6 x 4ft layout - Split down the middle!

[L3wisW]

Hi Guys,

So here goes my brother and I will be embarking on our second project. The first being an 8x4ft layout which unfortunately had to be sold off during a house move.

3 years later, and finding a break in my busy schedule what better to do than being out in the sun.... create a second and hopefully better layout! Due to spacing requirements and generally having not a lot of time for modelling I decided to keep it small with a 6 x 4ft layout which will need to be split onto two separate 6x2ft baseboards for moving in and out of the loft. My theory is that actually, I will only be detailing/modelling one board and with the trains disappearing into a tunnel /back scene where there is a minor fiddle yard on the second board.

The layout should hopefully provide a space just to display and play with the rolling stock that is slower gathering dust in their sealed boxes.

Hopefully I'll remember to keep updating as I go along!

I would really appreciate any advice, input as I go along I'm by no means a true expert.

[Bufferstop]

Getting a sheet of board 6'x2' through most loft hatches is either difficult or impossible, a 6'x2' braced board with track and scenery on it would be a nightmare. 4'x2' is regarded as the limit for one person to move through doorways etc. Is the loft to be used purely for storage, or do you hope to build the boards then put them into the loft where it would be operated.

[L3wisW]

Hi bufferstop, the idea was to detail the layout and potentially use the loft space to store the layout from time to time. As you say it will be a struggle but will hopefully squeeze through.

[hairyhandedfool]

When you consider how to get your layout into the loft, don't just look at the size of the loft hatch, but also look at how much room you have to manoeuvre the layout. Is the roof above the loft hatch at an angle for example, is the loft hatch in the corner of the loft, how high is the loft and so on. Even 3x2 boards can be quite heavy and awkward once you start lifting them about. How much is all that effort going to put you off using it?

If you are fine with this then by all means go ahead, but think carefully about it.

When I was younger and had little space to play with, our lyout was 6x2 and it was lifted on to it's end and balanced against the bedroom wall to give us space for other things. I've seen set ups that are lifted by ropes and pulleys to ceiling height to make space.

[Emettman]

I had a look at 6x4, split as you thought, and this emerged with R4 min on visible track, R3 min elsewhere, small electrofrog points.



Modelling one end of a station's platforms, with a high-level station building and road bridge
providing a cut-off saves space and suggests a station bigger than it can be.

The "behind" space just gets storage sidings in as far as possible.
Double-track running would require accepting R2 curves.

I'm not suggesting this is a good plan, unless you happen to like it!

Two other ideas spring to mind: Four 48" by 18" boards could give 7x4 or 5' 6"x 5' 6" arrangements with more potential, especially the latter.
Alternately have an L shape shelf layout with boards say 15" deep, and have two removable boards to complete the oval for continuous running.
Variants in this might include a return loop, or a fiddle yard or two.

Just thinking,
Chris

[jack.wade14]

So we aren't going for a particular era or specific scene but am certainly growing towards post privatisation and prefer running modern rolling stock currently.

Here's a first picture of one half (6ftx2ft) coming together:



Having two boards makes the layout much easier to manoeuvre by one person, the boards will be aligned by dowels, when connected together:



We changed our mind on some initial track plan ideas and have ripped up some cork bed already. The lack of space limits the range of possibilities which meant track was being pinned down before too long. The long-nose pliers seen here turned out to be really useful when hammering track pins.

[jack.wade14]

Eating my words with post privatisation era ideas, couldn't resist a bargain:

[jack.wade14]

Skip forward two weeks:

The track on the 'show' side has been laid on cork bed, pinned and mostly ballasted. The three pronged siding will become a maintenance depot with false concrete. As the mainline is elevated on a cork bed, some locos were struggling to exit these sidings so we have decided to to raise them on cork bed too.



The false concrete area coming together, I followed these steps:

PVA a second layer of cork bed between sidings,
Drew a slightly oversized template on paper,
Cut template from 2mm plasticard,
Tedious trial and error trimming to get the perfect fit,
Sprayed grey colour,
PVA,
Pinned with track pins to get level with rails and ensure no derailments.




The nearly finished product, the plasticard doesn't look as good as realistic cement, but with a lot of time and patience you could get it very close. After pinning it down we have also decided the colour is completely wrong .



Here is the full layout currently, the back board is laid but unpinned as this will be a fiddle yard, the track plan on this side is likely to change after much testing (playing).





On the front board I have also begun trying to lay a roadway in the form of 3mm black card and paving slabs by metcalfe on top. I think a mini-roundabout can go where the range rover is sat in this image.

[jack.wade14]

Heart in mouth.

Favourite class 56 was elbowed from the layout and hit the floor about 3ft below. Immediate observations, bogey detached not sure if cracked or broken.


Amazingly nothing seems broken and only careful re-attachment of the motor bogie and pickups was required. This loco is very heavy and well built, it probably did more damage to the floor.

[TimberSurf]

NONE of your pictures show, they are just a grey no entry sign!
I think the link you use must be for your use only (no one else has rights)
lh3.googleusercontent.com

[jack.wade14]

Images should be all fixed, please advise..
I thought that getting a bbcode from google photos would be too good to be true.

[End2end]

All looking good.
Only one suggestion from me. On the rear of the layout instead of a single point leading into 2 sidings why not replace with a 3 way point giving 3 sidings.
As it's not part of the main trackwork on the layout it shouldn't be too hard to install and wire up correctly.

That City Of Leicester looks the business.
Thanks
End2end

EDIT: And also another pair of opposite points on the rear so trains get get from one track to the other in either direction.

[TimberSurf]

ALL photos now fixed
Coming along nicely! It wont be the last engine to do a lemming! Such is life

[Dad-1]

I do like 'small' builds, the usual complaint is that you need SO much room
and it's not at all true. All it needs imagination and care in planning.

I shall now follow with interest .......

You may find it worth noting how my "Thomas" layouts were built within
a small dish to stop flying locos demolishing themselves, something most
important where children are the major operators !!

Geoff T.

[jack.wade14]

All looking good.
Only one suggestion from me. On the rear of the layout instead of a single point leading into 2 sidings why not replace with a 3 way point giving 3 sidings.
As it's not part of the main trackwork on the layout it shouldn't be too hard to install and wire up correctly.

That City Of Leicester looks the business.
Thanks
End2end

EDIT: And also another pair of opposite points on the rear so trains get get from one track to the other in either direction.

Definitely agree that we need another pair of opposite points for trains running in the other direction, I'd also like to somehow use the space near the edge of the board for a passing siding. This could mean that a 4 car HST could run into this siding and be immediately replaced by another train, meaning locos don't have to be manually removed from the track every time I want to bring a different train through the tunnel.



I'm not sure how this could be achieved though, it would probably require flexi-track and some curved points I guess..

We probably won't implement this for a couple weeks yet as i've already spent enough on turnouts this month!