Small Shelf Layout / Micro Layout Ideas

[xveitch]

Hi All, 

 

I've got a small space available in my living room for a layout and wanted to chuck some of my ideas in here to see if there's something I've missed or just to sound-out my thoughts. I've been modelling for a while but there are several skills I would love to learn, so this is intended as something small with a degree of operational interest to learn some new skills and get it to a level of completion fairly quickly and in a smart, presentable way (as it is in the living room).

 

The space is 36cm x 120cm and that's a hard limit so all elements of the layout need to fit within that. I have quite a bit of vertical height to play with though. 

 

Aims/Wishes:

• Handbuilt 00-SF. No complicated trackwork as first time building track
• A couple of structures to practice structure scratchbuilding ~2/3 max
• Sufficient operational interest but would like to focus on railway in a scenic setting
• Use of height (rail bridge over stream?)
• Definite preference for a more rural vibe than urban
• Some scenic elements acting as view blockers 
• Maximise scenic space - scenic cassette may be one solution for 'fiddleyard' (if one is necessary)
• Presentable as in living room (in built lighting, cameo-style presentation)
• Intended to build skills within a reduced scope and size

Period/Theme Ideas:

Idea 1: Pre-grouping light railway
Inspiration: Hembourne / Sherton Abbas

Track layout: Terminus station with cassettes and a loco turntable (or an Inglenook-variant?)
Pros: 

• Would match up nicely with my interest in LSWR 
• Can pick and mix from available pre-grouping kits and get something running. Possible scratchbuilds later?
• Small pre-grouping rolling stock matches small layout nicely
• Something slightly different to the ordinary

 

Idea 2: 1950s engineering works 
Inspiration: Oldshaw (EM gauge), but just private use (factory) and as an inglenook. I especially like how the rail bridge over the canal lines up with the factory behind.

Track layout: Inglenook-variant
Pros:

• Already have a YEC Janus and some suitable wagons
• Can play around with interesting weathering concepts
• Can readily mix RTR and kits
• More images/resources available
• Engineering works = interesting wagon loads

 

Would love to hear what you all think / constructive criticism / new ideas!

Xander 

 

[RobinofLoxley]

This is definitely in what might be called Ian Futers Land.

[xveitch]

On 14/07/2024 at 14:44, RobinofLoxley said:

This is definitely in what might be called Ian Futers Land.

 

Haha I'm taking that as a compliment! 
 

I'm still not sure what to go for. Maybe it'd be possible to go down the inglenook route but make the epoch-specific items removable and switchable between 1950s and 1900s? 

I've got too much on at the moment to start building, so I'll keep playing around with the ideas until I feel like I've made a decision. 

[DavidB-AU]

The light railway could have a distinct Colonel Stephens feel to it.

[Chris M]

You could of course achieve a lot more in N gauge. Yes, a statement of the obvious and not what you want to do. But you can buy code 40 track and make it yourself - see British Finescale https://www.britishfinescale.com/.  Making buildings from scratch is pretty straightforward in N. If at some time later you still wanted to go to 4mm the experience gained by building in 2mm will make you a better builder in a larger scale. There are some nice locos available in N these days. I went from 00 to N about 12 years ago and would not now go back. I've just built a real shelf layout in N. It is only 7 inches deep although it is over 12 feet long that sits on a shelf in my railway room. It might be worth having a think to see just how much more of a layout you could do if you used N. Here's mine, its amazing what you can do with only 7 inches. 

 

Edited July 18 by Chris M

[AndyB]

On tour first plan I'm wondering if swapping the turntable for a sector plate a la Bembridge would give you a bit more room?

 

Appreciate that r-t-p sector plates may not have sufficient swing for both the run round loop and the loco servicing stub. 

But it may be something you could make yourself?

 

On the second plan it might be argued that constructing a bridge to extend the headshunt would have been an expensive proposition.

That said it'd add a lot to the visual appeal of the layout. And there's always a back story to cover these things.

Edited July 18 by AndyB

[Rivercider]

Could you use the North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway for inspiration?

It was a mostly rural railway, developed by Colonel Stephens, in former LSWR territory,

 the ball clay loading at Marland and Meeth would give plenty of choice for some interesting buildings,

and there was the Rolle Canal as far as Torrington.

 

cheers

[cornelius]

In that limited space I would personally try and experiment at full size (lining paper can useful for sketching plans) with actual turnouts and stock to make sure you can fit in what you're expecting.

[xveitch]

Some interesting ideas - thanks!

 

10 hours ago, DavidB-AU said:

The light railway could have a distinct Colonel Stephens feel to it.

That was kind of vibe that I would be going for. Gives me quite a bit of freedom with the rolling stock choice too.

 

4 hours ago, Chris M said:

You could of course achieve a lot more in N gauge.

I understand your point. I guess for me this layout is more about 'skill building' and not 'how much railway can I pack in'. Especially as I'm interested in locomotive kitbuilding (inc. chassis) and possibly scratchbuilding and there's simply more on offer in 4mm for that than in 2mm. If I were to jump to 2mm, it'd most likely be 2mmfs, and my skills simply aren't there yet.   

 

4 hours ago, AndyB said:

Appreciate that r-t-p sector plates may not have sufficient swing for both the run round loop and the loco servicing stub. 

But it may be something you could make yourself?

Not a bad idea. Happy to build that myself, or bash around one of the H0 offerings

 

4 hours ago, AndyB said:

On the second plan it might be argued that constructing a bridge to extend the headshunt would have been an expensive proposition.

That said it'd add a lot to the visual appeal of the layout. And there's always a back story to cover these things.

The plan would be to make it look like the route over the bridge continues 'off scene'. So while functionally it's simply a headshunt, scenically it looks like part of the actual railway line. 

 

3 hours ago, Rivercider said:

Could you use the North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway for inspiration?

Yeah that was one of the things bouncing around my head - thanks for reminding me of the name!

 

3 hours ago, cornelius said:

In that limited space I would personally try and experiment at full size (lining paper can useful for sketching plans) with actual turnouts and stock to make sure you can fit in what you're expecting.

I've played around with both. They both fit nicely - the inglenook variant does have a rather pleasing curve throughout the scene and doesn't overcrowd the space. I think the 'light railway' trackplan would definitely be the more present of the two when it comes to track in the scene 

[Stubby47]

Inglenooks don't have to be a fan of 3 sidings:

 

(Ignore the narrow gauge in the front.)

[Bittern]

3 hours ago, AndyB said:

On tour first plan I'm wondering if swapping the turntable for a sector plate a la Bembridge would give you a bit more room?

Thinking of Bembridge - a compressed version of Langstone could be a scenically interesting operationally-inverted inglenook even if you omitted the coal wharf,  with the bridge line as the 5-wagon line, the halt as the headhunt, and PS Carrier as the two sidings, where the challenge is to arrange the wagons in balanced pairs onto the ferry. It might look silly with the bridge lowered enough to make the gradients reasonable though, even if you sloped up to the bridge, and only had Brighton locos instead of the O2s associated with the Isle of Wight, but it was a rather pretty spot, which is a desirable feature for a living room layout. Unfortunately it is also an extremely distinctive location, so you can't relocate it easily.