One of the YouTube channels I follow is BUDGET MODEL RAILWAYS (who also have a website). They currently have issued a challenge … to build a small model railway layout on a 60cm x 23.5cm floating shelf.
The wording of the challenge is as follows:
To produce a layout of any scale/gauge on a 60cm x 23.5cm floating shelf.
Thickness of the shelf does not matter but must not exceed the 60cm x 23.5cm dimensions. It must have at least one point/switch and have as much operating potential as possible! i.e. not a single track diorama.
Any type of track including pre-ballasted is acceptable. Ovals are acceptable if they can be fitted in, as long as there is at least one point/switch.
It must have two buildings/structures as a minimum, but this can include sheds, signal boxes etc.
Back scene can be any height.
This is Mike Potter's N gauge freelance 60cm x 23.5cm layout. It is designed so that the Kato freelance pocket line range locomotives and rolling stock can run on it. In his description of the layout he states that he 'wanted to give a sense of open space with the railway part of the landscape and not the main feature'.
I am giving serious thought to taking part in this challenge … and if I do, I will certainly blog about it.
Please note that the photographs featured above are © Michael Potter.
BOB,
ReplyDeleteAn interesting modelling challenge- fairly restrictive on the basic requirements- wish you luck with this. Regards. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteCoincidentally, PECO have also issued a model railway challenge … but their’s is a diorama one.
I think that the idea is that people who don’t have a large space can still have a model railway. I suspect that it might be possible to create several such small layouts that one can join together to make a larger one.
All the best,
Bob
You so have to have a go, and if thats N gauge, TT could squeeze a very interesting little scene with some of your fine scratch building
ReplyDeleteEls On,
DeleteI will probably go for HOe or 009, of which I have a lot of second-hand locomotives and rolling stock, and use KATO N-gauge Unitrack.
All the best,
Bob
I agree with Els On - this is a very interesting project,
ReplyDeleteI'm going to show my ignorance here I'm afraid: How does one go about getting power to a single piece of track that doesn't make a circuit?
Maudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteAs far as I understand it, as long as one rail if positive and the other negative, the locomotive should work as it form the bridge between the two and closes the circuit. The problems arise with points/switches ... but KATO points allow for that and are wired internally to ensure that the ciruit is not broken when the points/switches are operated.
All the best,
Bob
Interesting, a local pub (The Station Inn appropriately enough) has a small operating layout in one of those aluminium/silver photography cases , I think it's about 2'x2' and in one of the smaller scales (N or Z ?) with operating street lights etc , you press a button and it operates for about a minute running time.
ReplyDeleteThe Good Soldier Svjek,
DeleteThat sounds very interesting. I know several people who own Z-gauge models, and one has his in a suitcase and the other's is in an A4 file box!
All the best,
Bob
I follow Mike's and Dough's YouTube-channel too, and I've noticed this interesting challenge. It would be tempting to attend, but I got too many projects going on already.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see what people make out of it.
Roger,
DeleteI was looking at going down the modular model railway route, and this challenge will give me the opportunity to see if it will be the right decision for me to make.
All the best,
Bob
Given the small space, do the trains actually operate?
ReplyDeleteNickN,
DeleteIt is what railway modellers call a small inglenook shunting layout. Users move the loco backwards and forwards assembling the rolling stock in a particular way. It’s rather like the railway equivalent of the ‘Towers of Hanoi’ puzzle.
All the best,
Bob