The next model railway

[Neal Ball]

After a few years of Wharncliffe Junction in our house in Hove, its time to start work on its replacement in Felpham....

 

Wharncliffe: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67477-wharncliffe-junction-gwr-in-the-1930s/

 

But before the first track gets laid... I need to build the new layout room....  It should look like this:

 

 

It's a Billyoh greenkeeper shed 16ft x 8ft... which has been an absolute sod to build.... Admittedly I have built it on my own, but even so... what was actually required was to plane all the sides down checking everything was square. Or in the case of some panels cutting them again to get them square...

 

So what I have ended up with is a shed, that has gone together, but not without a few problems.

 

The base went down on Saturday 26th October, with the area being set out and filled with ballast and concrete, onto which went a membrane to keep the damp out and then 66 paving slabs to take the weight. On the Sunday I decided to have a go and build the shed itself... which was complete by the time darkness fell.... not bad considering the clocks changed that weekend.

 

It wasn't quite water-tight, but over the following few weeks, I soon too care of that. The roof as per the rest of the panels wasn't quite square, but several sheets of 9mm ply over the top has got everything sorted out.

 

 

I am now starting to insulate the room... new joists have been laid on the floor, with the gaps filled with sheets of polystyrene, with OSB laid on the top.

 

 

This shows the floor half-way through being laid. The walls and ceiling are next to be done.

 

This will probably be finished next weekend.... at that point I will need to decide what form the new railway will take....

 

Having recently bought the BRM and Hornby magazine book-zine about layout design, I'm trying to decide whether to re-build Wharncliffe, or to scrap it and build something new... I fancy a double height railway, with plenty of space to run the trains, as well as photograph them - maybe in a countryside scene, perhaps with a canal, definitely a waterside pub.....

 

To be continued:......

 

 

[Brian D]

Hi Neal,

Looking good and what a big space you will have!  My own shed is somewhat smaller (11 x 5 nominal) and I am slightly ahead of you (see my link below).  I will follow your build with interest.  What location/period are you planning on modelling?

Regards,

Brian.

[Jules]

Look forward to seeing this develop - about time there was some more big GW layouts! (jealous of the space you have!!) 

[Graham Walters]

Oh dear

 

I wish you had posted your intentions of buying a Billy OH shed, I could have warned you off.

 

I bought a shed from them last year, about this time, it was erected on firm level ground to their instructions, by June this year it was starting to split and warp all over the place to such an extent that it was letting the wet in.

 

There is absolutely no strength in the walls.

 

It took 3 months of phone calls and emails to get them to sort it out, I wanted a new shed, but eventually had to compromise with them supplying new panels and a new roof,  the only thing that they missed was the floor.

 

When I need a shed for my layout they were not on my list of people to call, compared to the shed I have now, which was cheaper, and come with free erection, the Billy Oh shed is matchwood.

[Neal Ball]

Oh no, thats the last thing I wanted to hear :-(

 

But thanks Graham - I hope mine doesn't go the same way....

[Neal Ball]

Hi Neal,

Looking good and what a big space you will have!  My own shed is somewhat smaller (11 x 5 nominal) and I am slightly ahead of you (see my link below).  I will follow your build with interest.  What location/period are you planning on modelling?

Regards,

Brian.

 

Thanks Brian,

 

It will be 1930's GWR - location, probably London based - either my own interpretation of a typical scene.... or I have toyed with the idea of Penzance, or Henley on Thames.....

 

Regards,

[The Great Bear]

Thanks Brian,

 

It will be 1930's GWR - location, probably London based - either my own interpretation of a typical scene.... or I have toyed with the idea of Penzance, or Henley on Thames.....

 

Regards,

Something Henleyesque (if only only in concept) would be very interesting. Dual level layout with Twyford below? You know you want to...

[APOLLO]

I had a nice, big, new empty shed once.

 

Now filled with kids bikes, a freezer, beer (mine), groceries, spare washing machine, furniture etc etc.

 

Managed to cram a layout in above all that though !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Brit15

[DCB]

If family junk is a problem why nit go high level, my spare bedroom layout had 60" clearance under the duck under for a track height of 62"

 

That' a great viewing height for an almost 6 footer.

[Neal Ball]

Something Henleyesque (if only only in concept) would be very interesting. Dual level layout with Twyford below? You know you want to...

 

That is my Lottery win.... a purpose built room, some 40ft square with Twyford and Henley on thames......

 

Here is my previous effort.... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20200

 

If family junk is a problem why nit go high level, my spare bedroom layout had 60" clearance under the duck under for a track height of 62"

 

That' a great viewing height for an almost 6 footer.

 

 

My last layout was probably about 5ft off the ground, which I think is an ideal height... this one will be constrained by the level of the windows....

[Neal Ball]

Yesterdays progress:

 

This is typical of the quality control with these sheds.... the end panel is made up of four sections, 2 x walls and 2 x apex. This is the apex above the doors (The other end is just as bad). The line of white is a gap, where the wood buts together at the bottom, but not at the top.... It will be filled with mastic and covered on the outside.

 

 

As a means of improving the strength, I had already added extra 2 x 2 supports on the roof trusses, yesterday, I started to add these as extra supports down the walls - correcting a bow which had be created over the last week... This will further be strengthened by cross bracing, again made of 2 x 2.

 

Meanwhile, I am also going round adding the insulation and then facing with hardboard... the first sheet went up yesterday...

 

 

Sunday: More of the same....

[Brian D]

Yesterdays progress:

 

This is typical of the quality control with these sheds.... the end panel is made up of four sections, 2 x walls and 2 x apex. This is the apex above the doors (The other end is just as bad). The line of white is a gap, where the wood buts together at the bottom, but not at the top.... It will be filled with mastic and covered on the outside.

 

Shed 15-11-14 b.jpg

 

As a means of improving the strength, I had already added extra 2 x 2 supports on the roof trusses, yesterday, I started to add these as extra supports down the walls - correcting a bow which had be created over the last week... This will further be strengthened by cross bracing, again made of 2 x 2.

 

Meanwhile, I am also going round adding the insulation and then facing with hardboard... the first sheet went up yesterday...

 

Shed 15-11-14 a.jpg

 

Sunday: More of the same....

Oh dear!  Not good.  I did look at the Billy O sheds but fortunately couldn't find the size I wanted in treated timber.  Being an old g*t, I also wanted someone to erect it for me.  I hope you get it sorted.

Regards,

Brian.

[Neal Ball]

Today in the model railway room.... (Yesterday i was at the NEC for the Warley model railway exhibition)

 

The back wall is still warped and today looks like this:

 

 

Having added some more support and pulling this in from the outside, the supports were then fixed into the upright beams. 

 

After a few hours of more insulation work, the shed looked like this for a few hours....

 

 

Then by 5pm it looked like this and the clock has been put up. The two upright beams that pulled the outside in have been connected by the use of the beam that sits on top of the hardboard.

 

 

I've only got a few sections to finish insulating, then cover everything in hardboard....

 

Its getting there...

[artizen]

I know you probably have to buy a ready-designed shed so it meets the local council specs for strength etc but seriously, the amount of extra work you are doing is not a very good advert for the manufacturer! At least it will be warmer and stronger than the original. Remember to add plenty of power outlets around the edges or bring it in from the ceiling. My preference is for all power outlets to be at 900mm off the floor so I can get at them without bending down (one of the perils of getting older which I never thought would happen to me).

 

When I had to build a work space under the house seven years ago, I elected to build it myself as it was not structural and now I feel I could build a garden shed to council spec from scratch. One problem - no room and no time!!!

 

Of course over here it's insulate or die in the heat of summer so airconditioning is an absolute must. Along with preferably double glazing.

 

The space you are creating is superb so keep going.

[Neal Ball]

Thanks Ian,

 

Yes it will be better and hopefully will last longer than originally intended.

[TheQ]

I had similar problems with the first 20ft of shed which is why the next 34ft I made myself It took longer but I think is better made. As I was making it myself I made 6ft sections and then bolted them together (mastic squashed between ).

 Get some acrylic sheeting and double glaze those windows it makes an amazing difference!. I had the windows cut to size and delivered (off ebay), i drilled holes in the plastic and screwed them on the outside. make sure you have over large holes and use penny washers because of the different expansion rates of acrylic and timber.

[Neal Ball]

Thanks TheQ,

 

By the time it's finished it will be great - but very different to the shed it started and Yes! - the windows will have an extra sheet of plastic.

[The Stationmaster]

Neal I would seriously consider putting in joists between the bottom ends of the rafters.  A lot of the timber looks to be of rather scanty dimensions and the natural tendency of a gable roof is to settle and spread.  If you put joists across between the bottom ends of each rafter you form not only a triangle which adds strength to the rafter structure but you prevent spreading which helps to stop the roof sagging and the tops of the side walls being pushed outwards.

[Neal Ball]

Thanks Mike, do you mean going from one rafter to the next? - along the length of the room..... OR another cross beam just above head height from Left to Right.....

 

Thanks again,

[Allegheny1600]

Hi Neal,

Looks like a great space for a layout, only hope you can make the shed strong enough to last.

I believe Mike (Stationmaster) suggestion would be best, to put in decent joists from left to right would help a lot, like so;

 

Hope you don't mind my altering one of you shots to illustrate what is meant here.

 

I also hope to show how my shed is constructed;

 

Please ignore the PINK blinds, my shed is shared with my wife! It is a concrete shed with steel girders running L to R, the closest has plenty of cheapo plastic clamps stuck on it for storage! But the principle is the same, the girders tie the upper walls together where the roof wants to squash down and spread the walls out.

Hope this helps,

John E.

[Allegheny1600]

Just to add;

Please excuse my slightly sloping red line above, I can't draw too well!

A suggestion as well would be to make any new joists to the same dimensions as the current rafters.

Cheers,

John.

[Neal Ball]

Thanks very much for this John.

 

Roughly the roof beams are 2 x 2, so I will get some more 2 x 2 and add them across at just over head height. I have already strengthened the down support by adding in 2 x 2 and fixing them to the current down beams, which in my view are too flimsy.

 

Additionally, I have added another set of 2 x 2 roof joists, the other side of the supplied ones, which effectively means the roof joist is a 4 x 2.

 

Hopefully all of that will work and make for a very strong model railway room.

 

Have a good weekend, Neal

[Neal Ball]

This weekends activity - its slow :-(

 

I have added extra brace supports on the joists, and whilst I am happy with them (above head height), I intend to add extra supports on the reverse face... I have also almost finished adding the internal hardboard cladding. The roof void above the camera and the wall behind still need doing. Although I don't have enough Hardboard so will need to get some more.

 

I've got loads of polystyrene insulation left over which is a bonus.

 

 

I also had a thorough clean-up of the model railway room and look forward to being able to start laying the tracks....for the new layout, which I intend will be multi level.....

[Harry Lime]

Neal,

Another Felpham resident. Feel free to PM as I am only a stone's throw from you...

[Neal Ball]

Neal,

Another Felpham resident. Feel free to PM as I am only a stone's throw from you...

 

We only moved here in August - been non-stop ever since.