Z gauge shorty (yet to be named)

[matt_d10]

As a long time lurker, its about time I started construction on my latest project. It's a small sized Z gauge layout for my growing collection of rokuhan shorties. Space is at a premium but I worked out there was just enough space under the sofa to tuck away a small layout that I could get out and put away easily whenever I want to play trains.

 

Months of various plans, building and testing and trying again led me to this final design...

The size is around 100x60cm. 3 platform station in the front, small stabling siding to the right. There will be a tunnel through a hill on the left (with a shrine on top) and a river from the top center to the right.

 

Inspiration for the layout came from a youtube video which I most likely saw on this forum (https://youtu.be/COJdEJVjZgw?si=J820FtjRWyeSyKdS) As much as I'd love to run "full length" shorties, the station alone would have taken up the entire length of the layout so I'm setting for a more rural setting with max 2 car Kihas being the norm. Full automation would be nice too but for now I'm happy with it in DC, but I do have a rokuhan DCC chip for some experimentation too.

 

Construction of the base is using some skirting boards to create a frame for some 75mm insulation foam I had lying around. The result is reasonably light and strong enough for what I need.

 

I've set the track up, which itself wasn't straightforward. The rokuhan geometry meant I had to cut some notches in the track bases on the straight exit from the points. All very straightforward but means I'm now fully committed to the plan! Here's a few pictures of the progress so far.

 

 

Next steps are to commit to the final track positions and make holes for the point wires and track feeds, channel out the river and get some terrain built. 

 

Matt