chrismears

This is such a fantastic project. These last few days I've really enjoyed reading and rereading through your posts and learning how the models were built. I'm starting to wade into 16mm and scratchbuilding my own Ruston based on some drawings from the Merioneth Railway Society's drawings for a Ruston 16hp. I'm "moving up" from the much smaller scales and since my model is for indoors use think track power is still the way to go. That's a rambling way of my asking what you are using for wheels under this model? I'm looking for a 20mm diameter wheel for my model. You mention using O scale wheels and I like their shape/profile so don't mind adopting that in place of an actual 16mm scale wheel. I'd like it in metal. What you're using look exactly like what I'm after. I know it's been a very long time since you wrote this post but I thought I'd ask anyway. Chris

This is such a smart looking layout and the general plan is certainly one I like.

The key of the drawer idea is that the drawer remains in place and provides a place for the cassette and the trains to hide between operating sessions. As you suspected, the drawer is opened to reveal its contents. It isn't opened fully so it provides a place over which to rest the cassette and the cassette itself is clipped onto the layout and bridges over the now opened drawer. In theory, you could even pre-load these with the complete trains. Last year, I presented the simpler version of the idea in this post: https://princestreet.wordpress.com/2017/06/21/matchbox-part-2/ Thank you for sharing this here in the forum. I feel so flattered to see my simply little sketches in a place where so many great things happen. Chris

These look terrific. Those laser cut ties are a really smart idea.

Not mine but a build I was excitedly waiting for about as much as the actual model, Oly Turner's: https://otcm.wordpress.com/2017/01/02/filthy-dirty-grubby-meet-the-model-of-2016-the-peckett-is-finished/ I knew I would want one of these and deeply regret not reserving one. Seeing finished examples with a bit of dirt on them only deepens this sense of regret. They look fantastic and from the same blog, a superb quote: "So in the simplest review ever, the Peckett is great. Get one. Get eight. All our international readers, get ONE. All our British readers, if you do not already have one why not?" Hard not to imagine a layout for these. Chris

I like how this has turned out. It's a neat way to present the concept and I particularly like placing the station at the shunting lead. That kick-back siding further adds to the sense of this being an extract of a real station.

I keep returning to this post. I am so very impressed with the presentation style - it's just really cool. I like the way that certain views are provided to the audience to tease them into the scene as active members in the audience invited for a more intimate relationship with the model instead of just standing back in the crowd, perhaps more passively. That neat view inside the station; The way the single coach is framed almost providing a diorama vignette within the context of the greater layout; And that traverser that breaks through the valance is still one of the neatest ideas I've ever seen. This is perfect. /chris

Nice looking scene. I like the overall colour tone. I'm certainly interested in seeing more photos. /chris

This is a terrific suggestion and one I do too. I find when I push just a single car through pointwork there's a natural tendancy to "help" it through. By pushing it with another, we better approximate the way it'll navigate on its own, in a train. If enough track allows, I quite like a rake of three in fact. This is what I'm doing with my Canadian stock. Cheers /chris

Just re-reading this thread now again. What an amazing project. I'm certainly interested in watching it unfold. May I ask what you're planning on using to move the points? With so many and in such a concentration I was wondering if the points would be "thrown" by hand or by motor? Then what method. /chris

Thought I'd say "Hello" in here too. I'm a big fan of Trevor's podcast and Port Rowan layout. It's a real inspiration in so many ways. Until coming across this forum, I'd really had no idea of the quality of work being done in S scale of late. I've worked in 3mm before and always felt that it was just big enough in all the right places compared to my native N scale to make making models so much more enjoyable. Over the past few evenings I've been reprinting some drawings from my collection in 1/64 and am getting that same sense again. I've just sent in my membership to the S Scale Society and think I'll order some parts to get that first wagon or two built. Track-making is my favourite part of hobby and may give a sample of that a go too. Thanks to everyone in this forum for sharing your work. You're a terrific group of ambassadors for this scale and present a wonderful impression. Browsing through topics here was certainly a major influence in favour of the scale for me. Thanks.

I sure enjoy reading these updates. It's coming along nicely and it was neat to learn about the rolling stock you're using. That Hornby tank engine conversion is a neat idea. Looking forward to seeing more updates as you find the time. Thanks. By the way, I realise how little I know about broad gauge railways and modelling them but thanks to this thread I've been poking around the internet and having quite a bit of fun learning about it all. Fascinating stuff.

What a fantastic layout. I like the plan and find the idea of modelling broad gauge railways a fascinating subject. I hope you continue with this project and continue to update the thread. Thanks for sharing this project with us.

Hi again. I'm still scratching around this plan and I wanted to ask how you lengthened the original plan to 100"? Did the extra length get added evenly throughout the plan, was it absorbed in larger turnouts, or added to the siding lengths? In my sketching I find the forward track in the fiddle yard tends to wind up too short (this track is the centre of the three on the left side of the plan). I still really like how this worked for you using multiple units. When I first looked at the plan I was looking at it through "loco plus two coaches" eyes but found the more I considered the plan the less I see it working the way Carl proposed. Funny. I see my earlier comment is from much earlier when I started on this project. Must be something about this plan that so caters to the procrastinators in the crowd eh? Thanks /chris