The North Circular - Austerity & Nostalgia.

[Dad-1]

This is the result of my Club's current situation, although the basic Idea has been in my head for several years.
My Club had a test track that was put up each club night, many members coming to run their trains. This was
getting old and did need replacement, but there is not enough room to build another and keep the original.

The new track is under construction, it's going to be complex but in the meantime we have nothing to use, there
is a danger some members may stop coming. I have decided to make a small roundy-roundy.

So where is the Nostalgia & Austerity ?
Can you remember your first train set ? Mine was a small circle of 'O' with a tinplate wind up Hornby loco and I
think one wagon. This would be somewhere around 1946-7 when post-war austerity was at it's height, but I
still had a train set !!!

I am going to try and create a single circle in '00' suitable for small locomotives. This is a beginning !!
Much more to follow.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

OK back in, been out shopping !

Here is the ply base onto which I shall build. I've already given myself a few problems.
One is that I would have preferred to use Hornby 1st radius curves, however the pile I had
in a dark corner were 3rd radius and made too large a circle for the ply I have laying around.
I could always go and buy some, but why spend £30+ when I have loads of flexi track in both
Peco code 100 and SMP code 75, let alone some EM and there may be a length of Peco code 75.



In the end I've drawn a circle, close to 1st Radius, perhaps a fraction tighter. I cut sleeper ties
on a length of SMP, but was potentially unhappy with using fine scale track as the track bed is
to be raised to allow for more interesting scenery. A raised track bed could have some less than
perfect joins and this is something code 100 can deal with easily !! Right that's decided. Must go
into the loft and bring a couple of lengths down.

Why no points ? this is simple, cheap and quick a nod to historic memories and all in little space.
Let's see how I get on using what I have here and done quickly !

Geoff T.

[Richard08]

Will you be keeping the scenery in the spirit of the thing, trees made from lolly sticks and ripped up sponges, a dubious tunnel etc? That would be rather fun I think. A speaker playing the Hovis music on loop?

[Bigmet]

When the club's new test track is in service, you can mount it on an old record turntable for use at shows to demonstrate 'running on the spot'.

But before that - based on childhood memories of R1 - a 'safety fence' round the edge for any loco capable of achieving 'escape velocity'.

[Lysander]

Jeeze Geoff

Is there no end to your industry?!

Tony

[Dad-1]

Ahh, First Tony,
I do like to have projects ongoing, dark evenings coming and have you seen what's on TV ??
I'm annoyed because I've just renewed an 18 month contract with Sky, feel it's time to switch
off for good !!

Richard, I have loads of good trees sitting in a box so no simple old fashioned scenic items I'm
afraid. Even a resin pond with a few fish in mind. I have yet to see if a grain of rice will make a
good fish ?

Bigmet, It will be crash safe, well that's the plan. Some 0-4-0's can go crazy. I also hope that my
Rapido Hunslet 16" 0-6-0 will go around. Disappointed with that, as I don't like the sound file as
well as having doubts it'll manage on 1st radius (or slightly tighter) Bet my Hornby 38XX will manage.

Close of play today, some 70x20 edging to hold flat, not stuck yet and risers cut from 25 mm sq onto
which the thin ply track bed will be stuck. I can't abide flat layouts and much prefer to get some land
well below track datum, the extra work is worth it to me.





Tomorrow, if I find time to cut some rounded sections for the track bed. Then glue the supporting frame.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Just a little 'Chat' here regarding the Austerity comment.
This is "New Railway Modellers" and this is aimed at those who complain that having a model railway is SO Expensive.
Well it can be with desirable things like the '00' Bachmann Blue Pullman set .... What was it £500+ !!
However it should all be about having fun and a Hornby 06 diesel shunter can usually be picked up for under £20, either
on ebay, or even better at a local, to wherever you are, model railway exhibition. I certainly wouldn't pay more than
that. In fact one of my favourite locomotives is a Hornby 06 that I've had for 16 years at least and it's still going strong.
Note the name plate is something I added when she was 14 !!



As to wagons to work a small railway early Hornby & Mainline range items can be bought from around a fiver each. There
are many good condition unboxed ones available, remember you pay extra for a good boxed model.
A small roundy-roundy layout looks quite well populated with 5 wagons and a brake, something you can achieve for around
£30. So locomotive & stock coming to approximately £50 is cheap when you can easily get 20 years fun from it.
This is an old blue plastic Hornby wagon I've repainted, note the old wide metal couplers, these can be changed, but that's
not what I expect raw beginners to do, as long as they are not damaged they still work well.



I will be back to the layout building tomorrow.
There has been no in depth planning, but I intend to have a cutting towards the back, as deep as I can, if possible to take
part of the train out of sight. This layout is not going to be big enough to have a tunnel, but a tunnel and hopefully a deep
cutting will cause an optical illusion of making the layout seem longer than it is. Something very noticeable on my "Thomas"
layout.

Geoff T.

[Phred]

Dad-1 wrote:
I have yet to see if a grain of rice will make a
good fish ?

Maybe something a bit smaller with pointy ends? Grass seeds perhaps.

[Lofty]

It’s good to see Marilyn again, it will be even better watching her pull a few wagons around.

[Bigmet]

Austerity wagons, there's such a good choice in old RTR OO. Further really useful items also from Triang, Hornby-Dublo, Wrenn, Airfix GMR and just beginning to creep onto the market, Bachmann. OK, I did have to stretch to £5.50 for one of their current 16T minerals unboxed, which had ugly lumpy remnants of a coal load cemented in it, all concealed by a new load.

Rice as fish, I reckon for a 4mm scale garden pond it would be good for a white carp, looming someway below the surface.

[Dad-1]

Life got in the way yesterday, I did do a little in the afternoon and took a couple of photographs.

Earlier Bigmet ran through most wagon that can be picked up at bargain prices, particularly if money
is really short. He missed Lima, something I noted because just by my shed door is a Lima GWR horse & groom
van where I have the clean box marked £6 from when I was selling some stock.

For the beginner I'd certainly recommend the use of something thicker for the base than the ply I'm using
which is like tissue paper !! measuring under 4 mm. A nice piece of 3/4 chipboard would have been much
easier and I'd probably have something running by now !! Certainly Dave-00 will be asking why I'm so slow.

How did I draw the circles ? A spare length of strip wood drilled near the centre and held by a loose fitting
screw.



I found 3 lengths of Peco code 75 flexitrack in the shed and this will be more than enough for the job in hand.



Today I was again using my favourite layout building tool, a jig saw with a fine cut blade. It makes cutting shapes
and circles easy, but for simplicity using square edges makes life easier and cheaper. Here I have my only 3 spare
bricks holding down track raisers while the PVA glue sets. The sides have been cut to support the flowing landscape
that I'll have. As usual I'm over complicating as for the beginner track on a bare square board could do.



I would have liked to have something running by tomorrow evening, but my woodworking skills, or lack of, are letting
me down and I do like to give glues time to harden.

Geoff T.

[Richard08]

I can't help but think the bricks might be a bit problematic running wise.

[Lofty]

Certainly Dave-00 will be asking why I'm so slow.

That would be the kettle calling the pot…

I made the baseboards for my next project a couple of weeks ago, but with other things going on I just haven’t got any further

[Phred]

Marking the circle is one thing. My problem would be concentrating long enough to keep the jigsaw blade on the line all the way around. Funnily enough I don't have trouble with complex, squiggly shapes. I guess the constantly changing direction keeps me focused.

[Dad-1]

Phred,

Just make certain you miss your fingers !!

A slow down.



All track bed circle joined up with overlap fillets beneath each joint. left to
set hard overnight. Used a piece of cord and pen to get a new round marking on
the now temporarily located track bed.
Busy for the next few days.
Mmmm looks like I messed up setting the day on my camera !!

Greetings to Ukraine on Independence Day tomorrow 24th August.

Geoff T