Beginning to get somewhere

[buckingham]

So many layouts that I look at on the forum and on youtube are very impressive but I also envy at the space that people are able to use.

Unfortunately I cannot see myself ever having something other than a door sized layout and this can be a bit depressing.

However having read much on this forum about 'just getting on with it' :), which is the beauty of unitrack in that it can be put up and taken down with ease, I have finally put down a layout on the dining table and started to think about scenery. 

It is about 2200 by 800mm with a double track all round.

I have a couple of Kato buildings and platforms to get some idea of scale and as I have a good supply of 5mm foamboard from photography projects, I am looking at some block modelling to get an idea of what looks good in scale and layout.

Also, the foamboard is about the right thickness to build up the areas of land between and around the tracks and I am experimenting with this as a removable element for modelling scenery but which can be removed when i have to pack away  the model.

The first time I laid it out the track it took about 90 minutes but i think that I will be able to get that down to 60 minutes easily when i have done it a few times.

It is just great to see the trains running around the circuit

 Thanks for all the help so far - and a few photos

[velotrain]

Have you considered permanently installing the track on a door or similar, so that it would take you just a few minutes to place the door on the table? 

 

Perhaps it could be stored upright somewhere.

[cteno4]

Buckingham,

 

Great start and to as you say just getting on with it! That's the beauty of unitrak to quickly set up the layout and morph it and learn. Many do it this way just set up on the fly for a while at a time. If you can tolerate having to take it down when needed it's great to keep playing with track ideas before nailing things down.

 

Scenery bits are great to get started learning scenery techniques and can be used in different layout ideas and even eventually be incorporated into a perminant layout. If you haven't seen it yet, Barry Lowell did a great article on doubt temporary layout and small scenery bits and scenery surrounds for structures to really make them pop!

 

http://japanrailmodelers.org/pages/modelingjapan/tempoary.html

 

Also just playing with mocking up scenes really helps like you have started to do. Even PDF cardstock building quickly put together can really help play with scenes. As Railsquid here has noted the other way to approach a layout is to think the scenes you want and then fit the track plan around it! So often it's the other way around. Anyway playing like this helps you figure out what your real interests and approach to modeling is. Finding that is the key to the hobby becoming a deep and long one!

 

You can do quite a bit in a small space. Doing things temporary like this can keep you from getting bored with the same small layout. Also later you might think modular where you could set up something a bit larger but store small as well as change out modules to change things up some.

 

Keep on playing, that moves you forwards, builds interest, and you learn a lot easily w.o a huge investment, but good returns.

 

Jeep us posted! Good to see you getting on!

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[serotta1972]

Good stuff buckingham, trains running is progress in my book.  All I've done so far is buy a green cover for my hollow core door, one of the many great suggestions from Jeff.  :)

[buckingham]

Have you considered permanently installing the track on a door or similar, so that it would take you just a few minutes to place the door on the table? 

 

Perhaps it could be stored upright somewhere.

Yes, thanks , that is an idea that i have in my head in the medium term

[buckingham]

"Keep on playing, that moves you forwards, builds interest, and you learn a lot easily w.o a huge investment, but good returns."

 

Thanks Jeff

I think that has to be my guiding principle

 

 

[inobu]

Buck,

 

You have all the pieces you just need some where to put it. It takes a little innovation and problem solving.

 

Something I've been toying with for the right job. The key is making it blend in with the decor when its stored so "She" is happy. It is called a Murphy bed and there are hardware kits available.

 

Inobu

[cteno4]

I have eyed these over the years and always thought an option if in a smaller space and even in my current office if I want something to be more convertible space! You can get the hardware alone as well to cutomize an installation or all built units. With urban dwellings going small again these have popped out more! Good idea of bringing this up inobu, was a doh! Moment for me we have not talked about this before on the forums much (other than the elevator versions).

 

Jeff

[buckingham]

Having only the dining room table to use, I have not been able to set up anything for about 2 months due to Christmas, family visits etc. - and i did catch the Queen's cold bug for a week :)

But having obtained a job lot of Kato and Tomix and Kibri buildings before Christmas,over the past 2 days I have had chance to just play around with the layout and run a few trains.

Nothing special but I have had a lot of pleasure for a few hours :happy3:

 

Lot of wires on show and I haven't worked out what to do with them as apparently I am not allowed to drill through the table.  A hollow core door must be my medium term aim I think.  Meanwhile i might try covering them with squashed paper  or foamboard and try to do some landscaping.

 

 

Also managed to get a Greenmax housing kit and fencing for £8/$10 and am amusing myself painting them very badly but with an intention to create a small- scale development

 

 

BTW these last shots are from photos on the box, not my attempts

Edited January 23, 2017 by buckingham

[cteno4]

buckingham,

 

the green max house kits are a challenge to paint with the window frames made as part of the walls! lots nice when they are separate and you can paint them and then walls separately and then glue them together. there is no magic bullet to do them fast. either careful and slow with a small brush, use a paint pen and go carefully, or mask off the frames which is a lot of time...

 

patience helps.

 

jeff

[buckingham]

buckingham,

 

the green max house kits are a challenge to paint with the window frames made as part of the walls! lots nice when they are separate and you can paint them and then walls separately and then glue them together. there is no magic bullet to do them fast. either careful and slow with a small brush, use a paint pen and go carefully, or mask off the frames which is a lot of time...

 

patience helps.

 

jeff

Thanks Jeff.

They are indeed a challenge and i have managed with some of them better than others.  Window and door frames are really hard - I doubt that I could mask them on such a small scale.

But it is interesting and a cheap way of practicing technique

[buckingham]

I cannot believe that it is nearly a year since i posted..

I have taken a regular interest in other members posts but my own work has slipped, mainly for good family reasons.

In June of this year my daughter and family moved to just a few streets away and we now have the joy of seeing our grandchildren more often, although I now spend time painting and decorating.

However this has led to me losing the facility of the dining table for developing a layout and i have no where else large enough.

Consequently, most stuff has been boxed away. 

I have now been able to put up a small table top of 150cm by 65cm and create a small layout.  Looking at the space available i might be able to get up to 165 by 800, which will help when creating sidings, and I might be able to get a portion of it L-shaped.  That will need a bit of work on AnyRail.

But at least now my 4 year old grandson can have an interest and we can leave it up permanently  (and he seems particularly interested in buildings) and we have a had a few hours just messing about.

A couple of photos show how he likes to cram the buildings onto the layout and his cute idea of how to park cars!

The out of scale figure is his 2 year old sisters contribution.

So in a way I am beginning to get somewhere again.

 

[railsquid]

9 hours ago, buckingham said:

But at least now my 4 year old grandson can have an interest and we can leave it up permanently  (and he seems particularly interested in buildings) and we have a had a few hours just messing about.

A couple of photos show how he likes to cram the buildings onto the layout and his cute idea of how to park cars!

 

 

Apart from the in-balcony parking, the building-cramming is very typical for Japan.
 

Quote

 

The out of scale figure is his 2 year old sisters contribution.

 

 

 

Could easily be placed on a roof as an advertising installation.

[buckingham]

On 12/1/2017 at 1:18 AM, railsquid said:

 

Apart from the in-balcony parking, the building-cramming is very typical for Japan.
 

 

Could easily be placed on a roof as an advertising installation.

 

Thanks for that advice @railsquid