andi4x4

So, I thought it was about time I posted up something about my 00 gauge layout. Its a bit of a ramble, but, bear with me ! I needed somewhere to 'run trains'. I am not so much a railway modeller, I do not really have much more than a passing interest in the prototype railways (although I do my research when neccissary !), but I do enjoy running, modifying and generally 'playing trains' and have done so in gauges N, 00, O, 16mm Scale live steam and even 5" gauge on various occasions over the last 30 years or so. The initial idea for my current layout was to provide just that – somewhere on which to run my loco and rolling stock collection. At first conception there were no plans for scenery other than a station (trains have to have a reason to run don't they !), so, the plan was to simply lay some track onto baseboards with underlay and track pins and to include a station in the track plan. However, despite having a space 12'x6' to use freely as I see fit, this space is also used by me as a music room, so, any layout would have to take this sharing of space into account. Also in this room, is a 6'x3' workbench (originally built for an N gauge layout that never happened !) which I use for various other modelling projects (slotcars and R/C vehicles) and the occasional guitar related projects also. This room is also, very occasionally, used as a guest room, so everything needs to be packed away on these rare occasions. So, with all the above in mind, I came up with a list of desired qualities that this layout would need to fullfill - It must be modular to allow it to be packed away when required. It must be quick to assemble and disassemble – overcentre catches and dowels with minimum number of wires across board joints and tressels/legs which can be set up quickly and require the minimum of storage space when not in use. It must provide continuous running – I like to sometimes just sit and watch the trains go by ! It must provide scope for expansion – extra or different modules may be desired at a later date should I feel the need to expand with goods and/or loco facilities. It needed to be wired for DCC as I have recently caught the sound bug ! It needs to be capable of being set up anywhere, including directly on the floor if needed, so all board connections, fittings and cabling needs to exit the sides of the boards for easy access when on a flat surface. Having had a 00 layout in this same room before (it was dismantled, partly due to a lack of use, and partly due to the Domestic Dragon insisting that my guitar collection had outgrown the living room. In fact, probably mainly that !) I started reviewing all the layout plans I had made (and saved) in the past in AnyRail with a view to maybe slimlining something I had previously designed. During this, I stumbled across a set of plans I had saved for The Minories by C.J. Freezer. (I am sure most of you are familiar with them, so I won't replicate them again here). These plans got me thinking – CJF designed this layout to be modular in form, allowing the builder to build a model railway up over time, to fit the space available to the builder, by building one scenic board, then adding another, and another, etc, if they so wished. It was also designed such that any board that had two plain tracks at the edge could connect to any of the other boards with two plain tracks at the edge – in any order ! This meant that you could change the layout of the railway, simply by swapping the boards around. Whether, or not, this was intentionally planned into his design, or if it occurred by coincidence, I do not know, but, this was the point at which I had a 'EURIKA' moment ! I thought that, if I designed my railway in this manner, it would be much quicker to assemble/disassemble, and universally modular, meaning that I could set it up almost anywhere in the house by changing the order in which boards were connected, or even ommitting boards to reduce its size where needed. With all this in mind, I set about planning something, initially using The Minories track plan, and thinking that two station boards (one a mirror image of the other) back to back would provide a three platform through station on one side of what is, basically, a 12x6 double track oval, with a pair of passing loops and crossovers on the opposite side. Anyway, a lot of messing about later I finished up with my current track plan - On the plan above, each individual board is marked out by the orange lines – the two boards at the centre of the station and storage/passing loops are specific to these locations and the throat boards of each will connect together with its opposite end without the centre boards to provide a shorter station and storage/passing loop area, but, all the other boards with two plain tracks at the connecting edge are interchangeable and can be connected together in any order and any orientation – just like pieces of Set-Track - allowing me to reduce the track plan to nothing more than a simple 4'x4' circle of double track, or any combination of 4'x5'6” , 4'x10' , 4'x12' , 4'x13'6” , 6'x10' or 6'x12' oval, or I can even set them up as an 'end to end' type configuration, either straight, or, in an 'L' , 'U' , or 'S' format. Plus, of course, I can add other boards at a later date – I already have two in the planning stage ! A couple of the 'extra' boards I have in my minds eye at the moment. Where they will go is anyones guess ! Track standards are to Hornby/Peco Set-Track specifications, primarily due to having a large amount of it available (although, the loco depot above uses Streamline points and a double slip off the mainline), and, in order to maximise the space for the station and storage/passing loops, allowed me to use tighter R3 and R4 curves at the corners – with a minimum R2 curve on the points. I am, however, considering a swap to Peco Streamline in the storage area to enable extra tracks to be laid in the existing space. So where are we at now, then ? Well, the baseboards are built, temporary legs (and the workbench) are supporting them, track and underlay laid, fully wired for DCC using a single track and accessory bus (may change later to split track and accessory buses), boards are dowelled for alignment, overcentre catches are fitted to the outer sides of each board and the electrical connections are also through the outer sides of each board. Baseboard construction is of 9mm MDF tops crossbraced with 2”x1” pine with 4mm ply sides which protrude 20mm above the board surface to catch any errant locos or stock before they take a dive off the edge ! Work on the station platforms has commenced, and there is a retaining wall/viaduct/backscene along the back edge of the station boards where the single track sits along the edge of the baseboard. This is made up of a number of Scalescenes kits, joined together, and fixed to 2mm ply for rigidity. It is in three sections, sized to match the three individual station boards so that if the centre board is not used, the centre section of the backscene will also be omitted. I was careful to resize the arches very slightly to ensure that they fitted the centre board without needing any infill, then the two outer boards were made to match, with just a short section of plain walling at the outermost ends. The backscenes are attached to the baseboards with nothing more than bulldog clips at present, but, another means of fixing is needed in the event that the baseboards are sat on a flat surface. The backscene boards currently slide down onto the top of the 20mm sidewall of the baseboards, but, I am considering trimming the baseboard sidewall down flush with the baseboard top as the arches sit too high and don't match up with the bridge. I could always make up a low, 20mm sidewall to attach in the same manner as the retaining wall for those odd occasions that it is needed. There are plans to build a number of bridges to help provide a means of concealing some of the joints, and provide both a scenic break and add a little scenic interest. One has been built so far (still a little work to do), and is designed to 'slot over' the outer edge of the baseboards at the board joints. Nothing holds the bridges in place other than friction, and the intention is that they can be fitted over any joint, randomly. You may see in the second picture down that the inner wall of the bridge sits on top of and flush with the sidewall of the baseboard, which will be covered with brick paper eventually. But, it has no name ! Where is it based on ? Who knows ! I guess it's just some forgotten industrial town, somewhere where all the regions cross paths, somewhere approaching the end of steam ! All I can tell you is that it sees a lot of very varied, and often heavy, traffic - there is a plethora of BR Green period steam and diesel locos and rolling stock from mainly Western, Midland and Eastern regions passing through here with both passenger and freight services on a regular basis, and the occasional appearance of the odd couple of locos which seem to have managed to retain their pre-war 'Big Four' liveries ! It's a very run down and neglected line, and, despite the heavy traffic, there have been rumors for many years that the line is to close. However, it continues to plod on regardless, but the staff have lost their pride and enthusiasm, and it shows in the surroundings. More updates when there's been something done !

Thanks, was curious as to whether it was a kit or scratch built - seems it is both then ! I plan to scratchbuild mine ( I am also a scalescenes fan ! ) as I need about 8 feet, but, will be needing some support columns for them, and wouldn't mind finding some pre-cut valencing for it.

Sorry to hear about your impending lack of time/space for the layout, been there done that ! Thankfully, I am lucky enough to have a more understanding missus. Hope the move goes well and space (and time) is soon found. In the meantime.... Could you possibly let me know how you made this short section of platform canopy ? I am looking for something similar for my own station ! http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/monthly_12_2016/post-22023-0-06814500-1481123161.jpg

Just ordered the Class 52 sound chip from the Chinnor shop on that Well Known Auction Site - says delivery on or before 23rd Dec - Hope it's early - I go away for a week early on the 24th so won't get chance to play again till the New Year It'll get here when it gets here ! " I wish me a Merry Xmas, I wish me a Merry Xmas........." Lol !

I have no lamps fitted to any of my steam stock at present, but, some would be fairly straight forward, judging by all the info in this thread so far, such as the shunting/yard duty locos and dedicated freight locos. It is the mixed traffic types that would cause the biggest headaches. Those with near permanently fitted lamps could easily be made to work, it is those that would need to be removable that would need some ingenuity ! I have a couple of brake vans with a single centre red lamp fitted to one end - I just turn them if needed. As for coaching stock with red tail lamps - were they not, on occasion, a black painted lamp casing ? If so, they certainly would not be so noticeable when hidden between loco and coach if not illuminated.

Hi All... As you may have guessed, I am not so versed in the daily intricacies of railway life - as much as I like trains, and, dare I say it, "playing" trains, I am not a railway enthusiast as such, and, therefore, have not spent much time around 1:1 railways or really delved into the ins and outs of railway operation. I should do more research really ! I have been messing about with model railways for the last 35 years, but only really from a modellers point of view, modelling the bits I want to model ! @ The Johnster...... Thank you for your very comprehensive reply, I have ( I think ) always been aware that there were specific lamp locations for certain train types/classes, but I was not aware that it was so complex ! I can see the issue with having too many lamps or the wrong combination fitted - maybe I could get away with claiming that the dirty great 9F pulling 1/2 a mile of coal whilst displaying 4 lamps to the front was delivering coal to the Royal Household ! Modern LED technology is such that both a red and yellow/white LED could be built into one side of a 00 lamp with a white on the other - providing you have the eyesight, steady hand and a soldering iron with a 0.10mm tip ! Maybe a more practical way to produce removable working lamps would be to take a cue from vitalspark's post about small pins in the bottom of the lamps fitting into small holes drilled in the loco body - only you would need two holes (+ve &-ve, obviously) - the issue would be finding suitably small sockets to mount flush into the body, the legs on the LED itself could be used as the pins . Hmm....... now my brain is ticking - I'll get no sleep tonight pondering this one !

Reading this thread with interest as lights on steam loco are something I have often considered and dismissed due to the small proportions. But, Having recently gone DCC, I am now getting a hankering for working lamps on steam stock. Would I be right in thinking that lamps were only fitted to the irons relevant to the duties being performed ? i.e. would it be unacceptable to have a pair of buffer beam mounted lamps and a smokebox lamp all constantly fitted, but, only have the lamp(s) appropriate to the current duties illuminated ? Obviously, working lamps would be far more difficult to make removable - it's do-able, but difficult !

I bought one of the class 37 sound units and I'm really pleased with it ! First sound unit I have ever bought and I think I would be disappointed with anything else ! Had to remove the sound chamber from the speak to get it into my Vitrains 37, but, looking to get another with sugar cube speaker for that so I can remove the existing one and refit into the Hornby 37. Western one on the cards for my Dapol cl52, and a couple of Kings and an 08 also now in need ! Oh for a cl29 sound unit ! I can see this sound lark is gonna cost me a small fortune !

Hoping the show went well for you, Al. I was so gutted that I couldn't be there to see the layout that I had to console myself with a tour around Hereford Model Centre and the purchase of a Dapol Cl52 Western !

This is so annoying - I will be driving right past the NEC on friday, but, will be nowhere near enough to visit saturday or sunday ! Had planned to go this year, and, having found this thread a couple of months ago, had made my mind up that I definately would - till my plans were changed for me ! Hope the show goes well for "The Bridge's" first outing, it's an absolute masterpiece and I am gutted that I will not be able to come see it in person !

There is currently a set of 3d printed parts for sale on that well known auction site which would go a long way towards helping produce a RHTT. No connection - just spotted it whilst idly browsing !

Many good (and bad ! ) covers listed so far ! I would have to go with just about anything covered by Hendrix -Especially the long slow instrumental version of Little Wing, Joe Cocker, Wierd Al has been mentioned - His version of The Devil Went To Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band is legendary ! The Devil Went To Jamaica - And a couple of covers by a Swedish duo called First Aid Kit - America - Simon & Garfunkel Play with Fire - Rolling Stones