sleepyrider

It was Phil Parker's blog that first drew my attention to the Really Useful boxes - looking back just now I can't believe that was 2009! http://philsworkbench.blogspot.com/search/label/Layout in a box?updated-max=2009-11-08T08:47:00Z&max-results=20&start=60&by-date=false I tried to be different, my original scheme had the loco spur on the opposite side, but playing around with point templates showed access would be difficult as the two shorter sidings were more likely to be full of wagons. So I switched it over and ending up duplicating his plan. They do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Painted the rail sides this afternoon, now back to ballasting.

@TechnicArrow I hadn't, but I am now, it's a great idea - thanks! @noctilux2 seen them both, they're great. Like your US one, I've got a bit of HO stock squirreled away and that would be a great way to use it when the fancy took me

I have a thing for Inglenooks, and a thing for things that pack away neatly, so when I came across the Scale Model Scenery lasercut baseboards that are designed to fit into a Really Useful wrapping paper box this layout was a must. 730mm by 207mm isn’t a lot of space, but by sticking to a 2 2 3 inglenook configuration and using a separate shunting neck, it was still possible to use small radius streamline points, meaning electrofrogs, which I much prefer for shunting. Playing around with Peco point templates showed it was also possible to fit in a spur for a spare loco. Shunter's Nook is a name that’s been kicking around in my head for a while. The layout is first and foremost a shunting puzzle, scenic treatment is, if I’m honest, secondary. The rear siding is placed to allow a Scenecraft bonded warehouse to fit against the back scene, but I quite fancy being able to have alternative buildings available e.g. low relief coal screens. We'll see. The last inch or so of the loco spur will be the end of a shed to mask the exit. So this is the state of play at the moment. It all works rather well, so it's obviously time to mess that up by painting and ballasting the track!

That's a great display of Micros - and I can vouch for the quality of the Scale Model Scenery boards, they fit together perfectly

The plan looks great and I can totally relate to the false starts that have lead you to this point! I would however reiterate the advice to use live frog points with those four coupled locos. They will work with insulfrogs, but your shunting speed will have to be higher to avoid stalling.

Nice match between the static grass and the back scene. Really looks like one and the same.

Love the way everything packs away, truly portable!

A bit late I'm afraid - I bought a Bachmann Jinty, supposedly unused, but was very hesitant, even after running in. Someone suggested slackening off the two screws that hold on the keeper plate underneath a little, totally transformed it. Might be worth a try. I also picked up a used Bachmann 04 recently, the split frame chassis type. Like your 03 the wheels were filthy, but the biggest change came from cleaning all the old gunk out of the U shaped channels in which the axles run and which act as the pickup surfaces. As a general note, I've found for shunting, an 0-6-0 will always outperform an 0-4-0. My Hornby Peckett for instance is a lovely runner, but far more sensitive to dirt than any of its six couples stablemates.

That's a really impressive collection, very inspiring. Jim

Nce readng, thanks. I have the Peter Paye book, pretty much all the information you'd want, worth picking up if you come across a reasonably priced copy. I came across the line for the first time via a model of Kelvedon Low Level in a Railway Modeller, probably late 70s. Not a large model by any means, but it seemed to capture the quirky nature of the line. Jim

No connection etc etc but the Balfour Beatty version is 35.99 on Hornby.com at the moment. So my second one, to go with Barabel, is on the way now, or at least will be once they return to work after the hols. I've never bought two of any loco before, I think that speaks volumes for the quality and value of this loco.

Excellent replies, thank you both, time to start shopping for a Powercab I think! Jim

Hi, new to DCC, have a Bachmann S4 sound loco and the basic EZ Command controller, the latter secondhand off eBay. Love the sound, quite sufficient for my liitle plank, my only issue is that the slowest speed, ie first notch on the controller, equates to a pretty brisk jog for an HO scale switchman. I want to get down to a crawl - can I achieve this with the current set up, or do I need a better chip (I believe this one is only 28 speed step) or a better controller - funds are limited but I could run to the basic NCE setup if this would achieve the results I'm looking for. Thanks Jim

Not sure, I've only been up here for a few years - someone said there'd been an attempt to use it as a museum a while ago, though didn't go into any detail, so it's quite possible.

There are two remaining in Leicester. The nicest is Stoneygate, heading out of the city on the A6. The lease was taken over by a transport heritage group recently, though things have been quiet for a while so I'm not sure how things are progressing. I've always felt it would make a nice 1/64 diorama for a few Corgi trams. There's also a depot on Narborough Road, complete with a lovely supermarket sign!

Most of the old Meccano Magazines can be viewed online at http://www.nzmeccano.com. There aren't many tram articles, so it wasn't too difficult to find the article. Due to the way the website works I can't link directly to the article, but it's 'Tram for Two', July 1967, pp 12, 13 and 25. The model in the article looks really good and there are some useful constructional diagrams. The Mumbles trams were quite a simple shape with flat sides so it might just work. As an alternative, I've seen an article about scratchbuilding a Mumbles tram in 4mm scale, using brass strip I think. I suspect it was one of David Voice's How to go Tram and Tramway Modelling books, though I have no idea which edition - they vary quite a bit.

Thanks - looking forward to it! Jim

Sorry to hear Downtown didn't work out, but I'm intrigued by Fiddlestick's built in sound system (assuming it's still there) , so it would be interesting to see/hear it in action. Jim

I've worked next to the line in Coalville since September and seen one 'Fred' running light! It's strange though, it doesn't look derelict and I'm sure there was someone in the box at Mantle Lane the other day as I drove past.