[steve]

I've had this project on the stocks for ages and I thought it was time to resuscitate it now I have some time available.

It will be set in Germany, late 1990s>early 2000s and HO/3.5mm.

The baseboard was made some time ago by a combination of a recycled paste table and some plywood sheeting. The sector plate was constructed earlier this year. I have all the stock already and the track and points and a lot of suitable structures are already in stock. So it's time get underway.

Today's progress has been laying foam underlay over the whole board. I did this with a previous layout and was very pleased with the result.

Photos will follow in due course.

The name? I'll let our German-speaking colleagues work that one out. When they do, they'll have a good clue about the trackplan!

steve
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ERFG, DEMU, EMGS

[Jordan]

[Blackcloud Railways]

I'm guessing that the current or existing state of affairs might have something to do with it or, as Carl Arendt said "It really rocks" .
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Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.

[Andy in Germany]

"Starker Vehkehr" can also be translated as "heavy traffic". I'm guessing tha's what Steve means...
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Andy in Germany
More railway misadventures on:
www.korschtal.wordpress.com

[Blackcloud Railways]

http://carendt.us/scrapbook/page57/index.html

Scroll past my tea trays and Giles's "Littleport".
_________________
Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.

[Jordan]

[steve]

Bob and Andy have the right of it,

Hopefully, here are some pics to give an idea:

Baseboard (underside)

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/534/pic0262h.jpg/

A rough idea of the trackplan:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/845/pic0263.jpg/

Some shots to give an idea of how it will look:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/845/pic0266.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/143/pic0268.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/822/pic0269br.jpg/

And one of the sector plate:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/171/pic0265x.jpg/

On view is the total loco stud of the layout, the superb Mehano 66 and a Lilliput shunter. I hope to obtain a MAK Bo-Bo shunter in due course.

I was fortunate with the Cargowaggons, bogie and 4 wheelers. When Heljan bought out their 4mm version of the Bo-Bo, those UK outline folks who upgraded needed to dispose of the 3.5 versions...

I'm intending to go for Kadee couplings as the mix of existing ones on the stock I have acquired is a pain. Sadly 3-links aren't really an option but Kadees I know work!

More updates as things progress...

steve
_________________
ERFG, DEMU, EMGS

[Jordan]

Ah, the "Bargain" 66, if I recall correctly...

Will this be a European-outline layout,then, or are you planning any repaints?

A few years back when I tried British HO, I got several Roco Cargowagons and a couple of Electrotren Habfis 4-wheelers. I was planning to copy operations outside Boston Docks, Lincs, where an EWS 66 interchanged freight outside the docks with a Class 08 and Class 03 Shunters, both in BR Green (Privatised BR has thrown up the weirdest Livery combinations!!)
I was going to repaint my Class 11 green, and get a Mehano 66 to repaint in EWS, but the price of the Mehano put me off - I could've bought a Bachmann 66 and both shunters in 4mm and had change for the same money, without needing to repaint anything
Of course if I'd found that 66 before you, Steve...

Re the trackplan, I think I get it now... I was thinking it might be a bigger version of Heavy Traffic, but it looks a similar size?
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What is this thing called "Spare Time"...??

[steve]

"bargain" 66. That's the chappie. And I would have a second one like a shot if I could get one at the same price!

Totally German Jordan. Horses for courses; in my (modelling) book UK outline=4mm

It is a bigger version, in that the baseboard is slightly longer and certainly wider. Also, being HO everything is .5mm smaller so, therefore it's bigger overall 'cos everything takes up less space.

steve
_________________
ERFG, DEMU, EMGS

[Jordan]

[steve]

Work is progressing apace on this now. Here's a shot to show what I mean:

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/6097/56704346.jpg

Thanks

steve
_________________
ERFG, DEMU, EMGS

[steve]

A few photos to show current progress:

http://s1359.beta.photobucket.com/user/EarlMarischal/media/IMG_1278_zpsd69ae586.jpg.html

http://s1359.beta.photobucket.com/user/EarlMarischal/media/IMG_1280_zpsc9ecaf1a.jpg.html

http://s1359.beta.photobucket.com/user/EarlMarischal/media/IMG_1282_zps5658cdd3.jpg.html

http://s1359.beta.photobucket.com/user/EarlMarischal/media/IMG_1283_zps7d69c8d7.jpg.html

Please excuse the background.

steve
_________________
ERFG, DEMU, EMGS

[Andy in Germany]

Nice progress Steve.

I like the older building in the centre. I think that helps make it clear this is a European model, not a US based one. We still have a lot of yards like this in Germany, and a suprising amount of wagonload frieght.

The German industrial areas I travel through each morning are pretty tightly packed with the track squeezing between buildings. This seems to be a common theme in Germany, probably because they are often built in valleys (because the river was the main transport method before the railways) of course there are exceptions to this, but land is very expensive so it tends to be well used. Track does spread like you have, but there tends to be a building in the space between the sidings. I even know of a ferry port where the mobile crane crosses a road and all traffic has to stop whenever they need to get a container from the bottom of the yard.

Until I looked at your model it never occured to me, but I think angled parking spaces are more of a US/UK thing. They seem to be very unusual here, in fact I can only remember seeing one parking area that had them, and that was underground. As I don't own a car, parking rarely shows on my radar so I may be wrong: I'll have a look next time I'm out.

Until quite recently there were big wagon turntables in our local railway yard that could take modern four wheel wagons and turn them around so they could cross the road and enter factories near the railway.

Of course it's your railway, and it's a lot better than I managed in the last few years so feel free to ignore me and do what you want.
_________________
Andy in Germany
More railway misadventures on:
www.korschtal.wordpress.com

[steve]

Andy,

Thanks for your comments, it's useful to get info from someone "on the ground" so to speak.

With regard to the car park, it's a Busch "instant" car park on a piece of sticky-backed plastic. I've used one before and thought it fitted nicely.

steve
_________________
ERFG, DEMU, EMGS

[Andy in Germany]

Hope they were useful: I wondered if they came across as over critical -one of the hazards of living here for a long time is that I tend to sppeak in a more dorect German way when speaking English and that has offended in the past.

I will now go and look for angled parking spaces.
_________________
Andy in Germany
More railway misadventures on:
www.korschtal.wordpress.com