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Edit by Admin. This thread was started by Jamest, when he started construction of the layout. He has now sold it to OliverSR. So that the new owner can control the title line the authorship of the first post has been changed to OliverSR

Hi all,

I was not going to show this one online but, as usual, what started as a quick project has grown into something else!

Background - I am currently selling one of my OO layouts, Braybridge, and thinking about new projects, possibly in O gauge. To generate some more cash I thought I could combine some of my excess 'inventory' (or crap depending on your viewpoint) and sell that on too. I have some track and a large radius point in N left over from my earlier attempt in the scale for my Son's Christmas pressie. I also have some spare ply and softwood so I thought I could knock something up for someone to buy and continue.

I went with a previous arrangement of a back-scene down the middle of a 3' x 2' board with end caps of ply making a 'I' profile. This enables me to stand the layout on its end to help with storage. I was going to have a loop and a siding but decided to invest in a £3 second hand point and introduce a loop so that two trains can be managed with one controller in DC. I've also added feeds to the loops if DDC is required and all the track needs to be live.

So here is the basic structure:













So I have primed the wood, laid the track directly on the ply, sprayed with sleeper grime on the scenic side (curved point) and ballasted. The plan was not to go much further than this and let whoever wanted it do the rest........but

I sold all my N gauge rolling stock I had previously last year. Although I tested the wiring integrity with my trusty light-blub and crocodile clips, I thought I needed a train to test it - after all I could always sell it with the layout....right? So I bought a Dapol class 153 in northern livery second hand from my local shop for £45. Its a lovely model, DDC ready, with working lights, and a lovely level of detail (in my pretty uniformed opinion).

And fatally I started Playing.....I mean testing.....the loops.

Now I'm bitten by N again and I'm going to complete the layout, and......maybe....sell it! I've got some ideas for finishing the scenic side and I think I'll shelve the O gauge plans for now

I'm a little disappointed I sold my N gauge stock now - note to self - I must keep things longer before deciding what to do with them!

I have moved on a little further but to avoid a mammouth post I'll update this further in a few days.

All the best,
James

It looks like a good, sturdy structure and the ballasting looks really good. Have you any ideas for scenery or themes if you decide to go that far with it?

Hi,

There is a clue in the first picture as you can see my supports in place for the higher level on the left.

I want to put a road along the back with a low relief high street against the backscene. It will be wider over the double track side with a platform protruding suggesting a subterranean station below the road. The other side will have a concrete road over-bridge. I will then fill down from the road to the track with some greenery/wasteland. The front corners will also have embankments making the track the only thing visible at baseboard level.

It will be an shameless 'roundy' with only a little disguise!

Theme will be BR blue on - but I will need to make a decision before I do the shop fronts and 'date' it.

Cheers,
James

Looks like an interesting project - another modeller bitten by the N bug - it feels the popularity of this gauge is on the increase (if this forum is anything to go by!). Your woodwork, and it's design, look particularly good. So, will both sides be scenic? Intrigued by mention of upper level . . .

MORE in N! Great potential given your previous layouts - and having stuff go round and round is I find quite mesmerising!

What's the ballast? Looks a reasonable "size".

Progress eagerly awaited....

Hi,

Thanks guys - yes N with the trains running by is getting hold of me. And everyone seems to be doing it!

The ballast is woodland scenics fine grey - I use it for OO too!

I will update with some pictures of the upper level later tonight - I've got to put up with work for now.

Cheers,
James

Hi all,

Here is the promised picture update.

I placed a piece of 6mm mdf on the supports - profiled for the bridge base on the right and the station area on the left. Before fixing it with pva I primed it top and bottom with grey wick's primer:







To answer a previous question - only this side will be scenic - so I want to switch the hidden point from the front - cheaply. I got a 'rod' from my kids old tent that we were chucking out and used some solid core wire from some old electrical cable (the same stuff I used on Bratton Lane). I still have to do the same job on the front point but I wanted to sort this one before I got too far with construction. The wire has the added bonus that it is strong and stiff without being too stiff - it will absorb the force from any enthusiastic point changes. The front one will not need the wire to be on the surface as I cleared a hole underneath the tie bar hole:







Not one penny spent on the whole mechanism - result! I think you can judge the clearance of the train by its position viewed from the front of the layout ok - and yes - I've tested it!

Next update will be on the scenic development of the road, pavement and bridges - all scalescenes downloads.

Cheers,
James

I love the cheap point motor. I will be using something similar for my layout.

Hi again,

Thanks - its a cheap 'mandronic' point motor!

Right - further update on the 'bridges'.

I like to use scalescenes papers but the road needs to knik a bit - I know some have the ability to muck about with pdfs on the computer but I need to rely on the manual method of cutting slight angles and using the 'polygon approach'.



I decided to have the right hand bridge off the back-scene to add a little depth. I will see how the undergrowth hides the entry point but another option might be a pedestrian bridge in parallel to the road bridge. Here is the road bridge in place, the 6mm ply was a direct substitute for the scalescenes card deck - I just covered it in concrete paper:





Over on the station side I've created the pillars to support the peco girders, and the platform surface that fades out under the road:





The stepped walling under the surface is to cover the wooden support but also suggests a hidden staircase.

And here is a overall view - just three feet long!



Regards,
James

Looing good - and quick work! Like the graffiti (and I recognise that Peco plate girder )

That looks a clever little layout that you are developing. Seconded on the graffiti!

V.R.

Hi again,

Thanks for the comments - the graffiti is all scalescenes - no real effort required from me!

I have laid the pavements on the street and added the dreaded double yellows:





Those photos are a little cruel as the light shows up the joins a little more than is normally obvious. I've also added the retaining wall to the upper section, ready to place the polystyrene bank against:







Next the rough polystyrene shapes are added with pva and allowed to dry, before cutting to shape:







I will add a 6mm mdf sheet to the front of the layout contoured to the terrain shape once I have shaped them with a knife.

Cheers,
James

That road is looking superb especially with all the road markings.
Personally I think I would trim a little off the polystyrene to reveal a little more of the retaining walls and have a more gentle slope down to the tracks - maybe that's what you have in mind
Anyway, looks like a great little railway in the making . . .

Not hanging about are you? Your point control system is almost worthy of the sort of eyebrow raising features of mine. I think if you added some rod joiners made from the brass bits of choc block connectors and mapping pin push pull knobs, you'd have my lashup well and truly beaten. Where's the fun and visual delight in invisible electric currents running through hidden wires when you can see the rods, cranks and other gubbins creaking as they heave themselves into the other position.

PS I have a point at the very back of the board that has an extension to the push rod that comes through a hole in the surface just like yours, ever since the one I installed before some brackets under the board, could no longer be adjusted. I cut a slot in the surface and covered it with some printed chequer plate covers. Just right for the PW staff to trip over in the dark.

It certainly looks like I have been making stellar progress - should have entered this in the February build competition!!

But that would have been naughty as I started in January. We are catching up with my 'actual' progress pretty quick now, but I do hope to try to maintain the momentum and crack on with this.

At some point I'll need to pay some attention to Bratton Lane as it has its first exhibition later in the year and I have a few things to sort on that.

Cheers,
James