This is my very fist layout and I have always wanted one, so I'm very happy to share it with all of you!

Hello everyone! My name is Darius and I am new to the hobby and club. My Dad helped me build a 4 by 7 ½ ft. table and it takes up about a third of my room :thud! I got the Hornby Caledonian Belle train set for my birthday and the triple coal wagon pack plus a couple track packs and some buildings. I have also recently gotten some 5 mm. thick foam and covered the table. And just (monday) ordered all the track I need for my layout !!! I will post an update soon with some pictures of my layout.

Welcome Darius, from a very cool Adelaide.

Good to see Dad is helping you out and the layout looks a good size to start out with.

Any problems you may have feel free to ask away here as the members have so much knowledge and happy to assist.

:cheers

Hello Darius and welcome to the club. :Welcome

Terry

Hello Darius,






Welcome to the club.






Jeff

Hello Darius
Welcome, your layout is going to be about the size of Mildud, which is a model railway my wife and I started about two years ago, we are having alot of enjoyment building it. Take your time and enjoy the hobby.
Regards Colin

A warm welcome from Mackay Darius.

Thank you all for such a warm welcome!
I have just taken my pictures but could not figure out how to add more than one picture with captions… :oops: could someone please help me? Anyways, I attached a word document here and once I figure out how to add the pics normally I will re-send them so they is easier to look at.

Sorry for the inconvenience!

Hi Darius,

Unfortunately it seems that something went wrong with posting your pics… Had you uploaded them to the gallery ??

Cheers, Gary.

Whew! sorry about that i was trying to preview it but it all went wrong and I pressed the wrong button :oops: And how do I add multiple photos with captions? :hmm

Ok, to add photos..

Right above the text reply box that your reply is being typed into, is a box that reads 'Upload new photo for insertion'. Click on this and it will open another page with the heading in blue  Upload a photo for insertion in your message. Click on 'browse' and this will open your own file containing pictures, documents, downloads etc. Click on pictures and then select your preferred folder. Open your folder and then click on he individual photo you wish to add. Do one at a time. Once a picture/photo has been selected, it will go back to the YMR page where you can add a caption. The caption will only be present in the 'Gallery', not with the picture posted within your message/reply. Now hit the 'upload' botton and wait a few seconds.

This picture will now appear in the Gallery and by clicking on that picture, it will insert onto your message/reply.

 If this icon comes up, the picture selected has not been uploaded correctly.

If you have posted photos in the Gallery, you can click on the 'Insert existing photo from Gallery' box.

Hope this helps ! ;-)

Cheers, Gary.


 

Can't find the buttons on my computer… I added the pics to my gallery but I can't see the button to add it to my post…

Hi Darius,what browser are you using?,if not Firefox try downloading it.It usually cures most problems.

I saqw your pics in the attachments Darius - you've made an excellent start (or at least Mum and Dad have …………)

The station looks great and do I see a music stand in one shot ?  What do you play ?

Welcome, Darius. You've made a good start! Keep the pictures coming (once you sort out how!) - love the 'reuse' approach you've taken to your church build.

Hi Darius
Welcome to the forum and you have made a good start to the hobby young man!
You might find some stuff I have written on and off this site as useful to you, especially as I can remember being a teen … at least 40 years ago!!!
http://www.meltonmrc.org.au/about/newsletterspage.html and check out issues 20 and 22. One has an article about operating a layout while the other is an article based on the files I wrote for modelrailroader842 (who incidentally seems to have dropped off the radar as far as YMR is concerned) about growing a layout.
I have another article on which my own layout is based written over 40 years ago and it bears reading if you or anyone else would like to see it, I can send a copy of the article off list! 
Welcome again,
Regards from Australia
Trevor

Your train table is definitely not messy Darius, you should see mine.

Looks like your station platform is wood, did you make it or was it Dad quest:

Don't forget to post a picture of the church when you get the brick paper put on.


Ed

Ok thanks Alan, I will try downloading firefox (I'm using safari) :). Thanks Peter :mrgreen:! Yes, I am learning the guitar and I sing (properly). Thanks emmess, I'm recycling for two reasons the first (and most obvious one) is because it's good for the environment! Number two is because I don't have much money to buy card. Ok Trevor, thanks :) I would love to see your article (the more info the merrier!) Ok Ed I will do that, I made the platform, and now my train table is nice and clean :).

Ok, so those were just replies, Here's the actual update. I have not posted for so long because I had a lot of work to do (finishing school, the gym :pedal, and I get distracted easily…) but I was working on the layout. I finally got all the track (well like 2 more pieces) I need. I have made a load of paper buildings by myself/with Dad/with my friend some of which did not turn out very good at all… (looks like they melted). And I tried to make a hill with some play-dough but it turned out more like a pita… (It smelled, looked, and felt like it…)
  
Anyway, when I download Firefox I will try to send some pictures.

Thanks for taking your time to read this :)

-Darius

Hi All!

Time for another update! I finally decided on my final layout plan and cut out all the cork I needed (I barely had enough!) Then I laid down all the track with the cork underneath and pinned it all down! Now I just need to ballast it… Thats my next concern, because it would be permanent i want it to be perfect. Does anyone have any advice on ballasting? And also any methods of removing ballast in case I'm not pleased with it?

Thanks-Darius :)

Hi Darius,i've seen a few ways to ballast but the one that i chose to use was to lay the ballast which i did with a ballast spreader and tamped down with your finger between the rails.Tidy up as required and spray the ballast with water.Mix a 50/50 solution of PVA/water with a couple of drops of washing up liquid,this breaks the surface tension of the water and aids capillary action.Use a dropper and drip the solution over the pre wetted ballast and leave it alone.Any ballast that runs can be cleaned up later.
Hope this helps.

The only advice regarding ballasting your track is to go at it slowly. If you rush it, you will not get a great job. Personally, I would opt for N gauge ballast, as the OO gauge ballast looks very much over-sized.

Rule No. 1.

Practice the following method on a spare piece of track on a piece of timber/board to see which works best for you. Remember, practice several times first before committing to the layout. Go slowly as 'patience' is the key.

This is the preferred way to go about ballasting.

1. Spread the ballast over the track and using a soft brush, sweep it in between the sleepers, until level with the tops of the sleepers and sweep between the sleeper ends, allowing for enough for the shoulders of the cork. Mix one part PVA and one part water with a drop of washing up detergent. Use this solution in an eye dropper and squeeze gently onto ballast. To make this soak into the prepared ballast, spray some water over the top of the track using an atomiser, prior to applying PVA/water mix.

2. To help make removal easy, I would recommend laying 'grease proof paper' between the cork and the baseboard. This way the ballast will only be glued to the paper/cork and track and not the baseboard. By using warm water, the PVA/ballast can be softened and removed quite easily. Hopefully you will not have to lift the track to re-ballast.

And again, this is probably a little too late for you…

Hopefully these methods will help you out. I can only stress that 'Practise Makes Perfect'.

Here are a few links to ballasting..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGgT0zQg1s4     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvPPkjlPXb4

Cheers, Gary.