ColinK

Below is a rough plan of my proposed OO gauge layout, designed for interesting operation. It is for ‘blue diesels’. The left, top and right outsides are against walls. The bottom of the layout is also accessible from the outside - there is a narrow passageway along it. In essence it is a double track oval. Bottom left is the mainline station which has a bi-directional non-platform centre road, while on the inside there is a platformed run round loop so trains from the high level terminus (right side, not drawn) can terminate and run round. Trains will descend from the high level terminus (on right), pass the mainline station on the outside track, then use the crossovers to join the main circuit. Eventually they can use the inside platform to terminate or continue on the inside line which becomes a hidden siding or two which I’m taking to be a branchline to a dockside terminus (passenger and freight). The passenger trains using this line will be fixed formations eg ‘Midland Pullman’, TransPenning dmu,, 33+3TC, class 27 push-pull train. In addition, a dmu shuttle runs from the high level terminus to ‘hide’ in a tunnel bottom right. On the inside of the top boards is a third line which also terminates in a siding under the high level terminus, this is a freight branch. I’m not planning to link this with one of the hidden tracks representing the dockside terminus. I’ve not got any software to draw it out properly, so there could be some changes. One important constraint is that there mustbe no points over the marked baseboard joints. The lower centre board has to lift out to provide access to inside the layout. I’ll probably use settrack curves (radius marked on plan) for accuracy. A couple of recent thoughts, - perhaps have overhead wires to one the dock terminus and/or high level terminus? - By rearranging the tracks on the right hand side, the high level termiuns could be at normal level (easier to construct) on the outside of the layout); the double track circle placed just inboard of the terminus and sceniced to look like through non-platform roads; the goods branch and dockside terminus just scenic dead end sidings. Hope this all makes sense. Any comments appreciated.

IThanks for the suggestion, but I don’t have powerpoint. Yes its a 4mm scale OO layout, the dimensions are on the upside down drawing, 3480mm long and 2290 mm wide. Happy to have any comments.

As requested here is a rough plan of my proposed OO gauge layout, designed for interesting operation. It is for ‘blue diesels’. The left, top and right outsides are against walls. The bottom of the layout is also accessible from the outside - there is a narrow passageway along it. Please note I have posted it here to contribute towards the original post on this thread, not for discussion on my planned layout. I can start a seperate thread for that later. NOTE THE PLAN HAS SOMEHOW BEEN INVERTED WHEN ADDING TO THE POST. EVEN ROTATING THE IMAGE THROUGH 180 DEGREES DOESN’T GET IT THE RIGHT WAY UP. In essence it is a double track oval. Bottom left is the mainline station which has a bi-directional non-platform centre road, while on the inside there is a platformed run round loop so trains from the high level terminus (right side, not drawn) can terminate and run round. Trains will descend from the high level terminus (on right), pass the mainline station on the outside track, then use the crossovers to join the main circuit. Eventually they can use the inside platform to terminate or continue on the inside line which becomes a hidden siding or two which I’m taking to be a branchline to a dockside terminus (passenger and freight). The passenger trains using this line will be fixed formations eg ‘Midland Pullman, 33+3TC, class 27 push-pull train. In addition, a dmu shuttle runs from the high level terminus to ‘hide’ in a tunnel bottom right. On the inside of the top boards is a third line which also terminates in a siding under the high level terminus, this is a freight branch. I’m not planning to link this with one of the hidden tracks representing the dockside terminus. I’ve not got any software to draw it out properly, so there could be some changes. One important constraint is that there mustbe no points over the marked baseboard joints. The lower centre board has to lift out to provide access to inside the layout. I’ll probably use settrack curves (radius marked on plan) for accuracy. A couple of recent thoughts, perhaps have overhead wires to one the dock terminus and/or high level terminus? By rearranging the tracks on the right hand side, the high level termiuns could be at normal level (easier to construct) on the outside of the layout); the double track circle placed just inboard of the terminus and sceniced to look like through non-platform roads; the goods branch and dockside terminus just scenic dead end sidings. Hope this all makes sense. Colin

Nice, and it’s given me an idea for simplyfying my plan. Note to self - draw a version that can be scanned and posted on here (the pencil version didn’t reproduce well enough).

Many thanks everyone for ypur help.

Hi, I’m making this 4mm scale low relief building from embossed plasticard on balsa. Making the windows sills is simple enough, but there should be a sort of brick arch at the top of each window, please can anyone suggest how I make them? Thanks.

Well done for getting it repaired.

I was on the railtour too - certainly one of the best I’ve ever been on. Somewhere I have some video of it. The train with the locos returning to the UK would make an interesting model.

The Tam Valley juicer certainly is electronic.

I enjoyed watching Stairway to Heaven, played the CD many times, but never seen the video before. By coincidence, I saw a 1966 double Gibson guitar for sale yesterday for only £51,000.

I’ve used Tam Valley frog juicers on my exhibition layout and they have been perfect, seem to be instantaneous and 100% reliable.

I agree, well beyond my skills, but if you had a touchscreen that was interactive eg turned building lights on, set branch shuttle train running, it would get younger visitors involved. My micro layout is simply a circle of track but it is operated by visitors pressing a button.

At a recent exhibition one layout had a screen at each end describing each train as it came into view. I found it added a bit more to my enjoyment.

I’m no expert and have never used unifrogs, but could the problem actually be caused by the two points on the loop top left? Are there any IRJs between the loop? What I’m thinking is the inner two rails of the four rails that form the loop can have either polarity depending on which way they are set which might lead to a short depending on which way they are set - especially if one is set for the loop and one for the outer track.

Toothpaste? It us a very mild abrasive.

I’m finding this thread very intetesting as I have a fairly similar space. Although my current plan is quite different, enveryone’s contributions to this to[ic are giving me rood for thsught. Thanks for all the contributions.

The push pull coaches had some extra piping on the side of the bogies, may have been one side only. Somewhere on here there is a thread about modelling them. I made a rake following the article, all I did was fit brake discs, the extra pipes and renumbered them, not perfect but enough for me. The 27/2 is easy to make, there is an etch of the extra little circular grilles available, these just glue on, plus you need to add an extra pipe along the solebar on one side only. All these modifications are hardly visable from 3 feet away.

I had an Airfix Evening Star which I painted in Railfreight grey/yellow, jyst like your tank loco.

As always such a superb layout. Any plans to exhibit it?

If possible I would build it with exhibiting in mind - things like making the boards a prortable size. One of my friends decided to make his first layout on one very long board. Made it hard to move at home and too long to take to an exhibition, a great shame as he astounded himself by making a layout which is of such high quality it would probably been the best layout at shows. Exhibiting is also about entertaining, everyone has different intetests. I’ve been at shows where ‘the best layout’ as voted by the public has been a playmobile layout, another show where the public voted a lego layout as the best, both well deserved and you couldn’t get near them. One the clubs I’m in has several layouts made specifically for children to operate, always a challenge to get the kids to go home at closing time.

I do hope you will take all these wonderful creations to an exhibition, they are quite inspiring modelling.

Many thanks for this thread, very enjoyable.

Is the air pressure adjustable?

You’re right pH, that’s Central - I’ll have to correct my photo index. I’m slowly scanning my slides and making a spreadsheet index so it’s easy to find locos/locations etc.

A couple more of my pics from 8th August 1985. Unnamed 47715 waits to leave with the 1100 pull push to Edinburgh. 47608 on the 1130 to Stranraer, not van and Sealink coaches.