OO Gauge - Latton Fields
Posted
Guest user
Branch Line - Roundy, roundy with some shunting
Hi Ed,Great idea. its murder when things come to a halt and cold weather is one good example. Bringing it indoors gives you the opportunity to have a dabble when you feel like it and to keep things going.
As far as the transition between the two boards go I'm sure there will be a few options come to the surface. On with the thinking caps.
cheers
toto
Posted

Banned
Cheers, Gary.
Posted

Inactive Member
I like your proposed extension ideas. You are certainly building in some good operation there. That should keep the grey matter ticking over.
Your exploits with points show us all one thing……if there is a problem….tackle it head on and fix it. There is always a way around these issues as you have so capably shown.
:cheers Gormo
Last edit: by spurno
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
Posted

Site staff

Yes, pinched the idea from this thread.
http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=9945&forum_id=6&highlight=turntable+loop#p181546
Ed
Posted

Site staff

Many thanks, it's just I don't like to give in.
Ed
Posted

Site staff



Just need to put some more plaster on to get it looking less like the surface of the Moon, but of course the temperature has dropped again so it's a bit cold again now :thud
Ed
Posted

Inactive Member
Looks like you`ve done that before.??
Will you add some colour to the next layer of plaster or will your ground cover hide all the white plaster.
By the way…..I am still impressed with that chimney disguising the pipe. Your eye is drawn to the chimney and it`s almost like the pipe above the back scene doesn`t exist……marvelous result.
:cheers Gormo
Last edit: by spurno
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
Posted

Site staff

Must admit I don't tend to notice the pipe as much when I sit at the layout.
I'm going to try adding some PVA to the paster mix to stop it chipping so easily, then brown paint over the top.
Ed
Posted

Site staff


The base board is supported by resting on battens screwed to the wall, as the original idea was for it to be removable. However, after lifting it on to the supporting battens Tuesday morning my back told me it should stay where it is.
I've also decided that the idea of an additional terminus albeit with a turntable, is a non-starter.
This was mainly due to getting some rolling stock on the layout and realising that seven storage roads is actually not a lot!
So the new board is now an extension to the storage roads plus some space for tools and work in progress.
Makes the layout much tidier.


Extending the storage roads by two feet didn't really make a lot of sense, but adding a turntable to allow running round of trains should make operating a bit more interesting. (I also still get a turntable).
As it doesn't need to look like a UK turntable and doesn't need to be very big as I'm not running large mainline locos, I'm thinking the Atlas HO turntable may fit the bill.

It will also enable me to have a couple of storage lines off the turntable for storing additional locos, and still allow a 4' x 2' space for work in progress.
Well, that's the plan, anyway.
Ed
Posted

Inactive Member
As far as storage goes, would it be possible to incorporate some removable cassettes somewhere in your reclaimed space.???
It`s just a thought.?????
:cheers Gormo
Last edit: by spurno
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
Posted

Site staff

Problem is, still need somewhere to store the loaded cassettes.
I did consider a three road traverser type thingy as below, but I think I'd lose too much valuable work space.
(Apologies for these images, but I'm running SCARM in Wine under Ubuntu and although it works, you can't expect everything to be perfect)

I put three, 3 coach trains in the storage area yesterday which didn't leave a lot of space for trucks and my DMU is still in it's box.
Maybe we don't put enough consideration in to where all the rolling stock is going to sit when not actually on the scenic bit of the layout.
I know I didn't :oops:
Ed
Posted

Inactive Member
Point taken…..I have to go out at the moment……I`ll get back to you
:cheers Gormo
Last edit: by spurno
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
Posted

Banned
The changes are looking good and the bench space will be invaluable. As for no space for the DMU, you could always post it to me… ;-)
Cheers, Gary.
Posted

Inactive Member
Back again.
What if you had a raised bench area…..possibly 3" above your baseboard. It could have a hinged lid or be completely removable. That would allow storage under the area and be easily accessible.
I modified your drawing slightly to represent what I`m talking about. In the drawing I didn`t completely cover the area, just so the tracks could be seen as well, but the area would butt up against the wall.

I`m not sure if the extra 3" height would be too high for a comfortable work area, but it may be worth considering, because you can gain three extra storage roads with no loss of work space. You could possibly also incorporate a thickish perspex window in the lid, so you can see what`s going on underneath without lifting the lid.??
If it`s not too inconvenient to operate trains with the lid raised, you could have a single track in to the area and possibly 5 cassettes in the area, that could be shuffled around to sort your trains.
The down side obviously is clearing your work top to access the area but there must be a solution to that as well.
:cheers Gormo
Last edit: by spurno
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
Posted

Site staff

Quick question though, how far apart did you have the tracks in your fiddle yards and transverser, i.e what did you allow for track centres roughly ?
Ed
PS Gary, no chance :tongue
Posted

Inactive Member
Track centres on the traverser are 40mm exactly. The tracks have to be laid as straight as you can manage, and checking clearances all the way along the length. The margin for error is greatly reduced, however the increased storage is a bonus. I used the edge of a steel ruler to make sure my tracks were straight before I pinned them down.
I have something like 4mm clearance between coach stock, which is not much but it`s enough. So far there have been no dramas caused by the 40mm spacing.
The one thing you have to watch is the entry road. If it is a curve, and the end of the curve meets the straight traverser road, it`s possible that Mk1 coach stock will overhang on the curve and catch on the end of any parked stock in the traverser on the neighbouring track.
I added a short straight……about 3" to 4"…..onto the curve at the entry point. That allows the coaches to almost straighten up before they enter the traverser roads.
:cheers Gormo
Last edit: by spurno
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
Posted

Site staff

Thanks for this.
40mm is tight, so I assume if anything does derail, you have to move everything off the adjacent roads to get it back on track.
Good point about the short straight on a curved entry road because of coach overhang, hadn't thought of that :thumbs
The length of any type of cassette or traverser will be limited to about three feet due to available space, and in some ways I am trying to get a quart in a pint pot!
Think I'll continue to investigate what may be possible for the future and meanwhile just go ahead with the turntable, and since I'm going to need a couple of lengths of flexitrack anyway, I'll order extra now to avoid postage charges later on.
A lift off type of work table is another good idea, so I'll keep that in the 'melting pot' as well.
That's what I like about this hobby, there's always another little problem with various possible solutions

Makes it all the more interesting :)
Ed
Posted

Inactive Member
There are lots of possibilities. You`re doing the right thing to consider the options carefully and not rush in.
:cheers Gormo
Last edit: by spurno
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
https://sites.google.com/site/greatchesterfordmodelrailway/home
Posted

Full Member
I couldnt agree more………I know its a truism that all modellers collect too much stock……I am definitely conformimg:oops: and spend far too much time wondering what will go where!I put three, 3 coach trains in the storage area yesterday which didn't leave a lot of space for trucks and my DMU is still in it's box.
Maybe we don't put enough consideration in to where all the rolling stock is going to sit when not actually on the scenic bit of the layout.
I know I didn't :oops:
Ed
That looks a very useful extension you are developing:thumbs So glad you are keeping the Turntable……lots of fun
Cheers
Posted

Site staff

Finally got the DMU out of it's box and found space for it in the storage roads (sorry Gary).
Imagine my annoyance when I found the DMU and two brand new Bachmann coaches kept derailing on one of the 'orrible 'ornby points I've had to use in the storage area to save space.
I bought these as I was having problems with Peco setrack points causing derailments and for some unknown reason my stock preferred the Hornby version.
Got round it with the 'glue a shim on the side of the check rail' trick. In my case a 0.4mm bit of plastikard.

It ain't pretty, but it works.
Now I've just got to figure out why the new Hornby Railroad Class 31 keeps derailing on the two Bachmann points I've also got in the storage area.
Still, if you laid all the track and everything ran OK straight away, it would be boring

Ed
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