Llannunlle - A 1990-2009 North Wales Coast layout

[CazRail]

I've had a 8ftx9ft ish layout for about 7 or 8 years now, which is pretty much built to run trains and not much else. But one problem that I have that's potentially about to change it is storage. 

Scenic stuff, loco and rolling stock boxes, boxed locos and rolling stock, workbench tools, the list goes on. So this is the current state of my set-up...

...and as you can see, an organised mess.

The Plan 

The plan Ive come up with is to replace the current supports for the layout(old argos type flat-packed desks) with a bigger and stronger alternative. Kitchen base units from B&Q!  Ive worked out what I need to acheive this, and I've concluded I'm going to keep the current 2ftx4ft chip board and the timber supports. Not the ideal material, but for a layout that wont go anywhere, is perfectly fine imho. 

 

Also, the plan is to scenic atleast two sides of the layout, basing it on features of the North Wales Coast. The main era will be Regional Railways and EWS eras, which Im narrowing down to 1990 to 2009. But of course, I wont be completely sticking to that.

 

Hoping to start progress in the new year. 

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by CazRail

[380John]

Hi caz that's what I did. I left a gap for a work bench and put my baseboards over the top. Pretty cost effective and loads of storage... 

 

John 

[CazRail]

Thanks John,

 

Im not too sure about fitting a workbench in, but at the minute I'm contemplating a slide out drawer type thing 

 

Cheers!

[CazRail]

Started to box up loose stuff and my workbench last night ready to take the current setup apart. I've also decided to name Llanunlle, the Welsh word 'nunlle' tranlslating to 'nowhere'.

 

To give a lowdown of what I intend to run on the layout, I'm basing it on what would have been seen on the line from 1990 through 2009, so here's a few examples of what I have to choose from:

 

- Class 37s with Regional Railways mk1/2 rakes.

- Class 101 and 108.

- Class 142

- Sprinters, Class 150, 153, 156 and 158s.

- Intercity/Virgin WC HSTs and Mk2 or Mk3 rakes with DVT. 

- Freight including PAB-A covhops(which Im 3d printing), Cargowagons(Revolution's IWA), Octel tanks, steel trains(Dee Marsh/Mostyn) and stone trains. Hauled by classes 20, 31, 37, 47, 56, 60, 66, 67 and 70.

 

I'll also utilise rule 1, when it comes to running anything else.

[HKG Steve]

Hi Caz

I also went down the B&Q kitchen units, the cheapest basic carcases, and haven't bothered with drawers/ doors yet.  Gives plenty of accessible storage and can with a bit of a contortionist act get under the boards to fiddle with wires etc. The adjustable legs also helped 

 

Like you I'm modelling North Wales, based on a what if scenario for the Dyserth branch but in the 1980's to late 1990's, and have recently started a thread on here if you're interested - see Tre-Castell https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/161050-tre-castell-a-dyserth-inspired-layout/ 

[CazRail]

9 hours ago, HKG Steve said:

Hi Caz

I also went down the B&Q kitchen units, the cheapest basic carcases, and haven't bothered with drawers/ doors yet.  Gives plenty of accessible storage and can with a bit of a contortionist act get under the boards to fiddle with wires etc. The adjustable legs also helped 

 

Like you I'm modelling North Wales, based on a what if scenario for the Dyserth branch but in the 1980's to late 1990's, and have recently started a thread on here if you're interested - see Tre-Castell https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/161050-tre-castell-a-dyserth-inspired-layout/ 

Cheers Steve. The storage part was the main motivational to be fair, desperately need space! Tre-Castell looks a very interesting layout!

[CazRail]

It's slow progress, but bit by bit Im going through all the useful bits/junk under the layout, some of it I forgot I had. All loco boxes have been moved away and stacked tidy ready for their new home in the new units. 

As you can see, its not even an organised mess! 

I'm hoping by Friday, Ill be ready to remove the track and in turn the boards.

[CazRail]

Following on from the last post, I've made some changes to the plan...

 

As I've found the carpet isn't in the best of nick, I've decided to lift it and replace it with laminate flooring, as well as re-painting the walls and skirting boards. It's been about 15 years since it was last done, so will give the room a nice little re-fresh. The rest of the room will be done later in the year.

 

Also, I've decided the radius of the inner track will be 4th radius, the outer track will effectively be 5th radius, laid in flexi-track. I've decided that the majority of the track-work will be set track, with flexible track used in the sidings(for flexibility ) and down one side of the layout, which should cross over a bridge and into a tunnel.  This will save me money on track, and make things fit a little better onto the layout.

 

'Organized Mess' Status: Not much better.

Edited January 20, 2021 by CazRail

[CazRail]

So Ive now got a first draft of a track plan, which I'm fairly happy with. It includes a 3-coach station(will be measured by the length of mk4 coaches), a loco/DMU stabling point, some freight sidings, and possibly a signal box placed inbetween the 'up' and 'down' lines, similar to what's at Mostyn. 

Of course itll be a bit more 'squashed in' on the actual layout, but hoping itll work. My plan is the buy enough track to lay the mainline, including the crossovers and connections to the yard. The section along the bottom is a scenic section, where I'm yet to decide what to put there. 

[woodenhead]

if you are not completely sure what will fit in you've indicated your plan will become more squashed in reality, might I suggest you get some free railway planning software and try your plan out there.   You need to be sure you can achieve what you want and not be disappointed.

 

You've plans for quite a few trains, where will you store them when not running, i.e. no obvious fiddleyard and a Virgin set is going to take up some space.

[CazRail]

1 hour ago, woodenhead said:

if you are not completely sure what will fit in you've indicated your plan will become more squashed in reality, might I suggest you get some free railway planning software and try your plan out there.   You need to be sure you can achieve what you want and not be disappointed.

 

You've plans for quite a few trains, where will you store them when not running, i.e. no obvious fiddleyard and a Virgin set is going to take up some space.

Thanks, woodenhead,

 

I don't get on with the software, and I prefer to design by hand, but I've got a fair idea what I can fit in the space as I've used the same area using setrack a few times already (basically I'm re-building the boards to the same size)

On the fiddle yard front, I'm planning to only have a few trains on the layout at a time, with what I'm not using stowed away either in their boxes or in stock boxes in the cupboards underneath the layout. It can be a little annoying having to do that, but as much as I want a fiddle yard, I haven't really got the room to accommodate a decent one. Maybe an idea would be to put the drawers in at the top of the cupboards and put in a sort of open stock box (maybe a bit like a cutlery tray but bigger to accommodate trains).

 

 

[CazRail]

Another day, another bit done. Desks are now in the process of being taken out. Hopefully by end of play tonight the carpet will be out, then the demolition will be complete. It all gets better from there!

 

The paint and laminate floor stuff arrived today, and will hopefully be in by the time the new units arrive on Tuesday!

[CazRail]

2 days later...

Fitted the laminate today, took a good 5 hours as Ive never done these before, but have to say Im pleased.

Edited January 30, 2021 by CazRail

[JackB95]

Looking smart Caz! Done a good job with that flooring met. Looking forward to seeing it all come back together!

[CazRail]

Thanks met much appreciated!

[CazRail]

Things are now taking shape. Walls painted and drying, and the new cabinet base units have arrived and have started to be built. 

 

Two board supports screwed on top, and planning to put in shorter ones in the middle for extra support. Also put most of my collection in their new homes. 

 

Getting there.

[CazRail]

Well, about 2 weeks have passed since the real progress began, and the majority of the work is done! Alls thats left is to find everything a new home and sort out what can go. 

 

All the base units are now built and installed, the baseboards are 90% installed, and most of my stock are stored in their new cabinets.

 

Next steps are to finish screwing down the boards, re-instate the lift-up section, finish sorting everything and start laying some track! (And yes, I've had a cheeky play with the new 68 )

[CazRail]

This photo just demonstrates how diverse my fleet is!

 

The Webb Coal Tank is absolutely dwarfed by the 68! 

 

Both are 'rule 1' purchases, but both will soon have a train to pull. 

My preferred era is, ofcourse, in the title of the thread, but I have models from different eras also. The Webb Coal Tank was bought primarily to run on my Amlwch branch layout with LNWR Hattons Genesis coaches. The 68 was purchased as I have a thing for loco-hauled push-pull sets. I currently have WSMR and ATW Mk3 sets, and have TPE Mk5 and TfW Mk4 sets on order. 

[CazRail]

So today I decided to install the inside track over one of the joints for the flip-up section. I'm using ModelTech's innovative track aligning pieces, which are very good.

I soldered a 3rd radius curve onto it(excuse my lacklustre soldering skills), then cut the rails with a Dremel.

 

I used the solder pads in the four-foot to connect between the track, and fed the cable down through the boards below.

 

Upon testing with my new Dapol 68, I was very happy with how it's turned out...

 

Before reaching the join:

 

Straddling the join:

 

Clear of the join:

 

Now to seek more track...

[CazRail]

Well today I received 14 lengths of flexitrack, so got on with some track laying. Ive completed the inner loop, which is the down line. 

I still need to finish the up line, and wire it all up to a bus wire, but I have been testing/running trains on the down line, and am very happy with the result:

 

I've used 4th radius on the inner/down line, so the flexible track outer/up line is effectively 5th radius. 

 

This curve has been laid so I can place a representation of Mostyn signal box between the up and down lines.

 

Overall, I'm very happy.

[CazRail]

Completed the outer/up line today, which leaves me with two operational lines again. Next job is to wire it in to a bus wire, and play about with a few new ideas.

 

For the first little running session, I opted for my Regional Railways 158 and Inter City Swallow HST, making an early 1990's appearance. 

 

And then the beginnings of the first idea Ive had, which is a tunnel of twin single bores for the east end, inspired by the Vaenol tunnels near Bangor, on the Bangor-Caernarfon line.

 

Probably will be a scratch built portal with a retaining wall running beside the up line. This will hide a point motor for the crossover, and Im hoping to do similar for the other point in the photo (there's baseboard supports under both these points).

 

I'm also hoping to add cant to the curves, only about 1-1.5mm lift. 

[CazRail]

Started on the single bore tunnels tonight...

 

Going with a more freelance with these, using Wills stone wall sheets as a basis. Been made so a Pendolino will go through both portals, which im pleased about. 

 

Far from finished.

[CazRail]

A little more done on the tunnel mouths...

All I've done is some black dry brushed above each portal, then used a Vallejo brown wash on the whole thing. The brickwork inside next. Just some limited clearence boards and it'll look good!

Heres the Pendolino entering on the up road and a 158 exiting on the down road. You can make out the cant of the track here, and how it exaggerates the tilt one the Pendolino. Starting to come together now!

[CazRail]

Done a little more tonight, namely fitting a new colour changing LED strip along the top of the layout, and daylight LED strip under the layout, which had improved the space greatly. 

 

Also done a little more on me tunnel. Ive used black wash on the slaters brick embossed plastic, which has really improved the look of it. I then used some Vallejo Light Sand paint to add some markings on the tunnel walls. 

 

Lastly, Ive put some Sculptamold around the track cesses and sixfoot to help blend the tunnel in, and get away from the flat baseboard.

 

This Sculptamold also doubles as a way to hold the tunnel mouths in place, as it should simply locate into the terrain. 

[CazRail]

The latest around the tunnel mouths, I've added some brown texture paint, ballasted a little and added some more Sculptamold! 

 

This is the current state of proceedings, with some added class 60 action.

 

And here's some action footage!