Jerry

 

Disgusting of Market Harborough

[Jerry1975]

Stick a sector plate on instead of the point/fiddle yard combination and you'll have bags more room all round Jerry

Disgusting of Market Harborough

Hi,

 

I am considering just that, it's going to be a one engine in steam type of operation so I can just wire all the lines up so they are all live ( wiring is not my strong point ).

 

I would have liked a sliding traverser but a sector plate would be easier.

 

More soon.

 

Jerry.

[cklammer]

Hello Jerry,

 

 The size of your layout is almost that of an IKEA APA-Box stood on its long side (which is 70cm x 29,5 cm x 36ish IIRC): maybe you build a back- and two side-scenes (or even a complete valence) from what suitable comes to hand. The bridge could then be utilized to cover the left-hand-side mouse-hole to the fiddle-stick, which would attached outside during operations.

 

 What I mean to say is that the fiddle-yard(-stick) could off the base-board, thus enabling you to have longer sidings by moving the turnout to the left.

 

 Respectfully submitted whilst fully ackknowledging Rule #1.

 

 A similar micro fork layout under would be Riverside here on RMweb.

 

Best Regards,

Christian

[andyram]

An interesting little project Jerry. I will follow with interest. You may recall that I started a similar 2ft x 1ft project last Christmas. I am hoping to revive the project during this holiday.

[Jerry1975]

Christian:

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

I'm having a rethink about the layout but I do like the challenge of fitting everything on the one board, I don't think I will bother with a sector plate or traverser, I am considering a small fiddle stick.

 

Andyram:

 

Thanks for your reply, I read your Christmas project layout with interest and I hope you manage to revive your interest in it.

 

Hi Everyone,

 

I stripped the track etc of the layout as I'm having a rethink, I would preferably like to keep everything on the one board but may consider a fiddle stick on the end.

 

I don't really want to use a sector plate etc as I want to keep everything as simple as possible although I can see the advantages.

 

More soon.

 

Jerry.

[1722]

I’m unsure of the dimensions of such an item but could you look at a 3-way point? Then you’d get an inglenook (2-2-1) to increase play value? Or use three unconnected lines to have a pointless inglenook? Using the fiddlestick that would act as a simple sector plate, just unplug from one line and plug into the required one.

[Jerry1975]

Hi Chris,

 

I'm having a complete rethink of this little layout, everything is stripped so I have a bare baseboard.

 

I'm deciding whether to go 50/60's era or more modern like 80's/90's also how to build it, I would really like to have everything on the one board but really tempted by the fiddle stick idea.

 

I'm going to play about with track, work out what fits etc later.

 

More soon.

 

Jerry.

[Jerry1975]

Hi Acklam,

 

Yeah, it's tough sometimes.

 

Hi Everyone,

 

I have finally settled on what I'm going to do with this now.

 

It's going to be a fork layout with a Metcalfe goods shed in one siding and a coal yard using the other.

 

Here is a photo of progress so far:

 

 

I am going to use the coal office that came free with last months Railway Modeller magazine in the coal yard and use Wills coal staithes.

 

More Soon.

 

Jerry.

[andyram]

A nice looking plan Jerry.

[1722]

Excellent!

[marc smith]

It reminds me of a really tiny layout, recently built by the superb modeller (well known on here) Chris Nevard
His build is just a tad larger than your plan
https://www.facebook.com/chrisnevard/photos/pcb.1720588127991932/1720585824658829/?type=3&theater

 

It does show that you don't need loads of space, or structures and stock to make a pleasing little scene, and create atmosphere....
I much prefer the revised plan, using a fiddle stick. I feel it will give you just a little more scope and space
I do like really small micros like this, and am looking forward to seeing this one progress

Just a thought - (and please don't take this as any form of criticism) but the Metcalfe goods shed is quite a large structure, and will take up a lot of your space / real estate
What do you feel about reducing its' size? Say, trim it down to 2/3 rds or 3/4 size.... Alternatively, perhaps don't include the office, as that may help reduce it's overall size...
Perhaps even use just the end wall as a low / end relief structure? Or maybe something smaller, like a Wills goods shed? Just a few suggestions.... but looking forward to seeing it progress anyway

EDIT: Of course, those who know me & my modelling will say "ah, you'd plonk a mirror on one end of the layout anyway, wouldn't you Smith?"

Edited December 19, 2017 by marc smith

[Jerry1975]

Hi Everyone and thanks for all of your replies.

 

Marc:

 

Thanks for your reply, I must say I have admired your layouts and poynton sneer ( hope I have spelt it correctly ) being a particular favourite.

 

I agree the goods shed is a bit big but I wanted to use things I have lying about ( save money and all that ), I may use a provender store kit I have that came free with Hornby magazine No1.

 

I bought the Metcalfe stone bridge kit today so I'm going to use that where the brick one is on the photo, my local model shop didn't have anything else I wanted in stock so will have to wait until after Christmas now until I can get the things I need to progress with the layout.

 

Tonight's activity is going to building the tunnel up.

 

More soon.

 

Jerry.

[Jerry1975]

Hi Everyone.

 

I have been working on the tunnel kit tonight, here is a photo:

 

 

Sorry for the poor photo but the lightning was bad, as you can see the kit is complete, I just have to build up the rest now.

 

I'm still pondering over the goods shed, I'm going to build the provender store kit and see how that looks on the layout.

 

More soon.

 

Jerry.

[1722]

Good afternoon Jerry,

 

I really like the looks of this. As Marc said, I think the goods shed is dominant but think the provender store might well be a good alternative. It'll be good to see and compare.

 

Keep up the good work!

[marc smith]

Hi Everyone and thanks for all of your replies.

 

 

.....I agree the goods shed is a bit big but I wanted to use things I have lying about ( save money and all that ), I may use a provender store kit I have that came free with Hornby magazine No1....

 

 

More soon.

 

Jerry.

Hi Jerry, yes, you spelled "Poynton Sneer" correctly - not that it matters, as the name was a rather poor pun on my part anyway lol

I agree fully, it's sometimes good just to use things you already have to hand, rather than going out & buying new all the time. That was my whole philosophy behind my EM scrapyard layout, and indeed Poynton Sneer.

I wanted to use some of those items I'd bought for some as yet undefined use "one day maybe...." or items I'd bought because they were incomplete / broken (or more truthfully.... cheap! ha ha)

 

With the Metcalfe Goods shed, of course if you had bought it especially to use on a pre-planned micro, it would have been easier to modify before completing it....

One thing I intended to suggest in my previous post, was to place the shed at the rear of the scene - but you've done that anyway. Actually if you go the right way about this project, and with some nice weathering and detailing, far from "dominating" the scene, the shed can be made the main point of focus.....

 

For some time, I've been a fan of micro layouts - but I'm more and more drawn to even smaller schemes these days. Small schemes with a simple plan. As others have said, they start by drawing up a simple plan, then add another 6" or 12" to the footprint, then are tempted to add another siding, or make the sidings capable of handling more stock, or maybe they want to add a loco shed etc etc... it's so easy to go down that road of adding "just that one more feature" - but I'm glad to see you are not tempted by this - it could spoil the balance of the scene.

 

Using the tunnel will have the added advantage of more fully disguising your fiddle stick - it's nice & dark under there. One problem with micros, is that you can so often see straight into the fiddle

Don't let me dissuade you from using that shed Jerry - go ahead and use it, I'm sure you'll make it work for you. Keep up the good work

 

 

Edited December 21, 2017 by marc smith

[Jerry1975]

Hi Everyone.

 

Thanks for your replies Chris and Mark, I have spent 4 hours tonight making the provender store kit and placing it on the layout.

I must say it looks a lot better, a bit fiddly but I think it looks ok.

 

Here is a photo:

 

 

The layout as it stands now with the provender store replacing the Metcalfe kit.

I also took the weight bridge office off.

 

I'm now thinking about what to use as ground cover, any ideas?

 

More soon.

 

Jerry.

[andyram]

That provender store still gives me nightmares. I remember trying to build it a few years ago for Skaleby West. It is very fiddly. Looks like you made a much better job of it than me.

[Jerry1975]

Hi Andyram.

 

Yeah it's a bit fiddly, my attempt is not perfect but I think it looks ok, certainly doesn't dominate the layout like the Metcalfe one did.

 

Jerry.

[1722]

Looks good, Jerry. Super job.

 

Regarding ground cover, how about some cobbles in front of the provender store?

[cklammer]

Jerry,

 

 maybe you can extend the platform of the provender store and shift it a little bit along the towards the middle of the layout/the turnout.

 

 But it looks good so far as it is, anyway.

 

 For ground cover, grassy and mossy cobbles around the provender store it self.

 

Best Regards,

Christian