nicolasgreenin

It’s been a while since I posted. I have been doing little things with the layout a few more buildings and lots of running. But today marked a big change we are moving soon and I could not put this off anymore. There was no way the layout was ever going to move in 1 section so it needed to be broken down. I was able to split the section with minimal damage.

I have redesign the turntable taking some inspiration from the old Guildford MPD I can't do it justice due to the lack of space so I haven't attempted the roundhouse Image taken from David Heys http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page34.htm from the Guildford Museum

I agree he is only 8 and very creative my hope is that he hasn't reached his peak yet.. Having said that I would also like a turntable but they take up a lot of room and I want it to look right. With a bigger baseboard one can always fall for the trap of putting in too much track and not leaving enough room for the scenery and buildings.

My son has been wanting a turntable on our layout for a while so I with the extra space I have added this. I am not sure if this would be prototypical please advice

Here is a better view Main line Freight Line Lower/fiddle not going to be scenic

Hi All, I may have been a little unfair to SCARM I found the parallel track function and I have come up with this, Green is the main line at 150mm Blue is the Freight line drops to 15mm 3% gradients Yellow the yard with an extra loop dropping to 0mm

Hi Chris, It sounds like X TrackCAD is a bit more technical than SCARM I will have to get to grips with it. I am sure there are some videos in YouTube... I will try your method I do use the parallel straight track to get the gap but what I was finding was that the outer track looked good but the inner track isn’t parallel...

I have tried XTrackCAD and I need to work out how it works so I have switched back to SCARM I am having issues getting my mainlines parallel on a curve. I am undecided which track to make the goods line I think it will be the top right siding and I would like it drop under the station please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks Bryant, I still cant get over how much effort other forum members put in to help. I will have to download a copy of xtrackCAD it looks good. This is great I have been thinking of having the following elements and this is a great start Large curved station Double track TMD or marshalling yard Single track good line on a different level I originally wanted a fiddle yard but I think as long as there is some storage on the layout this would not be needed we don't have lots of rolling stock so I think we could keep this on the layout with out the need for a fiddle yard

Great progress Richard, I really like the superelevation and the sleeper spacing it makes it look so realistic.

Thanks for the support, it really helps I have also noticed that I have added to many Parapet wall refuge there should be over every other Butress. It is the join behind the Parapet wall refuge that I am not that happy with so I think I will recreate them and possibly I think I can go a little higher as the Parapet wall as it only just covers the board behind.

I have managed to get a bit more done today I am not that happy how the wall has turned out. I might see how it goes but I think I will remake them the advantage of a printable kit. I have to finish the return and the workshops under the arches.

I have built a few card kits before but I am a novice. I am building a low relief arches kit I have to extend the parapet wall to cover a higher level baseboard.

This workshop looks great especially in it setting.

This is a rough room layout which shows my current desk which is small but works well. The baseboards are 3000x800mm on the sides and 1100x900 mm at the ends this give a 1200x1100 mm operating space

Hi no the office will not be inside the layout you are right I would not get any work done....

I agree I am quite happy to give up a 3m square. I don't need much space to work my all my work is on the computer so as long as I have space for 2 monitors and a laptop I am happy.

Hi Harlequin, I have been seriously thinking of rising the baseboards I have had a bad back the past few weeks and it is a nightmare working so low but then again this is a layout for my kids and they are only small at the moment so I would like to keep it at there eye line and also they (right or wrong) like to man handle the rolling stock so it needs to be there height.

I haven’t had much time to get out in to the cabin this weekend but I have made a start. Who knew it would be so difficult to straighten up the tracks and remove 5mm from the front of the top board. I have made the new smaller supports and cut half the top section. I hope to get some time tomorrow afternoon to finish the boards and start to relay the track.

I have been looking at the temporary retaining wall and thought it was about time I made an effort to finished it. I have downloaded a kit from scalescene and I am now putting it together. But I to do the kit justice I will have to get the saw out and remodel the top board so that I can hide it with the new wall. I am also continuing the wall around the return and I aim to have the track coming out from an arch. Here are some before photos and the progress so far. Ignore the workshop this was a free kit from Scalescene that I built to see how they go together I am not sure where it will go yet. All these big supports will have to be removed and replaced with smaller supports. I have nearly got to the point where I need to rework the baseboard and the bridge mountings before I can test fit.

The light kits arrived from Express models today and I must say they were well worth the wait. Thanks Rob for creating them. The class 47 lights fitted perfectly I had to drill out a few of the holes to suit and a little from the cab inserts The Class 55 also looks great with its directional tail lights

Hi Gavin, the magnet on the loco is not powered there is no electronics envolved just simple magnets. Very simple as for the frog power if you are using pm1 seep point motors they have a simple switch to power the frog. I have got DCC concepts point decoders and they are good but not perfect.

Hi Gavin, Track plan looks good (I would say that I am bias my layout is also a copy of Jaggzuk‘s too) my word of caution is watch the gradients mine are 3% and I struggle to get trains up around the curves. To fix it I ended up fitting DCC Concepts Powerbase I would recommend planning to use them from the start as it will save you some time/hassle. The Powerbase is a simple idea stainless plates mounted between the track and the underlay and magnets under the locos. As for DCC it is not that much harder than DC and sometimes easier. There is plenty of help here...

Some photos of the building in the dark. I am going to try and fit some grease proof paper in the windows to defuse the light and hide the interior of the station

Hi Paul, I know now I have put lights in the station you can see the holes and wires for the lights and lack of interior. The Good shed has an internal platform and I have put a tool box in there but it will need more.. These are Woodland Scenics just plug system the wall lights are the Entry Wall Mount Lights, I was passing our local model/video shop and they were in impulse purchase....