'OO' Guage Shed Layout
Discussion
Inspired by other model railway threads on here I thought I'd start one detailing the building of my layout. Be warned, It is very, very much a work in progress!
A while back my old model rail stuff from when I was younger was retrieved from my parents loft and brought home much to the disgust of my other half who declared that she didn't really fancy me building a layout on the dining room table and the spare room was apparently for guests so the box of bits were banished to the shed.
About that time I'd acquired an IKEA wardrobe from a friend which I was planning to use for storage in my shed however I didn't realise it was 8ft tall and definitely wouldn't fit.
It wasn't long before I figured out what to do with the wardrobe sections!
Originally I planned to make an 'L' shaped layout running along the back and left hand walls of the shed (12ft x 8ft ish) forming a fiddle yard and terminus station. After watching videos on YouTube with trains running at speed past each other I decided that a round and round layout was what I wanted even though that meant creating a section that could be removed / lifted to gain access.
2016-06-04 14.38.20 by Ian, on Flickr
2016-06-12 18.01.12 by Ian, on Flickr
2016-06-12 18.01.09 by Ian, on Flickr
As you can see, I couldn't resist laying a bit of track down and running something
2016-06-14 20.58.27 by Ian, on Flickr
The piece over the door was the last bit of baseboard to be completed.
2016-09-27 16.56.22 by Ian, on Flickr
After doing some test running it was obvious my existing 30 year plus old track was past its best so a trip last weekend to a local model railway specialist saw me returning with shiny things
New track. by Ian, on Flickr
A mixture of Peco flexible track for the straight(ish) bits and Hornby 3rd and 4th radius curves for the bends
Finally last night I was able to complete the fold-up section over the door so hopefully I can start getting track semi-fixed down this evening so I can at least run some trains around until I figure out the plan for the layout.
2016-10-25 18.39.53 by Ian, on Flickr
A while back my old model rail stuff from when I was younger was retrieved from my parents loft and brought home much to the disgust of my other half who declared that she didn't really fancy me building a layout on the dining room table and the spare room was apparently for guests so the box of bits were banished to the shed.
About that time I'd acquired an IKEA wardrobe from a friend which I was planning to use for storage in my shed however I didn't realise it was 8ft tall and definitely wouldn't fit.
It wasn't long before I figured out what to do with the wardrobe sections!
Originally I planned to make an 'L' shaped layout running along the back and left hand walls of the shed (12ft x 8ft ish) forming a fiddle yard and terminus station. After watching videos on YouTube with trains running at speed past each other I decided that a round and round layout was what I wanted even though that meant creating a section that could be removed / lifted to gain access.
2016-06-04 14.38.20 by Ian, on Flickr
2016-06-12 18.01.12 by Ian, on Flickr
2016-06-12 18.01.09 by Ian, on Flickr
As you can see, I couldn't resist laying a bit of track down and running something
2016-06-14 20.58.27 by Ian, on Flickr
The piece over the door was the last bit of baseboard to be completed.
2016-09-27 16.56.22 by Ian, on Flickr
After doing some test running it was obvious my existing 30 year plus old track was past its best so a trip last weekend to a local model railway specialist saw me returning with shiny things
New track. by Ian, on Flickr
A mixture of Peco flexible track for the straight(ish) bits and Hornby 3rd and 4th radius curves for the bends
Finally last night I was able to complete the fold-up section over the door so hopefully I can start getting track semi-fixed down this evening so I can at least run some trains around until I figure out the plan for the layout.
2016-10-25 18.39.53 by Ian, on Flickr
Spent an hour or so yesterday evening making a start on laying the track. It's not fixed down permenently at this stage due to the fact I may wish to change things as I go along.
I started with the lifting section over the door which involved laying the track then using a dremel and cutting disk to slice through the rails at the board joints. This went as well as I'd hoped so layed a few more flexible sections of track then called it a night.
Just need to get the electrics over the joints of the lifting section sorted now.
Untitled by Ian, on Flickr
Untitled by Ian, on Flickr
I started with the lifting section over the door which involved laying the track then using a dremel and cutting disk to slice through the rails at the board joints. This went as well as I'd hoped so layed a few more flexible sections of track then called it a night.
Just need to get the electrics over the joints of the lifting section sorted now.
Untitled by Ian, on Flickr
Untitled by Ian, on Flickr
My first priority is to get the track finished in a complete double loop so I can get playing with trains. The next step will be to add the sidings, stations and other bits.
I've really not figured out where it will end up yet and I'm learning lots very quickly.
I do know one thing that I found out today, I can't solder for toffee!
I've really not figured out where it will end up yet and I'm learning lots very quickly.
I do know one thing that I found out today, I can't solder for toffee!
I've been doing a lot of thinking about the layout over the last few days as well as watching YouTube videos.
I think I've come up with something that may work for me.
This is a rough idea and obviously it isn't to scale and doesn't show any pointwork, etc.
Rough Plan by Ian, on Flickr
I've had the idea below for the layout of the main station. If it doesn't fit in the length I've got to play with then I can move the right hand points around the curve at the east end of the station.
Station by Ian, on Flickr
I think I've come up with something that may work for me.
This is a rough idea and obviously it isn't to scale and doesn't show any pointwork, etc.
Rough Plan by Ian, on Flickr
I've had the idea below for the layout of the main station. If it doesn't fit in the length I've got to play with then I can move the right hand points around the curve at the east end of the station.
Station by Ian, on Flickr
No further progress on the layout yet and to be honest I'm a bit disillusioned what with lack of funds for track and a complete lack of ideas about what the track plan will actually be. Think I'll go back to just doing a double oval,stick a station on the longest edge and see how it goes from there.
At least I've got heat in the shed now
At least I've got heat in the shed now
I think my problem is that I keep looking at videos of layouts online where they've taken up most of the loft therefore enabling the running of long trains and lots of areas where I just have a 12ft x 8ft shed with 2ft of boards around the edges.
I like the idea of a terminus station but then how do I get the trains to run around the tracks the correct way...
I think what got me down the most is the amount of space needed for pointwork to make the track 'interesting'. Whatever I tried I just couldn't get it to fit.
I like the idea of a terminus station but then how do I get the trains to run around the tracks the correct way...
I think what got me down the most is the amount of space needed for pointwork to make the track 'interesting'. Whatever I tried I just couldn't get it to fit.
Edited by spitfire-ian on Thursday 1st December 12:48
I'm thinking now that maybe having 2 terminusses
termminises termini at apposing corners of the shed with pointwork to bring the trains off of the main tracks meaning I can run trains round continuously until such time I want them to stop at whatever terminus might be the way to do it
It's been a few months since my "oh what the hell do I do" meltdown and I decided to go back to basics and just lay a twin track oval and take things from there as I was definitely trying to make things far too complicated.
Progress has been slow but at the weekend I managed to run trains on both tracks.
I apologise for the screechy Western in the first video, it'll be getting a service shortly! I've also sorted out the slight jump in the tracks as the outside line crossed the lifting section.
https://youtu.be/Ljh_xeo6RxI
https://youtu.be/qYoTvUX9mWk
Shed still isn't any tidier though!
Progress has been slow but at the weekend I managed to run trains on both tracks.
I apologise for the screechy Western in the first video, it'll be getting a service shortly! I've also sorted out the slight jump in the tracks as the outside line crossed the lifting section.
https://youtu.be/Ljh_xeo6RxI
https://youtu.be/qYoTvUX9mWk
Shed still isn't any tidier though!
Thanks.
I joined a model rail forum for some inspiration and the first questions I was asked were "What era?" and "What region?" and while that's fine the stock I have from when I was younger pretty much rules out one region or era
Obviously it is still early days but I think my mind has changed from lots of track to lots of other stuff instead.
Whilst lots of points and crossovers look impressive I just don't really have the space to do it justice so will probably just have a through station with a little goods yard attached for some interest. Even thinking now about making a small fiddle-yard so I can just have a selection of trains ready to run.
Gave the Western a bit of a service at lunchtime and it now runs much much quieter
I joined a model rail forum for some inspiration and the first questions I was asked were "What era?" and "What region?" and while that's fine the stock I have from when I was younger pretty much rules out one region or era
Obviously it is still early days but I think my mind has changed from lots of track to lots of other stuff instead.
Whilst lots of points and crossovers look impressive I just don't really have the space to do it justice so will probably just have a through station with a little goods yard attached for some interest. Even thinking now about making a small fiddle-yard so I can just have a selection of trains ready to run.
Gave the Western a bit of a service at lunchtime and it now runs much much quieter
RacingPete said:
Ha, mine makes exactly that noise too - doesn't happen to be a Western Centurion circa 1980s by Hornby is it? I did give it a mini-service and didn't do much for the noise so was going to buy a new motor - not sure which motor it is as not researched it at all. What did you do to service it?
Mine is also Hornby but Western Courier from the early 80's. I took the brass plate off which keeps the gears on the motor and cleaned everything with alcohol wipes then lubricated all the shafts and the bits the gears sit on. I seem to recall reading somewhere that it was the motor bearing on the other side which caused the screech so made sure that was lubricated too (the other side of the motor to the metal gear).
Just to prove it worked
https://youtu.be/ZCTC_kPt9AMEdited by spitfire-ian on Tuesday 7th March 20:10
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