harriermate Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 Hi Guys, A few years ago (until 1998), I lived in Germany and was attracted by Fleischmann and Roco HO/OO steam locomotives.... so as you do, I bought a few! and started dabbling with ideas for a layout centred around an Engine Shed and Fleischmann electric turntable in an industrial setting in the era of steam. I also picked up almost every conceivable Faller kit from engine sheds and coaling stages to stations and signal boxes. Never out of their boxes or unwrapped, I've decided with the current lockdown that now is time to make a start, based on an 'out and back' design I produced a few years ago using Peco track. Im constrained for space (8 x 4 board) and so will look to have the linear steam loco servicing roads and turntable as the centrepiece diagonally across the board on an upper level, with an oval of track (and passing loop) on the lower level (for those times when I just want to sit and watch the trains going past! I intend disguising, as best as possible, the tight radius curves by making it an urban environment with the 'top deck' covering the corners.... if that makes sense. Will post as I go along. Just experimenting with Railmodeller Express software. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harriermate Posted March 28, 2020 Author Share Posted March 28, 2020 Opening the packing boxes is like a veritable Christmas..... Inventory of all the kits needed first. Makes me smile seeing the prices marked in DM and each kit still with its receipt! Maybe I'll just sit and play a while!!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ITG Posted March 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 28, 2020 Good luck - let’s hope you can get all the basics you might need to get started, during this odd time. Such as the wood, rail joiners, cables etc. I’ve had 18 months building my first layout after a gap of xxxx! (a lot) years, making plenty of mistakes as I went (or improvement opportunities). So I’m now at a stage where, although by no means finished, I almost don’t want to spend too much time on the current layout, as I’m planning/doodling/ considering what the next layout might be ——- hopefully eradicating most of the hiccups this time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PMP Posted March 28, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 28, 2020 Depending on how ‘realistic’ the overall presentation is, you may find the physical volume of the turntable and locomotive facilities overpowering the design. Placing it as urban makes sense and with two levels, pay attention to wiring and mechanism clearances underneath the top level early on, as they can easily catch you out. Rather than building the kits first, make paper/card cut outs of the physical kits, these will help you find what works in the space you have. You could also use a program like sketchup to do it but for me, the physical ‘blocks’ work every time. eg Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harriermate Posted March 28, 2020 Author Share Posted March 28, 2020 (edited) Heres the design so far... Base layer... (cyan track). Yellow track is the incline. Base Layer.pdf Upper layer... (green track). Yellow track is incline. Upper Layer.pdf The incline only goes to half height (3.5cm) at left edge and hence why it doesn't cover the lower track work. Total length of inclined track (not including the 45cm head shunt half way up) is 190cm. My maths says that's 2.1deg or about 3.6% so hopefully won't be an issue. Edited March 28, 2020 by harriermate typo! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted March 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 28, 2020 5 minutes ago, harriermate said: Heres the design so far... Base layer... (cyan track). Yellow track is the incline. Base Layer.pdf 550.33 kB · 0 downloads Upper layer... (green track). Yellow track is incline. Upper Layer.pdf 500.28 kB · 0 downloads The incline only goes to half height (3.5cm) at left edge and hence why it doesn't cover the lower track work. Total length of inclined track (not including the 45cm head shunt half way up) is 190cm. My maths says that's 2.1deg or about 3.6% so hopefully won't be an issue. Agh! I just commented on the gradient in your other thread. We should Please track planning discussion in this forum if possible to avoid duplication and confusion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted March 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 28, 2020 The 4 by 8 size is horribly constricting if you want to do something realistic. And especially if you want multiple levels. Are you really limited to this size? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted March 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 28, 2020 Within the constraints imposed by this size, the design is quite good. But I would lose the incline between the two levels. Usual caveat, of course, that an 8' x 4' board with no central access actually needs a space of about 13' x 9' to give access to all parts. There may be better options with that space. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harriermate Posted March 28, 2020 Author Share Posted March 28, 2020 Thanks Joseph, Losing the incline is not a bad idea as I have enough rolling stock to be able to entertain on both levels separately. There is a 3 lane shed and small coaling facility lower left on the lower level. Also would allow me to leave a passenger rake or goods train running round the lower oval whilst I shunt back and forth on upper level. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium cctransuk Posted March 28, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 28, 2020 4 hours ago, harriermate said: .....Fleischmann and Roco HO/OO steam locomotives.... Please - don't use the HO/OO term; it's nonsense. Model railways are built to either HO (3.5mm. : 1ft.) or OO (4.0mm. : 1ft); they can't be both. What you are proposing clearly seems to be HO scale. Regards, John Isherwood. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harriermate Posted March 28, 2020 Author Share Posted March 28, 2020 I like the term HO/OO. Ive used it for 55 years and will continue to do so thanks. But thank you for your valued opinion! Always good to know what's important in life. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harriermate Posted April 10, 2020 Author Share Posted April 10, 2020 The plans are complete and I’ve started transferring the plan to full scale... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harriermate Posted April 10, 2020 Author Share Posted April 10, 2020 Waiting for the cord sheet underlay to arrive so I can actually start laying track properly. Need to think through the wiring regime next to keep it simple and functional. The lower layer is really simple as (apart from the station loop) all the sidings point in one direction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harriermate Posted April 10, 2020 Author Share Posted April 10, 2020 Tested the insulating curved points with my Baureihe 98 Glaskasten... as it’s so small with very short wheelbase, if it negotiates the points all the other locos will have no problem ..... and it works very smoothly! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted April 10, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 10, 2020 On 28/03/2020 at 14:39, harriermate said: I like the term HO/OO. Ive used it for 55 years and will continue to do so thanks. But thank you for your valued opinion! Always good to know what's important in life. Some early Fleischmann products certainly merit the label as they are somewhere in between (like some Rivarossi, AS and British Trix). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 10, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 10, 2020 I think you’ve got the general idea, we are just having fun Do you intend painting the buildings? I know a lot just use them in the colours supplied, if you do I find a nice spray over with a decent Matt / Flat varnish helps get rid of the plastic sheen and improves the model look. I paint mine anyway and lightly weather them with watered down cheap emulsion test pots from B&Q. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harriermate Posted April 10, 2020 Author Share Posted April 10, 2020 My other half asked if it will be finished by the end of the week....... it wasn’t worth explaining!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harriermate Posted April 10, 2020 Author Share Posted April 10, 2020 Yep. I’ll paint and weather all the buildings... still writing out the inventory of what I bought all those years ago!.... and the locos too... bought a revell BR01 to practise on before touching my Roco version! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harriermate Posted April 10, 2020 Author Share Posted April 10, 2020 (edited) I’m probably going to have to split the baseboard in half and ‘peg and dowel’ it... for ease of movement....apparently it can’t live in the kitchen forever.... and man handling up and down stairs could be awkward. The track work is arranged such that it crosses the potential join at 90 degrees in all but one place..... and all the points are clear! The upper layer will also lift off when not in use... much simpler since I took the advice to ditch the incline joining upper and lower layers. Edited April 10, 2020 by harriermate Typo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harriermate Posted April 14, 2020 Author Share Posted April 14, 2020 More progress with the baseboards... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted April 14, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 14, 2020 Is the top level 9mm or 12mm MDF? Is it supported anywhere other than the edges? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harriermate Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share Posted April 15, 2020 Phil, Its 9mm and yes its supported underneath. I haven't put all the cross braces in yet as I want to work out exactly where the point motors are going first. and don't want them to coincide. It's actually in 2 pieces as well, dowelled and slotted together such that I can remove it easily. Just waiting for the cork underlay to arrive so I can start laying track properly, cutting boards for point motors, inspection pits etc. Im also thinking of removing some of the lower board sheeting too, so as to reduce weight further. Just weighing up the relative weight of MDF I could remove against the additional weight of additional braces to preserve rigidity. The lower layer is still one single 8ft x 4ft board!!! not very manoeuvrable!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 (edited) On 28/03/2020 at 06:58, cctransuk said: Please - don't use the HO/OO term; it's nonsense. Model railways are built to either HO (3.5mm. : 1ft.) or OO (4.0mm. : 1ft); they can't be both. What you are proposing clearly seems to be HO scale. Regards, John Isherwood. Much as I know that OO/HO is a very popular scale/gauge compromise, I must point out that HO is a recognised scale ( 3.5 mm/ft) and gauge , but in the UK 00, or 00/HO, really only refers to the use of HO's gauge (but not scale) of 16,5 mm by UK train set and individual model trains, manufacturers for practical reasons. The model 00 scale of everything other than track gauge is 4 mm/ft scale. That's not a criticism. Just wanted it to be clear. Andy Edited April 15, 2020 by Andy Reichert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium cctransuk Posted April 15, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 15, 2020 3 minutes ago, Andy Reichert said: Much as I know that OO/HO is a very popular scale/gauge compromise, I must point out that HO is a recognised scale ( 3.5 mm/ft) and gauge , but in the UK 00, or 00/HO, really only refers to the use of HO's gauge (but not scale) of 16,5 mm by UK train set and individual model trains, manufacturers for practical reasons. The model scale of everything other than track gauge is 4 mm/ft scale. Andy Both OO and HO have clearly defined scales - 4mm. / 1ft. and 3.5mm. / 1ft. respectively - though they share a gauge of 16.5mm. The term OO / HO is self-evidently nonsense - a model cannot be both 4mm. and 3.5mm. / 1ft scale at the same time. End of story ! John Isherwood. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 This looks to be a fun topic without further gauge discussions, so I suggest you PM Martin Wynne or myself for any further input off forum. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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