Guest Jim Read Posted August 21, 2010 Share Posted August 21, 2010 Four foot and a fag end, the plywood around the sides makes it a bit bigger than the 4 ft x 18" top of the baseboard. I keep reading about micro layouts being 4 sq ft or under so the actual model area of this one is 44" x 13" giving 572 sq ins and this includes the fiddle yard. This is the simple track plan, I will be able to use 2 locos and about 15 vans and wagons, the fiddle yard track length will take 3 wagons and a small loco. This is the layout board it's made from 6mm ply, it's 1.1/2 ft wide so I will be able to have the controller and point controls built in behind the backscene. The fiddle yard is a simple traverser. I wanted to keep the board as light as possible and used 6mm ply for the surround and the bracing as well, doing it like this means that I cannot twist it any more than a few millimetres and it will not warp. The fiddle yard to layout connection is a tongue and groove to stop any movement. The board with a few bits on, downloading the Scalescenes buildings is what started me off doing this and great kits they are too. I'm hoping to be able to get that 08 to run at five miles a fortnight and do 1/16 th wheel turns with my home made controller. On the left is my point making jig with my first 00 point nearly finished I used code 75 FB rail and CC sleepers. On the right is my track making jig watercolour paper for the spacers and its 1/2 full of card sleepers cut from mount board, the rail will be superglued to the sleepers. It's taken me about 3 months to get this far so in another 3 I might have some more pics. You never know :-) Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted August 21, 2010 Share Posted August 21, 2010 Following this train of thought - would it not be sensible to use a glue-gun - since the Glue-sticks are intended to melt when heat is applied? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim Read Posted August 21, 2010 Share Posted August 21, 2010 Hello Simon and Jack, I concur about the adjustment have a look at this thread though, it's all made using superglue and card, http://forum.mtimag....topic.php?t=466 further along the thread you will see a 3 way point and two single ones, this is in 0 Gauge. Making superglued plain track is much like soldering, one go and it's done The points are a different matter altogether what I did was to make the basic bits and leave the check rails until last, holding these in place with Blue Tack and running wagons through them, even then I only glued them at one point so they could be adjusted as necessary. I did it much in the same way as I made soldered points, they can be just as bad when trying to make an adjustment, with the copper audibly 'poppng' off the base material. Making sure that I get it right first time is the best way I have found and with a couple of roller gauges it's not that difficult. I've always detested Bostik clear it goes everywhere except where I need it. I made the 00 gauge point from CC sleepers because they are cheap enough for me, 0 Gauge ones are expensive. Cheers and thanks for the interesting questions both. Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted August 21, 2010 Share Posted August 21, 2010 You look to have made a good start, will watch with interest. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim Read Posted August 21, 2010 Share Posted August 21, 2010 Thank you Colin nice of you, it just takes me twice as long as anyone else :-) Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 Hi Jim, Yours is one of several layouts that I have looked at on here with scratchbuilt track and it is inspiring me to think about going down that route, when I get the chance to work on my own layout. By the way who says how long it has to take to carry out the work? Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim Read Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 Dear Colin, I make my own track and points because I can't afford to buy it ready made, or make it from commercially available components far too expensive for me. There is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from doing it yourself, and if something does go wrong you can fix it yourself. A length of Bamboo Cane and three holes is all you need to draw a point, two holes at one end for a screw 16.5 mm apart and one, in this case, 32" away for a pencil, line it up by eye and draw. I have a very old Rotring A4 drawing board that I use to draw in the sleepers and then I scan it to produce this pic; If you haven't got Photoshop and want to print this at 100% to get the scale right, download Irfan View, it's a free image manipulating program that offers you the option of printing at the original size. The program is not one of those fly by night here today gone tomorrow jobbies it's been around since about 1990 and is world renowned for its usefulness and flexibility. Hope you find this useful. Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted August 26, 2010 Share Posted August 26, 2010 Dear Colin, I make my own track and points because I can't afford to buy it ready made, or make it from commercially available components far too expensive for me. There is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from doing it yourself, and if something does go wrong you can fix it yourself. A length of Bamboo Cane and three holes is all you need to draw a point, two holes at one end for a screw 16.5 mm apart and one, in this case, 32" away for a pencil, line it up by eye and draw. I have a very old Rotring A4 drawing board that I use to draw in the sleepers and then I scan it to produce this pic; If you haven't got Photoshop and want to print this at 100% to get the scale right, download Irfan View, it's a free image manipulating program that offers you the option of printing at the original size. The program is not one of those fly by night here today gone tomorrow jobbies it's been around since about 1990 and is world renowned for its usefulness and flexibility. Hope you find this useful. Jim Hi Jim, Thank you for that, as I said Scratchbuilding my own track is something that I have had at the back of my mind for some time now, and I can fully understand about the expense of buying propriety stuff. Might have a go in the next couple of months, just starting off with doing normal straight track to get the hang of it before venturing into point work. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modernist Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Looks interesting. Especially to me as I'm about to embark on something similar - a 4x1 green diesel shunting layout! Think I'll be cheating and using readymade track though. Having said that, something this size is an ideal project to try it on. Got me thinking now... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim Read Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Dear Darren, Please feel free to use the point drawing if you do decide to go ahead and make the track yourself. If you wish please copy the track plan as well, though I'm sure someone has come up with the design before me. If you start a thread for you project I would love to follow it, please let me know. Regards - Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modernist Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 Thanks Jim! I think I'm going to base my layout on one of a few small layouts proposed in Hornby magazine a couple of years ago. I'll start a thread once it's underway. Just off for some wood for the frame this aft. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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