I have just started to build another layout on a shelf. Its nothing revoltionary but so far its working out quite well. The baseboard is a shelf board and the rest of the timber which forms the structure are bits and pieces from the garage.
There is a canal wharf and some 'industrial' buildings and a warehouse with rail access. The 'main line' enters half way along the board from the backstage are which has two sidings. The controller and section switches are all self contained needing only the wall wart transformer to be connected to ready to play with... ahem have an operating session.
Photos to follow and further exciting chapters in the tale of Arnold Lane.
Here are some pictures of progress so far.
More pictures
The controls
Well a couple of nights of crap on the telly and the Wharf area is starting to come together. The stone sets are all done and the quayside edge stones have been made and fitted. They are thin plasticard cut into oblongs with the corners filed round and then folded in half and glued over the edge. Looks OK raw, hopefully once painted will look better.
All the track electrics are also finished. Original plan was to use manual point changing and 2/4 visible points are operated with a length of rail attached to the point and fed through a hole in the back of the layout where the rail is bent into a hoop to operate the point. Unfortunately there are 2 points where i couldn't work out how to get the pull rod through the scenery to a useable place for operating so I've ended up with a CDU and point motors mounted above the board. One will be hidden in a weighbridge building and I'll have to think up something else for the other one. Might try in a lorry... watch this space.
Anyway, picture attached of wharf progress.
Nice to see I am not the only one using the Gaugemaster Combi. I have one wired into my (first) layout Haul Y Bryn and have found it to be brilliant. Looks amazing already.
Eddie
I'm abit biased because I sell Gaugemaster products but have always used them before that. I find with the combi and their electronic track cleaner I get faultless running assuming the track is laid properly and the mechanism of the loco is capable of it. Fleischmann are my favourites.
Hopefully should get a bit further on with the layout over xmas assuming I can see over the huge pile of food liberated from Tescos.
Ho Ho Ho
how are you uncoupling? I have purchased Greenwich type and was going to mount magnets [taken from my stepsons broken magnetix set] in the ballast.
Fixed magnets can be a pain. I have known them to stall locos, most noticeably ones with small diameter bogie wheels or those with steel bogie fixings. WD 4-6-0
To be honest I've always used the 'hand of God' from the sky method but have been experimenting with ramps to no usefull conclusions. They seem to either not work or derail stock. I've got so much stock with BEMO style that I'm lumbered with them now, if I was starting from scratch I would go for something else...
Do magnets work with BEMO style? I've never considered it.
Pardon me for asking, but does the name "Arnold La(y)ne" have any link with Syd Barrett? :)
Google maps turned up a couple of Arnold Lanes, but neither near water. There appears to be a wharf in London that was sometimes known as Arnold Lane.
"Imaginography" ::) can be fascinating!
Indeed. The warehouse type building is due to have a sign in the name of S Barrett and sons.
Nice to know I'm not the only 009 Floyd fan. Trying to work out how to see Emily play too.
Cheers
Just wondering where you're going to put several species of small furry animal & a pict? ;D
Nostalgia - there's no future in it.
Ken
Although I have and would again recommended electro magnets with Greenwich couplings I do not actually use them!
I am in the same situation as John, all my locos and stock are fitted with the
Thanks for the gen on de couplers. I also use a ROCO wagon for coupling height. I am gradualy getting my older stock standardised, I had never appreciated what a difference the height makes to relaibility. My last layout had some very sharp bends and so coupler locking was quite an issue.
Arnold Lane is just something to keep me occupied and indoors during the winter ( A momentary lapse of season?) so I think I'll stick with 'manual' decoupling for this project but I am in the throws of planning a bigger layout with exhibition in mind so some remote decoupling will be useful on that.
Made a bit of progress with the wharf area. Fenced and buildings stuck down.
Also painted the warehouse, 'S Barrett and sons'
Meant to add this picture
Having been somewhat snowed in I've been quite busy. The pictures are not good as I only have an old camera but thats enough excuses for the moment.
I'm working right to left with the scenery so the wharf is looking pretty well finished and it gets less so as you progress towards the warehouse.
I've been making some progress down at the wharf and here are a couple more pics to prove it.
And another
A very attractive little layout developing there. Well done and thanks for sharing the photos of it! Looking forward to seeing more when you are able to have another session - some words/photos of the stock perhaps would be eagerly digested by the readership of this little corner of the hobby!
Mick
Thanks for the kind words. I'm quite pleased with it. The layout allows quite a good range of shunting options. I guess in the real world one little i c shunter would be all that was required but I can fit loads on... and this is my world.
The story is that this is part of the Isle of Stoner Railway which is going to be a large layout in my garage (one day). I've written a history and planned the whole thing but just when I thought I had permission and finnaces various 'Oh Sh** the house is falling down' type priorities have overtaken me... one day. However the rolling stock carries on being built and Arnold Lane is somwhere to try it out. The layout actually lives on its end in the same cupboard as the ironing board and hoover.
The IoSR has a couple of branch lines, one of which supplies a light house and so I have a growing collection of rail lorries and push pull units. These are ideal when you don't have a run round loop.
My camera is at work but I'll bring it home and take some pictures of these. Most of the rest of the rolling stock are the usual Dundas kits in various forms of bashing. I'm trying to make IoSR trains look unlike they've been kidnapped from other lines, although I do have quite a bit of Ffestiniog Stock but the I do see it every day at work.
Here are a couple of up to date pics.
And another...
This is my DMU. It runs on a Bachmann 0-6-0 chassis and is made from Dundas Victorian coaches.
Hi John,
This really has developed into a most impressive little layout - congratulations!
I am particularly intrigued by the tantalising glimpses of your stock in the photos - in particular the green loco that can just about be made out in photos Dsc0002 and 0006 and the very attractive chunky little brown loco hauling the saloon in "The inspection comp" photo of 01 March.
Can you provide descriptions of these two (and all the rest if you want!) and if possible further photos please?
I've just noticed that I posted a similar request for descriptions of your stock on 30 Jan. Therefore sorry to nag, but the request still stands! :)
Mick
Even if it is a nag it is a very nice one.
The green loco is 'Blower' and it is basically a GEM 'Dennis' on a new Farish 08 chassis. Its a bit big for this layout but will come into its own one day when the main 'big' layout gets built. Chassis runs brilliantly but the whole thing is a bit of square because one of our cats knocked it off a shelf just after I had finished it and so it had to be bent back to shape. (So did the cat when I caught it.)
The other loco you mention is my most recent and is named 'Doris'. The chassis is froma modern Minitrix 0-6-0 continental loco which had a lovely, detailed body.. so ripped that off and built the current version from bits in my box of bits. I think the cab and tanks are from a Langley WD 4-6-0. The boiler is a piece of a pen with microstrip for boiler bands. The colour is actually 'Hull Red' but most people call it brown.
My other favourite loco at the moment is the little diesel shunter which is a very simple conversion of the Farish 04. When i bought it it was so well detailed and painted that I couldn't bear to take the whole body and bin it, fortunately thencab is a seperate piece so I removed that, stuck a seat and some controls on. The cab back is again a bit from that box. Loads of dirt and a very casual driver later and Bobs your uncle. It is a superb runner and for its size will pull quite a lot.
Seeing as I'm sitting at my desk doing this I'd better stop for now but I promise to post some more when I get a minute.
Quote from: Isle of Stoner on March 02, 2010, 16:05
I think the cab and tanks are from a Langley WD 4-6-0.
Many thanks for that prompt response! Great stuff.
Now you have revealed the answer, it is so obvious when I look at it again! Using the cab and tanks on a shorter 0-6-0 certainly makes for a handsome little engine that is full of character and "purpose". I like the diesel shunter as well - excellent use of imagination!
More of the same please - you have quite a few items in your stocklist lurking in the layout photos that warrant descriptions and closer photos!
Regards
Mick
Thanks for the kind words. I'm at home now so here are a couple of others.
Percy and John (My Dad and me) are the rail lorrys. Percy the van body vehicle is still waiting name plates and is an Airfix lorry cab and a Dundas Glyn Valley van on a Fleischmann track cleaning loco chassis. It runs very slowly and very noisily. John is my tke on the clogher valley open backed rail lorry. It is once again a Dundas open wagon and I think another Airfix cab on a Kato 4 wheel chassis. They usually run back to back and when one stalls the other pushes it on so they actually run quite well together.
'Puffer' is a fairly standard issue varikit on a Fleischmann 0-4-0 chassis, as you'd expect it runs very nicely. I've found the trick to smooth running 009 is good quality chassis to start off, set to a decent back to back so they can negotiate the famous PECO point chicane and I swear by Gaugemaster electronic track cleaners and controllers for that matter.
I'll post some more when I get a minute to take some more decent pics.
Love it. Where do you find the time. I'm still only about half way along my slate dry stone wall (and it's driving me round the twist) but what with having 2 kids in the house the railway is taking a back seat at the moment. You have given me a kick up the proverbial
:-[
Eddie
One of my favourite trains is my version of a 14xx and autocoach. In this case its a small 0-4-0 cobbled together from the bits box on another Fleischmann 0-4-0 and a driving coach made from a Dundas FR No10 van. I cut it down and removed the balcony end cutting adriving window in the end. I added a bell and light and that was that. Its very short and fits in the end of sidings.
The other picture shows some goods stock including a brake van from another dundas van with the duckets from the autocoach. The open sheep wagon is a cut down Airfix 00 gauge cattle van on some WD hudson bogies. The bogie closed van is 2 of the glyn valley vans on some roco timber bolsters.
I cheat by having the layout ontop of a piano which sits behind the sofa so while the family watch crap on the telly I potter at the layout. Glad you like it, I'm quite please with most of it. The water ahs gone a bit lumpy in places which I think is dust and bits from the fire which landed on it while it was still wet, I may give a couple more coats and see if I can cover up the holes.
Nice mix'n'match of kitbashes there John.
I understand what you mean about the Farish 04 diesel. Simple and effective model there.
Here are a couple more oddities. Firstly 'Keith' and his carriage. On the projected 'big' layout there is a branch line to a lighthouse and keith and his carriage are designed for this, they provide provisions and crew transport. Keith is a Dundas VoR brake van and the cab from a knightwing lorry on a Kato shorty chassis. The coach is made from some parts of a London Tram and an assortment of Plastikard and odds and ends. In this picture you can't see the end of it but it has a cow catcher and a lifebelt for when it is running coach first.
The second picture is a fuel bowser built on an FR 3 ton slate wagon using an Airfix water tank. It is losely based on the FR version which spent a few years at Dinas on the WHR. It is marked with yellow ends to note that it should not be moved, like the V tip it sits next too which takes loco ash.
Thanks for your welcome.
Does the combi have 16v AC outlets for your points?
richard39.
Yes it does, I use a gaugemaster capacitor discharge unit from it and it seems fine. It takes a second or so to recharge between point changes but thats never been a problem.
Here are a couple more 'chop and shop' vehicles including my new bogie brake van. I have a weaknes for brake vans.
The first picture has my other bogie brake van which is made of Dundas FR van 10 parts but without the passenger part and with a door at both ends. It is inspired by the SR (Big one not Southwold) heavy brake van. The rest of the train consists of bits cut off of bogie coaches attached to 4 wheel chassis. The middle one is an FR 37 cut down, this donated its chassis to my new van which is in the second and third pictures. This is two Dundas Victorian Brake vans and some platikard strip on the afore mentioned chassis. When its painted I'll post a picture.
Bet you are sorry you nagged now Mick!
Quote from: Isle of Stoner on March 04, 2010, 16:06
Bet you are sorry you nagged now Mick!
Au contraire! :)
Great models and great imagineering! I love a good bit of kitbashing and this is all - a good bit of kitbashing!
At the risk of nagging ( ;)):
There's still a couple of your engines that we haven't yet had a good look at: the "front" end of your push-pull set - from the distant view it certainly has a bit of Corris about it, but looks to be different somehow as well! Plus there's another loco in the short siding closest to the camera in photo Dsc 0006 that you posted here on 28 Jan; not seen this one in any of the other photos............
Thanks for sharing these images - loads of inspiration here and I bet I'm not the only one who has been enjoying them!
Regards
Mick
I'm glad you're enjoying the show.
The front end of the push pull is 'Invicta' which is yet another Fleischmann 0-4-0 chassis with bits from several kits and plastikard as usual. Not sure what came from where really. I buy kits and empty them into my kit box and rumage about for bits as I need them, probably a bit expensive but ebay and exhibition jumble boxes are a big help. I've never made it to an exhibition with the sales stand at it but suspect that it would be an expensive outing! I've always thought it looked a bit Corrisish and so I've pictured it with my Corris van... another from the brake van fetish siding!
The other loco you mention is 'Lily' which was my first bits and pieces effort which is on a Farish 0-6-0 chassis. It has a biro for a boiler etc. It sort of has the air of the 3ft gauge Ratty locos... if you squint.
I'll keep them coming, I seem to have an embarrasingly large fleet of Locos and stock. Marvellous.
Quote from: Isle of Stoner on March 04, 2010, 21:16
The other loco you mention is 'Lily' which was my first bits and pieces effort which is on a Farish 0-6-0 chassis. It has a biro for a boiler etc. It sort of has the air of the 3ft gauge Ratty locos... if you squint.
I'll keep them coming, I seem to have an embarrasingly large fleet of Locos and stock. Marvellous.
More great stuff - your spares box is certainly a fertile source of imagineering! I think Lily might have a bit of the Manx Caledonia about her as well - plus a hint of Terrier maybe!
Keep them coming for as long as you like ;D
Mick
Two of my favourite real locos... spooky.
I joined the society last week having done no railway modelling for 35 years and what do I find - lots of references to Pink Floyd - now I know I am in the right place
Welcome to the machine.
As I came to your post 'comfortably numb' shuffled its way onto my speakrs... spooky.
Cheers
John
Thanks for the welcome - I am on the verge of starting my first layout for 30+ years and see from articles in the modelling press that everyone seems to use mdf or plywood for baseboards - what ever happened to sundela (apologies for spelling)
I'm dreadful at the wwodwork bit of layout building so I'm not the one to ask but for what its worth I tend to use MDF these days as its cheap and easy to cut. Plywood seems to be very popular as you say...
Good luck and make sure you post some pics and progress reports on here.
If you use MDF, how do you get track pins in or do you glue track down?
I use Hornby track pins which are a little stouter and I drill a hole through the sleeper and into the mdf and then push the pin in with an old punch which has just the right sized concave end. Simplz.
Here is a picture of where the layout lives, along with tool boxes, stock boxes and the ironing board etc.
Seeing your photo reminds me of a recent discussion online relating to materials for protective covers for layouts. Are you considering a cover for it?
Someone suggested foamcore board and I suggested "Correx" fluted PVC or fluted polycarbonate (B&Q had some thin stuff about 6 mm thick), but I'm not too sure what glues or cements to use. I ordered 10 sheets of 8 ft x 4 ft Correx at work, but unfortunately the offcuts are too small to be of use elsewhere.
I have a small N gauge layout that is similarly propped up out of the way and have been wondering about some sort of cover.
Slightly off-topic but in relation to layout covers.
I have a permanent 009 layout, about 8ftx2ft (sorry can't do metric) and struggling to find a protetcive cover that doesn't disturb the scenery. tried old sheet etc but as you pull it off inevitably something gets disturbed/pulled out of place.
Just wondered if anyone had discovered anything better
Bob Berry
Hi Bob
I use thin black bin liners, cut into sheets and fixed together with masking tape. (Masking tape side upward.)
This works well at keeping out the dust and also prevents the scenery from fading. They are very light and also smooth so they do not damage even the most delicate details.
I have other covers of the same design for the exhibition layouts, and these get used to cover the layouts over night if required at two day + shows.
Brian Meldon
I have had a late invite to bring my 009 'Arnold Lane Wharf' layout along to Paul Towers mini exhibition which takes place in the Ganolfan in Porthmadog this Saturday from 10 am to 4.30pm. It is mainly standard gauge I believe but I will be flying the NG flag and the FR will have a stand there too.
The Ganolfan is just over the bridge from Harbour Station so a trip to the FR shop and then maybe a trip down the High street to see the WHHR could make for a very succesful day.