Work in progress - now the X factor !

28ten

Guv'nor
My main project at the moment and whilst not in the same league as Simon or Iploffy I have begun remodelling the workshop to give the space for a layout. The first shot shows where half the layout will go and the small partition on the right that will be removed and the second shot shows the view from the other side. I will be able to accommodate up to 28ft x 4ft.
I really want to get a layout of some sort here  here as I have lost all motivation on the stock building front, it just seems pointless without somewhere to run my stuff. I have even been tinkering with the idea of a 4mm roundy roundy in the space  :shock:
 

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Simon

Flying Squad
Work in progress

I don't underestimate the scale of what you are doing Cynric, altering the garden is one thing but changing the inside of a house is more significant I think. It all looks like a good amount of space in a snug atmosphere to me. I know what you mean about nowhere to run stock, although I remain moderately immune to the delights of 4mm myself, despite the best efforts of Tim Maddocks and Railwells last weekend ;)

I'm currently a bit over awed by the scale of my garden works but still managed to spend a couple of hours this morning "assimilating" another load of paving slabs broken and otherwise from my neighbour, I guess the trick is to keep going....

Can't you do a sort of 7mm diorama that could fit into a later bigger scheme? A piece of whimsey I keep returning to is "Hymek running freight only on truncated S&D, model level crossing with small box" type thing, there are others too....

At least 7mm isn't so blooming huge as G1

S scale anyone? :twisted:
 

28ten

Guv'nor
Work in progress

Simon, I have already been seduced by the current crop of 4mm :shock: Gerry Beale's piece in the last MRJ summed up some of my feelings. I can fit a nice 7mm layout in the space (Ashburton, Lambourn and even part of Winchester would fit) but I reckon its a good five years to build, plus the stock and a not insignificant cost factor. Although I would much rather be building in 7mm, over the past few weeks the limitations of 7mm layouts for mortals (ie not millionaires or group efforts) have struck home :(
On a more positive note, I shall make the storage framework and top which will form the layout supports and then play with some 7mm ideas in the space and hopefully come up with something.
 

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
Work in progress

Hi Cynric,

have you been reading my mind? your 4mm/7mm dilema has been driving me bonkers over the last few weeks, especially since I bought the door to go into the rear of the garage to give me extra space behind the up & over door (and to cap it all, SWMBO is trying her best to point me in the 4mm direction) I have now finished my current projects - see Area 51 on the forum, so the door will be fitted, at long last, next week, with the aid of some muscle (my son in law), then it's Telford, then an MOK Q1 for a friend and then the new layout!

Sorts out Christmas pressies either way :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

regards

Mike
 

28ten

Guv'nor
Work in progress

Ressaldar said:
Hi Cynric,

have you been reading my mind? your 4mm/7mm dilema has been driving me bonkers over the last few weeks, especially since I bought the door to go into the rear of the garage to give me extra space behind the up & over door (and to cap it all, SWMBO is trying her best to point me in the 4mm direction) I have now finished my current projects - see Area 51 on the forum, so the door will be fitted, at long last, next week, with the aid of some muscle (my son in law), then it's Telford, then an MOK Q1 for a friend and then the new layout!

Sorts out Christmas pressies either way :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

regards

Mike
I think that when you have the extra space becoming available all sorts of possibilities open up, with a little adjustment I could model Halwil or Churston in 4mm something I will never do in 7mm. on the other hand I loose all the presence and intimacy of 7mm models :headbang: none of this was a problem until I actually sat down to design and build a layout :headbang: :headbang:
 

bogusman

Western Thunderer
Work in progress

Hi Cynric
I have the same issue at the moment as I have stock to run but nowhere to run it, so I am now in the process of preparing chairs and sleeper bases for track construction as at present I am a man of leisure for the near future :scratch: . The other incentive to build a layout has been my wife's comment lately that part of the home office (24' x 12') could be used as a chill out zone for the kids as I'm not using all of the floor area at present :eek: :eek: :eek: .
As for your comment of a 4mm roundy roundy layout this would be an ideal area for a P4 layout.

Regards
Pete
 

iploffy

OC Blue Brigade
Work in progress

Cynric when I saw the size of the cellar I was suprised that you intended to use so little of it for the railway and I still feel the same way I am still convinced you could get a roundy roundy O gauge layout in the space you have available. I seem to remenber your arguement at the time was the waste of space in the curves, look at mine there are spaces behind them that are un usable and are a magnet trap for weeds Don't get dishartened and defect to 4mm as in the long term you will hanker for 7mm again.

Ian
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Work in progress

I agree with Ian, I think you would look at the 4mm and yearn for the bigger stuff.

"Chinese takeaways" are all very well, but I find they always leave you strangely unsatisfied and wanting something else :twisted:
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
Work in progress

Yes I'd lobby for a roundy roundy too. Even if it's just a narrow shelf along the other three walls with a single line along it, even if the curves are really a bit on the tight side, there's something about giving models space to run. Shunting planks (I have built more than my share of them) are brilliant if you can't find the space for anything else but they do remind me of a tiger constantly pacing up and down its cage in the zoo.

Men of Britain, set your trains free.
 

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
Work in progress

There was a phrase in an article in Continental Modeller years ago; "Lack of space is simply a challenge to the Imagination".
It's something I've always tried to remember. Lack of space hasn't stopped me working in O scale; I've just had to re-adjust my viewpoint towards what I can realistically do in it... I'd love to model a lonely Grain Elevator way out on endless Mid-West prairies- but even venturing into my garden wouldn't fulfil that dream - too many fences enclose it..!!!

I must say that out of the three scales N, OO/HO and O (okay that's four, but OO & HO shared a common gauge :rolleyes: ) it was OO & HO I found the least satisfying. In N scale I could get close to that lonely Elevator in a reasonable space; in OO & HO the models needed all the details you can get away without in N, but they were so small & fiddley they were far easier to do in O (3-link couplings, for one thing).
The way British N has come on in recent years especially is most tempting; if I wanted to go back to "trains in the (Western Region) landscape" modelling...
Dapol Hymek
ND084E_1.jpg

Bachmann Warship
371-600a_1.jpg


.... what's not to like..?? :scratch: :p :thumbs:
 

28ten

Guv'nor
Work in progress

Some interesting points, I do tend to agree with Neil about shunting planks, Im not particularly into shunting, so to me its nothing more than a diorama that moves now and then and I would rather just watch trains go by.
I can *just* squeeze a 6ft radius curve into the space so a circuit in 7mm is possible, but approximately half of it would need to be broken down after use and then erected for the next session and knowing how inherently lazy I am that wouldn't be that often
And I have considered a little something in 2mm, but its a little small for me. I shall return to Sketchup tonight to see what I can come up with!
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Work in progress

Hi Cynric

I can't see you being satisfied with anything smaller than 7mm scale. I'm making an assumption here, but, like me, you are a builder, and principally a builder of high-quality stock. That points to 7mm scale. It eliminates 2mm scale (sweeping generalisation I know) and given the quality of 4mm RTR, I don't think you would get the satisfaction of spending months building something that most people would not distinguish from the latest Hornmann product.

So back to 7mm, as larger scales (with some exceptions) don't offer the quality of 7mm kits. Your choice is now between S7 and F/S. Since you are obviously unhappy with the restrictions of layout etc. imposed on you by S7, it's back to F/S. So, a little F/S test track to make sure your locos work, then up the road to become part of the Heyside roundy roundy team :D .

Seemples

Yours (tongue slightly in cheek)

Richard
 

rosspeacock

Modelling on a £1200 table.
Work in progress

I'd definately go down the roundy roundy road, loved the quote about tigers in a cage re; shunty planks (ive done some operating of small end to end layouts and there's only so much shunting you can do before it becomes/became soul destroying no matter how good the layout) these fantastic models need somewhere to stretch their wheels/legs.. hoping ill have 22' x 22' when I eventually get up in the loft :scratch: SWMBO got big plans at the mo so will have to wait a while (watch this space) (dont hold your breath either :laugh: :laugh: ) Ross....
 

28ten

Guv'nor
Work in progress

Well after a few more measurements I may just squeeze a 6ft radius curve in, so a single track 4inch wide circuit might just be on. I am now pretty convinced of the need to go round and round :D :D
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Work in progress

28ten said:
I presume Dr Trikki would advocate some MOK therapy at Telford? :laugh: :laugh:

Dr. Triki (1 k please :D ) believes that therapy should be undertaken at regular intervals throughout the year for maximum benefit, and suggests Telford, Reading, Bristol and Halifax over the next 12 months. Now, good, and succesful, therapy is not cheap, so in my professional capacity, I suggest expenditure in the order of ?600 or so quarterly to coincide with the aforesaid dates. MOK BR standards will fit the bill admirably, and if they can be placed in the Newton Heath area around 1958, I believe the therapy is more effective. This is a controversial opinion, and it may take many years of repeated therapy to prove or disprove.

My bill (in guineas) plus VAT can be waived on production of a large box bearing the insignia MOK.

Yours in anticipation

Dr. D Triki
 

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
Work in progress

Dikitriki said:
[quote=""28ten"":y56kjbar]I presume Dr Trikki would advocate some MOK therapy at Telford? :laugh: :laugh:

Dr. Triki (1 k please :D ) believes that therapy should be undertaken at regular intervals throughout the year for maximum benefit, and suggests Telford, Reading, Bristol and Halifax over the next 12 months. Now, good, and succesful, therapy is not cheap, so in my professional capacity, I suggest expenditure in the order of ?600 or so quarterly to coincide with the aforesaid dates. MOK BR standards will fit the bill admirably, and if they can be placed in the Newton Heath area around 1958, I believe the therapy is more effective. This is a controversial opinion, and it may take many years of repeated therapy to prove or disprove.

My bill (in guineas) plus VAT can be waived on production of a large box bearing the insignia MOK.

Yours in anticipation

Dr. D Triki[/quote:y56kjbar]


Wise words indeed Doctor. :lol: :lol:


Regards

Dan
 

28ten

Guv'nor
Work in progress

I was up early and went for a bike ride to clear my mind (Actually I went to Ludlow and then up Clee hill which had a certain hallucinogenic effect :laugh: , I may even have been able to smell Heyside from the top)
I think that without a layout of some sort its very hard to maintain focus, which is why I have such a disparate collection of kits and projects ranging from Broad gauge to Hydraulics, which in turn then makes layout choices difficult, a chicken and egg situation really. I have never been driven to 'one big project' and I have always dabbled which whilst enjoyable, is not particularly productive. So i need to fix on a time and place and more importantly - stick to it! then the choice comes down to test track with a short scenic section or using the full length of the wall for something more scenic. one possibility is to model a through station without any off stage area and turn it into a circuit at a later date, a sort of variation on Simons suggestion :scratch: :scratch:
 

28ten

Guv'nor
Work in progress

Talking about DJ reminds me of something he said in a book of his that it is always hard to stick to a timeframe without bending it to suit our needs, which I find very true as there is always the temptation to run 'just one' out of context piece........
 
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