A small portable N-gauge project in the near-present era

I always swore I would never venture into the smaller scales as I sometimes struggle with eyes and fingers in OO.

But I found myself in discussion with one Tim Maddocks via RMweb recently and as a result have a project under way to present a small N-gauge layout which will debut at the RWweb South West Area Group member's day in Taunton late in April this year.

That's only a few weeks away.  Nothing yet exists in a recognisable form and I have never worked in N so have no collection of suitable rolling stock nor scenics / structures.

I might, as the local vernacular has it, have a kangaroo loose in my top paddock.   

Suffice to say this much:  The project is called Boghouses and will feature a ne'er do well location somewhere in the former East Midlands coalfield.  The only traffic now is the occasional scrap / spoil train (the Boghouses waste dump) and a single-unit passenger working.

The layout will be built in Australia and has to fit inside my travel bag!  The structure will be a pair of rigid-bordered cork notice boards purchased yesterday and the perfect size.  It will be  fully-operational small layout.  And with the name of course will come a few inevitable jokes including the name of the freight working above.

Once back in Australia the layout will be available for show here.

Look forward too seeing this through to completion Rick, nice one cobber!:)

Ron

Mate, 
You haven't just got a kangaroo, more like the whole bl**dy mob!!!
Lay on… looking forward to it.
Marty

Now this sounds interesting Rick. Look forward to the next endorsement.


Phill

Blimey, I know you've been lurking Phill but we haven't heard from you for months (years?)!   Anyway, it's nice to know that you - one of the original members - are still around and hopefully fairing well?   All the best,

Ken.

Shame it's a members day Rick as i would have tried to attend.I am registered on RMWeb but not the South West Area Group.

Alan - if you have a word with Captain Kernow I'm sure as an RMwebber you would be OK to join in.  

As I understand the event is kept as a member's day and not open to the general public for reasons of space in the hall and probably insurance and catering considerations as well.

A drive into Melbourne today combined a number of necessary appointments not least of which was a stop at Brunel Hobbies in Cheltenham to purchase the track for this project.  Not quite all of it though as I'm hoping to make use of an asymmetric three-way point which was out of stock and can be sourced elsewhere.

The first rolling stock is due any day now and will allow me to check whether my planned curvature is feasible.  

Most sources suggest 18" as the minimum practicable radius in N though some suggest as little as 14" will work albeit not looking too realistic.

I'm hoping to be able to get away with 16" but if I can't and have to use 18" then the track plan will rotate by 90 degrees on the boards without too much alteration.

Such landscaping as there will be can be created from EPS blocks I've had lying about for ages.  With the two boards needing to fold in against each other there won't be any mountains on this layout!!!

Rick,
The minimum radius on NE is 400 mm or 16".
I think it looks fine. The recently fixed and walled decline from the back of the board to the planned Llandyfriog junction is 400mm.

cheers

Marty

Peco set track number one radius is about 9 inches, some steamers with front bogies don't like it, 12 inches is doable though for most stock.

Well your committed now you've bought the track Rick, can't change your mind now


Best of luck :thumbs



Ed

Committed?

I probably should be


Thanks for the comments on radii.  As soon as the parcel arrives I'll be able to check for myself that the intended rolling stock will cope with tight curves.

My age and lack of attention in school have reared their ugly twin heads.  I have confused radius and diameter to some extent.

However the first of three packets of rolling stock has arrived meaning I can start to show pictures.

The very first image of what will be Boghouses in a few weeks time shows a class 08 "gronk" and a class 66 "shed" coupled on the first piece of track placed for test purposes onto one of the two boards.



The ruler shows this has a 37cm diameter curve (using the mid point between rails to determine the distance) therefore an 18.5cm radius which equates to just 7¼ inches.  However the locos pass around it - just - without locking buffers.

If all the other rolling stock does likewise I don't need to change anything.  

The track can in fact come right out to the edges of the white border if it has to which adds another full centimetre to the radius since there will be outriggers which fold up to form a carry-case but which will extend for about an inch beyond the white plastic border when lowered.

Two of these boards placed end to end will form the basis of the layout.  There will be a joining plate between them formed of the fold-down border but as can be seen even in this scale there's not a lot of space for manoeuvre.

Moving swiftly along.  The second of three deliveries of rolling stock has brought the passenger unit.  A class 158 in the livery of Stagecoach-owned East Midlands Trains.  This also just copes with the tight curve in push-along mode. I'll try a powered test as soon as I can.

Also seen here is evidence of Scalescenes downloads suggesting I have plenty to do in the days ahead.  

To me as an N gauge modeler this looks like N gauge mimicking the exagerated curves of OO. Most N gauge modelers avoid even 9" radius curves and use 10.5" and 12" radius curves.

N gauge usually looks more natural than these 7.25" radius curves and I would imagine that unless you use short diesels and goods wagons the powered test will sound distressing.

I respect the opinions of those more experienced than myself.  The size of the boards and therefore the curve radius is determined by the size of my travel bag into which the layout must fit.

Plan B has the track plan rotated through 90 degrees on the boards which would give 28cm (11 inch) radius curvature but with very short intermediate straights.

Nothing is fixed yet quite intentionally because I need to establish what will and what will not work before applying glue.

[user=1753]Gwiwer[/user] wrote:

I respect the opinions of those more experienced than myself.  The size of the boards and therefore the curve radius is determined by the size of my travel bag into which the layout must fit.

Plan B has the track plan rotated through 90 degrees on the boards which would give 28cm (11 inch) radius curvature but with very short intermediate straights.

Nothing is fixed yet quite intentionally because I need to establish what will and what will not work before applying glue.

That sounds like a more considered use of the space. Better I think you will find. Very good that you are doing something in N gauge too.

All the intended rolling stock has arrived.  Eight megabox wagons will form the freight to be worked by a class 66 loco and shunted by a class 08.  Passengers will enjoy class 158 travel.  Not yet arrived is a pair of HAA 4-wheel merry-go-round coal wagons of the previous generation which are intended to be placed as scrap and not used as runners.

The approximate position of the tracks is shown with the fiddle yard no more than a run-through road and a short loop for the DMU.  On the viewing side there will be a single track plus loop again though with a spur off the loop to a pair of kick-back sidings to load and unload the freight.

The DMU will make its timetabled trips back and forth and the 66 will arrive and depart as required with the 08 shunting wagons singly or in pairs with a maximum load behind the main line loco of four at a time for operational reasons.

Once the edges are built to form a carry-case one will also create a short extension to the layout and will lie between the cork boards.  The tow long sides will fold down to form an apron at the front and the fourth side will fold down to house the controller and a couple of switches.

This looks like an interesting project Rick. I will watch to see how you get on with the two notice boards as I am trying to work out if I could produce a mini layout here in South Sudan.

Bob

It's coming along.  

The new job means I have less time than I would like but that's life.  I'm either leaving for work at midday and back at 9pm or leaving at 4.30am and back for lunch!

I have pretty much everything I need now so it just needs to be built up and assembled.  

Here's an N-scale card kit of a 70' narrowboat under construction.  There will be a canal as befits an East Midlands coalfield scene.