aramand

Hi, Well its been a long time since I've been on here but I was around back when this forum started I think so 'Hi' to anyone who remembers me - hope ye are all well! Anyway my plans for building a layout took a back seat for the last couple of years so I've not been active at all. I was going through my stock just to see what I had and decide what to do with it, I might try build a small layout at some point in the future but for now the stock needs to move from the room it was being stored in. The question really is of all the stuff I have the only one I know very little about is a vintage Lima Class A (I think!!) - at one point I was wondering was it just a repaint but I think it might have been an official release. Anyone know anything about these ? There is no model number that I can see and I don't have a box so all that is on it is 'Lima Italy' underneath. I put a DCC chip into it a couple of years ago and it runs very well now. As with all my stuff I'm trying to decide whether to keep it or move it on but if I was to sell this I've no idea if its worth €20, €50 or stick it on ebay as 'rare' for €500 BTW I can't remember exactly but I think I paid around €50 for it couple of years ago.

Thanks for the input - I can certainly reduce the main board from 3ft to 2.5ft I think, would make it more comfortable to work on while doing scenery and everything else... Not sure that I can do much with the Helix width, I guess it may be able to reduce a little but Dave reckoned it would need to be 3.5-4ft diameter to accommodate the correct radius curves. Plan would be to try and keep the scenery simple on that (perhaps a hill and tunnel structure) but even so of I got a de-railment at the back of the helix I could be in trouble to reach it!

Apologies not sure why the image is showing up twice in the last post..

So, latest incarnation is the following : Going to go with a double level on most of the layout but keep the lifting section so the door to the room can either be open or closed while the layout is being used. On the Helix - is there a default or recommended height drop ? I've never seen one in real life but from a pure practical point of view and being able to access the lower level I'm thinking a 2 ft drop in height (the main part of the double level will be 3ft wide so need to be able to access the back of it) The lower level will not have any scenery on it and will really be a storage/fiddle yard. Overall it would be made up of -- 4 foot diameter helix (drawn as a 4ft sq but maybe round off the outside corner) -- Double level 2ft * 2.5 ft -- Double level 8.5 ft * 3ft (probably made up from 2 separate baseboard maybe 4ft * 3ft and 4.5ft * 3ft) -- 2ft * 2.5ft -- 2ft * 1.5ft -- Lifting section approx 1ft wide and 3ft long The tracks on the drawing are just indications of 3 loops I want to incorporate, the outer one will probably be a simple loop alright and be completely disconnected from rest of the track as it will run a live-steam loco, the inner two loops will be made more interesting rather than just running straight lines (hopefully!)

Thanks - some great ideas there!

Ok, I'll pm you details

Are the Mk3 coaches the ones from Lima - i.e. 2 coaches number 7161 and 7162 ? If so will you take £40 incl P&P to Cork ? Any pics ? I assume they are still in the box and in excellent condition ..

BTW just in case anyone is interested there are a couple of those stations available on ebay (from Germany) : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261093765741?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 €41.90 + €12.50 postage

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions - will definitely invest in a set of spacers and those tracksetta tools! I'm having enough trouble getting the tracks to join up in my drawings not to mind when I actually get to lay some real ones @Dave by "multi level" do you mean almost 2 different layouts or just putting in some elevation into it ? One thing I was thinking of adding if the space allows is for a third completely separate loop on the outside of the layout that would be used for a Hornby Live Steam - it obviously cant join up with the rest of the layout but would be great for it to just have its own track to run around the outside.

That is certainly an option - I havent decided if I'm going to try and built the baseboard myself or not so I was trying to keep it relatively simple but I guess having a lift out corner piece is no more difficult than a straight piece...

It wont be modelling any specific area but will try and go for a mix of urban/rural....

Ok, so this is the latest proposal subject to planning permission! Its all a bit rough and ready and the loops dont join but I'm sure with a bit of time and patience I could work out the correct track pieces and in any case I'm sure with flexitrack that could all be sorted... I'm limited to 50 pieces on the trial version of Anyrail so I cant put in the points or complete the tracks in the station or goods area but I'm sure you get the idea! As always comment or criticism welcome

I agree with you the layout images I quoted where just examples of the general 'shape' (i.e. rectangle or L-shape), main requirement is for a double mainline loop (the bigger the better) and then build around that with a station and whatever else I can fit...

While I would like to do that I think I'll have to work on the assumption that the door will have to stay as it. The room may need to come back to being a bedroom at some stage and also as part of the attic conversion the whole landing area was redone so I may be killed if I go making significant changes