Hi everyone,
Having attended the Perth Model railway show the other week I have gained the spark for 009 that I had as a kid.
One of the parts that really grabbed my attention was the modular baseboard set up using the scale model scenery baseboards on the 009 society stand.
https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/bb021-micro-layout-baseboard-in-a-box---centre-extension-for-bb017--bb029-9123-p.asp
They said there was a set of standards on how to build them and to connect them to the other members modules. I have been unable to find them on here and was wondering if you could help or point me to a 009 news it may have been in previously?
Many thanks
Allan
Hi Alan,
It was good to see you at the ScOONs (009 Society Scotland Area Group) stand at Perth. The modular scheme is ours, not a general 009 Society one. Other area groups have their own modular schemes. It is a relatively new venture of ours and because generally we meet in person only at exhibitions and for most of the time over Zoom a modular system poses its own challenges.
We have draft specifications that are available through the group to those interested in extending our current 'pilot scheme' and the hope is that test builders that come on board will contribute to the development of the project. Perhaps the best thing is to join in with the ScOONs Zoom meetings. We have our own Area Group Section on the forum too. Specifications will be released in due course and we intend writing about our modules in the News too.
There are a number of reasons why we did not follow an existing modular system. One is that we did not intend per se to create a modular layout. Instead its primary function is to add interest to our Society representation at exhibitions and that may mean only a few modules being on display. In various small forms it could operate as a diorama with movement, micro-layout, possibly an automated shuttle and so on.
Also it is hoped that there will be a wide variety of modules to ring the changes. This relates to how we operate at exhibitions. We do not have a central exhibition team, but members will take on the running of a stand in their own area with the help of others and with the general exhibition display material being passed between members. That means that some modules may never be part of the same set-up.
Perth may possibly the biggest it will be in terms of length. I imagine anything larger will have to be an invited layout and that means having sufficient modules finished to an appropriate standard and having improved operational methods. An observation regarding larger configurations that we agreed on is the desirability to have some form of train dispatch and possibly storage so that trains could be kept running with fewer operators when others were engaging with the public.
Perhaps an unforeseen benefit of our set-up is the opportunity it provides for members without a home layout or looking for a change. In particular it has proven popular with younger members, either visiting, or whose parents are exhibiting. For stretches during exhibitions the running has been passed over to younger members.
Hi Allan
I'm glad you enjoyed our setup at Perth.
Brian is right that there are a lot of 009 standards to choose from. I'm (almost) ashamed to admit that ScOONs (the Scottish area group) has devised it's own standard. However, there is a good reason for this.
Both the Oxfordshire and Dartmoor groups have their own modular standards. However, both of these require fairly high precision construction and, in some cases, template modules that are passed around between participating members to verify that new modules will fit together.
You have to remember that ScOONs is a very geographically scattered group. We meet online via Zoom twice each month but really only see each other in person at exhibitions. So, when the idea of modules came up last year, we had to devise an arrangement that would work with modules being constructed completely independently, with limited mechanical precision, and working first time when brought together.
Graeme Dunbar and I agreed to be the guinea pigs for this (not least because the ScOONs mini-module standard was largely my work). Our first test was at the Aberdeen show in October 2023 when Graeme's and my modules, constructed in isolation 170 miles apart, came together for the first time. I'm glad to say they worked. We realised that there some things that had been unsaid in our very (very) draft specification that needed to be written down and that there were some things to be added.
The second outing was at Glasgow in February this year and it was after that that I started to draft up the specification as a proper written handbook. The current draft of that is dated 1 May and I expected to learn more to improve it after the Perth show, but have yet to put fingers to keyboard on that.
The current draft is entirely usable but has room for improvement and a whole section on operation still unwritten. (It's a 19 page PDF with lots of pictures.) We haven't found a good location to share it from, but if you send me a private message with your email address, I'll send you a copy.
Ian
Thank you very much everyone for your very fast replies! It was fantastic meeting you both at Perth. I'll PM my email to you Ian.
All fair comments.
I have removed my posts from this thread!
Quote from: B.Meldon on July 11, 2024, 20:47All fair comments.
I have removed my posts from this thread!
Thank you Brian. I've done likewise as it is distracting from the original post.