Hi, looking to have a canal on my layout, I'm prepared to scratchbuild but does anyone know if there are 'pre made' canals in OO scale?

             Mike

I have never heard of such a thing Mike but they are easy enough to make for yourself with a bit of time and effort. Plenty of help here if you want to have a go.

Open to any ideas Bob, I have some idea but I'd be interested to hear what others have to say.

           Mike

Hornby skaledale do a canal system

cheers Brian.W

So they do Brian but look at the daft prices they charge for something that costs pennies to make, depending on the materials to hand, and you would finish up with a far superior product. There is the time involved of course. It's £7.25 for about 6" of pretty poor canal, see a photograph here:
http://www.hornby.com/layout-building-86/r8648/product.html

Just looked at Hornby, looks just the thing, two questions, it IS oo isn't it? and when put together any ideas as to hide the join? Maybe filer or resin?

     Mike

Just answere my own question about the scale, however still would like to hear ideas on hiding the join, if anyone has used this system be great to hear from you.

            Mike.

There have been a couple of articles in Model Rail:

November 2007

Chris Leigh offers an alternative solution to liquid water products - Hornby’s modular canal system.

October 2006

Review of Skaledale modular canal system from Hornby.

I am in the office and am going straight out from the office to Dinner in St Ives this evening. I have a booked day out tomorrow. I will look up both articles for you to see if there is anything relevant.

BLG

Bryan, thats very good of you, thank you. I like the look of the Hornby canal, so I hope I can overcome the 'join' thing.

                Mike.

Forgive me sticking in my oar ( :roll: ) but depending on the length you need that's one expensive canal :?

I agree Tim, probably looking at about six foot in length, I might have to take out a second loan!!

                     Mike

Just had another look, can't seem to find the length, thats always wirrying! The other way I was thinling of was to use a cut piece of hardboard, shiny side up, painted the usual dirty water colour, and braced either side by hardwood, this then covered in the appropriate brick card.
I do like the locks though, perhaps I could combine the two?
 
               Mike

Bryan said

I am in the office and am going straight out from the office to Dinner in St Ives this evening.
BLG

Just out of curiosity, don't suppose you're going to the Western Hotel which hosts the St.Ives Jazz Club every week? It's one of the best venues in the UK and I play there quite regularly.
Ken

Ken

Sorry not this time.  I am going to the Garrick.  http://www.garrack.com/

Let me know next time you are playing at The Western and the wife and I will come along.  Tuesdays are a good night for us to do something together.  Hence dinner tonight.

or, better still, as well, you can pop in for coffee on the way down. My offices are only a few miles short of St Ives just off the A30.

Perhaps Brian will join us (henryparrot).

BLG

heavytrack
with the money you will spend on the hornby canal you could buy a full size boat and have a trip down a real canal :D

lots of info about on canals, i have not done one yet i have read that you paint the colour you need first, then cover with lots of varnish. i have also read that boat varnish is better. have a look for rectors pond 8)  and also the boss has done some water. you can also usw pva to add depth and ripples. rather than coff up silly mony why not try a small section and see how it looks. start a thread in the scenery section and we can all see how you get on.

Matt, I might even be able to retire!! I think the way forward is scratchbuild, I'm quite capable, I was just looking for an easy option. Balsa, hardboard, paint and varnish, here I come.

          Mike

Do that Heavytrack - and send me the money you save !!!    

Petermac

Mike, as an idea, look at the current discussion about the next members joint project, which will replace the current one on weathering.
Perhaps a good test of making a canal could be a diorama / test piece made for this project :?:

As far as bits and pieces to help with the building of it, lock gates etc. etc.
have a look at the offerings of Langley Models. Atrawl through the kits they offer brings up lots of canal items. Here's the link to their site:-
 Langley Models Website

Mike

I have checked Chris Leigh's article he advocated layers of PVA glue between the joins.  Leveling the top surface flat with the surrounding water level.

Sorry, the pictures in my opinion still show the join perhaps a bit less noticeable.

IMHO it is only a usable solution for joining a couple of sections together.  

If you have a long run (cut) it would not work because the joins between sections will be at a uniform distance along the cut. A couple of joins you could mask with a boat/barge/butty or other canalside feature.

I would have a go at scratch building the canal cut.  It might be worth looking at the Hornby range for suitable canal buildings and features though.

BLG

Thanks everyone, great info, I got the wood today, for the canal itself, now for the paint, and the mess!

          Mike.