A new loft layout

[Shakey]

Ok
For a couple of years now I have had a railway curcuit up in the loft for my son - who for reasons many hasnt really played with it. Last month I picked up a copy of railway modeller and decided to "Have a go" so here are my efforts recorded for better or worse on digital images for all to judge! I am beginning with an ambitious siding project based loosly on a layout found in the November 2005 issuse of British Railway Modelling

The layout is Maindee East which is why I was asking in another thread about the coaling stage kits available.

Photos to follow when the battery is charged on the vidi camera

http://www.thecoalingstage.co.uk will be a documented website

[Pete]

Hi

Are we talking Maindee east Cardiff?
I have a cracking book with loads of coal yard/coaling platform pictures

'Modelling Aspects of the Coal Industry', Rob Johnson, Book Law Publications 2003, ISBN 1 899624 43 0.

It cost about £20.00, and although appearing quite slim, is packed to the brim with photographs of everything to do with coal and railways, from mining to exporting, most of the pictures are from S.Wales.

I could possibly copy some pics for you, if I have any of use, let me know what your after.

Pete

[Shakey]

Ok
here are the first pictures of the engine sidings against the far wall with space left for either coal stathes against the wall or ambitiously building a raised level and a coaling stage

suggestions for raising the level would be appretiated I have thought of using the woodland scenics risers.

as this project is on a semi shoestring budget I am using non slip mat instead of foam underlay seems to work and is only £ 2.99 /metre from dunelm mill

I bought 2 metres and will have lots left over - bit fiddly cutting points and curves out but worth the effort in money savings



PLENTY OF SPACE FOR EXPANSION



THE FIRST TRACK IS LAID



FIRST POINT MOTOR GOES IN



IN DISGUISE



Another money saving exercise I have adopted is to buy 6 core alarm wire (£2.98 / 10M from B&Q) strip the wire out and twist 3 stands together tape at regular intervals and hey presto 20M for the price of 10

[saslord]

shakey for wire I use this which I also sell

http://www.newmodellersshop.co.uk/Elect ... s.htm#wire

its 100m for £5

and for joining wires I use terminal blocks. They are great for joining point motors to the main long wires.

[Ironduke]

Hi shakey
Are the Woodland Scenics risers you refer to made of styrofoam with a sort of zig-zag cut in to allow them to go round corners? It is very good as far as making gradients super easy, I used it on my last layout, but it does present some difficulties when it comes to laying flexible track because it (the track) can't really be pinned or nailed down while the glue dries. I ended up using double sided tape, which works ok but is VERY unforgiving. I am unfamiliar with the non slip mat of which you speak but it sounds very similar to what I used which was rubber, up until I discovered AMI Instant Roadbed (http://www.ami-roadbed.com) which is fantastic but totally incompatible with styrofoam risers, which are too soft.
So my next layout will use MDF as trackbed, basically I'll be cutting it out of the baseboard top and putting wood block risers underneath where required.
A large sheet of MDF (which I would need anyway) and an electric jig saw will be much cheaper than the styrofoam trackbed I'll need, too!

[grippets]

Just agreeing with saslord, I purchased some of that wire (red and black) last week and i really recommend it. cheapest i've seen anywhere, i also do exactly the same for joining wires.

[Shakey]

Thanks for all your tips it seems that this is the right forum to use for advice.
Now that the basic loco sidings are down the next thing is to make each individual siding live but switchable on and off





Power enters layout at point PS1 I need each line to be live (except 5 ) on a switch
I will solder power leads to the track ends thus saving on power clips

The switches are normal on/off toggle switches with 3 terminals underneath

I am thinking of taking power straight from the controller as opposed to taking power from point PS 1

is this the right way or does any one have any better suggestions

Line 6 will eventually become a link to a branch line and coal mine/ supply station.so I will probably give it a dedicated controller at some point

[Shakey]

Hi all

Hope you all remembered to wind your clocks back otherwise you will be going to the pub and it won't be open


Got my metcalfe model coaling stage yesterday

cost £6.75

Items needed for construction from hobbycraft were as follows

6" steel ruler £1.99
Hobby Knife with spare blades £2.99
A4 Cutting Mat £3.49
12 Felt pens £1.99
Bostik glue £2.25


Time taken to build was approx 3 hours







The Stairs were very fiddly but no one was more surprised than me to find that they fit near perfect




I am very impressed and am about to embark on the construction of the goods shed The detail on these models outstripps any plastic model

[Puff the magic dragon]

Looks great shakey, why do you need the cutting mat?

[Shakey]

To save the wifes dining table therefore saving my ear from a bashing therefore enabling me to spend more on railways and beer and less on new dining tables

And because the card needs cutting out of the sheets to make a more neat job rather than just pressing them out

[Puff the magic dragon]

Good point well made I've got a little 4x2 desk made out of MDF in the loft so I'm not bothered about damaging it. I've just thought, as you cut the card with the craft knife it would be possible that the knife may follow a previous gouge in the MDF and take it off it's line. Would the cutting mat prevent this?

[Shakey]

Yes most definatly its 3 and a half quid well spent all round

they do bigger ones as well

[Puff the magic dragon]

Thanks Shakey

[Honeywell]

As an added safeguard, the steel rule may help with cutting guidance..

I'm assuming that's what you have it for Shakey? Or have I forgotten something about making card kits.. it's been at least 14 years since I did one..

[Shakey]

To be honest I got the steel ruler because it says you need one in the destructions
It has however proved invaluable for , as you say honeywell, safegaurding other parts of the model and more importantly MY FINGERS

I found that the measureing bit in a bit more accurate than my sons school ruler which has teeth marks at both ends. Stange that because we used to use rulers as projectile launchers ie. paper pellet firers