Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

15 hours ago, BroadLeaves said:

I'd add https://railmodel.co.uk/, https://www.lasercutrailwaymodels.co.uk/ and https://www.inthegreenwoodlaser.co.uk/ to the list. All of those have a good range, but most of the ones illustrated on their sites are just the kit put together, with no finishing applied.

 

Thanks for those.  I've done some browsing and found quite a few others now, but of course some of them already have pics of completed models on their sites, so probably less likely to be interested in the idea.

[Graham T]

Right, stage one of the new business empire (!) is up and running.  I've just finished ploughing through all 320 pages of this thread trying to find decent-ish photos of my buildings, and they are now in a new thread in the Small suppliers section of the forum:  Handmade buildings available from Graham T

 

Looking at all I've managed to put together since I've been on RMweb - and have now dismantled (for the time being) - has made me want to run some trains again!  So I need to find a new home and make a start on Chuffnell Regis Mk II...

Edited February 9 by Graham T

[88C]

Wishing you all the best in your new venture.

 

Brian.

[KNP]

All the best for the new adventure, just looked at the new thread and started following.

Nice collection

[Graham T]

11 hours ago, 88C said:

Wishing you all the best in your new venture.

 

Brian.

 

2 hours ago, KNP said:

All the best for the new adventure, just looked at the new thread and started following.

Nice collection

 

Thanks very much gents.  Now waiting for a commission to flood in 😀

[Graham T]

This is where Chuffnell Regis used to be.  But I'm optimistic that I'll have made a start on Mk II before the summer!

 

[Graham T]

In other more positive news I'm pleased to say that I have my first customer for some buildings 🙂  I won't say who as that seems a tad unprofessional, but just in case they read this - thank you!

[Fair Oak Junction]

Fantastic news! 👌

[Graham T]

Thanks!  From little acorns and all that ...  Hopefully!

[Fishplate]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

I'm pleased to say that I have my first customer for some buildings

 

Brilliant news @Graham T. All the best in your new venture. 

[Graham T]

Thanks very much John.

[MrWolf]

Great news Graham, may the commission be the first of many.

[57xx]

On 03/02/2024 at 16:51, Graham T said:

I'll take a look at that for sure Andy.  Or I may try making my own using this technique.

 

I saw this technique described somewhere else many years back and when I built the boards for my defunct N gauge layout, I did some tests with it. In the end I decided to just use a single skin of 6mm ply. These proved to be plenty strong enough and light (25% less ply and much smaller blocks for the corners).

[Graham T]

I've now had an offer accepted on a house back in Hereford.  I did find a 30 x 16 foot garage for sale, with a house attached, but decided not to go for it...

 

The one I'll be moving to - inshallah - has an 18 x 8 foot garage, which has distinct possibilities for the reincarnation of Chuffnell Regis, but also has a large garden with some hardstanding in it that might be a good site for a dedicated layout shed.  Something like this would be rather nice, space (and funds) permitting.  Recommendations for garden buildings that work well for layouts gratefully received!

 

Phil, @Harlequin I'll be pestering you for ideas again before you know it!

[Fair Oak Junction]

Excellent! Good luck with the move, and I hope you enjoy your new place. Looking forward to seeing what you do with CR Mk.II 👍

Edited February 21 by Fair Oak Junction

[BWsTrains]

3 hours ago, Graham T said:

Something like this would be rather nice, space (and funds) permitting.  Recommendations for garden buildings that work well for layouts gratefully received!

 

I've seen several reports from modellers who on choosing an outside building or even a loft, were later dogged by all sorts of climatic problems. There are some well known names caught out in this way.

 

For example fluctuating humidity causing timber warping; glasshouse in summer, freezing in winter etc., Climate control can add up front and unexpected extras (e.g laying in power), ongoing running costs, best to research all aspects carefully if going this route.

 

Colin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Neal Ball]

Good luck with the move @Graham T.

 

My first version of Henley-on-Thames was in an insulated garden shed. (Walls, roof and the floor) had sheets of polystyrene insulation, which together with a small oil filled radiator kept it very warm in the winter. I don’t remember the cost of laying in the power cable, but it was in the required armour cabling.

 

Good luck, it’ll be great whatever you do with CR2.

[sjrixon]

Amazing news and good luck. 

 

I had a Dunster house warm log building in my last house. Split between railway and small office. Actually really nice building. Went together over a couple of days with the help of some friends,  bribed with beer and a bbq!

[Nick C]

12 hours ago, Graham T said:

Something like this would be rather nice, space (and funds) permitting.

Don't. Just Don't. Seriously, avoid such buildings like the plague.

 

We have one, built by the previous owner. Yes they're quick and easy to put up, and no doubt great as a 'summerhouse', but they have a major flaw for our purposes - you can't insulate them properly, which means hot in the summer, cold and damp in the winter. Because of the interlocking-log design, you can't attach anything to the walls as they need to be able to expand and contract as the humidity changes, and while they claim that 44mm of timber is a good insulator, it isn't. I've added 50mm of Celotex to the floor and roof of ours, which helps a bit, but it really needs the walls lining too, which is impossible.

 

If you want a shed, build a proper one, with timber framing, vapour barriers, full insulation and external cladding - it'll almost certainly work out cheaper than that anyway, if you do the labour yourself.

[longchap]

Ah, the old shed chestnut raises it's ugly head yet again!

 

Garden sheds are cheap shelters for storage of gardening tools and such like, not treasured works of art such as model railways. They do not provide a safe and comfortable environment for the railway, which, if to be located in the garden, needs a purpose build structure to residential standards.

 

All the best with the move Graham, but please don't be tempted by compromise.

 

[Graham T]

Thanks for all the advice gents.  Lots to think about!  I will need to do plenty of research when I get onsite before I commit myself.  

 

@Nick C, do you have any idea how much the building expands and contracts by?  I'm wondering about having the layout free-standing on adjustable legs.  So it would fill most of the space up to the walls of the structure, but not actually be attached to them.

[Harlequin]

I made a shed in my garden to my own design.

 

I designed it to be easy to build, with internal surfaces that I could join things to, well sealed and well insulated. I bought the raw materials from a builder's merchant and put it all together myself apart from pouring the concrete pad and sealing the roof with fibreglass. It wasn't difficult and the result is a really sturdy little building.

 

I then filled it with tools and a workbench rather than a railway... What a mistake!

 

You could do the same, Graham, and all the tools you need to build the shed are the same ones you need to build a railway - so can be more easily justified! (Apart from the nail gun which is a great thing to play with use but only really needed for major building work.)

 

[Gedward]

 

When I retired in 2016 my wife suggested I install a garden home/office for all my hobbies. I spent a fair amount of time researching several manufacturers. But in the end I decided against it for all the above reasons. By the time you get it perfect for your needs, it will have cost a great deal more than what it says on the tin.

 

[Nick C]

4 minutes ago, Graham T said:

Thanks for all the advice gents.  Lots to think about!  I will need to do plenty of research when I get onsite before I commit myself.  

 

@Nick C, do you have any idea how much the building expands and contracts by?  I'm wondering about having the layout free-standing on adjustable legs.  So it would fill most of the space up to the walls of the structure, but not actually be attached to them.

I've not measured it, but when one of the window frames in mine was sticking, it opened up a gap of several mm between adjacent planks, and the door catch has to be adjusted by a similar amount each season to get it to lock properly. I have my own layout freestanding like that, but I've had to build it out of much heavier timber than I'd otherwise use to prevent warping, and run a dehumidifier in there all winter to stop damage - and I can't work out there in the winter as it's too cold, and costs too much to heat it.

 

Bear in mind that their £5k doesn't include the concrete slab, any insulation, any fitting out (electrics etc), a decent roof covering (It'll probably come with felt, but that's crap) - just the timber and windows/doors - so you're going to be talking £7-8k by the time you're done.

 

Much better to build one yourself as @Harlequin says, then you get exactly what you need - there's a few threads on here about it, and loads of YouTube videos.

[Tim Dubya]

I can recommend Warwick Buildings, the former Mrs Dubya has her workshop in one and is superb.  The only problem she had was with the door swelling up, which was solved by getting the plane out and then waterproofing the wood again.  She just has a small oil filled heater on low during the winter months, mainly because of all the paper and card she keeps in there.

 

She spent months researching and they finally had what she was after.  Her next door neighbour went with another company for her garden gym.

 

Good luck, research is key, but you already knew that 👍

 

Edited February 22 by Tim Dubya