Engine sheds

[Welshbloke]

I'm somewhat tempted to buy a Kato 23-300 engine shed kit and use it as the basis of a diorama. I'd fix it to some thin plastic sheet as a baseplate to hold the track, shed, and anything else together while keeping it portable for the time being (in the event of building a layout I'll have a ready-to-plant shed which just needs the edges of the baseplate blending in). I can use it to display locos or multiple units when it isn't part of a layout.

 

However, I'm not sure about the track configuration. Obviously there are front and rear doors, and the photo on the box shows the track running straight through it. I'm guessing the real thing would have a short stub of track with buffer stops at the back end, but how short? Anyone have some photos of the real structure the Kato kit is based on?

[velotrain]

_{As they say, it's your railroad.}

[cteno4]

Its a nice little model, no glue required! There are a few interior details and if you glue the sides together and make a few mods you can have it so the roof comes off and you could trick out the interior nicely. Also add a few dimmed leds to the ceiling for nice interior lighting! These can also be ganged together to make a longer engine shed as well (I have 6 of them on the club track to run a 8 car shinkansen into!) they can also be fitted side by side with some shaving of the base sides.

 

I've seen this style of house with either short stubs out the rear or longer tracks leading off into other areas like paint sheds, storage tracks, etc. you could juts run the tracks out the rear and cut them at the edge of the diorama.

 

Jeff

[Welshbloke]

Yep, at the moment I'm looking at what track sections I have which don't see much use. Probably going to use the 186mm and 64mm straights in some combination as I seldom need them and already have them, plus the shed is apparently 187mm long. 

 

I don't want to end up with something too long overall as it won't be much use on a temporary layout if it won't fit!

 

The shed is around the £10 mark here and plastic sheet isn't expensive. Good idea on the LEDs, I might do something like having a concealed socket to plug a battery pack into as that way they'll be able to work regardless of whether the track is connected to a controller. I could also run some floodlights on the outside of the shed from the same source.

[cteno4]

Yep can run quite a few leds from a small battery pack! It is quite a nice kit and very strudy, mine have been bashed around to shows for 10+ years and even the doors are still on the back one and operable! They are a tad plastic and can use a bit of light weathering.

 

They also have several track spacing options. If you go for the #6 point 49.5mm then you can also stack them side by side over multiple yard tracks as well.

 

Jeff