Noob With new Layout in N - Starting Again

[Essex2Visuvesi]

HI there

Ive been reading the forum here for a few months now and Have been slowly amassing bits n bobs to start my layout.

I only have a 4x2 baseboard do to space issues...

I have been a little unsure as to where to begin so I started by kitbashing a selection of metcalfe kits I had collected. This was to give me an Idea of the sizes of the buildings I have to work with.

Well today I laid some track. Its not fixed yet so any suggestions as to changes to the layout will be considered.

Next to the brewery I plan to have some more industrial buildings (under construction)

Behind the retaining walls and raised up will be a small town scene with a selection of terraced houses shops etc. with the "fiddle yard (if you can call it that) beneath it

Timeline well its going to be late 50s early 60s (BR Green) I currently have a warship and a Hymek and a little 2 car Green DMU (I have no idea what it is as it came unboxed but it looks right for what I want).

The station platform is to be replaced with a custom built metcalfe Job.

I would be grateful of any suggestions/critisisms.... (or maybe just some ego massage lol) I know its not prototypical but this is my first foray into railway modellng and I want something that looks nice and has some operational interest.

Anyway enough of me droning on.... some pics

















Hope you like it

[mumbles]

Hi and welcome
Nice start there. Good use of the back scene to try to hide the loop
Maybe a Mod can move this thread to the construction section though as it not plans anymore
Michael

[Essex2Visuvesi]

Thanks for the support.

I was in two minds where to put this as it is still technically in the planning stage. Nothing is as yet fixed to the board. Im quite happy with the layout so far and I plan to start pinning the track down over the weekend. Unless anyone has any suggestions for modifications

[SouthernBoy]

Hello - you're off to a good start. And nice to see a new N gauge layout

I had a few thoughts (which you may already have had but thought I'd mention them) ...
* A road sloping down from the raised town section to the goods yard ?
* Curving the station platform on the left around towards the tunnel mouth ?
* If you have an island platform how passengers get there - like a long footbridge from the town, or a subway ?
* Having a siding on the right from the outer loop to what could an engine shed ?
* Maybe having the sidings at an angle to the mainlines (like running across where the brewery is and up to the angled retaining wall on the right - and have the brewery more to the left) - I was thinking this just because sometimes it's more interesting if the lines don't all run exactly parallel to the edge of the baseboard ...

Anyway, good luck and keep the pictures coming

[Essex2Visuvesi]

Well heres a few thoughts of some changes.... As Im only running a small 2 car DMU the station does not have to be too long.... the main station building will be on the uppper level with steps leading down (i think my childlike paint skills just about illustrate it.

The road will also come through the wall. I decided on this as the slope idea looked a bit odd no matter where I placed it.

I plan to use foam underlay on the exposed area and some of the way into the tunnel. I will then cover it with ballast... I tried this out last night on a small test piece and it worked very well. Especially when mated to the chalk and ink method of weathering the track

Ill post up some more pics later today.

[Raider]

Just caught up with this thread (so many posts, so little time) and have moved it over to the under construction section.

You've made a nice start there - it goes to show what you can do in limited space, especially in N gauge.

[Essex2Visuvesi]

Just caught up with this thread (so many posts, so little time) and have moved it over to the under construction section.

You've made a nice start there - it goes to show what you can do in limited space, especially in N gauge.

Thanks thats just what I need.... A little Ego Massage lol

All I need now is to get off this bloody computer and get some more work done on it.

[guitardave_1]

Just one thing I noticed on your track plan. If you plan to use the sidings for any shunting, you might want to alter the layout to give yourself a headshunt. At the moment, if you were shunting the two sidings that are next to each other, you would have to keep going on and off the main line. I'm sure someone might have a diagram they could post to make that a bit clearer.

[Essex2Visuvesi]

I have an H&M duette (go Oldschool ) twin controller that ill be using. The plan was to run the dmu round the outermost loop, using the left had side of the station. this leaves the other side of the station (right side) free for shunting purposes. Although I am open to suggestions.

Today I have laid track on the back half of the track and wired the point motors. And after some burned fingers and trimming of the bases to fit agains the baseboard frame I now have 2 points firing off the same switch not bothered wit a pic today as theres not much to see.

Ill keep you guys posted when I have something a little more exciting to share

[60007]

I'm sure someone might have a diagram they could post to make that a bit clearer.

Indeed I do



I've also added a possible double road shed? you certainly have the room for one.

the head shunt would be easy to add, just shift everything up further and add another point, or maybe a double slip?
(one of those diamond thingies)

I like the look of your trackplan, it looks like you could get alot of fun out of it

regards

60007

[Essex2Visuvesi]

Not had much chance to work on the layout today but I mnaged a few hours finishing off the models I have started

I cant praise Metcalf highly enough, they are a pleasure to build and look pretty good when finished.

Anyway Piccy time





And I have 5 of these to paint :-S the local mods will be hanging out by the chippy lol

[Essex2Visuvesi]

Well Not much been happening on the layout the past few days as I have had to modify the trackplan slightly, and some experiments on track weathering an ballasting some more successful than others

Tonight I built a PECO signal box. very fiddly (especially the steps... I surprised myself with some new swear words lol)







Hope you like it the weathering effect I think looks quite effective

Sorry for the crap pics but my camera is not keen on close ups

Tomorrow I hope to get the track laid and and some more point motors fitted

[beerandpies]

Ah N Gauge... The domain of new swear words!

The signal box is good!

[sishades]

To get the close up images, use the "macro" option on your camera if it has one. I have had mine for over a year now and only discovered it a month ago!

[Essex2Visuvesi]

Ah N Gauge... The domain of new swear words!

The signal box is good!

Thanks.... got some more track down today I now have something that I can run trains on

Tonight I will be partaking of burned fingers and more swearing... wiring more points lol

Ill have a play with the camera tonight and see what I can come up with