Big jim's (now dismantled) 12 x 6 shed layout

[LongRail]

thats good enough for me and how it would be on the layout with the actual toe of the 2 points outside the crossing area so it wouldnt look too odd, besides the corner its in if i place the buildings strategically on the viewing side you wouldnt notice too much

Jim I don't think it's about being prototypical the issue I see will be the practicalities of forming a crossing around a set of points at 00 scale.

At 1:1 scale the size of a set of points is much much longer and standard off the shelf points are greatly reduced in size.

My thoughts are that you may end up with large visible gaps in the roadway which would look odd.

 

Would be interesting to see a photo

[LongRail]

Jim

 

This is a plan of the level crossing on my layout just about fitted between sets of points but avoiding the point blades, currently adding the cattle/trespass strips and this is restricted by the location of the points.

 

Given a bit more hindsight I would have opened up the gap between the adjacent sets of points and slightly moved the level crossing

 

 

[big jim]

A quick sneak into the shed earlier

 

Before I can do anything with the top level of the layout I need to fix the track on the bottom, there is only one hidden section of track but it needs to be in before I continue

 

First job was a cork base

 

On to with the new loop from the yard was laid and secured as well as positioning the points for the hidden sidings

 

 

I will drill holes for the point motors and retro fit them as I go along, I am also going to add point detection/direction LEDs to the hidden sidings using the same electrofrog method as I used previously so I know which way they are set

 

 

Squared off the edge of the top board while I was aligning the bottom tracks, the goods line now comes out from a 'skew bridge'

 

Then round to the other side of the layout, dremel'd off the track end and cut away the existing polystyrene curve

 

Scraped it away with a big wood saw!!

 

3rd and 4th radius curves, you can see by the old alignment how much tighter it is but still not too tight hopefully

 

I had some spare risers in the garage so I Added those, I will add a layer of card or thin ply to the top before fixing the track down

 

Getting on with it slowly!

 

EDIT: couple of pics removed!

Edited December 7, 2016 by big jim

[big jim]

no progress on the layout this week but got hold of this little beauty via ebay, 37025 in large logo

 

 

going to update it with cantrail stripes, up to date OHLE flashes etc, i can live with the prototypical 80s wonky double arrows

[big jim]

Brief 1/2 hour in the shed, laid the point work for the hidden sidings, drilled the holes for the point motors, just one extra set of points to fit up as I realised I can get an extra siding in near the back

 

 

 

And with the top board placed loosely back on you can see where the goods line will rejoin the mainline and how it will curve gently round into the tunnel which may become a cutting yet!

 

 

And looking the other way

[LongRail]

Jim

 

I have installed a CCTV system on my layout which allow me to see all areas of thelayout including hidden sidings, they can be brought very cheaply on ebay just require a monitor to view. Typically the cameras have infa red night vision which is although will only display in black and white in low light levels allows you to see what is happening with hidden sidings.

 

Link to type of system if you are intersted

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SANNCE-8CH-HDMI-1080N-DVR-AHD-720P-1500TVL-IP66-Home-CCTV-Security-Camera-System/131853813354

[dhjgreen]

Jim

 

I have installed a CCTV system on my layout which allow me to see all areas of thelayout including hidden sidings, they can be brought very cheaply on ebay just require a monitor to view. Typically the cameras have infa red night vision which is although will only display in black and white in low light levels allows you to see what is happening with hidden sidings.

 

Link to type of system if you are intersted

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SANNCE-8CH-HDMI-1080N-DVR-AHD-720P-1500TVL-IP66-Home-CCTV-Security-Camera-System/131853813354

I have one of those on my layout. I use it to view the traversers and at a low level to view the colourlight signals which are hard to see: it is a good enough resolution to be able to see which colour is showing.

[Scottish-Exile]

Wow. Just discovered this thread this morning. I'm up to page 11 so far

 

Great seeing the layout develop from the initial baseboard build. I'm about to embark  on something similar, a 2 level uppper / lower deck. The track plan is just very vague in my head, as I'll be designing / building it as I go along. Unconventional, but I just can't 'see' things on paper so prefer to try  it all out in-situ so to speak.

[big jim]

woodwork evening.....

 

proper wood for the far end of the high level area, fill in bits and the removable section

 

big piece of ply for the rear

 

then cut away the tunnel portal

 

removable section, high level wood, this is a rough piece as i need to make it slightly wider

 

and with 3rd and 4th radius curves

 

i was hoping to get away with not having to do the next bit but i just couldnt get the track to fit so i had to!

 

basically ive added a small fillet of baseboard to the low level on the station side

 

bracing fitted by screwing it from the rear

 

cut the ply to suit

 

and screwed in place, a few more to add though

 

which means the track has just that little bit more room

 

then i had a think about the track in the station

 

set up No1, platform at the back and island platform with bi-di line in the centre

 

to which i could add a bay

 

the other end

 

which would go round to 3 points on the removable section (hence why i need to widen it a touch) meaning trains could use the dentre road in either direction

 

or set up No2, line at the rear, island platform and through road at the front

 

other end which would go to the same 3 way sets of points, this time the bi-di line is the centre one,

 

general overview, i'm prefering the 2nd station set up personally

[Robert]

What an inspirational thread this is! I've just finished reading it from start to end - which has admittedly taken me several days.

 

Keep up the good work, Jim. It is looking great.

[big jim]

If nothing it shows how not planning ahead properly can come back and bite you in the bum!

 

Thankfully the bit I wasn't happy with was the unsceniced side

[tender]

Even planning ahead doesn't guarantee first time results. My spare room layout looked OK on paper in 2D but when I started putting the gradients on the baseboards I hadn't allowed enough space on one of the inside bends for the coach overhang and the under gear was fouling the embankment on the adjacent track. Just having to move the track over half an inch had consequences that meant a fairly major rethink.

[big jim]

couple of hours earlier, first job was to finish laying the hidden sidings

 

 

which will hold decent lengths of trains, i will put some foam at the ends in the event of any rough shunts, the line with the WAG on will take another 2 coaches

 

next was a bit of cork laying on the mainline

 

and under the scissor crossing, also cut back the goods line to join to the points

 

looking back towards the tunnel the track widens out a touch to allow for overhang on the 3rd and 4th radius curve

 

it will actually run 'into' the wall as such so i can ease the curve a little bit

 

but with the bridge in place it wont be at all noticable

 

and looking back from the door with the removable section removed you can see the new bit i have added (under the 3 way point), next job is wire the hidden sidings up (which ill do above baseboard level as it wont be seen) then i need to add some ply to the risers at the far end of the layout to allow me to join the new lower level set up to the existing incline, then its the headache of the removable section

[The Stationmaster]

Blimey Jim - I'd have thought you'd be fed up with engineering work after spending part of Christmas 'helping out' on the big railway. 

[big jim]

And a bit more....

 

corked the last bit of the incline

 

And laid the track, sprayed the cork with spray mount glue as track pins don't work on there, that track is going nowhere!!

 

Laid it a bit wider than I needed to avoid contact between coaches on adjacent lines (I miscalculated the old incline and had it happen quite frequently), the other end has it coming back in to a more prototypical distance apart

 

Not noticeable with the bridge above, also lined up the points and added a set to what will be a single platform station (Heljan tackley halt)

 

Still to be corked, not much room for the shed though, looking at it if I placed it right at the back I'd have a heck of a lot of wasted track being used as the approach so I'm going to move it towards the centre of the layout slightly and have a fuel line on the approach with by pass point work and space behind for stabling locos, before I think about that lot though I will add a length of skirting board to the layout edge to avoid any locos taking a tumble

 

One of the options I looked as was putting the Hornby oil terminal tanks and unloading rig where the low level station/depot is situated but with a bit of jigging it will fit nicely in the top corner where I was going to put the town buildings, I'm very impressed with the Hornby tanks, certainly look good looming over the track

 

Access will be from behind the bridge with enough room for 4 x 100t tankers

 

Certainly coming on, a general overview again with the shed moved forward a touch, next job is to get the wiring done on the low level bit so I can crack on with securing the high level boards and get the last of the track laying done

Edited January 2, 2017 by big jim

[tender]

Hi Jim.

Just noticed that you use cork over the top of the Scenics foam risers. That must save a lot of time and effort trying to fill the gaps. What adhesive do you use for this and are there any pitfalls to watch out for?

Ray.

[JDW]

Looking good Jim, I've been following your thread for a while, mostly in silence, and appreciating your work.  Just one question though - that girder bridge, right behind it you have the fuel (un)loading siding, shouldn't that have a bridge too?  Otherwise you have solid ground immediately behind the bridge, a bridge to nowhere!  I'm sure you've already thought of it, but just thought I'd ask!

[bensanchez43310]

Looks like an amazing bit of craftmanship right there, looks amazing, its amazing what you can do in 10x6, top layout!

[big jim]

Looking good Jim, I've been following your thread for a while, mostly in silence, and appreciating your work. Just one question though - that girder bridge, right behind it you have the fuel (un)loading siding, shouldn't that have a bridge too? Otherwise you have solid ground immediately behind the bridge, a bridge to nowhere! I'm sure you've already thought of it, but just thought I'd ask!

I've been pondering that bit to be honest, I'll probably end up cutting the wood away behind the girder bridge leaving a strip of wood along the rear wall wide enough for a single track girder bridge to the fuel plant, I will have to 'cut' the girder bridge into the board anyway but I'm leaving that until late on and I'm happy with the set up

[big jim]

Hi Jim.

Just noticed that you use cork over the top of the Scenics foam risers. That must save a lot of time and effort trying to fill the gaps. What adhesive do you use for this and are there any pitfalls to watch out for?

Ray.

I used the spray mount glue, not ideal but quick drying as opposed to using ova as I've used in the past, a different brand of spray mount I used in the past melted the polystyrene a bit but the Bostik one seems to have worked ok, on the original bits of incline I also laid plaster bandage stuff but I didn't bother this time, will have to see what pitfalls I get when trains are running proper!

[big jim]

Made some outriggers for the high level bit this morning, secured with dowels and PGA glue, probably going to add some more as I extend the scenic bit out at the door end of the shed at a later date

 

Then as I had the power tools out I cut the bridge area out

 

So the bridge is now floating

 

 

And mocked up with offcuts of brick paper and the wills flexi girder from the old removable section

 

 

The wall bit will extend right down to the low level as it firsts nicely between the mainline and goods line

 

Next thing i really need to do is crack on with the wiring in the hidden sidings then I can secure the top boards properly and continue with the track laying, I've got a DCC points detector module to fit for the hidden points as well as the point motors but those can be done below baseboard level, I do have this evening to maybe make a start in those jobs but I've really got to be in the mood to solder

[LongRail]

Thats a big hammer just lying there may be best to put it away for safety

[big jim]

ive got bigger!

 

that one is my trackpin hammer

[big jim]

couple of hours earlier

 

wired up the hidden sidings and road into the yard, strung them together into this chocolate block which will eventually be connected to the mainline tracks for power

 

 

i got power to the tracks as it stands by simply running some wires across the tracks and hey presto powered up first time with no issues

 

quite amazingly despite the other side of the layout looking like this there wasnt anything metal on the live tracks shorting anything out so i could do some testing without having to clear that lot!

 

the mainline tracks were live from the top of the exisiting incline right round to the points for the goods loop and platform on the opposite line, 70801 doing the honors for testing

 

the only issue i have had is the WAG express if moving into the hidden sidings from the yard it shorts out the layout when the DVT crosses the double insulated block joint (the yard is controlled by a reverse loop module), the dvt currently does not have a dcc chip fitted so im hoping that when it does it wont short out any more, the train runs fine without the DVT on so at least i know thats the problem

 

the final job was cutting a bit more away behind the bridge to make it squarer, it also means i can get a better looking cosmetic wall in below the high level board

[big jim]

secured the scissor crossing and points earlier, drilled the holes for the point motors so they are ready to fit as and when

 

 

looking back towards the removable section i've placed a few lengths of track on it to get the idea of how the curves will look 

 

and the roads towards the depot

 

view from the doorway