Second time round

[GaryB]

Hi folks, I originally joined here in 2005 as I was starting to build a loft-layout in OO. At the time my daughter was only a few months old, I was in the middle of restoring an old American car, work, lack of time/money etc, etc meant that the layout never really progressed and I sold off all of my rolling stock. Back then I was using Hornby "set track" as it was what I remembered/understood from my childhood. Although it was easier, it looked very "train-set" with long arrow-straight sections suddenly becoming tight curves.

Fast forward a few years, the car was finished (and another done after it), my daughter is 15 this year and things are more settled financially so I decided to re-start my loft layout. The overall size is approximately 20 feet x 8 feet, the loft has restricted head room just under six feet) but it is of an older construction without the modern pre-fab trusses to get in the way. I have taken up all of the old set-track and relaying it with a new design similar to one I saw in a magazine, this time using Peco Streamline Code 100.

Expect several questions and I'll add some photos as & when I can.

[Bufferstop]

Welcome back, did you remember your password, or did you have to use the lost password bot?

[Ex-Pat]

Another "welcome back".

I always like to see a switch of adventure into flexi track, and I'm sure you won't regret it. With that size space available you have great scope to use it to its full advantage in terms of avoiding "long arrow-straight sections suddenly becoming tight curves".

I would also recommend using Electrofrog points.

[Dublo]

Welcome back Gary
I hope you enjoy your return back into this wonderful hobby. Looking forward to seeing how your layout progresses.

[luckymucklebackit]

Hi Gary - welcome back. Don't worry about the headroom, just get used to working on your knees, my layout i built in a modern loft that is barely 5ft high in the centre and I has not stopped me. Good decision to go with streamline - best of luck with your project!

Jim

[Mountain]

Welcome. It seems an exciting project. (The layout). My brother once had two American cars. A straight six 1980's Mustang 3.8 and a late '60'sto very early '70's Cadalac Fleetwood with a 7.5 letre engine and air suspension. (Get out the car and it still bounces up and down!) The car was massive and would clip both the inside and the outside of curves on our local country roads. I had an Audi 90 at the time and also a Volvo 740 which looked tiny in comparison. The Ford Mustang was smaller then the Volvo 740 being slightly narrower and about a foot shorter. It almost looked like a Volvo 740 saloon with a Ford Sierra front end. An interesting car.

[GaryB]

Welcome back, did you remember your password, or did you have to use the lost password bot?

I had to use the "lost password" function, fortunately I still had the email account I originally joined with!

I have since discovered the benefit of "Tracksetta" radius gauges which help enormously when laying flexi-track, they aren't cheap but I keep my eye on EBay and buy them second hand when they appear, I use a 1 metre steel rule to get the straight sections true. I also got around the lack of headroom in the loft by using a computer/office chair when possible, I just scoot around on that instead of standing up. I found a video on You Tube of a guy that built a layout beneath his bungalow, that only had a 4 feet airspace beneath it, so with six feet of head room I should consider myself spolied.

[GaryB]

Welcome. It seems an exciting project. (The layout). My brother once had two American cars. A straight six 1980's Mustang 3.8 and a late '60'sto very early '70's Cadalac Fleetwood with a 7.5 letre engine and air suspension. (Get out the car and it still bounces up and down!) The car was massive and would clip both the inside and the outside of curves on our local country roads. I had an Audi 90 at the time and also a Volvo 740 which looked tiny in comparison. The Ford Mustang was smaller then the Volvo 740 being slightly narrower and about a foot shorter. It almost looked like a Volvo 740 saloon with a Ford Sierra front end. An interesting car.

The shear size can be a problem, fortunately I have a large garage! My previous car was a 1960 Chevrolet Impala (the black & white one below) which was like trying to drive an oil tanker, I now a 1957 Ford Ranchero (the blue & white one below) which is slightly shorter, but still huge. I still enjoy restoring old cars, but the appeal of a cold garage floor in winter is dwindling so I intend to focus on model railways alongside the cars, especially when its cold.

[Mountain]

My brother tried to sell his as spares or repair as he didn't have time to fix them and while the Ford sold quick, the Cadalac struggled. He had a Cadalac owner who wanted spares for his who wouldn't touch it as he said it was far too good condition for spares. After about a year of trying to sell it with no offers coming a scrap dealer bought it as a project. (For the scrap dealer it was a case of if it was good he would do it up and sell it on or even keep it for himself, or in the worst case he would sell it as parts etc.
It was a bit of a difficult as at the time, the only place to keep it was partly blocking access to the barn. I don't think my brother lost out as I believe he was given it by a wealthy elderly gent who had an immaculate Rolls Royce and who was rarely in Britain. (His Rolls had travelled the world many times but had hardly any milage on the clock as it was via various shipping companies following him from country to country. It was funny when I was told it had done a few million miles yet the clock didn't show much ).

[glencairn]

Welcome back on board, Gary.

Glencairn