N gauge APA project - Effra Vale

[cromptonnut]

Yep, another N gauge project in an Ikea Apa box. Braved Purley Way yesterday and picked up an Apa box which took all of about 10 minutes to put together.

So far I haven't got too much ideas of how it's going to go but the main two features are going to be a secondary urban line (a bit Gospel Oak-Barking) on a viaduct at the back of the layout, and a Linie tram running on Tomix tram track at street level in something approximating the Croydon tramlink - although the tram currently is heading to Hiroshima, not sure what travelcard zone that is in.

There will be a small fiddle yard at either end of the layout, and I am currently looking at making the layout extendable with another section in a second APA box, likely to be more "running through green space" as the tram does in certain areas.

Just ordered a few more bits of the tram track from "plazajapan" on Ebay which will be here in a couple of weeks, which should help to finalise the detailed plan, but looking forward to finally getting on with building something after years of indecisiveness.

The OO, O and O-9 projects will continue in due course...

[cromptonnut]

Well after almost 11 months, there has been absolutely no progress on this project due to other commitments, lack of time, fiscal restrictions, lack of inspiration and leaves on the line.

 

However, last night I dug the box and the bits out again, found some small hinges which enable me to fix the lid permanently which will now mean the lid can protect the layout in transit as well as providing somewhere to display the name of the layout.

 

I'm currently sketching some plans out so watch this space.  It will not be an entirely self-contained project, requiring external 'storage yards' but I expect all these to be able to fit in either a small plastic crate that will accompany the layout (and stock) for transit purposes.  It may well be that a small 'granny trolley' will be enough to carry everything apart from a table (although legs may of course be an option...)

 

As I live in South London, 'trains on viaducts' etc are an obvious backscene, with the tram in the front scenic bit at street level. 

 

Chosen a name - Effra Vale.  Sorta south-London ish, there are several "Vale" places like Streatham Vale, and the Effra is one of London's 'lost' underground rivers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Effra) as that's local and not something I've heard used before.  A "Vale" is apparently a wide river valley with a flat bottom which ties in with the Effra theme.  The name is sorta evocative of semi-suburban slightly going out into the country type landscape - at least in my mind

 

More details to follow as things begin to happen.

[Saddletank]

Hi mate,

 

Sounds good, Ive yet to actually see a working model in one of these boxes, despite widespread enthusiasm for them. Bought one a few weeks ago thinking I might try the same but didnt realise until i saw it just how small they are! Will be watching this with interest, so good luck!

[cromptonnut]

I think the key thing is don't expect a "complete layout in an APA box" as it's physically impossible except perhaps in T scale or one of the narrow gauge combinations that allows really tight curves

 

I am using the APA box as the 'scenic area' and will be having an external fiddle yard attached to it - I'm still measuring up to see whether one either side, or behind the box with a 180 degree curve each side, will give me the best option.  

 

It's very much like "box file" layouts - there's usually something external even if it's just a short cassette that plugs on the side.

 

I spent last night sorting through all my N gauge stock and now have about 5 boxes of stuff that is suitable, and a few boxes of things that aren't, and I know I have one or two working locos that can be used for testing electrical arrangements once I begin tracklaying, but much of my N gauge stock is "old Poole Farish" that hasn't run for 10 years so I'm expecting a *lot* of dirty wheels, contacts and possibly split gears that may or may not be cost-effective to repair.  I'm also a bit concerned about some of the 'steamroller' wheels as I was planning on using Peco code 55 for the scenic area.  I do have about 3 boxes of flexitrack and 100 or so points which I think may be enough for an APA box.

 

The first thing I need to do is work out the plan for the lower level tram track, then I can start placing buildings down and see what fits where.  I'm planning on getting hold of the Scalescenes viaduct with shops in arches, and snagged the "Farish Scenecraft Lineside Transformer Site" in this week's Kernow email at half price so that'll feature somewhere on the raised lineside - possibly in the middle of a junction. 

 

I've been very inspired by "Frankland" (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/19461-frankland-n-gauge-southern-railway/page-1) which is very similar to what I have in mind for the urban area but about 60 years forward - and most likely nowhere near as high quality as the modelling involved.  A lot of the types of building featured on that layout are still in existance today in my area of south London, but seem to be mostly fried chicken shops, nail bars and mobile phone shops so they'll have different, big front windows and garish signs instead.   Perhaps something like East Brixton (http://www.urban75.org/railway/east-brixton.html) on the assumption it had remained open, will be a starting point?

[Saddletank]

Thats probably where I was going wrong! It could perhaps support a tiny yard in-box, big enough for a pair of DMUs or somesuch, to enter the scenic area via a headshunt, but it seems fiddly and doesnt do much for long term interest! A diorama would also work well, something like a loco depot where someone with plenty of the things could display them all.

 

Lucky you with all the track already, Ive just costed up the layout Im looking to build - £200 for track alone, and I dont yet have any stock to my name! Its an expensive hobby, thats for sure!

 

East Brixton does look like a fascinating little scene, especially if youre thinking of running a tram through it aswell. You're right, Frankland is one of the best examples Ive seen of a small urban N layout for what is essentially a double loop, and definitely suits the term 'train in landscape'.

 

I might have to get that APA out of the cupboard!

 

Enjoy matey.

[cromptonnut]

One of the other options that may be of interest to you is to use APA boxes like "modules" and build different scenes - each one framed by the box - then, as long as the track(s) are in the same place each end of the box and you have a common wiring standard, you can build as many modules as you like, and put them together in whatever order; you can have a small station on one, a freight facility on another, open countryside in another, and a 'winterised' scene in another, for example, with a 'fiddle yard' box at each end of the layout.

 

I've put mine on its side, so the open top is facing the viewer, and installed a 'false floor' cut to shape inside the new bottom of the box out of a 6mm MDF offcut I had, which gives a more rigid base than the hardboard of the box.  The lid was then hinged from the new "top" so that when not in use it can protect the layout by making it an enclosed box, and then when in use, it's open and can rest virtually upright meaning the layout name and any information can be seen.

 

I understand your cost problem, I'm lucky in having bucketloads of N stock and track already from an abandoned project of some years ago.  But, with an APA box, anything perhaps more than a few yards of flexi track and a few points is going to look very overcrowded - as is often the way we tend to do things, fill every square inch with track.  But if you want, for example, a station then old tricks like half the platform sticking out from under a road overbridge scenic break which gives the impression of a much bigger station, will be very useful here.

 

Another big advantage of an APA box style project of course is that it is small and relatively non-committal in terms of cost, time and space required to erect (kitchen table is plenty) it is a great way to dabble with a new scale, era or scenic technique(s) without spending silly amounts on a loft conversion or shed.  It also means you are likely to finish building it in a relatively quick time if you aren't distracted by other things like I am, and that momentum of completion can often be enough to spur us on to "get on with things" on bigger projects that have stalled.

[cromptonnut]

Right, I need your help anyone who happens to read this.  I need to work out what I'm going to do for "off scene storage" for the upper level which is where the main line will run.

 

I have two choices as far as I can see.

 

1) A simple board of about 2-3ft either end with either a sliding traverser or cassettes for trains that are "going through".  This would make the whole layout about 9ft x 1ft which I can erect at home.  Tracks could come off scene anywhere at either end.

 

2) The APA box sits in an "oval" of track on extender boards which make the layout about 5ft x 3ft. also erectable at home.  This has the advantage of being able to have automated sidings which can electronically dispatch trains in order round the layout meaning I'd only need to worry about controlling the lower (tram) level.  The downside of this is that it restricts me a bit with the positioning of track and where it can come off scene due to the spacing of the 90 degree curves.

 

Both are possible options, well within my capabilities, however the "automated despatch" (2) is the more expensive simply down to the electronics involved although I am sure that with relays and cuts in the rail I could "DIY" cheaper (I was looking at the Heathcoate IRDOT system initially) and I don't want to discard something simply on cost.

 

A possible alternative for 1 could be to have the storage boards at 90 degrees on the end of the layout which would be a little more "space efficient" at exhibitions (although the same floor space as option 2) but that may restrict train length based on pointwork (I'd use Setrack points for off-scene and code 55 for scenic).  The 'square with an operating hole in the middle' I don't think would work very well as there's rather a lot of me.

 

Before I start tracklaying, I need to work out where the storage fits in as this will determine whereabouts the track can go.

 

Given the choices, what would you do?