Lacathedrale

Well, I cleared the various pencils, tape measures and detritus that accumulate on a layout while it's moribund because I figure I should at least try to get a reasonable understanding of what is required. Putting aside scenics (once again), an obvious easy win is to trawl through my electronics bins and inventory my current DCC chip collection and purchase what is required, at least 2x Next18 chips (terriers), 2x 21-pin chips (atlantics), 1x hardwired (e2) to get all the locos moving. I think the thing with the biggest potential blast radius is couplings but in the interest of keeping the objectives small, I'm going to let that smoulder on in the background. EDIT: While I do some testing, can anyone suggest ways to neatly slice through sleepers to fit magnets in the roadbed? Any time I've used a scalpel it's just forced the plastic sleeper base off the rail instead of cutting through.

Well, yes and no - parenthood means I have limited time and energy - and it seems like all the easy wins on this project are over and done with and now it's the same as any other large(ish) layout! I have ~6 locos to buy chips for and fit, dozens of S&W couplings to fabricate and fit (even if just on outer ends of rakes). and the retrofitting of under-baseboard uncoupling magnets I was hoping to avoid altogether. If it's scenics then I have a ginormous station building and ~5' of wall/buildings to design and build, etc. etc. - there just don't really feel like any small jobs. The layout is absolutely not going anywhere, and my mojo will return!

Has anyone built actually seen or built the originally proposed TT Minories? It seems with a Merchant Navy and some BR Suburbans converted to a facsimile of an EMU would be just as appropriate period piece was Dublo 3-rail?

Good point, I’ll put a single rail trap on one side (or at least a representative grommet). I will set up a blog/thread when I have more than hot air to show!

Spectacular as always! Would you consider uploading your models for use by others? Either paid or via Creative Commons of some form?

I went with shortening, the approach track - I’m just allergic to having off stage turnouts I guess! I actually had a plan looking something like this on the forum a couple of months ago, but I tried to make it too clever – I think this one has some legs on it so I’m just going to get on with it!

I did a quick templot print out and mockup and I like how it's looking - but I'm a bit wary about the extremely limited runaround - about 80' clearance, so about three wagons and a brake van, or one bogie coach. I would like to ensure that there is enough room to fit a locomotive between the toes of the turnout blades and baseboard edges - on the left so that I have room for a scenic break, and on the right so that I could runaround a train without a second FY. Without extending the layout, the only way around it I can see is to extend the runaround loop off-layout on the left?

DavidB-AU - thank you, but do bear in mind that 17' is the absolute maximum space available so must include a FY. You do have some fantastic inspiration there, but I wouldn't have space for fiddle yards, turn back loops or the like. I do like the idea of your 'plain bit of track', in a very NHY 581 style of 'less is more'. PMP's suggestion keys into this - I'm not sure which of the Sheep layouts it is, but there's one showing what is ostensibly a halt with a couple of sidings and a runaround loop. Though depicting a through station, I reckon with some fairly mundane measuring out you could have enough space to operate it as a terminus if required. I know I've been mucking about with dimensions, mostly because my mk.1 eyeball is firmly calibrated into 4mm/ft scale - but to be clear the following is in 'real size', i.e. it's 3mm/ft, showing a 4x1' space: The main viewing vista is taking inspiration from the corner location Alnwick - note the foreground trees which might provide a scenic break to the FY: The gradient in the foreground notwithstanding, I reckon the rest of the layout would be a fairly simple affair to knock together. While not the most interesting layout operationally I think there's enough there (particularly with the additional FY) to have some fun playing trains as well as building it.

Yeah, the 17' is really the maximum footprint including a staging area - but I see your point about finishing something of limited scope, rather than another big project.

My Minories plan has been stalling for the last six months or so and while I'm not abandoning it, I feel that I need to mentally clear the decks - even if it's just a theoretical exercise to blow the cobwebs out of the railway modelling part of my brain. I'm looking for contrast with my existing urban LBSCR-era Minories++ and since I've got a fair few immediate post-steam BR(NE) wagons and a future green Class 17/24 knocking around so I'm thinking of something based in the North-East borderlands, goods-oriented, more grimy and industrial/agricultulral, and maybe simpler in track layout. I have a handy shelf on which the original layout sat, and so the space I have available equates to roughly 17' x 2' in 4mm/ft (I'm actually modelling in 3mm/ft in 13' x 20" - but just for the sake of a more common vernacular). Of course I don't NEED to use that much space and I have recently posted a thread about a smaller cameo layout, but I can't help but let my mind wander... What would you do with this kind of space?

On the contrary Gary, very well done. The central siding is something seen at Greenwich Park LCDR - and you'd end up with something quite similar: Note the signalbox at the rear - it has a loco siding/ash-pit behind it, just as you have described too. The turnout to access it can be seen in the foreground below: Certainly a very evocative prototype, particularly since it dives straight into a tunnel too. Here's a map: There was another crossover beyond the Burney Street Bridge, but without it, it's quite similar to the ideas that @t-b-g has with his arrival-only and departure-only version of Minories. Though my Minories++ is stalled at the moment, one thing I think in retrospect I'd wished I'd included was a longer run between the station pointwork and the fiddle yard. Using Peco Bullhead 00 there are only a few inches between the last turnout and the start of the traverser - so shunting moves have to use the FY. I reckon having a train length between the throat and the FY is the perfect size, but hard to do in 4mm/ft in all but the ladder shed!

I didn't grow up in this era, but I've heard that the running characteristics of stock of the period leave quite alot to be desired when it comes to slow speed operation. Minories came from the introduction of TT in the late 50's so Triang Series 3 or more usably Super 4 would work? Nevertheless there's certainly a vibe to the plan isn't there! My own Minories++ layout has stalled out completely - dozens of carriages and all my locomotives to add couplings to, half a dozen DCC decoders to buy before I can really 'play' has me in the doldrums.

@JimFin the resin you use also has a working temperature - Elegoo ABS-like 2.0 is after something like 15-25c for optimum results? Realistically I've found that if the room isn't "chilly" then everything is fine, if it is then I whack on the terrarium heating pad inside the cover for an hour beforehand just to get everything up to temperature.

@airnimal do you have a picture/can you take a picture of all your wagons laid out? Such a wonderful and prodigious output!

Really stunning stuff!

I have always enjoyed your posts even from the early days of your Midland layout. This is no different - truly a modellers modeller. i seem to remember various changes of plan of your layouts due to health - not wishing to pry (though you did mention it on your sites!) - how are you? The tease of another layout is provocative!

A WIP of my first 3mm rolling stock, a Parkside-origin kit on an AT etched chassis with FM wheels. I wanted to use more modern markings but this’ll have to do for now. It needs weathering and much more tonal variation, but I’m pleased in the direction it’s headed. My usual paints, all Vallejo acrylic: - Red Leather for bauxite - 2:1 mixture of German camo dark grey and black for the under frame - Pale sand for “white” - black brown for any dirt and grime. i have given it a thin oil wash just to pick out some detail but will go back with AK streaking grime and an airbrush for the actual weathering! Markings are from sheet s1 from Cambridge custom transfers, but I have some chalked destinations coming from railrec too.

The glazing was trial and error I take it?

I'm considering the old switcheroo of painting each side a different colour - one side in B/G and one in Maroon. The big issue of course is that AFAIK Maroon ends are black, and BG ends are blue. Was there any precedent for black ends on BG coaches or am I out of luck on this one?

I used one of the 14 W reptile heating pads inside the enclosure of my printer. I had a electric heating fan pointing at that area too for about an hour. Both of these got shut off when the printing started, and I was able to print out without any problems - so I guess there are many ways to skin a cat!

I caught the black 5 at HHE:

I will have these if they’re still going please!

I was not expecting that!

i also had this come up on my recommendations, the combined first part is now uploaded also: I bought myself a Railway Modeller subscription on their app to get access to all the backissues that they provide and scoured through the years for all the wonderful layouts that have been mentioned here - it was a worthwhile task and in some cases I exported the pages out for future reference. I do worry a little about the transitory nature of online and digital content - The Great RMweb Blackout of 2022 is one obvious example of how content can be either lost or made useless over time - not to mention the failure and closure of ImageShack, Photobucket, etc. - it really is a case of 'when' rather than 'if'. As a result, I'm wondering what the best way to preserve this all is - do we archive digital material and transfer it to physical media (either paper or some kind of video format) ? This is a modern problem, because before the only medium we had was the printed word and image and that has been proven to last enough.

Does anyone know about what time it will be passing by Haywards Heath?