A small 00 Branch Line

I've used a 30mm layer of XPS foam on top of the 6mm plywood top on my 5' x 2' 6" baseboard, with a 3mm layer of cork on top of that, so that I can sculpt out some scenery and avoid a totally flat baseboard.

I know some people use it as the main part of the baseboard and frame it with plywood or something similar.

XPS foam is expensive and the sheets I eventually got from Amazon are no longer available.

I'm afraid It's really a case of shop around.


Ed

Some good news! The base boards have arrived and are sitting in the garage.  All being well I will unpack them and set them up over the weekend.  They are going into one of the attic bedrooms:

Hi Bob

I have just started reading - apologies - and note the options on scale.  If shunting is to be the end goal, why not think about 7mm?  Rob Gravett's O gauge Arun Quay (If I've got the wrong builder, I am truly sorry) is 6ft of shunting delight with beautiful scenics and plenty of realsim.  Well worth a look.  7mm gives you a much more intimate feel for a shunting layout I think - something I ahve always promised myself but never got round to.  These days, decent 7mm is about the same price as over-priced 4mm - but you need less of it!!

Regards

Barry

Barry Miltenburg said

Hi Bob

I have just started reading - apologies - and note the options on scale.  If shunting is to be the end goal, why not think about 7mm?  Rob Gravett's O gauge Arun Quay (If I've got the wrong builder, I am truly sorry) is 6ft of shunting delight with beautiful scenics and plenty of realsim.  Well worth a look.  7mm gives you a much more intimate feel for a shunting layout I think - something I ahve always promised myself but never got round to.  These days, decent 7mm is about the same price as over-priced 4mm - but you need less of it!!

Regards

Barry

From “Post #289,690”, 18th February 2024, 10:18 PM

Thanks Barry, an interesting idea.  I had not considered 7mm.  Will give it some thought.

A Blank Canvas

The baseboard has been assembled and set up in the spare room.  It fits well, with plenty of room to move around the sides:


I am playing around with some track to see what might work.  This is TT120, using 4th radius curves on an 8 x 4 board:


The advantages over 00 scale are evident from this picture, although I have not given up on an 00 layout.  More pondering.

  Rob Gravett's O gauge Arun Quay

Ooops - its Gordon Gravett.  Sorry Gordon  

Barry Miltenburg said

  Rob Gravett's O gauge Arun Quay

Ooops - its Gordon Gravett.  Sorry Gordon  

From “Post #289,703”, 19th February 2024, 4:43 PM

I took a look; stunning little layout.  The coupling system looks very interesting and effective.

Hi Bob, good to see the Mojo slowly returning 😀 
talking 7mm, have you considered narrow gauge  ?  I'm cobbling together a small O.16.5  industrial - scenic  plank/ test track above my workbench. It doubles up as a rolling road/ test track for my OO stuff as well. It depends  how 'Hands on' you want to get though as there isn't a HUGE amount of RTR  out there but you can quite easily build small industrial shunters by adapting OO chassis and doner bodies or even build resin kits as I've started doing. The thing with it is, you get the decent size of O gauge, but on 16.5 track. You could do a front of house rural / industrial scene and a run round behind. It also means you can use anything accessory wise thats available  in 7mm 

Looking forward to seeing what route  you go down

Cheers

Matt

Barchester said

Hi Bob, good to see the Mojo slowly returning 😀 
talking 7mm, have you considered narrow gauge  ?  I'm cobbling together a small O.16.5  industrial - scenic  plank/ test track above my workbench. It doubles up as a rolling road/ test track for my OO stuff as well. It depends  how 'Hands on' you want to get though as there isn't a HUGE amount of RTR  out there but you can quite easily build small industrial shunters by adapting OO chassis and doner bodies or even build resin kits as I've started doing. The thing with it is, you get the decent size of O gauge, but on 16.5 track. You could do a front of house rural / industrial scene and a run round behind. It also means you can use anything accessory wise thats available  in 7mm 

Looking forward to seeing what route  you go down

Cheers

Matt

From “Post #289,709”, 20th February 2024, 8:51 AM

Thanks Matt, the larger scale is very tempting.  However, I seem to have my heart set on a GWR branchline through station.  I still cannot decide on whether to stay with 00 or move towards TT120.  I am being influenced by the old Witney to Fairford line, although I have yet to fix a location.  All that said, I can see the modelling advantages of 16.5 scale or straight forward O Gauge.

The Hornby TT120 5700 pannier is due in Phase 4, problem is they haven't said when Phase 4 is likely to happen.


Ed

Ed said

The Hornby TT120 5700 pannier is due in Phase 4, problem is they haven't said when Phase 4 is likely to happen.


Ed

From “Post #289,711”, 20th February 2024, 10:25 AM

Yes, with their previous track record phase 4 is likely to drift to the right somewhat too.  I may buy a little 08 shunter as a test bed vehicle as an interim measure just to get something on the track and to test uncoupling systems.  Can't really see an A1 or A4 shunting on a branchline!

Nice looking baseboards Bob - White Rose or someone else ?

Very nice set-up you've got for yourself Matt .....................

Petermac said

Nice looking baseboards Bob - White Rose or someone else ?

Very nice set-up you've got for yourself Matt .....................

From “Post #289,713”, 20th February 2024, 12:06 PM

Hi Peter,

I purchased them from a company in Ireland - Model Rail Baseboards.  Very efficient and pleasant to deal with.

Looking for Inspiration

For some months I have been reading books and consulting the internet for that perfect track plan.  A few days ago I stumbled upon Eynsham, a small branch line station on the Oxford, Witney Fairford line. It looks like it was designed for the railway modeller who is using sectional track and has most of the branch line features:



My station will be called Blossom Hill, but will be heavily based upon the features of Eynsham.  I will almost certainly be working in TT120 and I think I will set the period to around 1950 as this will assist me with the current shortage of TT120 rolling stock and locomotives.

Just wondering why they built an additional passing loop between the ground frame and the cattle dock/goods shed.



Ed

Ed said

Just wondering why they built an additional passing loop between the ground frame and the cattle dock/goods shed.



Ed

From “Post #289,717”, 21st February 2024, 9:53 AM

There is nothing in the blurb regarding why it is laid out that way, just described as the goods loop.  Its a real bonus for a railway modeller though!

That, or rather similar track plans to that, must have been very popular Bob and one can see why.  It does everything one would need for a country through station.

I grew up just outside Stamford Bridge near York and, move the intermediate goods loops Ed mentioned to the south of the platform leaving the single track and goods shed in situ, move the signal box to the south east side of the level crossing, double the running lines outside the station area and you have exactly the same track plan.

Are you happy with the TT120 track - is it fairly robust ?

Ed said

Just wondering why they built an additional passing loop between the ground frame and the cattle dock/goods shed.



Ed

From “Post #289,717”, 21st February 2024, 9:53 AM

Hi Ed, further to my last response, I had a better look at the station history. It seems that the southern platform and the passing loop were added during WW2 (not sure why, possibly to support locla US airbases?).  The original passing loop was next to the goods shed and I am guessing the second loop was added as a goods loop. Here is a map of the station in 1914:

Doesn't seem to be a goods shed in 1914, so maybe they added the extra loop when the shed was built.

According to Wikipedia the loop and second platform where for extra traffic in preparation for the Normandy landings,.

Eynsham railway station - Wikipedia



Ed

Ed said

Doesn't seem to be a goods shed in 1914, so maybe they added the extra loop when the shed was built.

According to Wikipedia the loop and second platform where for extra traffic in preparation for the Normandy landings,.

Eynsham railway station - Wikipedia



Ed

From “Post #289,738”, 22nd February 2024, 12:14 PM

Ed said

Doesn't seem to be a goods shed in 1914, so maybe they added the extra loop when the shed was built.

According to Wikipedia the loop and second platform where for extra traffic in preparation for the Normandy landings,.

Eynsham railway station - Wikipedia



Ed

From “Post #289,738”, 22nd February 2024, 12:14 PM

I think the goods shed is the large building on the far left at the end of the main platform.  The station building is the smaller, solid black building over to the right (east).

The Normandy landings would make sense.  It seems that the WW2 platform was moved to Didcot when the station was demolished.

Bob