Starting a new microlayout

Dear all,

I have picked an odd time to start a new microlayout project, but the itch to build was ignited when the January 2017 Narrow Gauge Downunder magazine arrived the other day.

I have promised a 1/35 micro layout for the next Australian Narrow Gauge Convention at Easter. Struggling for inspiration, I had the Miniart French farmhouse kit already to hand. https://www.amazon.c...A…/…/B002Z8DUN4
I think this kit has real potential as a rustic station building, and so my new micro will probably be an inglenook with this building as its focus. I am thinking of a 2ft gauge tramway around WW1 era freelance with the station quite a way from town, a level crossing and a loading dock for horsedrawn vehicles. I also have an ICM WW1 T Ford ambulance kit coming for Xmas. Strange how layout ideas can coalesce around something relatively unrelated.

I will post photos as progress allows. With Xmas in a few days, it might be slow to start with, but holidays in late January should fix that!

 

Ed,
As to the scale/gauge combination, the layout will be 1/35th scale on 16.5mm track, scaling out roughly at 2ft gauge.
Locos and wagons are mostly Smallbrook Studio kits see http://www.smallbrookstudio.co.uk/products/4569521210/1-35---1-32-scale
Christopher Payne's articles on Portpyn in the Railway Modeller magazine have long been an inspiration to me. He models the closely related 1:34n2 on 16.5mm.
I will look at the Inglenook idea, to see how it fits the timber base I have earmarked. If I should find I have space to spare, the trackplan may differ, we'll have to see.
Merry Xmas
Geoff

 

Gary wrote:

Gary,
Details of the Geelong convention are herehttp://www.austnarrowgaugeconvention.com/
it looks like it will be terrific,cheersGeoff

 

Dear all, Nothing yet photo-worthy on the 1/35 Inglenook front, but real progress is being made. O-16.5 Wagons masquerading as 2ft gauge stock have been built and fitted with kadees.

The baseboard has been constructed in an old timber bed-head or similar frame 1m x 310mm with polystyrene foam topped with thick foamcore for the track surface. Sums have been done for typical 3-3-5 Inglenook, track has been arranged and fits very snugly. The track plan leaves some space for a building, but unfortunately the Miniart French farm building which I wanted to use overwhelms the layout. That will be kept for a station on another layout, instead I am using the Miniart European Barn which is much smaller. http://plastic-models-store.com/EUROPEAN-BARN-building-1-35… This will allow for detailing outside.
European peasants from different Masterbox, Miniart and other sources will populate the layout. Several horsedrawn wagons will stand in the yard. I am going for a dry area, post WW2 when refugees were on the move and railways and rolling stock were looking careworn after years of over-use with no maintenance.

 

Dear all, please follow this link to see progress photos on the inglenook layout.
https://www.flickr.c...157675913725353
This week while on holidays has been fruitful. Trackwork has been completed and points connected with wire-in-tube and DPDT switches. I have not wired them for polarity changes, as I don't think there is any need on such a small layout with one loco only. I am using Kadee #5 and whisker couplings, with under track magnets for easy uncoupling.
The station building is progressing well with a stone floor, interior wall (dividing waiting room from station office), furniture including a desk, ticket window and cupboards. Miniart's office furniture kit, along with lots of other scrap-box goodies will help fill the space.
Tonight I have built some nice civilian figures from Miniart, LZ models and Wee friends. Wee friends mkes a great "Spiv" who is selling black market goods. He really looks the part! Can't wait to paint them all,
cheers
Geoff

Attached files

 

And another showing the scratchbuilt loco (based very loosely on a New Zealand loco)which was rescued from my scrap box. The loco will be stripped of paint and refurbished. The wagons are O-16.5 Slimrails/Chivers kits which represent small 2ft cars in 1/35 scale. The station is a converted 1/35 scale European Barn kit from Miniart. It is getting a full interior with waiting room and station office. The original plan to use a Miniart french farmhouse kit has been changed, as this kit completely swamped the inglenook. cheers Geoff

Attached files

 

Thanks Paul,I have a few Tamiya figures as well. Civilian topics are comparatively difficult to find in 1/35 scale. You can carve away military details with a scalpel and squadron putty. The most extreme early conversion I did was to make Erwin Rommel an overweight, pretty plain looking elderly woman!How undignified, even if he was the Bosch!Fortunately this inglenook doesn't demand too many figures. Ironically good loco driver figures are scarce in 1/35. This is important because the loco is the "star of the show",cheersGeoff

 

Paul,thank you for the list it will be very helpful!cheersGeoff

 

Some progress photographs on Rinconera, the 1/35n2 Inglenook at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/66383491@N06/albums/72157675913725353
enjoy