Easterner Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 In my new house I am fortunate enough to have a dedicated space for all my gentleman's needs. The downside is that it is a very odd shape. A picture is worth a thousand words of description, so here's the plan: This is a small outbuilding (top) attached to the main part of the house by a short link corridor. Dry, warm and carpeted, with not internal doors (and the door opening into the house), but oddly-shaped and not very large. What would you put in this space? I've lots of prototype possibilities but the question of layout format is a tricky one. Scale 00 or N? Continuous run (tight, especially in 00, and wasting the corridor space entirely); or fiddleyard in the corridor leading to scenic area in the outbuilding? Or something else? Don't worry about prototype or themes, except that I'm not a fan of foreign or narrow-gauge layouts. How would you make the best use of the space? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ste234 Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 My two-pence worth would be that N-gauge would be a good bet, especially where tighter corners are concerned, and you would be able to have decent length trains running aswell Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
backofanenvelope Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Simon, Are there any windows in this space and if so what are there sizes? tom. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easterner Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 No; another advantage is that all the walls are plain walls, more or less. The only window is in the pitch of the roof, about 7 feet above the floor, so it doesn't interfere at all. If there were windows it might force the choice of format a little more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted March 19, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 19, 2011 Being biased I would say n gauge continuous run with a duck under. As an additional thought I would consider a bookcase on one side of the corridor with display cases on the other side. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
backofanenvelope Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Ok so here is a 3D pic of the space, and I think N would be a best fit as has been said radii for bigger scales would be an issue. Maybe you could have a multi layered shelf layout? Look forward to seeing the process.. t. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 TBH, I'd go for a set of fiddle yard track sx 3 in the corridor, narrowing down into a single track on a very narrow, fenced strip as it goes into the main room, then a shelf-layout around the room clockwise ,ending at the doorway /room entrance. Bookshelf display cupboard on the 9" side of the entrance corridor. If at a later date you wanted a continuous run, a removable /lifting bridge piece across the corridor entrance into the main room BTW being biased - HO USA shortline. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted March 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 19, 2011 I'd go with Shortliner's track plan, but as 7mm narrow gauge (16.5mm track). This would give you a similar excuse for tight curves. Stu Edit: scrub that, just re-read your original post... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katier Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Definitetly N Gauge IMO, fiddle yard on the 11" side single track feeder into a 12" curve before starting the run along the 5'5" wall then two stations a through station on the one 6'8" wall and the other on the opposite wall as a terminus, with the 8' in the middle as scenic. If you angle the terminus in you can slacken the curve into it and give more length to work with. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim H Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I'd go for N - narrow fiddle yards down either side of the corridor, scenic section round three-and-a-half walls. Either a duck-under or lift-out section could give you a continuous run entirely within the "main" section of the layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I'd go with the round the walls layout in the main bit and save the entry way as an entry way and use it for cupboards, bookcases, kettle, whisky decanter, phone, small lcd tv, mini-pc and the other necessary accoutrements to read rmweb in your slippers while keeping an eye on the sport and modelling. From a practical perspective the entry way is narrow enough that if you put layout stuff each side I don't think you would get much in and it would be quite vulnerable to larger objects going in and out (especially if you don't have a window you stuff boards through) Looks a decent N sized mainline space. You could do OO but it would be a small train/branch sort of stuff- but then whatever tickles your fancy - I'm sure there are folks who argue the best use of that space is a small O gauge layout ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted March 20, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2011 Whatever scale tacks your fancy something could be done. Mainline in 2mm, Branch line in 4mm, shed scene in 0. You just can't do mainline in 0. I would put a cassette storage down one side of the lobby. You could use it to store extra trains. If you haven't got a separate workbench area put shelves and a fold down workspace the other side. A folding chair would be useful. That would leave the main space free for the layout. I think a 2mm shelf type layout mounted at a reasonably high level would be great. You don't mention your capabilities but I you can think about 2mmfs mounted at high level the wheels etc become more noticeable.Look at Kris's Avonwick Blog or Missy's Highclere Blog for some idea of what can be done. If you prefer to stick with N gauge it would still work. If 2mm is to fiddly a 00 country steam age branch line or light railway like K&ES (well worth a visit) would be my choice. Don scale tacks?? I was probably torn between takes and tickles Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 20, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2011 N Gauge - or smaller - will be the most practical use of the space. I wonder whether you couldn't have two lots of fiddle sidings in the annexe, each having just a single line out into the main room, and being around the walls. As already suggested, a bridge across the exit would give a continuous run, although that might only be used for running-in new stock etc. OO Gauge is the more challenging prospect, but short trains and lots of scenic work to disguise the bends - rather than curves! - could be very satisfying to do. I'm afraid your "forget prototype or themes" makes it harder for us to suggest really good ideas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easterner Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Thank you for you thoughts. Oldddudders is right, of course without a prototype or theme to go at it's an impossible question, but I wanted to encourage some blue-sky thinking. A circuit in the main space seems like the obvious solution, although the entryway remains tantalisingly unused. Fiddle yard in the entryway serving scenic area in the main space is the other straightforward option, with the scenic area either terminal or continuous - and there could, as Tim H suggested, be two fiddleyards in this format. Is there any merit in considering a narrow shelf along the left-hand wall as the scenic area? This could be 18" wide or so in the entranceway, narrow to half that through the gap, then widen again. There is 13 feet of straight run there, or the line could curve away (on a 6' radius curve) to a fiddle yard on the right-hand 80" wall. That would give about 16' of scenic run (the last 6'6" straight) before an 18" curve to the fiddle yard. For those who want to consider themes, my own tastes are for the Great Eastern, and preferably pre-grouping. I reckon I could put some stock together in OO; less easy in N. The advantage of the period is short trains (again suggesting OO as a possibility); the disadvantage of the company is that flattish landscapes and striaghtish tracks were pretty common. That means that there are few convincing prototypes for (say) a cross-country line which will convincingly bear being bent round the walls of this space, even in N. Perhaps that suggests an urban theme, picking up Oldddudders' hint of using scenery to hide the curvature. Something East London, perhaps? Readers of the old forum may remember that I have a fondness for Fenchurch St, which might be a more plausible starting point than the East Suffolk. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Long Drag on a spiral in N? David Jenkinson for inspiration? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Obvious other point I think If you have a roundy roundy loop then to get to and from any fiddle yard in entry you will need to duck/crawl under things. Put a high table across the doorway, go under it twenty times and ponder ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Russ (mines a pint) Posted March 20, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 20, 2011 Obvious other point I think If you have a roundy roundy loop then to get to and from any fiddle yard in entry you will need to duck/crawl under things. Put a high table across the doorway, go under it twenty times and ponder ! -assuming you had the non scenic bit around the door area you could have a hinged or 'lift out' section for when the layout not in use, you could also use the lobby area conveniently for stock storage then. agree N would make more sense, yes your favoured prototype is not ideal, maybe you should be looking at something like the Cambrian or Cumbrian Coast, Whitby line or some other Welsh/Cornish or Scottish branchline you'd have no trouble having sharp curves then? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 If you like Fenchurch Street then consider a "Minories" type plan. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 20, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 20, 2011 How high is the space? If you have a high ceiling you could install an American style two or even three tier layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 If you are looking for a small layout to run down the LHS of the room and the annex , with the possibility of being extended, and featuring the Eastern Region, Can I suggest this from Carls Scrapbook site ( Mods please note Carl and I had a reciprocal agreement regarding the use of each others material - note that I have added a copyright line to the bottom of te page) I have had this sitting in a folder for some time, and this is a scan - the site is not yet back up, although further progress has happened this morning. This would look great with ER locos including a "Toby the tram" and even the Wisbech coach plus any of the other small locos - I'd be tempted to add a jam factory like Tiptree, or a sugar beet storage warehouse, or even a sugar factory.to that, or another, siding Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I'd go with the round the walls layout in the main bit and save the entry way as an entry way and use it for cupboards, etc ... From a practical perspective the entry way is narrow enough that if you put layout stuff each side I don't think you would get much in and it would be quite vulnerable to larger objects going in and out (especially if you don't have a window you stuff boards through) I would put a cassette storage down one side of the lobby. You could use it to store extra trains. If you haven't got a separate workbench area put shelves and a fold down workspace the other side. A folding chair would be useful. That would leave the main space free for the layout. What about a vertical traverser on the left-hand side of the antechamber? This could lead into an 'around the walls' end to end configuration. The right hand side would be great for storage shelving, a fold-down workbench or alternatively a big display cabinet. I agree that there's not enough room in the opening for two stub-ends to enter the antechamber at the same height, though if one were above head height, it is feasible. It's still a tight squeeze with even one stub-end entering the antechamber. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easterner Posted March 22, 2011 Author Share Posted March 22, 2011 Thanks for your thoughts. I have a couple of ideas ticking over and you may get a sketch in due course... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted March 23, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 23, 2011 As an extra thought, if you have a larger space elsewhere you could use part of the space for a modelling desk and the rest to store the modules for the larger layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easterner Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 A very good thought in principle, Kris, and yes, there is potential space elsewhere for the erection of a larger layout temporarily elsewhere. I suspect in my case if I didn't have the thing set up permanently I wouldn't have the discipline to get it out and set it up. But thanks for a creative thought. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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