Phil's Layout

[saslord]

Hi, Phil here

I'm hoping to build a layout in my loft, I have 16 foot by 6 foot available space. I'm wondering how I should start my venture, any suggestions would be most welcome.

Thanks

Phil

[saslord]

Two options. Buy VR2 and design your layout before you start to build, or buy some track and see what will fit on your board.

The standard layout is at least 2 ovals maximising the size of your board. You can then fill the inside with your freight depo, engin sheds, sidings etc.

If you have a passenger train in mind then make sure it will fit in your station.

If you buy some track you can simply draw round it on your board to make out where it is to go so you can see if it fits before you buy more track.

What time are you modelling?
What type of trains are you planning to run?
Any special features you want (eg inclines, bridges etc)

[Puff the magic dragon]

Morning saslord and any other members

Thanks for your advice, I have been talking to other members of the MB by e-mail and they have given me really good advice. After listening to their advice I am building the set from scratch, although another member Brian, advised me to buy a set as it can be used when I expand. So I am going for the 30/40's steam era as I love the A4 classes for the passenger train, and then I will infill with a branch line for freight. However as this is my magination, (albeit triggered by railwaymanrob and Pete) , i'm not sure if it will work or how to progress. Railwayman rob has drawn me a plan as an idea, but I think I will follow your advice about buying track and seeing how it all fits, as it concurrs with what Pete said. He also advised about building a fiddle yard, I'm thinking about following railway man's plan for about nine feet of my space and building the fiddle yard coming off this in the last three feet (just off the top of my head), would this work? Also would my four feet depth be adequate for using large passenger trains?
Thanks
Phil

[saslord]

I will get back to you on that last point "4 feet be enough"

[saslord]

This is from phill

I'm enclosing a pic of my unpainted baseboard. I intend to put a coat of 50/50 pva/ water mix and then paint it in green. The size is 12 x 4 feet and stands a metre high. I had to cut the baseboard into 6 x 2 sections to get it in the loft. My layout will be similar to the Peco plan number four (pic enclosed in a seperate e-mail) however I intend to elongate it and infill with a goods yard, and thanks to Pete, put a passing loop on the bottom section . I will be using mainly Peco flexitrack. Any suggestions from the members would be most welcome.





phil

[Raider]

Phil,

Looks like I may be a little bit behind you in the loft railway stakes (have to board out the loft!!), but was just wondering what you had put on the roof? Is it there for insulation purposes?

Cheers

Chris

[Puff the magic dragon]

Hi Raider

I put hardboard (the stuff that is brown and smooth on one side) on the roof for a couple of reasons, once painted white it reflects available light back down and to tidy up the roof, no one wants to look at dusty battens. I put a thin plastic sheet between the hardboard and the battens as I didn't know what effect it would have. I don't know whether it has kept the warmth in

Phil

[Puff the magic dragon]

Chris, just read your other links. I've been up there in the winter and it isn't too cold. If it becomes a problem I'll invest in one of those electric oil radiators, they're compact and throw out the heat, I've seen them in Somerfield for £25 for a three kilowatt one. I boarded out the floor with 6x2 3/4 inch boards that I got off my mate for free . I left the insulation between the joists as I thought it would be more prudent to keep the heat downstairs rather than let it escape (given the time I would be in the loft). The boards were screwed down and where there was plumbing joints I made small access hatches.

Phil

[dynamite25]

Hows the layout coming on Phil not heard much about your layout.i hope it don't get cold in our loft as it's been really cold outside but quite warm in the loft.Anyway looking forward to your progress on your layout Phil.

[Puff the magic dragon]

As we speak I've just asked saslord to order some points and locos. The layout came to a grinding halt because I broke a left hand point and I have took my time (and a lot of advice on what to buy) to try and get it right Ironduke designed a layout for me as did Pete, but have you ever been in the position where you can't see the forest for the trees? What began as simple pastime in the loft, has grown into a problematic enigma Mind you it has had a good side effect in that the time spent on this mb is as good as the building of the layout Hopefully I'll start with just a second and third radii loop and infill with other ideas such as sidings, and then I've got the ballasting to do . I'm trying to keep it as real as possible, but one artistic license allowance will be the Deltic, which will be visiting from another region

[dynamite25]

yep theres always something going wrong my layout has been put hold that many times i forgot how many and it has changed about 5 times and this is the 6 it has changed but only slightly,Plus i have been losing the bug for it and regaining it again,gone through so many hours of designing track plans to something i like.

I've damaged afew straights of track and broke some when i was removing the layout from my sisters bedroom,but now the layout is in the loft nothing should go wrong i hope and i think the track plan will change afew more times when all the bench work is done.Still got afew more things to do in the loft which are fitting 8 hardboard sheets to the roof and stick the extension cable through the floor of the loft into my bedroom to the socket in my bedroom.

My ballasting is a long way off as once the track is all layed i have to do the wiring of all the points which i still have to buy aswell as the 2 CDU's i need for the points.All good fun when it goes right.

[Puff the magic dragon]

When I stuck the hardboard to the rafters in my loft I used screws, but with hindsight I should have used a nail gun. You can get them from screwfix for about £25, they take all the hard work out of it. They fire 1 inch brads and hold the board well to the joists. Just a thought
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro ... 9&id=15699

[dynamite25]

We have a nail gun but only works of the compressor so thats a no no so it's the hammer time again,if the loft was 8 ft high it would be easier to do it but being only 6ft high and me being 6ft tall i have to kneel on the floor to do the lower part.

[Ironduke]

Ironduke designed a layout for me as did Pete, but have you ever been in the position where you can't see the forest for the trees?

Absolutely. Having a go at two other peoples layouts (Phil's and Littledave's) has only confused the issue when I sit down and look at my own. I'm not happy with it and every time I redesign it, it comes out looking the same as when I started.
For this, and for the trees, I blame Pete

[Pete]

For this, and for the trees, I blame Pete

It should be noted that I knocked up a loop too for Phil, do you know how mych this compromised my principles?

Can't do much about the trees, I'll be thanked in the end, when all becomes clear

but have you ever been in the position where you can't see the forest for the trees?

Phil

It's always a big step to comit track to the board, if I were you I'd just get something down and run your trains for a bit, don't worry about scenery etc. Once you've had them running you'll soon see any problems and you can design your track on the run as it were. Also it's well worth remembering that this is unlikely to be your last layout, within days of starting you'll be thinking of your next one.
Another point is that you have further space in your attic, so you could have a shelf layout as well running down the sides, maybe you should consider a small layout to get you going, and keep the main boards ready for when true inspiration hits? you could use your small layout then to experiment on and to practice scenery techniques etc.

Don't despair!

Pete