New member, new to modelling

[robmv6]

Hi All,

Just recently joined as I'd like to get into something I've wanted to do since I was a boy when my dad built an 8' x 4' layout in a bedroom when I was 5 and my uncles also had layouts.

I currently live in a fairly small house with just two options for where to build the layout I want. One is the loft which I would say is around 25' x 10'. The problem with that is that the loft access is to one long side which restricts the width of the baseboard on that side to 12". The other problem is headroom. You can just about stand, but bent over, doing nothing for your neck/back. The layout would probably be at knee height to maximise space. It would need flooring properly, and the insulation and lighting sorting before I could start.

The alternative is the garage. I'm not sure of the dimensions, except to say it is a sectional garage with door at the rear right side for access and a rather insecure up & over garage door, hence why it's not used except for junk to be tipped. It's probably smaller than the loft space. The floor is concrete, and walls are bare concrete as you would normally find. It would need flooring, walls insulating and boarding and a leakage problem with the roof sorting out, plus a heavy, secure main door to replace the current one. Electrics and lighting are already installed.

I have several plans in mind, one based on Stalybridge & one on Manchester Piccadilly, and another sort of "alternate reality" plan based on what happened to Wrexham & Shropshire. I would like to model modern era and/or BR around the time of nationalisation.

I've dipped my toe in already by purchasing some Superquick & Metcalfe card kits, to make sure I'm capable before I start spending loads of money:eek:

Cheers
Rob

[Flashbang]

Hi
Welcome to the forum.
I too am a garage dweller! Though my garage is actually part of the main house.

I would use the garage if its free, once all the usual "Junk" is sorted and most taken to the local tip you can see how much room is available. As your garage is all concrete it really needs a dry lining with suitable insulation installed between the inside of the concrete and the inner face of the dry lining. While this will reduce the overall size a little its well worth the effort. What you decide to do with the main door is important. Mine are up and over metal twin doors and I have made removable sheet timber cladding from OSB sheets. So if necessary the cladding can be lifted away and the main doors opened as normal, but when not in use the doors are no longer visible from the garages inside. Each section of cladding is approx 2 foot wide and overlaps the next one by approx 2 inches. So a draft and reasonably dust proof seal is made. I lipped the top, bottom and side edges with some lengths of split 15mm pipe tubing insulation to act as a sort of seal against the main walls. The personal door is still in position and allows access as normal and doesn't need any room within the garage as its an outward opening door. The floor is concrete and I obtained a cheap plastic tarpaulin that covered the whole area (from a local market tool stall). On top of this I was able to obtain a larger piece of carpet from a friend who at the time was replacing his lounge carpet. This helps keep the feet warm.

So I now have a reasonably dust and draft free room which can be returned to a garage if ever required. The only thing I find is in the winter months its a tad cold, but an electric heater turned on for half an hour before I use the railway room soon warms it up! I just need tea and coffee making facilities now. :)

[robmv6]

There's some handy tips in there, I'll keep all that in mind.:)

I've given some time to thinking about where and when I wanted to model. Primarily I want a continuous run, with no scenic breaks.

My first consideration was the area around Stalybridge, in Cheshire, on the line between Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield. This line has some of the better features such as tunnels, viaducts, bridges, industrial and country running on a double track line. I'd leave the period open ended, as it's not electrified and not much has changed over the years.

Secondly, Manchester Piccadilly. Although it could be a fantastic thing to achieve, given the space available I'm not sure it would've worked in continuous run in OO which is my preferred gauge. It would have included the viaducts in and and out of the station, hopefully Longsight depot, and the imposing viaduct at Stockport. Overall a huge undertaking and possibly not a job for a first layout.

My third option was interesting, and complete fantasy. My former home was in rural North Wales and I went to college in Wrexham, just a few hundred yards from Wrexham General. On reading of the Wrexham & Shropshire's demise, I got to thinking of what could have been with done with the line. I envisaged a four track main line, extended platforms and semi-fast and non-stop express trains running up to Chester from Marylebone, as W&S proved could have been done.

What do you think?

Rob

[robmv6]

Well there's a thing!

Just spent the better part of the week moving our business to new premises and guess what I found? The new place has a flight of stairs up to a spacious, newly refurbished office area. At the top of the stairs is a loft hatch. Discovered that said loft has lighting already installed in the form of two 6ft fluorescent tubes. The loft space is HUGE, not sure of exact dimensions yet, and the space isn't suitable (yet!) for storage or anything else as it's not floored at all, or insulated under the tiles (although the floor does have insulation for the room below), but it would be a wonderful area for a model railway. I'll have to get my thinking cap on on this one.

I'd managed (rather easily I thought) to persuade the missus to let me use the garage, but I might just have a rethink.:)

Rob

[seniormike]

Hi Flashbang.
I was browsing the forum and came upon your advice for a model railway in the garage. That's where I have mine. at present I'm a little limited (my current layout is on 8ft by 2ft 6in board) but I have hopes of extending it ,possibly into a "L" layout. The garage is brick built with a pitched roof which has been lined with old floor boards (by the previous owner).
The concrete floor I've covered with offcuts of "Novilon" and then some old carpet placed on the top. The doors had to be renewed some years ago and are metal. At present there is no heating but even after last winter, although I didn't operate the layout, when the weather improved I had very little trouble running trains.I did however remove the locos and stored them indoors during the cold weather. Hope this helps anyone setting up a layout in the garage.