This thread is devoted to my HO layout that I am building in my shed so I can still do something with trains when it is a. to hot to work on the G guage layout or b. it is to dark ie night time and I cannot work on the G guage. Some pictures of what I have done so far, the baseboards warped in the heat it was 35C when these were taken, in the cool morning they were flat again. I do have a problem with the corner shown in pics 24 & 27 the board is 4 foot square and will have a 500mm radius part circle as part of the return loop similar to pic 29. I will have to figure out a way to get access to the corner and the far edge of the base board a duck under/access hatch is not an option as underneath the layout there will be storage tracks for the G guage trains. The other end is not a problem as I have access to 3 sides.
Hi Graeme, I had a similar problem with my old oo gauge garage layout. That used to get up to 40 degrees in the summer. I ended up framing as much of the return loop with plenty of 20 x 40 timber , glued and screw down. I did add a small access hole which although I never used it, I think did help to stop any twisting of the ply wood top in that area. I also made sure there was plenty of small expansion gaps in the trackwork. Kim
This is the plan I am going with. The original was sent to me by Gormo and I chopped the bits I could not fit in to give me some shunting sidings and a run around loop. The locos I will use are all Bachmann Spectrum a 3 truck Shay, an small tank engine and a 2-8-0 American Consolidation, these will go around the 18" curve that I am forced to use at one loop. I have a Large Scale versions of the Shay and a 2-8-0 it has the same wheel configuration as the HO one but is not a smaller version of it, if that makes sense. The original. The modified version. I have shortened the length of the run to the 18" radius loop so that I can get between the wall and the baseboard. On the other side of the wall is the mancave so stealing real estate from there is never going to happen, now if it was SWMBO's craft room that would be a totally different matter. I am thinking of making the loop elevated across the back but that is only an idea at this point in time (which knowing me; will most likely happen), it will give me an opportunity to incorporate my favourite piece of scenery, a trestle bridge around the 18" radius curve which will take the track to the upper level. This is the same as what I am doing on the Large Scale layout so what can go wrong Sorry for the bad modified plan but I can't drive Paint.
Some progress has been made on the loops; the baseboards have been cut and supports fitted underlay put down track put down I am putting down the underlay and track before finally fixing the baseboard to the supports; as this layout is 1300mm above the floor (underneath storage tracks for the G Scale trains is planned) and it is easier to build it a bit like a modular layout. The track along the back will be elevated in an attempt to give some vertical interest plus there is a "cunning plan" (sorry Baldrick) to maybe/possibly put an 18" loop inside the outer 22" loop but time will tell on that one. Some pictures: I have another grand plan to write a blog and put a lot more detail and pictures on it so anybody who wants to follow this build can have a single place to go.
More progress on the baseboards, I was out in the sun at midday (it was 33C ) busily cutting up plywood. SWMBO told me I was mad for being out in the heat of the day at 12 noon but as someone famously said "mad dogs, Englishman and model train enthusiasts go out in the midday sun!" All of the boards have now been cut and roughed into place. Now the next thing is to install the backdrop, cut from the sheet of MDF, while I can move the baseboards. I am toying with the idea of either painting a mountain scrub type scene or maybe using the idea Gormo put up a few weeks ago and using printed pictures of landscape scenes, if I can get that happening then painting idea will most likely taking second place as an artist I am not. I had a little lie down in the cool after a swim and came up with an idea of creating an 18" curved second loop, it will have to pass under the other loop at one point to get passed the steel post that can be seen in the last picture.
Work has progressed on the backdrop and some foreground scenery. A mountain made from polystyrene that has been coated in a paint/fine sand mix (similar to house render) and a "soft rock" cutting face. I am going to draw together the different threads into this one so a link to the backdrops is here; https://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/my-attempt-at-backdrops.4560/ A couple of picture to whet the appetite plus a close of the polystyrene "boulders" I have made, they are a bit fragile at the moment but I am trying a couple of different fixings, 1. a strong PVA glue/water mix with a drop of dishwashing liquid sprayed over, 2. some water soluble furniture varnish. Mountain with train to show scale Soft Rock with Boulders close up Corner Mountain Soft Rock cutting face I will put more pictures and details on my blog shortly https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
On a rainy day all you can do is paint the backdrop. I added a few hills to the foreground and used the "dab" method to add some trees, I used the mountains behind where I used to live in NQLD as inspiration. I still have to paint the cutting on the back wall as I cannot used "soft rock" because there is no clearance I might smear on some gap filler with sand mixed in it to add texture, them give it a similar treatment as the soft rock (dry brush darker colours). Still going with the idea of enclosing the steel post with a mountain to hide it. SWMBO has suggested that I tone down the grey mountains as they seem a bit stark, thinking of a white wash to try to give some impression of distance. More pictures on the blog eventually.
That is a nice solid build. Good layouts start with solid baseboards and you have them ! Nice little Conrail F7A. Will you be converting your stock to Kadee couplings ?? Cheers, Gary.
The F7A is a toy train that came that SWMBO bought home from an op shop, it has stripped gears and I am using it to check clearance from the scenery. The boxcar and some flat cars I may bash to run at a later date. All my locos are steam outline no diesels. The frames are hardwood decking boards from my old deck which was renovated and will out last me by decades, it is the same stuff being used on the G Division framework. With the latest hot humid weather all my baseboards now resemble bananas so when I finally screw them down I will have to use clamps as some edges are over 12mm+ up in the air. Maybe will have to damp down them to get them pliable first.
The last part of the backdrop is finished, I used a render made from acrylic Gap Filler mixed with paint and fine sand which had a dry brush of raw umber to highlight some of the texture. I could not use the "soft rock" method due to clearance issues. Next step is to push the base boards into position and start putting the detail for the rise, then its on to laying the rest of the loop and sidings. The blog will be updated with more pictures of all the backdrops.
The blog has now been updated with more pictures of all the backdrops. https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html The baseboards have been moved into position and fixed in place pictures later. The front of the cutting is scheduled to be detailed, as well as getting all locos to run around the curve. I have been having trouble with a big steam engine, that is recommended for 22" curves, but it derails at one point all the time so maybe I have a track laying issue (to tight a curve maybe?). If I can't solve the issue it may have to be disposed of as I do not have enough room to build any more track.
To overcome the problem with the big steam engine, I found a bit of room and put in a second larger curve which left me with a big void to fill between the new track and the backdrop. The solution was to leave the original curve where it was and put the new curve in parallel with it and crate a passing loop. This necessitated 2 sets of points opposing each other and way at the back of the layout out of arms reach that now had to be switched electrically. This turned into a Ben Hur production that is still going on. I resurrected a Capacitive Discharge Unit (CDU) that I built eons ago to provide the drive for the point motors and this is how I wired the point motors. The point motors are basic PECO solenoid ones that I have heaps of left over from another layout. Rather than boring everybody with a full description of how it all works I have put the point control description along with the CDU schematic and wiring diagram onto my Blog. https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspot.com/p/point-control-ho.html I am now venturing further into the land of DCC as evident by another thread I have going, so goodness knows where I will end up; Mordor perhaps? Work on the G scale division has come to a crashing halt due to the 30+C days we are having, it was 34C today and I was at the 1:1 railway working on signal lights this morning.
Some pictures of the completed loop and the bus wiring. The loco that can be seen is my largest and was used to test curve radii as it has a Min 22" radius requirement. This is a picture of the Bus wire and the wire I used as Feeders, the Bus wire has a current capability of 35Amps and the Feeders 10 Amps so I think it should be OK. I do tend to over engineer my wiring. This is the points CDU box, the Grey box to Left is a 2.5A 12V power supply for accessories etc. The mains wiring to the Right is where the On/Off switch is. A Bus to Feeder terminal block can be seen as well.
It has been almost a year since I did anything on the HO layout, G Scale took precedent Ringbalin Light Railway G Division: About the Railway (ringbalin-light-railway.blogspot.com) I have now updated my Blog to reflect the state of the layout as it is today. Ringbalin Light Railway HO Division: Latest Posts The next step is to buy and install some decoder for the locos and that is underway (refer this thread for the state of play To DCC or not to DCC there are so many questions | Page 4 | Platform1mrc.com)
To try and hide a steel support post I am trying to reduce its visual impact by constructing a mountain spur around it. I have named it Column Mountain. This is the concept I am constructing. The mountain shell is being constructed of polystyrene foam blocks over which will be covered by a thin material over which will be spread a render made from acrylic gap filler coloured with artist acrylic paint and mixed with fine sand. My blog has more pictures and detail. Ringbalin Light Railway HO Division: 9. December 2020 HO Mountain Spur, Tunnel and Cutting commenced
I have completed "Column Mountain" so now the support post is not making a visual impact anymore. I covered the polystyrene foam with "Acrylic" house render. My blog as usual has more details. Ringbalin Light Railway HO Division: Latest Posts Left Hand Side view Right Hand Side view Front View Looking down the cutting the colour on the LHS is the original paint before foam was dipped in fine sand to give the RHS effect (known as soft rock". Cutting with train
I have made the decision to dismantle and dispose of my HO layout. Main reason is that I had not touched it since January 2021 and had only run trains a handful of time in that period The second reason was that temperature inside the shed reached 39C in summer which made it just plain uncomfortable. This blog page gives a few more details. https://ringbalin.blogspot.com/p/lat.html I am expanding my G Scale layout to occupy its real estate to have a run around loops with storage tracks coming off them. Planning on having the run around loops as a double-decker configuration matching the loop outside. I plan to utilise the DCC bus as a DC bus to run accessories.
Sounds like from the first post you need to fit some lights to the G scale.. then you can run at night… actually, having done it in OO and at one point O (with the old British Lima stock) having an illuminated train running round at night is quite relaxing.
All my locos have working directional headlights. Crude method of wiring LEDs across the motor tags rear one wired in opposite polarity. With the demise of the HO a real estate grab is in the making which will involve moving my work nook into the bigger of the 2 sheds and filling the smaller shed with track. A hybrid indoor/outdoor layout utilising the HO backdrop and putting buildings on the inside portion keeping the outdoor scenery minimal. All this with the climate in mind, to give an example of what I am up against it is 32C (3pm) with the shed temp at 41C but that will drop when I open a couple of roller doors. The small shed where the indoor section is planned to go with big one on the left both are connected so I can walk the whole length. I will see how I go with my grand plan.
The HO layout has now been completely removed and work cleaning up the first half of the shed has begun. The majority of the scenery will be retained but the mountain around the post will require trimming. There is a plasterboard wall between the HO area and the nook and rather than tear it down I am thinking of making a different scene in each area with "tunnels" through the wall. I just have to work out how to dispose of the HO track and rolling stock, Facebook Marketplace and EBay most probably.
