JBr

There is no reason to be too strict regarding exact shades, it only takes few months and the weather does its job... (I only had my mobile phone with me, so it's not one of the best photos, but the difference is visible). The car on the left is just a month or so after repair & repaint (surprisingly it was not repainted in the "corporate" scheme).

I've uploaded little more than 600 pictures I took between 2007 and 2018 (most of them being from years 2007-2013) to my flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jbrik/albums/72157706439502265 Hopefully, they could be useful as reference. If you have any questions or want more detail regarding ony of the pictures, just ask. I also have some pictures of station equipment, signs, signals etc. but I first need to find to organize them and find some place to put them, as Flickr apparently changed their policy since the last time I used them and they now have a limit of 1000 photos, which I almost reached by uploading this album.

Do you mean the current "Najbrt" corporate scheme? Or the old one "ODS scheme" of light grey, blue over windows and yellow on front? I tried to ask my friend who built his 810 in the ODS scheme and he said that all paints were mixed from various shades until he liked them, so no exact matches, just the old Mk.1 Eyeball method. Najbrt colours: RAL 7035 – light grey RAL 5015 – sky blue (the lighter blue) RAL 5003 – saphire blue (the darker blue) RAL 7022 – umbra grey BTW, Kuehn announced 810 railcars for next year, in both red/ivory and corporate schemes.

I guess you already know them, but just in case those are the RAL codes for the main colours of the 810 red/ivory scheme: RAL 7002 olive grey -- roof RAL 3003 ruby red -- body RAL 1014 ivory -- stripe AFAIK no big brand is doing those shades and the modellers I know usually just used regular acrylic spray paints you can buy in hobby stores. In UK it should be possible to buy those -- https://www.hiroboy.com/RAL_Paints_European_Standard_Colour_Range_60ml--product--1250.html -- they seem to be able to provide all possible shades. Don't forget to use some putty to get rid of the cavities above the front windows on 010 trailers as they don't have headligths, only the 810 cars do.

Since I mentioned my first micro layout in CloggyDog's thread a while ago, I decided to provide more information about it in its own separate thread. Back in 2010 I started working on a layout that eventually turned out to be too big a bite to chew (especially after my daughters were born). When we moved from our former flat to the current house, the layout remained packed in the garage until last July, when I finally took it and tore it apart, salvaging all the usable parts (it was actually meant to be temporary, so most of the tracks, points, signals or DCC electronic modules were placed in a way to be easily removed). I was not out of contact with the model railroading world entirely, as I live just about 1,5 km by air from the guys from SDV Model (who produce TT scale kits of the Czechoslovak/Czech rolling stock and H0 scale car and armour kits) and I do cooperate with them from time to time thanks to my other hobby (I am also designing and selling decals for plane model kits). Occasionally I had an urge to build something train related, but I pretty much resisted until last summer, because I didn't want to start some other unfinishable big project and I couldn't find any inspiration for something smaller. By a coincidence I came across this video from the Budget Model Railways YouTube channel just after I dismantled my former layout -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDqQxj4zPUc. Track scheme of the switching layout from the video was finally something that was close to our locale (British/American stations usually used in most micro layouts are very far from what we are used to in CZ). Everything went wild at that moment Over the period of 5 days (mostly using some free moments kids gave me during the day and in the evening/early night) I made my own version of the micro switching layout from the video. Of course, I changed the scale to TT and made it look "local". The final size of the layout is 100 x 20 centimeters and it portrays a small branch line terminus somewhere in the Czech Republic. Given the size I had to make some compromises, but I tried to get it as close to the real life as possible. Including creating a backstory for all the layout features... Welcome to Koncová Lhota (I guess English name "Endville" could have a similar meaning). A long time ago, there was a small loco shed housing a little steam engine in the station, but it was eventually torn down, leaving just a siding with an ash pit. The siding was disconnected from the station and partially removed some time later, leaving just the point forever locked in one direction. The point was finally removed not long ago and replaced by a regular piece of track (that's why part of the main track is ballasted with fresh grey stone -- the point used to be there). The old disconnected siding is still there but it is now rusty and slowly disappearing in the vegetation. The water crane next to the station's headshunt is now the only remainder of the steam era, used only when a pleasure steam train comes to the station from time to time. The old manual departure semaphore was replaced by the light signal at the same time as the loco shed point was removed. Its remains are patiently waiting for some railway museum to take good care of them. Passenger trains are serviced by class 810 railbuses, with the exception of weekends when some of the trains are serviced by a loco with a double-decker coach. Loading track at the station is used to load freight cars with wood. The cars are then taken by the freight train to the main station at the other end of the branch line. Occasionally the freight train brings in a loaded coal car. I intentionally made the layout epoch universal, so it can be used with multiple epoch rolling stock (basically any time between late 1980s and today). So, with the rolling stock I own, I can create multiple fleets for various time frames. Late 1990s/early 2000s fleet with the red Czech Railways (ČD) class 810 railbus(es) and (in my case) any of the Goggles 750/754 or Grumpy 749 for both freight and passenger trains. 2010s fleet can use both red and corporate scheme 810 railbuses, ČD Goggles or Grumpy for passenger trains and ČD Cargo Goggles/class 742 for freight trains. And If I had some ČSD cars/locos I could even make a 1980s fleet. The minimalistic version of the rolling stock fleet just needs a ČSD/ČD railbus and two freight cars. In such case some of the trains are run as mixed passenger/freight trains (which was a regular practise at some branch lines in the Czech Republic even in early 2000s). For operation purposes I attach approx. 60 cm long two track fiddle yard, which allows me to keep both railbus and freight train on tracks at the same time and also switching operations when the trains needs to drive outside the station. Construction of the station module itself is very simple, points are operated manually using rods under the base and the only wiring is from the connector to the tracks and from a 9V battery hidden inside the module to the station lights, LEDs in the station building and the light signal. I only had to buy the tunnel portal and the electric switches, all the other material comes from my old reserves (I was quite a hoarder when I was single, but it changed since I got married :D) or was salvaged from my old layout. In retrospect, I would gladly shorten the headshunt by few cm in exchange for a bit longer station tracks, but well...

I definitely recommend signals by www.navestidla.cz. I am not sure if the owner speaks English or sells abroad, but in case you can't get it, let me know, I bought bunch of various signals from him few years back and I have a signal for the version 3 I can spare.

Actually, the Uke layout was built after the one I mentioned. I don't have a thread for it here, but some pictures are there: http://vlacky.brozek.org Regarding signals, there are multiple scenarios. The Dobříš station mentioned in one of the previous posts is a good example of a branch line terminus with complete signals. However, there is a reason why the station looks like this. The mechanical station safety device and all the signals were installed in mid 1970s. The station was quite busy back then, with sidings serving multiple industries etc. Another and even more extreme example would be Luhačovice station (Luhačovice is a spa town in Moravia). Again, a terminus station but this time it is equipped with electronic station safety device remotely controlled from Přerov. The station is unmanned so there is no "station dispatcher" who would otherwise be supervising shunting and thus the station had to be equipped with complete set of way, departure and shunting signals. I made few examples of how the signals could be installed in your station. They all depend on how much traffic would be on your branch line and what safety device would be "installed" in your station. I am not taking the entry signal into account as it is placed "outside" your layout. And they definitely are not the only options, but they are the most common ones. Few notes -- points are marked as the real point levers would be -- half white/half black for manually operated points, full yellow for remotely operated points (by an electric point machine or switched by levers in the station building -- in such case all the cable routes would have to be modelled too). Grey triangles are derailers preventing cars at sidings from accidentally getting to station tracks. All the dashed tracks (eg. track 4) cannot be used for arriving or departing trains, they can only be entered by shunting. Let's start with the most complex example. That would be a similar style to Dobříš. Most likely a mechanical or electromechanical station safety device is used there. Entry points are remotely operated from the station building. Shunting signal before the first point on entry to the station (because the points are remotely controlled the signal is used to allow shunting into the station). Points to the sidings and at the head shunt are manually operated. No shunting signals required for them as there needs to be a shunting operator present to switch them anyway. Stop way signals at the end of tracks 1 and 2 (intentionally one is two light signal with only red light installed and the other just one light signal -- both ways are fine). White red green departure signal for track 1 (green aspect on departure -- "line clear"), yellow white red green departure signal for track 2 (yellow and green aspect on departure -- "40 km/h maximum speed until you clear all the points, then line clear"). Both departure signals can also show the shunting allowed aspect (steady white light) or "proceed with caution" aspect (blinking white light). While this setup may look nice on paper, I don't recommend it for the station of your length. The tracks are simply too short for it to look convincing as the departure and end of way signals would be too close to each other. Another possibility. Similar station, most likely a mechanical or electromechanial safety device that had a mechanical semaphore departure signal replaced with a light signal. Only one joint departure signal (square shield with one diagonal line = joint signal) used for the whole station. Yellow points remotely operated, most likely by cables. No shunting signals, white on the departure signal can only show the "proceed with caution" blinking white aspect, which is used only in case of some malfunction. White light may be ommited and plain red green signal used instead. Another option. Most likely a mechanical safety device utilizing point locks and keys and central locks in the station building. Aspect of the joint departure signal depends on point directions and is determined by the keys in the locks. Departure from track 1 "line clear", departure from track 2 "40 km/h and then line clear". This signal is ignored while shunting. Either a same safety device setup as the one above, but this time with a white light instead of the yellow one, or a signal independent on points (ie. the station master just turns on a given light without any safety dependency on point setting). Only "stop", "line clear" or "proceed with caution" aspect can be shown. The signal is ignored while shunting. The same station setup as above, but this time with just a two color signal. This is the simplest version which still includes a signal. Completely signal-less station. No stand alone safety device apart from point locks and keys. No central lock board or anything. This would be a setup for a branch line with simplified traffic rules according to SŽDC regulation D3 (properly simulating D3 traffic actually isn't as easy as it sounds).

Actually, those are not shunting signals in the picture but regular signals. You can tell that from the colors of the signal shield (that thin rectangular piece of metal with two white and two red bars). Shunting signals have the white/blue combination of bars and they only consist of white and blue light. Blue = shunting not allowed, white (steady) = shunting allowed. Regular signals have the shield with a white/red combination and consist of various combinations of white, yellow, green and red. There may be two yellow lights in one signal, but all the other colors can only have one light in the signal. Some colors may not be present, depending on what aspects the particular signal is supposed to show. Length of bars on the signal shields of the regular signals determine their "level of control". If the white and red bars are of the same length, the signal is only valid for the trains that arrive, depart or pass through the station. They are not concerned during shunting operations. White light in such signal is only used for a special aspect allowing the train to pass by the signal and proceed with caution (blinking white light or a combination of a steady red light and blinking white light). If the red bars are about three or four times the length of the white ones, it means that the particular signal is valid not only for the "riding" trains but also for shunting operations. In such case the white light can have two meanings. If blinking, it is the same aspect as above. If steady, it means "shunting allowed". Red light on such signal means stop both for riding and shunting trains. The signals in the mentioned picture from Dobříš are of the first type and while they have two light positions, only one is actually fitted with a bulb and a lens -- the red one. The meaning of those signals is simply to stop incomming trains as the station is terminus. Since they are only valid for "riding" trains, they are ignored during shunting. If you have a look at the picture with the waiting and arriving train, you can see the departure signals. Those are of the second type (red bars longer than white ones) so they are valid both for the riding and shunting trains.

I like it! One more idea -- I would consider cutting the short pieces of track inserted between the turnouts in the middle and using the halves between all the turnouts. That would make the spacing between tracks even and more prototypical. It would make the usable portion of the outermost track bit shorter but on the other hand extend the usable part of the first and second track. Will the station be a terminus or pass through?

It's great to see a TT gauge micro, not to mention with the Czech prototype! One language note -- the current form of the name is in "Google translate" Czech, the correct form is "Nové Město na Nedostatku" I like the way you were able to squeeze in enough tracks to make operations more interesting. I made a branch line terminus micro in TT (100x20 cm) last year and my layout is much more simple and not that interesting operationally. Actually, since you mention there will be some factory in the top left corner, it could actually be quite easy to expand your layout even more by adding a sidding leading inside the factory. That would make operations even more interesting as the freight train could bring cars for loading/unloading not only to the goods shed and ramp, but also to the factory. Anyway, if you need any help with Czech locale information (signals, signs, equipment details etc.) just let me know

Actually, just 53 x 20 cm.

Last year I got a ukulele as a Christmas present from my wife. It was packed in a neat little box that I decided to keep. Few weeks back I came across a small box sized micro layout at Budget Model Railways channel at YouTube and I immediately knew what to do with the box. When I started thinking about the possible layout, I had few things on my mind... 1) My intention from the beginning was to keep the track layout as close to the usual Czech prototype as possible, but I had to make some compromises due to the shape of the box. The setting of the layout is a small branch line terminus. Track scheme is quite simple -- basically, it is a heavily condensed real-life branch line station layout with two main tracks forming a run around loop, one head shunt and one siding. The siding leads to a goods shed and a coal unloading area run by a local coal merchant. Dimensions of the box significantly limit the possible choice of locos and cars, but it is still possible to do some switching with a small loco and up to three short cars (eg. two axle Es coal cars). 2) I wanted to make the whole layout as independent on external environment as possible, so all the power comes from 9V batteries and everything needed for running the layout (except the rolling stock) is stored in the box itself. 3) I wanted the layout to be as nice as possible, but cheap to build. Apart from few details all the tracks, points, lights, light signal, grass mats and trees are recycled from my old dismantled layout and a diorama I made about 10 years back to try out the Model Scene and Polak foliage mats. The only thing I had to buy was the PWM module for the controller (less than 3 GBP from Ebay) and two ON-ON-ON switches (about 1 GBP each). I started the construction by making the base board out of some balsa leftovers and placing the track (combination of Tillig flex tracks and EW1 points). All points are operated manually using wooden bars under the base board. I also installed the lights and the colour light signal plus did all the necessary wiring. In the finished layout the 9V battery powering the lights and the signal is hidden in the goods shed. The first switch controls the power -- off, signal on and lights off, both lights and signal on. The second switch controls the aspect of the signal (green = free to go, red = stop, white = shunting allowed). The signal itself is not supposed to simulate a departure signal, but a "cover signal" (sorry, I don't know the English equivalent of this term) as the stations of this type most likely wouldn't have any arrival/departure signals at all. The "cover signal" in this case is a safety indicator telling the engineer whether a red light signal for cars at a railroad crossing in the direct vicinity to the station is active or not -- it "covers the crossing" (indications: green = red signal for cars active and will be deactivated when the train passes through the crossing, red = railroad crossing signal inactive or inoperative, proceed with caution and at slow speed, white = red signal for cars is active and will remain active until turned off when shunting is completed). Shining station lights. The tiny green spot is the green signal light. The next step was to make the necessary buildings. Both the station building and the goods shed are only made as front halves. The goods shed is sized to house the 9V battery inside. The building are made from thin balsa. Then I cut the front side of the bottom part of the box and glued the backdrop to the remaining sides. Entry to the station is through a hole in the shortest side of the box, which is masked as a road bridge. The tracks were painted with the "rust" Revell acrylics, all the "greenery" placed and glued and finally the tracks were ballasted with ballast of various colour and fraction. Coal deposit next to the siding was also made. Single track "fiddle yard" has the power connector mounted on. During the normal operation it is connected to the PWM controller powered by 9V battery. However any DCC system can be pluged in instead of it for "digital" operation, which I already did few times to run some of my locos with sound decoders. Both the "fiddle yard" and the controller can be stored in the lid of the box, fixed with velcros. Finally, the last few details were added -- few wheel chocks laying around the area where coal cars are being unloaded, derailer at the sidings, point signals, end of the track signals and last but not least, the Fortschritt T-174 excavator near the coal deposit. Few operational notes... Only a short loco can be used, both the length of the run around track and the head shunt effectively limit the length of the rolling stock. However, I don't consider this much of a problem as I can run longer trains on my larger modular layout. On the other hand, if I am in a mood for some train action, I just take the box with the "ukulelayout", unpack it on a dining table and I can run a train in less than a minute. And after I'm done shunting, it takes about a minute to pack it and the table is empty again.

There are some rumours going around (unconfirmed, of course) that some of the Roco TT stuff may be taken over by another company. So keep your fingers crossed...