hartleymartin Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 I think I may have come up with an 8' x 1' + cassette shelf layout that I can actually manage. This is only a rough concept plan. The kick-back spur I will probably make use of another Wye point and slew the main line forward slightly to give a bit more room for a goods shed. Standard peco points just like the original in the book, but the layout is stretched out in length ever so slightly so that I can operate a passenger service. Probably some sort of brake composite 4 or 6-wheel coach, a short brake van and lots of little goods wagons will make up the stock for the layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 6, 2014 Author Share Posted September 6, 2014 My other projects fell by the wayside over the past couple of years because of a number of houes-moves and other general upheavals which didn't allow me to dedicate the time and space that I would have used to having a layout again. I figure that an ultra-compact one like this has a chance of staying with me, as I will be able to sit it on top of some short bookshelves along one wall of my room. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flexible_coupling Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 I'm in the same boat as you - just executed a move from Melbourne to Brisbane, and my previous layout woodwork was disassembled. The new location has a very serious amount of space available for a layout project.... possibly "the layout"... but as exciting as that is, I'm not 100% sure I'll have the patience or focus! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 6, 2014 Author Share Posted September 6, 2014 I'll be putting down the track permanently, but all the buildings will go on separate bases so I can switch it between a UK and Australian appearance. Don't know how well it will work, but I can always try it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 I went back to assess the space for the layout. In a goods yard context, 7'6" x 12" was enough, but for a layout with passenger services (ie a station building and platform) I found that it was all far too cramped. I've stretched the plan out to 8'0" in length and to 16" deep. This gives a little more room for the buildings and also means that the trains are not running less than 3" from the edge of the layout board! Managed to dig up the alignment dowels I bought several years ago, and I found some thick plywood which I'll use on the ends of the boards to mount them. The front fascia will be 3mm MDF which will be glued directly to the foam boards and attached to the ply ends with glue and panel pins. I found some stock of 5mm foamcore board, which I will use as the track underlay, and as it is effectively laminated to the top of the foam boards, it should provide a little extra strength, although I doubt that it will be needed. As you may see, I'm going for cheap, simple and lightweight for the baseboards. They will have to fit into the back of a car if I take them to exhibition. My old Hyundai Accent will easily carry these boards with the back seats folded forward, but there is some doubt at the moment as to whether or not I'll still be driving this for much longer. Keeping the layout small and portable means that it'll fit into other vehicles without too much trouble. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 Over the past few days I started measuring up and cutting bits of peco flex track to length. I loosely laid them on the foamboard (I have not finished making it into a "baseboard" yet) and checked the clearances. I've added a short section of track between the points to increase the distance between track centres on the run-around to see if this will increase the capacity of the loop and sidings. I have a pair of skytrex coal wagons (obtained quite cheaply) to check clearances. The siding on the front, lower left of the first baseboard holds the equivalent of 4 skytrex wagons nicely. The release road is a little more than 2 wagons long. No big tender engines on this layout, but I seriously doubt that any would appear on such a line as the one I'm depicting. I'm aiming to get a 7-8 wagon capacity loop, although in reality, being a light railway backwater, there won't be this many wagons on most trains. The layout boards are now 4' long and 16" deep. The extra 4" in depth gives a little more room for scenery and means that the clearances are not so critically tight. It also means that if there is a derailment, the stock won't head straight for the floor (I hope!) Pictures will follow soon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 And the promised pictures. Peco Medium Right and Wye points are used on this board with some odd lengths of Peco flex cut down to length. If I were doing this as a "serious" modelling project, I'd hand-lay Code 100 rail on stripwood sleepers, but as I've got the Peco track in stock, why not? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Watching with interest. Tony Collins of the Andover MRS specialises in simple 0 gauge layouts of Cornish inspiration that tend to be long and thin. His baseboards are very simple and the points are operated by wire-in-tub directly to the edge of the board. My boards tend to be heavily engineered and deep in order to protect the the Tortoise motors that I like to useHis layouts include Frogpool (a GWR terminus now owned and extended by Andover MRS http://www.amrc.hampshire.org.uk/page6.html ), Praa Sands (a small GWR through station) and Goonhilly (another small GWR terminus http://www.amrc.hampshire.org.uk/page22a.html ) I've also attached some photos of Frogpool and Praa Sands that I took at local shows that provide some inspiration. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 A little more work done today. Cut out all the track to length for module 1. I suppose the next stage is to turn the foam boards into proper baseboards with the alignment dowels, joining clips, etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 I love the proposed layout name!! Very descriptive!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 Whem I was in high school I started writing a series of stories called "Tales of Wits End" set in a fictitious English village of the same name. The manuscript is long lost and most of the stories forgotten, but it generally revolved around characters who were all a bit eccentric, and whom travelled regularly on the local light railway. The characters were generally inspired by various people I met traveling home from school on the train. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Whem I was in high school I started writing a series of stories called "Tales of Wits End" set in a fictitious English village of the same name. The manuscript is long lost and most of the stories forgotten, but it generally revolved around characters who were all a bit eccentric, and whom travelled regularly on the local light railway. The characters were generally inspired by various people I met traveling home from school on the train. Dylan Thomas's "Llareggub" still takes some beating, but then someone came up with Penistone. And people actually live there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Anderson Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 The Spanish seaside town where live is called ppppcola and is where the film El Cid was made. Swap the ppppp for the name of the male appendage which the forum software doesn't seem to like. http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Peniscola_from_the_beach._Year_1985.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peniscola&h=183&w=275&tbnid=Hh10JzSnhSjatM:&zoom=1&tbnh=160&tbnw=240&usg=__dUywMd0ZvYjmr8BpiSccMCg7Bcs=&docid=SY-SG7O_xsCv6M&itg=1&hl=en-gb&client=safari&sa=X&ei=yIchVJemHo78sATfnYLABQ&ved=0CEQQ_B0wBA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyDuty Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 The Spanish seaside town where live is called ppppcola and is where the film El Cid was made. Swap the ppppp for the name of the male appendage which the forum software doesn't seem to like. http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Peniscola_from_the_beach._Year_1985.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peniscola&h=183&w=275&tbnid=Hh10JzSnhSjatM:&zoom=1&tbnh=160&tbnw=240&usg=__dUywMd0ZvYjmr8BpiSccMCg7Bcs=&docid=SY-SG7O_xsCv6M&itg=1&hl=en-gb&client=safari&sa=X&ei=yIchVJemHo78sATfnYLABQ&ved=0CEQQ_B0wBA And here I was searching using the word ending in the letter K... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 I sometimes wonder what it is with you English and funny place names. "Boggy Bottom" - Abbot's Langley"Broadbottom" - Cheshire"Happy Bottom" - Dorset"Scratchy Bottom - Dorset "Pratt's Bottom" - Kent"Slackbottom" - Yorkshire"Bullyhole Bottom" - Wales Although, I suppose that in Australia with places such as "Rooty Hill" and "Iron Knob" we can't complain. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 I'm attempting to make a few minor improvements in the appearance of the Peco points. I've sawn off the last angled sleepers at the frog end and will replace them with point timbers from the Peco individulay range. Hopefully I will be able to show you some results before too many more days pass. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 The very last angled sleepers on the two points have been sawn off and some peco point timbers (individulay range) with chairs will be substituted. I always felt that chopping the ends off sleepers made for more of a toy-train appearance. Is this prototypical? I don't know how much for a light-railway inspired layout, but I'm having a good time working on the track like this, so I'll continue with it. I will also quite probably cut the webs on most of the plain-track to increase the spacing to help with a "light" appearance. I have also considered the possibility of using Code 100 flatbottom rail spiked directly to the sleepers for the two sidings. The Easingwold Railway originally had flatbottom rail throughout, but was relaid with bullhead rails in chairs during WW2, a few sections of the old track remained, and I think that it would be entirely appropriate here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted September 24, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 24, 2014 The layout should be fine. It is true that many light ralways had lighter trackwork but ballasted rather flat not high shouldered and painted it should look ok and you have the Peco to hand. I say carry on. Not sure that the long timbers are quite light railway though suggest trawling through photos. As for names no one has mentioned the Cornish hill Brown Willy Don W*lly in case the auto censor doesn't lkie it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 I sometimes wonder what it is with you English and funny place names. "Boggy Bottom" - Abbot's Langley "Broadbottom" - Cheshire "Happy Bottom" - Dorset "Scratchy Bottom - Dorset "Pratt's Bottom" - Kent "Slackbottom" - Yorkshire "Bullyhole Bottom" - Wales Although, I suppose that in Australia with places such as "Rooty Hill" and "Iron Knob" we can't complain. Don't forget "Wyre Piddle" & "North Piddle" in Worcestershire.... Hartleymartin - using Code 100 in O scale ROCKS!!! I've done it with US-outline stock - seeing such big stuff trundling over such spindly rails is great - and in my experience standard O scale wheel flanges will have no problems either. Go for it!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Don't forget "Wyre Piddle" & "North Piddle" in Worcestershire.... Hartleymartin - using Code 100 in O scale ROCKS!!! I've done it with US-outline stock - seeing such big stuff trundling over such spindly rails is great - and in my experience standard O scale wheel flanges will have no problems either. Go for it!! Both Reely Grate and Primrose Hill use code 100 with absolutely no problems. and there's always Bumble Hole Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 The very last angled sleepers on the two points have been sawn off and some peco point timbers (individulay range) with chairs will be substituted. I always felt that chopping the ends off sleepers made for more of a toy-train appearance. Is this prototypical? I don't know how much for a light-railway inspired layout, but I'm having a good time working on the track like this, so I'll continue with it. I will also quite probably cut the webs on most of the plain-track to increase the spacing to help with a "light" appearance. I have also considered the possibility of using Code 100 flatbottom rail spiked directly to the sleepers for the two sidings. The Easingwold Railway originally had flatbottom rail throughout, but was relaid with bullhead rails in chairs during WW2, a few sections of the old track remained, and I think that it would be entirely appropriate here. I think it would be just as quick building the points from C&L or Peco Individual parts. It's not difficult and is more satisfying. The points can be customised and, best of all, they don't look like Peco points. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 If I was starting completely from scratch I'd go with Code 100 on timber sleepers, but as it stands I have quite a few Peco points and flex-track in stock. I've been picking them up cheap here and there over the years. If you search for "Stringybark Creek" on youtube you'll see an Australian layout in O gaige where I hand laid most of the plain track. Some 60+ yards of it! I suppose after hand laying so much track I've gotten over it and prefer to use ready made stuff. I even hand built several code 100 points, pinning everything to timber sleepers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 25, 2014 Author Share Posted September 25, 2014 An anonymous Manning Wardle H class stands at the head of a short construction train whilst work continues at building Witts End. Quite whom the wagon load of coal is for is yet to be determined. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 An anonymous Manning Wardle H class stands at the head of a short construction train whilst work continues at building Witts End. Quite whom the wagon load of coal is for is yet to be determined. One can't go wrong with a loco like that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 25, 2014 Author Share Posted September 25, 2014 The company has it's eye on this as a potential locomotive for the line, but they are concerned that the Board of Trade might raise some objections as they did on the Easingwold Railway. There is a second-hand Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 which is currently being refurbished and is likely to be the mainstay of railway operations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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