Small folding 00 Layout re-kindles interest

[stu357]

This is an old thread, (I started this in 2013) was just going to add some progress shots and realised the old photobox links dont work so will try and update them with pics hosted here. Hope you dont mind. new pics on page 2.

thanks,

Stu.

 

---------------------------------------

 

I introduced myself a couple of months ago, but I thought I better contribute now and tell you about our small layout.

 

lets go way back in time....

 

When I was 16 years old I asked My Dad if I could get a moped. “Well OK, If you can afford the bike and insurance” was his reply, what followed was the sale of everything I had, including my 00 layout. It had taken me a few years to build and took up 3 walls of my bedroom. I built it as GWR and then moved it on to 1970s BR, with a few class 37s (more on them later). Without looking back, I sold it all, the thought of looking cool on my motorbike was all I could think of!

 

(the old layout, appx 1983)

 

 

 

So with only fleeting thoughts of railways nearly 30 years have gone by....

 

About 2 years ago I took my youngest daughter to the NRM in York. Forgetting it would be a free museum I had £60 ready in my pocket, so when we reached the shop at the end I still had that money. Chloe said “can we get a train set dad?” an that’s where we started

 

It was just Devon Flyer set with an oval, but Hornby's track mats are so well set up to sell more stuff. Straight away Chloe said why haven’t we got all the track that’s on the picture.. So I went out and bought it all

 

(Chloe playing on the carpet,(capture taken from a movie))

 

 

 

about a month went by of it growing on the living room floor, I also discovered this site and my interest in model railways was rekindled. About this time my wife suggested we moved it! Now my eldest daughter had just gone away to uni, so there was space for a layout in her room so long as it folded away when she came home. Now to design a board.... Then I saw this for sale on ebay, (don’t know whose it was but thanks for the inspiration.)

 

 

 

So looking at that i concluded it folds and so long as you have scenery that acts as stops on the center and corners, you are onto a winner!

 

 

So many sketches were done and much measuring , with Chloe helping. It had to be round and round with as much interest as possible. Buildings in the corners and risers in the centre for the hinges. And I decided that 5.5' by 3.5' would give us all we needed, especially if I used 0-4-0s and short wagons.... (that didn’t happen and the size restriction has caused problems ever since since!)

 

 

 

 

here is the final plan. I had hoped to get 2 levels in but as soon as you lay it out you realise there is no distance to get the rise in. I wanted to disguise the oval and went for a long tunnel, fake sheds and road bridge to cover it because I was starting to think of it as a layout not a train set!

 

 

 

It changed slightly, but thats essentialy what I layed, and yes some of those curves are less than minimum radius. you can get 37s and even 66s round but Hornby 0-6-0s need the inner flange removing!

 

well, I learnt many lessons. Good quality track laying is so important. Definitely don’t try and be clever and bank the track to aid tight bends, and then add a Peco curved point on that bend!

 

Below is the offending badly layed point into slightly banked track. Other than this mistake I was pleased with how things run. Even though its DC it all seemed to run so much better than my 1983 layout.

 

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[andypops]

Hi,

 

Welcome!

 

I really like the idea you have there, great post, and I'll be following your work with interest in the future. Who knows, your interest could rub off on younger members of your family, and help to keep the hobby alive!

 

All the best,

 

 

Andy

[stu357]

So, lower track down, we carried on,

 

When I was 15 I had built so many superquick models and used their brick papers. I went to see what I could buy and was amazed at what I could download cheaply or free! So much thanks to scalescenes. I also purchased the same Peco backscene that I had 30 years ago! I modded that and added some relief to it, that’s when I realised how long things take

 

 

 

The Peco backscene was scanned and then I added extra buildings in Photoshop and printed it out more than once, this was then used to create some releif.

 

 

I also added personal touches, in the image with the 55s you can see Chloe waving from an upstairs window, She liked that bit!

 

 

I,m using so much ink! I'm really pleased with scalecenes and my own photographed brick though.

Building these parts of the backscene took so much longer than I expected. It seemed to take so much longer than it did in 1983 aswell!

Chloe was starting to wonder when she could play with it!

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[stu357]

So I had to get some platforms in, so that Chloe could load and unload passengers (Into BR mineral wagons....)

 

For the platforms I used the plastic Hornby items that I was farmiliar with. I wanted them to be robust enough for 6 yr old fingers trying to put people in the wagons! They were covered with textures and my own photos that I modified in Photoshop

 

 

 

 

So from the original backscene and the deltics in green and some of the cars, you can see that I was aiming for a northern town in the 1960s

 

this is where Chloe starts to say, thats not what I see at the station!

She wanted to have things that she saw outside, on her model. I'd not really thought about modelling like that, it was always nostalgia.

So this layout is now set in 2012.

We live near the C2C line at Benfleet, Essex, and although I've got the shade of pink wrong you can see the inspiration for the platform seating and the Grey/blue and pink station graphics.

 

I didnt want to look odd measuring and photographing station seats, so I rode my bike up next to them measured them in bike lengths and then measured my bike at home! they still look a bit big to me.(mind you i think a couple of those people are HO)

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[stu357]

Thanks Andy,

I'm constantly trying to keep Chloe interested, shes 7 now and is really wanting to make her own models. I always refer to it as Chloe's train set when talking to my wife as well, I think theres more chance of planning permission for a layout extension!

[stu357]

I had always wanted to solder brass models together when I was 15, so when Chloe wanted some working signals there was an excuse to have a go.

 

just read various how tos on the web and gave it a go.

 

 

 

 

now that was easier than I thought, but took so long again....

 

 

 

Notice the speed restriction signs in the background. they are the laser cut milar ones. they fold completely flat and then spring back when Chloe (or me as well) forget they are there.

 

Likewise the signals are mounted loosely in holes and when small arms knock them over its not an issue.

 

(Also notice my eldest daughters bed and posters in the background (she was not happy the first time she came back from Uni. Chloe insists on calling her bedroom the train room when she sees her)

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[stu357]

I started to add some relief to the scenery,

that is one you can get your kids involved in. Chloe loved the mod roc.

 

 

 

Now, although its kind of designed for 6 yr olds to use I was starting to get annoyed at cars getting driven round and across the tracks. I didn't want to say you cant play on it but I wanted to control where they went. I added 6 inches onto the layout on the platform side that had a car park, McDonalds, Tesco and field for small people to play with. This had a scenic break fence which actually works as a fence to keep those small people out!

 

 

thats actually a photo of our local Tesco (oh and more soldered brass lamps)

 

 

looking across the fence.

 

 

Its a bit blurred but thats the "playing area" to the left of the fence

 

 

 The station is called Chloetown (Not my idea) and its colour scheme is based on the C2C line out of Fenchurch street that passes where we live. I'm originally from Doncaster though and there are still few northern diesel influencees creeping in.

 

So this is about as far as I've got as I keep getting distracted now by rolling stock projects.

I remember how this got me before all those years ago. my old room was full of half finished trains while the layout never got run.

At least Chloes still a keen driver!

 

Chloe said to me, why can't we have a train like the ones we go on. Bit of research later and I find myself shortening a Bachmann class 170 to build a class 357.

Also we came through East Ham last year and Chloe spotted 2 DRS 37s and the network rail test train, she pointed out of the window and shouted look a real train!

I had to build one.............

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[stu357]

Here’s, some more shots. They show the far end with my idea for disguising the fact it’s just a small loop.

The tracks curve off the station end more gently than the norm on this size layout (express points) and then tighten as they get to the back wall.

 

 

My theory was it could look like the trains go off behind the Lidl on the back scene (notice how the backscene lost loads of houses in that area!) instead of back around on themselves.

 

 

The engine sheds will eventually cover all the front face of this and with one or two half-length locos in there it might disguise it even more.

 

 

Chloe’s design.......

 

 

I was trying to weather things as I went along but I’m going to do that as a separate operation now.

That's my excuse for areas like below that look too clean.

 

 

 

So the job I’m on with now is cladding all the ply with card/brick and covering more Hornby platform parts.

Over this area there can be more detail, as Chloe can’t reach!

 

Next I must get some good photos of the folding process for this layout as that’s its main feature.

 

 

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[stu357]

Well that took a while!

I promised that I would detail the folding process for this as it is its most interesting feature.

So here we go.

 

The layout with rolling stock moved to the non folding side...

 

 

undo the clamp, remove Tesco and remove the car park I added for Chloe to play in!

 

 

 

 

now you can see the split line running through the platforms and off into the distance and up the backscene.

 

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[stu357]

the special raised hinge,

 

 

this bolts onto the side to match the hinge height on the viaduct on the other side.

 

 

remove the backscenes and put in the split pin.

 

 

you can now see how the hinge centers line up.

 

 

The front one was originally suposed to be under a removable signal box, but its turned out easier to remove the whole hinge.

 

Next we undo the overcenter catches either side.

 

 

and after unbolting the legs, and unplugging the wiring blocks, start to fold.

 

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[stu357]

So now its folded out of the way and the wife can clean round it and get to the window!

 

 

well. there it is hope thats of some use to someone as the one I originally saw was to me.

 

actually just posting these has inspired me to get back on with it. there is way more to finish than I would have said. I'd kind of got acustomed to seeing all that plywood!

 

and there's a fair bit of cleaning up to do. There has been a glue and ballast leak down the gap. I'm suprised how well it was running over the join.

 

 

the Hornby platforms are still nice and strong though.

 

that'll do for now,

I've got to try and get a couple of threads together about the 08s/37s and others I've been trying to build.

 

Stu.

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[Will J]

A really excellent diary Stu, and a great example of family model making. Thanks for taking the time to tell the story*

 

*I'll wait a little while before imposing a box full of my old OO stuff on my son.. he is only a week old.

[ess1uk]

very clever use of space

[stu357]

Well I finally started a thread on some of the rolling stock,

 

Class 08s

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/79028-trying-to-detail-a-railroad-class-08/?p=1239651

 

maybe one day Ill finish something!

 

Stu.

[Steve O.]

Hi Stu,

 - a great layout! Excellent use of heights and visual trickery - looks a lot larger than it is.

Cheers, Steve.

[stu357]

Over Xmas I was away at the mother-in laws. Appart from a couple of hours new years eve when Chloe and I managed to sneak into the DB TMD in Doncaster I had to get my fix by re-reading BRM back issues on my Android Tablet.

In the free sample edition there is an article on track and concrete by Andy Y. (thanks its really good)

So reading that and seeing the TMD gave me some inspiration and the last couple of days I've been concreting the area round our sheds.

 

You can see in the first Pic how the sheds are only about half usable as they actually disguise how the track comes back round underneath on the right hand side!

 

 

 

 

I followed the article except I couldnt easily get cork of the required thickness as I'd already layed the track on cork.

What I did find was an excersize mat that was just right and from the 99p store(the dark grey) It also seemed a similar material to the light grey fab-foam.

 

here it is after a coat of plastikote suede touch. I already had a can of this but thought I would get another. It seems really hard to get now, the shops that sell PlastiKote dont seem to stock suede anymore. Is this right or is it just me?

 

***edit for 2016 suede touch seems to be no longer available***

 

 

Its hard to clean the track afterwards for good slow running so I ended up masking the rails with narrow pressure sensative tape, that slowed things down!

 

It now needs a lot of weathering and pencil lines to help the cracks and expansion joints show up. but I got distracted by that gold Jaguar hanging over the end of the bridge and started on the aproach road.

 

Here is the road, a mix of scalescenes, my own photoshops and Wizard models Manhole covers (I can recomend the Wizard etchings, they are nicely priced too)

 

I'll have to find where I put the camera, this phone one is all blurry in low light!

 

 

 

 

Well theres still lots to do but its filled a hole!

 

the Hornby water tower is just an experiment at the moment as I noticed what I thought was an old steam era tower in Doncaster and thought one might be interestig and desguise the ground height behind the shed.

 

the street lights are just soldered brass tube with the end flattened and a yellow SMD on the end.

the archways on the near wall of the bridge were originally photos of the arches on Southend sea front. There is an extra low wall to go on the top yet.

 

there are also some traffic lights to go in just where the red Saab is exiting to the backscene, I was going to make somr but there was a set on ebay the other day that were cheaper than I could do it for and ready wired! just waiting for them to arrive.

 

I am hoping the doorway leaning up to the left of the Hornby shed will be the paint shop with the end 10mm sawn off an 08 inside to give a perceived depth to it

 

Hopefully I can keep on at this pace as its been slow till now!

Stu

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[stu357]

A bit more progress,

 

 

the bank and wall to the right of the bridge has been installed. traffic lights arrived and I added a white band round the head to modernise them

 

On the painted black area I hope to add varying height trees to disguise the fact that the trains are running underneath! the big gap is the removable panel.

 

 

still much to do here, the flat grass area is for a small mobile phone mast

its far over the back so I can get away with HO scale cars. models of all my real cars are available in HO from Germany so I created a "my family shopping scene" right down to my eldest daughters slightly faded BMW E30..............

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[stu357]

Well I finally got round to adding the trees,

 

 

I'll not repeat all about them, I was inspired by others I have seen on RMweb.

I made a post about mine here,

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/85050-trees-inspired-by-everyone-elses/

 

 

***retrospective edit Dec 2016, in the middle of the top photo there is a tyre hanging from the tree on a piece of dental floss... don't use the expanding type as a few months later it was about 8mm wide!***

 

Stu.

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[stu357]

Because I have been working on some more detail parts of the layout I forgot it was supposed to be my daughters "train set”!

 

 

 

She was asking when she could use it again, or help paint something. Now, we are running out of bits she can paint that won’t be visible later on!

 

 

 

She actually wanted to paint some figures, so how to let a 7yr old paint 4mm figures that she could be proud of?

 

 

 

It turned out quite easy, I had been painting some figures with the shadow technique. Primer then black for shadow and white for highlights, then colour wash leaving the highlights shadows visible.

By using a basic version of this she was happy with her little people, I painted white on the flesh/shirts grey on some other clothes and black on the rest then handed them over and Chloe used thinned acrylics to paint the colours on

 

 

here she is painting a figure. 

 

 

 

 And here's the little family she created!

 

 

they turned out well, they can be left center stage! She has already proudly showed them to everyone who will listen!

 

Just an idea if you have a little time for setup and want to keep kids interested.

 

Does anyone know the make af thoes figures. are they Merit? they are a soft cream coloured plastic. I found them in the spares box,

 

Stu.

 

 

Edited December 23, 2016 by stu357

[ThePurplePrimer]

Great layout and I love the figures - very well done

[Class 74]

Cool girl, job done veeery good!!!

 

Nice layout btw.

 

Regards

 

Simon

[stu357]

Thanks.

I was just reminded of this thread today, and realised there is quite a lot of development gone on compared to the last photo above.

 

here is the depot now

 

I'm finding each time I build something my skills are developing.

 

 

I'm so grateful to this forum. there has been a lot of research om here before each bit has been started.

wish I'd listened about using N gauge ballast before doimg this area though.

 

 

 

Well, its coming along.

As Chloe is getting older we can have more little details lineside, as they get knocked over less often! Most of the signs etc are still just resing in holes in the baseboard so they can be put back again and i've fitted many bits with tacky wax.

 

 

Above is the overall view of the left hand board. Lower center still not complete. all the armco will be yellow and the fuel depot needs some spills and dirt.

The concrete area has had some grey brown acrylics airbrushed and looks much more used.

 

I'm quite pleased with how this has worked. the 08 in the center shed is only 10mm long (the story of that is in one of my other threads) and the small shed on the right has no internal depth. this allows the tracks below to curve round and back along under the main line on the right.

 

talking of the line on the right, it seems to have turned into loco storage!

 

Stu

[d winpenny]

Looking good

 

David

[stu357]

Here are some photos I took today,

Ithey describe this part of the layout quite well,

 

 

 

 

 

there are some more here,

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/album/3509-station-and-depot/

 

Stu

[ess1uk]

Some very nice details in there.