Early Risers.

[AndyB]

Morning all. Drizzle first thing now clearing to sunnier skies.

 

The weekend flew by with the usual family activities overlaid with getting ready for next weekend's wedding in the Loire. 

Suddenly everyone is panicking about what clothes they are going to wear. Well, what should I have expected when the "ex" and "swmbo" are spending a weekend in the same hotel.

A friend asked me how many socks I was taking.

"One for each ear" was my thought.

 

More importantly I've been assembling kitchen base units on which the new layout will sit. Slight disappointment that the overall scenic length will be a lot shorter than at first envisaged, once turn around loops/sidings are included at each end. Trying to figure out whether to accept a relatively short scenic length (certainly achievable in terms of finishing the project) or whether to extend the layout round the garage to include the High Peak Jnct sidings. The second option would make it a whopping project but give the trains room to run a decent length.

 

I'm thinking that layouts expand to fill more than the existing space very easily.     

 

Edited May 6, 2014 by AndyB

[New Haven Neil]

Morning ER's.

 

Not bad here, breezy but sunny for now, rain twirled at later.

 

Oh how true that layout plans expand to more than the space available - my HO layout runs around two and a half walls of my garage, end to end with staging (fiddle yards) at each end.  But I WANT longer trains, more running distance etc etc....but there's 5 motorbikes and a workbench in there too, plus all the usual household detritus garages attract. #sigh#  I should have gone N scale but my fingers don't work at that size and Mrs H thinks they are 'stupid little things with stupid little wheels'.  Anything less than a full size Bulleid Pacific is a stupid little thing in her eyes.....the girl has taste!

[Donw]

Morning all. We are at Carsington Water at the moment. Yesterday tried to walk along the top of the dam (a walk/cycleway) total nightmare so many people walking and on bikes, small children on bikes, a small one behind us continuously ringing his bell. Monty who hates bycyles and various noises such as a bell was pulling and tugging like mad on his lead. Fortunately we found a different footpath back. even walking through a field of sheep with small lambs (which he would very much like to have rounded up!) was easy compared to the crowds. Hopefully today will be much quieter now the bank holiday is over.

Don

[AndyB]

Aye, Neil. I'm dipping my toe into N gauge. The Cromford layout couldn't be much simpler but hits the mark when "trains in a landscape" is concerned. 

I've got 15' of potential layout, but need to include a 3' (?) loop at each end, shrinking the scenic area to 9' by 2' (expands a bit at the ends to allow the turn around).

Is 9' too little for a mainline "run" or sufficient to be finished.  I know there's an unofficial rule of thirds which means the train could be 3' long, or a loco and 5 coaches...but....

Uh-oh,  better not clutter ER with ponderings  about model railways! I'll get into trouble.

Andy

[DDolfelin]

I like to think about speeds, Andy.

How long before a scale speed of, say, 30mph, delivers your moving stock back to where it started?

The longer it takes, the more interesting it is for the viewer watching it move through your landscape.

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

Failed to post yesterday, as had a busy morning prior to arrival of VIP, who duly appeared and gave general approval to the house and garden, which I have pointed out could be hers if she so chooses. Nothing in life is ever that easy, of course!

 

Lovely day yesterday, but apart from some early sun today it's not looking so good for the rest of the week. We were up having tea at 4.30 after - unbridled dyspepsia! Less alcohol needed, I think!

 

Hope the return to work isn't too much of a strain for those so afflicted.

[trisonic]

I see that someone called “The Skullcracker” was let out for a constitutional by H.M. Prisons and instead decided to follow in the steps of Ian’s recent "Tour of the Home Counties”...

 

Best, Pete.

[AndyB]

I like to think about speeds, Andy.

How long before a scale speed of, say, 30mph, delivers your moving stock back to where it started?

The longer it takes, the more interesting it is for the viewer watching it move through your landscape.

 

Roughly, DD, the length of track in scene would be 108 inches. 

At 50mph that would approximate to 20 seconds in scene. 

At 30mph roughly 35 seconds. 

 

I'm not experienced enough to decide whether that constitutes a "long" time, ergo interesting, or not in this context.  

 

http://www.mcr5.org/NMRA/articals/speed.htm has a calculator for various gauges and distances travelled. 

[AndyB]

I see that someone called “The Skullcracker” was let out for a constitutional by H.M. Prisons and instead decided to follow in the steps of Ian’s recent "Tour of the Home Counties”...

 

Best, Pete.

Tricky to take someone seriously when their nom de infamie sounds like a potent but cheap cider. 

Nevertheless hope he doesn't turn up here to argue the point.   

[petethemole]

Given that his 'title' relates to his habit of pistol whipping people who got in his way, I'd take him very seriously.  

[trisonic]

So, why let him out for a walk?

 

Best, Pete.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

The Skullcracker has been sighted in London according to the DT - I'm still trying to puzzle out why a bloke who was given 13 life sentences on his most recent court appearance should have been in an open prison and spending a day out on parole, definitely some weird 'criminal justice' in this country.

 

But at least the weather has brightened up and last night's deluge was presumably 'good for the garden' - talking of which management has just realised she has omitted to plant any leeks and is now out of veg space.  Meanwhile today the saga of the dining room will continue, so I'm told.

 

Have a good day one and all

[Jock67B]

Morning all, glad now that I cut the grass yesterday as it has now had a good soak! Been shopping already this morning as SWMBO has a shocking cold and, because of medication she takes for 'angina', has to be careful of remedies. Honey and lemon is the order of the day. Polly, those shots of the Ffestiniog brought memories flooding back - for a couple of years my dad abandoned his caravan on a site at 'Black Rock Sands' near Porthmadog. Great place from which to enjoy Snowdonia and of course the 'Great Little Trains of Wales'. I did a climbing course at Ogwen Cottage, Capel Curig, whilst in the sixth form (funded of course by Mum and Dad - spoiled or what?) and that coupled to my interest in old castles etc. made that area one of my favourites! Took a while to catch on to why we had at least two trips up the line to Blaenau on a Sunday : being a Scot, and Wales being 'dry' on the Sabbath, Dad had discovered that the train was licensed!! He covered the evening session by becoming an honorary member of the local rugby club (not the he ever played the game in his life.) Wonderful forgotten memories brought back to life by your lovely pictures, thanks very much! Ian, glad to hear the VIP landed safe and well, really do hope all goes in the direction you hope for! Have the best day you can in your particular circumstances,

Kind regards,

Jock67B.

Edited May 6, 2014 by Jock67B

[Jock67B]

Morning all,

 

The Skullcracker has been sighted in London according to the DT - I'm still trying to puzzle out why a bloke who was given 13 life sentences on his most recent court appearance should have been in an open prison and spending a day out on parole, definitely some weird 'criminal justice' in this country.

 

But at least the weather has brightened up and last night's deluge was presumably 'good for the garden' - talking of which management has just realised she has omitted to plant any leeks and is now out of veg space.  Meanwhile today the saga of the dining room will continue, so I'm told.

 

Have a good day one and all

Looks like 'Tesco' or similar for the leeks then - just be careful not to be seduced into buying lots of other things while you're there as that's how supermarkets work!!

Kind regards,

Jock67B.

[DDolfelin]

Roughly, DD, the length of track in scene would be 108 inches. 

At 50mph that would approximate to 20 seconds in scene. 

At 30mph roughly 35 seconds. 

 

I'm not experienced enough to decide whether that constitutes a "long" time, ergo interesting, or not in this context.  

 

http://www.mcr5.org/NMRA/articals/speed.htm has a calculator for various gauges and distances travelled. 

 

From your description, Andy, you have plenty of room in N to introduce a convoluted track layout.

For example incorporating a Z or S shaped configuration.

 

In N, 3 feet is plenty for the end loops.

You will be OK using 2 feet and even smaller will depend on the length of stock you are running and at what speed.

Just my thoughts on the matter - and 30 seconds is quite a long time watching a moving train (think of the exhibitions you've seen).

Also, deceiving the eye by use of tunnels, cuttings and running behind other scenery adds interest.

Forgive me if I'm offering eggs to suck!

[AndrewC]

Neil, depending on the amount of headroom in your garage, you could raise the layout and expand it using a mock mezzanine. I've seen this done where the layout does a full E shape along 3 walls and down the centre. The height is just enough to allow a car to park under the middle branch of the E. The baseboards themselves are suspended from the ceiling. To go to the extreme, there is at least one instance where the builder put the whole layout on cables and raises it up and out of the way, then lowers it when he wants to play.

[DDolfelin]

Might be a strain raising and lowering a full kitchen!

[Pete 75C]

Might be a strain raising and lowering a full kitchen!

 

Raise it far enough and you'd get a car in the garage too. However, all railway modellers with a garage know that the car's natural habitat is on the drive outside...

[AndyB]

From your description, Andy, you have plenty of room in N to introduce a convoluted track layout.

For example incorporating a Z or S shaped configuration.

 

In N, 3 feet is plenty for the end loops.

You will be OK using 2 feet and even smaller will depend on the length of stock you are running and at what speed.

Just my thoughts on the matter - and 30 seconds is quite a long time watching a moving train (think of the exhibitions you've seen).

Also, deceiving the eye by use of tunnels, cuttings and running behind other scenery adds interest.

Forgive me if I'm offering eggs to suck!

 

Thanks, DD.

The mainline from Cromford stn to the Leawood tunnel follows a gentle curve and could be engineered to enter and leave the scenic area of the baseboard at the front edge, allowing the fiddle yard loops to fold back towards the back of the baseboard. Handily there are tunnels at each end of the modeled area, several bridges, an aquaduct, canal, river, woods, meadows, potential for a "might have survived" quarry line. Whilst the line is mainly on an embankment if you look at a Youtube clip of the line today (about 1:45mins to 4:50mins) there are a lot of trees obscuring the line from where the layout would be viewed. So, plenty of scope for visual tricks to extend the perceived running length.

Andy 

[New Haven Neil]

Well, Lifeboatman will be pleased to hear that there is no driveway to the garage, it was built for the purpose of storing railways and motorcycles from the outset!  As this is our last house it's not an issue for selling, although the access to make a driveway to it is there, provided you fill in the wildlife pond!

 

As for height, well it's already almost four foot six above datum so that motorbikes can squeeze underneath, and much higher would make it difficult to work on, especially as I do have some minor mobility restrictions after my hip surgery.  Trouble is the space meant for the bikes underneath has become filled with live steamers in their carrying boxes, G scale stock, boxes of OO stock for my next layout, a chop saw, band saw...etc etc.  I really need a BIG tidy out!

 

The garage is 16 feet-ish square so not small, with only a single up and over but the space where a second one would be is taken up by the workbench, compressor, pillar drill, tool cabinet.....you get the picture!  It is also embarrassingly untidy, after more than a year of me not really doing much in there (see hip above).  A spring plan is to do a major clear out before doing any more on the layout.

[trisonic]

Oh, dear. Early Risers really is turning into an extension of other sections....

 

Best, Pete.

[The Stationmaster]

Raise it far enough and you'd get a car in the garage too. However, all railway modellers with a garage know that the car's natural habitat is on the drive outside...

Agree - why on earth would anyone want to put a car in a garage, it's unnatural (unless it's a soft top/open vehicle or something worthy of preservation on account of it being vintage etc)

[AndyB]

Agree - why on earth would anyone want to put a car in a garage, it's unnatural (unless it's a soft top/open vehicle or something worthy of preservation on account of it being vintage etc)

There's a thought. I could drive into my garage with the top down and sit in the car whilst operating the trains.

[New Haven Neil]

You wouldn't be able to see mine from down there!

[laurenceb]

Agree - why on earth would anyone want to put a car in a garage, it's unnatural (unless it's a soft top/open vehicle or something worthy of preservation on account of it being vintage etc)

Read someware that keeing a car in a garage shortens its life by years because it doesnt get a chance to dry out properly

Laurence