Oakton. A Small branch line

[G.M.R.]

Well having explained that I had started an interest in my post “Catching the O Gauge bug!”, I thought it was time I started a post to describe my efforts towards constructing a small layout in the garage. 
 

Here is a view from one end, giving an idea of the plan. 
 

 

Single platform face. Run around loop. Small yard to the right. Engine service siding near left. 
 

Two boards. The furthest hinges up against the wall. The nearest stores in a rack behind the camera. 
 

The track will continue onto three of the boards I made for the garden so that short trains can be run out and back around the inside of the garage. 
 

I started this during the summer and will go on to post some photos of how it’s developed so far. 

[G.M.R.]

A view from the other end with the fold up board ballasted. 
 

 

I have allowed for a Small Prairie tank in the headshunt and have one in order. Still delayed from an expected availability of last April.

 

I’ve continued to work with laser cut kits for some of the buildings. The almost complete Station building is shown roughly in place. 

[G.M.R.]

Another photo from the same end showing partial construction of the goods shed.

 

 

I spent a good number of weeks constructing a couple of card based buildings. 
 

 

Both are half relief and intended for the back scene. They are based on Scalescenes downloads but scaled up with a lot of patience. I don’t have an A3 printer!

 

Here they are in place…

 

 

The church tower helps to hide the discontinuity in the garage wall

 

 

[eldavo]

Looking very neat and tidy Geoff.  Good to see you've started a thread.

 

Cheers

Dave

 

[G.M.R.]

A few photos from this morning ……

 

 

Recently finished the pub, oak tree and bus stop. Everything has to be built in lift off modules and stored away from the fold up board.

 

 

My first O Gauge signal and the Peco signal box. Small arm cleared for the tank to enter the loco service line.

 

 

My latest project. A fully interlocked lever frame. Locking is performed with servo motors and the levers interface to the layout through DCC, driving the accessory bus.

[PMP99]

20 hours ago, G.M.R. said:

Another photo from the same end showing partial construction of the goods shed.

 

 

I spent a good number of weeks constructing a couple of card based buildings. 
 

 

Both are half relief and intended for the back scene. They are based on Scalescenes downloads but scaled up with a lot of patience. I don’t have an A3 printer!

 

Here they are in place…

 

 

The church tower helps to hide the discontinuity in the garage wall

 

 

Those downloads have scaled up really well. Thinking of trying something similar myself.

[pwr]

22 hours ago, PMP99 said:

Those downloads have scaled up really well. Thinking of trying something similar myself.

 

I was thinking that. The new Scalescenes low relief diary is ideal for Black Notley.

 

Paul R

[F-UnitMad]

I like the position of the platform, so coaches are left in place while the loco runs round.

Too many layouts have the platform towards the end of the line - a space saving measure for sure, but as far as I know having to shove the coaches back a bit into the loop (& beyond the platform end) for the loco to pull forward again to run round isn't a very prototypical move.

Neat ballasting, too.

[Ray H]

On 10/12/2021 at 11:17, G.M.R. said:

A few photos from this morning ……

 

 

Recently finished the pub, oak tree and bus stop. Everything has to be built in lift off modules and stored away from the fold up board.

 

 

My first O Gauge signal and the Peco signal box. Small arm cleared for the tank to enter the loco service line.

 

 

My latest project. A fully interlocked lever frame. Locking is performed with servo motors and the levers interface to the layout through DCC, driving the accessory bus.

 

Who's lever frame is that please. Any chance of a look in the locking room?

[G.M.R.]

Hi Ray,

 

The levers and frame are built from two MSE 7 lever kits. An additional lever is a dummy spare and simplifies the joining of the two units. 
 

Here are a couple of views under the top. ..

 

 

 

nearest lever reversed 
 

 

nearest lever returned to normal

 

 

and now locked. 
 

If you look carefully you can see in the first of those last three that the fourth lever from the left (an FPL) is back locked and in the last photo it is back in normal and unlocked. Being there has caused the first lever (Home signal) to lock. 

[Ray H]

Geoff

 

That is amazing. Thanks so much for posting the images. I bet that took a bit of working out.

 

I'm not familiar with the MSE lever kits. Do the levers drive the (locking) bars and the electronics operate points and signals?

[G.M.R.]

Thanks Ray. Yes the levers are connected to the locking bars as you might see here…

 

There are micros witches behind the levers which operate when they are pulled. These switches are detected by an arduino program which then sends the Dcc codes to the layout on the accessory bus. 

[G.M.R.]

Have been making some progress over the past few weeks. Too cold in the garage so working on the removable boards indoors. 
 

Starting to get the shed area into shape:-

The workshop is still at the primer stage. Next is to start to match the brickwork with the shed. 
 

 

The water tower is from Skytrex and has been a new experience for me. I received a set of parts, but the assembly is largely left to the builder working from photos of the real thing. 
 

 

The coal stage is from Ten Commandments and is next for the paint shop. 
 

Still plenty to do, but I think it’s going to work despite the limited space. 

[PMP99]

That’s coming on really well!