captinfranko Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 As I already have a large (8 feet by 10) 00 gauge layout in my garage some may question the point in starting another layout but the answer is simple; the weather. Although my garage is insulated relatively well it still gets far too cold to do any meaningful work out there in the winter and I find myself getting irritated that I am soon to be on Xmas holidays and unable to do much to my layout. Therefore I am planning to build a much smaller modern image "Desk size" layout that I can work on and "play" with during the winter. I have a very specific size in mind for the layout of 55inches wide and 18 deep, simply for the reason that it will then be the same width as my desk and be deep enough to play on but not too deep so it takes up lots of room. Having fallen foul of the "first layout must be huge" curse with my garage layout I am trying to do this one (semi)properly and so I have spent this afternoon mocking up a plan of what I want to include. The shed to the top left of the layout is the Bachmann modern servicing depot and to the right of this will be the hard-standing, with a fuelling point in the middle and then a stabling point off to the right above the portacabin. The three sidings at the bottom will be used mainly for engine storage (display) but I do have an idea to use of my old, and badly fire damaged, Class 40's as a derelict engine rusting away in one of the roads. I also want to include a washing point but I am unsure as to where to put this at the moment. I also intend to have a road/flyover/scenic track raised over the entrance to the right as a sort-of scenic break, with the TMD entrance and car park at the bottom. This would mean the workers needed to cross the tracks to travel to the offices in the portacabins. I would be interested to know what people think and I open to any suggestions you have. I really have no idea about such things as "prototypes" so this has literally just spilled out of my brain, but please be gentle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
captinfranko Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 Quick Update: After planning for the majority of yesterday afternoon I have decided to stick with the original size that I stated. I have even found a piece of wood that is nearly the correct size. A little bit of persuasion with the jigsaw and I should be ready to roll. But before I do that I intend to print the track plan out and arrange it on my desk, which if you remember is the same length as the layout will be, and see how the plan works. Photos coming later. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
captinfranko Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 Quick Update Part 2: After printing my initial track plan out 'full scale' so to speak I believe I have come up with a solution as to where the wash point could go. The revised plan below shows a newer and longer third road coming from the main entrance that could easily house my three class 60's and could therefore incoporate a wash station if needs be. Of course, I would be interested to know what peoples opinions and ideas are. The revised plan is below... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
captinfranko Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 It would hlep me specifically, and no doubt others, if you could put up a track plan that was viewable on a notebook laptop....... I cant see what i am looking at at all.. But from what i can see it does look a lot better than some overtracked unworkable TMD style layouts that occasionally appear here and there Ah sorry about that. Consider the problem remedied, hopefully that is. Here is the first version of the plan... And here is version 2 now with a longer middle road which is where I intend to put the washing plant. I am as of yet undecided about whether to move the fuelling plant down to the bottom of the layout or whether to leave it on the hard-standing by the shed. Thankfully I already have the wash plant and the Diesel Fuelling point from Bachmann so they will be placed on the layout when it is in use during the winter and then used on my main layout during the warmer months of the year. I am thinking about drilling a tiny little hole into the bottom of the washer and the fuelling plant and using something like a cocktail stick just to keep them in place with. It will also mean that they can then be transferred to my other layout and fixed in the same way on that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
captinfranko Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 Quick update on my project. I have laid the track and procured some scenic elements. My next job is to create a motorway flyover to the right hand side of the board and then lay the hard-standing for the shed area. I would however appreciate some tips on how to do this as I am not sure what the best method is. I have some plastikard but I'm not sure on the best method to mark out the desired shape, or then how to go about laying and securing it. Any help would be much much appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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