Satan's Goldfish Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 So I've got this un-serious idea for a 'small' layout. Over the years I've slowly been collecting G scale modern Swiss meter gauge stock, mostly LGB, ready for the day I have a garden I'm not going to move from. Amongst this I've gained some LGB 'fieldbahn' wagons, plus some radius 1 curves and 'train set' controller which is nowhere near powerful enough to run the big engines. Next up, a few years ago when I owned a series Land Rover my parents bought me this: which i'm almost threatening to build! Now on the website Airfix claim it's 1/12th scale, however I've measured the wheel base and at that scale it would only be 72 inches. It scales much better in 7/8ths to be a wheelbase in the 80s. The plan I have in my head (below) can use the pigs and sheep, but I've yet to come up with a use for a dog with hat and whistle! Pushing realism a little further, I've always had a thing for railways in tropical environments, especially narrow gauge. My current time wasting vice is a mobile game from 'Supercell' called Boom Beach, you may have seen the adverts on tv, if not here they are on youtube! As ridiculous as the game is I can't help but think there's a bit of a logistical problem with re-arming the big defensive weapons and moving resources around, what it needs is some kind of narrow gauge supply system...... Crudely drawn, here's a first attempt at a plan: the scenic layout would be 8ft long and 2ft deep made up of 2 boards, 1 is 3ft 6in long and the other 4ft 6in due to the location of the points. The fiddle yard is at 90 degrees out the rear and is a 2ft 6in long cassette system on a seperate flat board which would also hold the controller. All track is LGB, with every other sleeper removed it should hopefully appear more to scale and like 'light' rail rapidly laid. Train length is loco + 3 wagons, operations consist of basic shunting, it's imagined that the run-round loop is just off scene so trains would be pulled on scene from the fiddle yard, shunted, then pushed back off scene. Scenically, there would be a big weapon to the left (boom cannon or flame thrower) served by the small siding for reloading. A sniper tower in the back right corner, and space pending possibly a third weapon at the back in the middle. The landrover would somehow fit beside the main sidings transferring goods from wagons. A short platform gives access to the beach for troops wanting to go for a paddle. Tropical vegitation would be needed along the back, I'm thinking fake fish tank plants. I have everything needed to make this, other than a 7/8th locomotive and suitable model people. It's the sort of design that shouldn't take long to make (not that I have any time anyway), It would need to be built in a cartoony style to work so no heavy detailing is needed in modelling it. I've done a little internet hunting on 7/8th scale and found a chap who makes figures, but still drawing a blank on a loco or 2. Also, having never seen any 7/8ths up close I'm not sure how well it would all fit on the design......just a minor detail. Thoughts from the masses? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 20, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 20, 2015 Yep I've had similar ideas to use up R1 track but mine was based on UK systems like Dean Hill. I've a plan somewhere that was intended to use the Tamiya 1/14 7.5 tonne truck and this https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/carson-rc-forklift-truck/ To add more movement. Whimsy is good so a well done layout based on something like this should be a good crowd pleaser. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 Cheers Paul. That fork lift does look fun. I have thought about making the weapons rotate slightly like they do in the game but don't want to over complicate what should be a simple build. Edit: Possible buildings. I'm torn between the Boom Cannon and the Flame Thrower for the left end. One would require deliveries of large shells, the other a fuel supply from tankers. Sniper tower for the right. space pending, maybe a big machine gun in the middle, ammo deliveries required. for other wagon loads, there's 2 types of mine which should be easy to create 2 of the wagons currently have barrels on, remove the barrels and the mounts should work very nicely for these artillery shells It's a plan anyway! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan downes Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 At last something refeshingly different with possible participation from Shaun The Sheep ! Wonderfuly written post full of wit and humour, can't wait for it to get built. Lonely are the brave ! Cheers. Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 Thanks Allan, with that kind of enthusiastic support I'll feel guilty if I don't make progress on this now! I'm off this weekend 'resting' and the boy is home from school so I'll start digging out track from the garage to test the plan with him. I mentioned in the original post that I had ideas on how to use the sheep and pigs. The sheep will find themselves on a grassy area, the pigs will be being transported in the back of a suitable wagon, probably with 'fresh bacon' written on the side. Still stuck on the dog...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 Slow going, as expected. I had hoped to get some track and boards looked at over the weekend but didn't. I'm currently undergoing some very heavy physiotherapy so my modelling enthusiasm in the evenings and weekends is not at its highest! However I did manage to make a start on the Land Rover last week before deciding sleep was more fun. It's not small! 50p added to give a sense of size: Maybe this weekend I might get out tracks and boards....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 26, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 26, 2015 Deadlines are only to be hit if it's a show Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 True. That's a double edged sword though, if I had a deadline it'd get done, without a deadline I can procrastinate for a very long time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 New boost for the project, just picked an engine! Well, kinda. Thanks to 'Kintbury Jon' I've just picked up g scale tm2/2 diesel shunter, I already have one of these but it needs a bit of work so parts from Jon's and mine should be able to make 1 good one. This will leave me with a spare working chassis just need to decide what body to build on it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 I was right, fail to build! Track and Tm2/2 locomotive have found themselves allocated back to Swiss G here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/102525-godfrey-pass-2-swiss-meter-gauge-in-the-garden-bored-planning-questions/ and the wagons are due to end up on ebay at somepoint. The Shaun the Sheep items will get finished at somepoint just for fun. The cartoony Boom Beach style layout may not be dead though, I've always had an OO9 soft spot and recently stumbled over a possible 'cheap' stock option to work on, plus I'd still like a bright tropical layout some day. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/97275-sgs-random-oo9-work-bench/ Something tells me there may be a better option of army men in 4mm than there is in 7/8ths as well...... That's thread closed as far as I'm concerned, but not forgotten. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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