Another Newbie

[David68]

Hi

I am about to start my very first layout. It is not actually for me, it is for my grandson who has four things he is bonkers about - Steam engines, Tractors, Dinosaurs and Thomas the Tank Engine.

What I propose to do probably classed as a heinous crime, but he is nearly 3 so can have anything he likes.

I have bought a basic Hornby 00 set (Caledonian Belle) and extension set A. on the left side will be a hill with several dinosaurs on it and a nice tunnel through it. In the middle will be a farm with fields and a road to a station and running around the track will be the Caledonian Belle until his birthday when I will get him a Thomas the Tank Engine

I have a plan to do a model of my home town (Retford in Nottinghamshire) which has the main east coast line going through it as well as the east-west line from the Lincolnshire coast to Sheffield. The trains will be a mixture of the Flying Scotsman that my dad and grandfather loved, the HS125 which I loved when I was a kid, the double carriage trains (no idea what they are called but they are ugly but bring back memories) that used take me to college and the diesel coal trains that I saw every day.


Dave

[End2end]

Hi David68, and welcome to the forum

What I propose to do probably classed as a heinous crime, on the left side will be a hill with several dinosaurs on it and a nice tunnel through it.
Dave

Not at all!
There is even a prototype for this...... Crystal Palace Park in south London.
There are dinosaurs in the lower part of the park (point 16) that runs parrallel to the train lines.


Here's some more information about the park:- http://www.cocgb.dircon.co.uk/cry_pal_park.htm
A large park to wander around and the location of the Crystal Palace. It also has a hidden old train station that runs under the main road with mosaics still intact, a museum, a miniture railway, boat hire, fishing, playground, maze, ruins of the old Crystal Palace, cafe, petting zoo, RC car racing track and internatioanlly reknowed sports centre in the middle of the park. I spent many happy hours there
Looking forward to seeing your layout build.
Thanks
End2end

[Lofty]

Welcome aboard David

[Emettman]

on the left side will be a hill with several dinosaurs on it and a nice tunnel through it. In the middle will be a farm with fields and a road to a station and running around the track will be the Caledonian Belle until his birthday when I will get him a Thomas the Tank Engine

Wot! No Harry Potter or Star Wars..? Shocking!
Hello and welcome, Dave.

"Dinosaur Train" exists as a US series By Jim (muppet) Henson, but it's not easy to find Region 2 DVD's
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dinosaur-Trai ... 43c95a8209

A couple of years ago I had a look at the merchandising with a possible eye to making a working display railway but between the quality, price and scales nothing desperately appealed, then.

I have a plan

Is this a cunning plan?

to do a model of my home town (Retford in Nottinghamshire) which has the main east coast line going through it as well as the east-west line from the Lincolnshire coast to Sheffield. The trains will be a mixture of the Flying Scotsman that my dad and grandfather loved, the HS125 which I loved when I was a kid, the double carriage trains (no idea what they are called but they are ugly but bring back memories) that used take me to college and the diesel coal trains that I saw every day.

Dave

Not my part of the country, but I had a quick browse.
I found a partial track-plan from here: http://signalboxes.com/retford-north-an ... lboxes.php
A fair old place Retford, by the look of it, and some interesting history.
Now I know about "the Retford dive-under"!

Chris

[Bufferstop]

Hi Dave welcome along. Thomas the Tank Engine! Not a bad place to start. If you stick to the original stories by the Rev. they are all based on real railway incidents and practices from the 1940s through to the 1960s, so you are on good railway ground to begin with.
John W
aka Bufferstop

[Dad-1]

Welcome aboard Dave.
Thomas was seen on my layout last week ...... as was Bill & Toby.
William is nearly 3.1/2 & sees nothing wrong with a Sound '25' bringing
in a coal train & Thomas shunting them !!

Anyway no need to tell us it's for the Grandson ....... many of us have used that excuse !!!!

Geoff T.

[David68]

Wow, what a great welcome

the set arrived today but not opened until the little grandson had gone home!

Sunday will be clearing the garage and then a proper search for timber to make the base board and its supports. I am going for a 1600 x 1200 board covered with cork (tiles are the current plan) with a support structure grid made from 45 x 45 mm timber.

Next will be a means of elevating it by about 500mm or so

That should keep me out of trouble for a weekend before I lay the track.

As a beginner, I will be taking my time and trying to reduce the amount of mistakes I make

Dave

[Terrier]

Welcome Dave! Nowt wrong with a bit of Thomas, or indeed the occasional dinosaur! I'm 38 going on 5.. love the original Thomas stories and find the original Britt Alcroft TV series of Thomas preferable to Contemporary politics ha ha. So yes, welcome and enjoy the build.

Chris P

[glencairn]

Wow, what a great welcome

the set arrived today but not opened until the little grandson had gone home!
Dave

Another layout for the grandson eh!!

Welcome aboard

Glencairn