krose

Thanks for the welcomes lads. Richie, thanks for the construction tips and I really like the idea of designing & building the shelf layout first. Sounds like an interesting weekend in Falcarragh Garfield!! K

No nothing to do with country music. My name is Karl Rose.

Hi lads! I have recently gotten the bug for railway modelling and I am keen to get started on a layout. I have always had an interest but never a layout or even as much as a Hornby train set. The main problem I have is space! I have a room that I could build a shelf layout 9’ x 1.5’ or at a push I could add 3’/4’ to one side to give an “L” shaped layout. My other option is to convert the attic and build a room 15’ x 15’ which would take time and money. I would first have to install a folding attic stairs, floor it, build the walls and insulate before I tackle the layout. My attic is insulated fairly well thanks to an aul grant from the gov, so I’m not sure should I lift this from under the proposed floor and reinstate it in the cavity of the proposed walls? I am worried about the dampness and cold getting at the layout and the rolling stock up in the attic as the insulation has stopped the heat from getting up there. So if any of you have any advise on this I would appreciate it. As my wife and I are expecting my funds will be limited for these works and I would expect it to take to the end of the summer before I would have the floor and walls done. My wife wants me to build a shed in the back garden this summer so between 1 thing and another I should be fairly busy. The only modelling(as such) I have attempted is what you see in the photo below so I am thinking maybe the shelf layout for now and branch out into the attic at a later stage. I have a small amount of Irish locos and coaches with a few other bits of British railways and even a Belgian loco (ye know how it is when you go to another country and see a model shop, ye have to buy!) I have built a couple of Metcalfe and Alphagraphics Card kits and I enjoyed that and would like to get into scratch building. I have looked through some threads and it has opened my mind to what can be done with a computer and printer and a bit of ingenuity. I have not been through all threads as I’ve only joined up but some of the works Glenderg & Scahalane have built from scratch have been truly inspiring. I am thinking I should probably go for a DCC layout but as I have no experience and the locos I have are all DC so I’m not sure. I have 2nr Lima 201 DC locos and I’m not sure is it better to flog them for a MM201 or is it better to convert these to DCC? Think if I was to buy a MM loco it would have to be an 071 and with that I would have to invest in some freight stock. This is where I am currently at and I would appreciate any nuggets of knowledge & advice you have to share. I read also on here that the abuse is free!! Guess I’ll have to take the good with the bad:)