Perth (Scotland) Model Show - And a Start

I managed to get to the Perth Model Railway Show today, and picked up my first few bits of my layout.  A box of flex track, a left, right and y-point.  And a little un-lettered porter with sound.

 There was also 2 very nice layouts on show, which gave me some great idea's.

Track Planning

This is a good post, a very good post.  After a long time landscaping and building real buildings i get to post about my track plan.

I have had an idea for years, to build a small On30 mining layout about 4 foot square, after i found these pictures online.  I liked the idea of a small layout and the fact you can have a run round, which is handy at shows if you are speaking to people, you can still have something moving. 

This layout is only 3 foot square, and uses woodland scenic risers to achieve the height to take the track above the lower level.  I am hoping if i open the layout out to 4 foot square i can get a bigger radius to allow me to use shay's or climax loco's along with the porters.  

I am also going to make it look like is on an out crop into the lake, and build a small dock so the mined materials can be shipped to the local small town.  This gives the loco's somewhere to come from and go too.

On the top Plato i will place the mine and workshop/mining camp, along with the turntable, and lots of lights and moving parts.

The main loco stock will be porters like these, but the climax and shay loco's by bachmann are just to nice, to not have running on the layout also.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Workshop

I have now installed 2 of the shelving units, with a 3rd to be placed next to the left hand side unit.  i have picked up today the last 2 bits of worktop.  I also have 2 base units 1no. 600mm and 1no. 1000mm. to built to sit under the island worktop, That will leave my with just 2 1000mm base units to finish the storage area.   I now have a nice Purple colour on the walls.......  left over paint from the Kitchen, how clean it will stay i have no idea..

So what is On30?

In the U.S. modelling in On30 involves using HO gauge track and points with O scale (1:48) models to represent 30" narrow gauge in O scale. Outside of the US this is sometimes called O-16.5. O scale is slightly different (1:43/7mm to the foot, or 1:45) in other parts of the world.

Modelling in O scale means that your models will be 1/4"=1 foot scale. It's important to remember that your buildings and figures will be roughly twice as large as HO. On30 modellers use HO gauge track to represent 30" gauge in O scale. This lets On30er's fit more layout in the same space as regular O gauge.

One advantage to modelling in this gauge is the availability of HO gauge locomotive chassis's and components such as trucks and couplers. You can also use HO gauge track components, though once getting into this gauge, most modellers use On30 flex track and turnouts, or hand lay their own track.

Another advantage is the availability of Bachmann's line of On30 ready-to-run models. These are well made and inexpensive models, and offer a wide variety of equipment.

Bench work and Wallpaper - On30 Mining

Progress on the workshop.

The walls were papered this weekend to give a better finish, and as half of the building is for a summer house they will have to be painted.

I removed the shelf's i built above the workbench and will replace them with Kitchen wall units,  I will just be buying the framing just now the doors will follow when i have more cash.

I spent ages trying to workout how best to lay my workbenches out, and i have finally settled for this layout.  I hope it gives me enough space to construct my layouts.

So now its just down to buying another worktop, and the base units to go below the worktop.

I have two 600mm wall units to build and install over the next few days,  But before all that i need to paint the Ceiling and walls.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

With the workshop progressing nicely i am now thinking about the first layout i am going to build.  I have been hunting around for a track plan and a theme, and found a cracking small 3 foot by 3 foot layout to use as a base.  Its a small mountain mining layout with an inverted figure of 8, There is a small turntable with sidings to the mine and a blacksmiths workshop.  The Scale is On30 and the stock will be Bachman Porters with the mining ore cars and other scratch build wagons.

More to follow on this........