Our layouts...

In an effort to generate some interest in this section, here is some info on our various efforts, starting with the main OO loft layout.

This is a double loop occupying the full depth (front to back) of the loft at a crossbeam height convenient to sit the baseboards on. The layout is just over 2m wide (and about 2.5m deep), that being the size of the ex-Ikea wardrobe panels I had lying around, which happened to just fit across between adjacent rafters.

There is a central area for operators, with the double loop crossing between the two sides on narrow sections across the rafters - made to look a bit like a trestle bridge on one side.

The larger baseboard is a yard/MPD with turntable, carriage sidings, loco shed, coaling siding and a couple of sidings for breakdown train and permanent way. We will be trying to squeeze in some extra sidings as we currently have nowhere to store larger rakes of goods wagons

The smaller board contains a station and goods yard with goods shed and small loco shed.

Everything is currently analog, split in to four control 'zones' - outer loop, inner loop, MPD/yard and station/goods yard, each zone controlled by part of a HM2000 + left and right HM2000+ controllers.

Rolling stock is a complete mish-mash of things which take Josh's fancy, although it is possible to run a full LNER or BR setup (although we also have some GWR and a Hogwarts Express!).

Very much a work in progress, we have only recently (a couple of months ago) lifted the original temporary track setup, cork boarded the entire surface, cut the turntable well and permanently laid the track.

 

More recently, I have been experimenting with under board solenoid control of signals using some cheap Chinese solenoids from eBay which it turns out can be left energised without overheating - see video here

We also spent a couple of hours last weekend constructing a ratio signal box kit which is intended to be mounted on the main station platform (probably where the small building currently is, which will be relocated further along the platform).

 

Josh has been nagging me for ages to find him a second water tender for his Flying Scotsman. Actual Hornby second tenders are like gold dust it appears (unless you buy a complete loco set with both tenders), so we set about making one ourselves. Having acquired a complete tender plus a spare top, we hacked the corridor connection end of the spare top, adjusted the loco end of the other tender until we got a reasonable fit and glued them together. While that dried I also reinforced the body fixing post internally with epoxy as I had a suspicion (correct as it turned out) that we would be removing sufficient plastic when filing the coal down to roof level that the post would otherwise become detached. Used the bench grinder to remove the coal load down to below the 'roof line' and then some car body filler to create the new roof. A quick rub down (not perfect but Josh was impatient, I'll probably revisit this and make a better job of the roof) and some satin black smooth hammerite spray paint. Final touches were 4472 in gold letraset on the sides and a standard coupling on the front. Quick and dirty, but Josh is happy! Improving the lettering and roof can wait while he plays with it...

 

Maybe when the list of DIY jobs abates a bit I might make some progress on mine - I have a N gauge layout which resides in a cabinet on our landing - when in use it emerges via a combination of hinges and drawer slides to perch partly over the stairs and partly on the landing space. The downside is that its just outside the kids bedrooms so working on it in the evenings when they are supposed to be going to sleep doesn't work!

 

This was mine way back in about 1970 or so.
Away from the family as I was in a cellar room in a big old victorian house.
The lower branch was laid on a stone slab which may have been a food prep area.

All run off 2 controllers.
Double track full circle.
1 Branch upper and I lower.
Possible to run end to end from branch to branch.

 

Loft layout now with added station canopy (birthday present for Josh from grand-parents):

Not much progress on other fronts due to lots of other commitments, but hopefully we will manage some more work on the Disney railroad stuff soon...

 

Some vintage Hornby there, I see

There were a series of YT videos of vintage Hornby that were superbly produced - but can I find them? Can I heck!

One day... I shall place a Hornby-Dublo layout in my loft.

 

Over the last couple of weeks we've gone proper old school - Hornby clockwork O gauge. To go with the 3-rail O gauge stuff Josh already has (mixture of Hornby/Bassett-Lowke/Stronlite), we retrieved my dad's original Hornby tinplate set from his loft, which has definitely seen better days, and set about restoring it (he was born in '42, so likely dates from late 40s/early 50s). Having purchased some knackered donor items off eBay, we were able to straighten out the bent running plate on the loco, unflatten the open wagon chassis and put some axles and wheels back on it, and replace the missing gatepost on the level crossing (which also required dismantling/reassembly to get it anywhere near straight again!). The donor stuff also gave us a second open wagon, and a couple of wagon chassis - one of which will be turned in to a timber/lumber wagon (which the set had originally) and we will add one of Josh's existing tank wagons, to restore the set to it's original configuration. Clockwork mechanism oiled and sorted, all now working perfectly. Just need to turn up some replacement brass knobs for the control rods on the lathe, rather than the temporary 6BA nylocs in the photo, and it's job done



Then I decided it would be a shame to get rid of the donor loco body (a second LNER 460 M3 purchased to provide a replacement buffer for the one that was missing on dad's loco), so have set about constructing a 3-rail electric chassis for it. Chassis is some ali u-channel, motor is from an old screen wash pump, wheel blanks from some 35mm round bar I had lying around, Romford 30:1 worm/gear off eBay. Will turn some brass bearings and steel buffers on the lathe while waiting for 1/8" stainless bar to arrive for axles. Might yet buy some proper Hornby spoked wheels off eBay rather than making disc wheels on the lathe - will see how I feel at the weekend...

 

Out of curiosity: does anyone have any experience of returning 3-rail stock that's been converted to 2-rail back to 3-rail? I had loads of my brother's H-D stuff converted to 2-rail in the mid-70s and now I want to return it to its original condition. I assume the path is to find scrap 3-rail stuff as donors for the job?

 

Don't go down that route or you will have pages telling you it should be preserved as the only Doncaster built example of 3 rail stock...

 

For Hornby stuff there is this guy who may be able to help: http://www.toysofthepast.co.uk/services/

Presumably they just insulated the wheel sets, added pickups for the insulated set and removed the third rail pickup? You could probably reinstate the central pickup and add a switch to enable 2/3-rail as required (the later Hornby era BL locos are done like this so they can be run on either setup).

 

A quick Google brought this up https://mainlytrains.webs.com/PriceList.htm. I don't know anything about them but worth a look. There were a few other sites as well - search for "hornby dublo spares", the"dublo" bit will help prevent loads of hits on the more recent manifestations of "hornby".

Steve B

 

That's brilliant - thank you! I can see I am going to be emptying my wallet very soon indeed....

 

That's exactly what happened, as far as I can remember (it was 1975!): the work was carried out by The Model Shop of 715 Lincoln Road, Peterborough (above R.E.L. Electrics). Those who remember the place may well remember the chain-smoking owner John Fowler, who literally would light one cigarette up off the end of the previous one... happy days!