GNRi1959

I'll make the effort and if I do I will certainly call with you.

For me it has to be soldering.

I'm a bit lost for ideas on the baseboards. I'm seriously thinking of building sectional baseboard units at my workplace and have these screwed to some sort of base in the shed. If I ever need to remove the layout or exhibit, I don't need to dismantle.

At the rear end of the shed I've laid a PVC water channel between the garden shed and garden soil level. A 13" DPC was laid under the shed and folded up to create a barrier. I couldn't clear the soil away any further as there is a large maple at this end. The remaining three sides are clear of all soil or moisture. The plan is to lay pea gravel to the remaining sides to act as soak aways. The shed is raised on a 4" block foundation laid of a sub-base of concrete flags (double protection) so should have plenty of protection from ground conditions.

Take it from me that generally that external openings measure 2100mm from ground to lintol level. Doors and windows normally are at the same lintol level. External doors are good at 900mm wide (openings overall).

Pure class, I wish I was there

Garden Shed arrived this evening, bit of landscaping to do around it and insulation. Will keep me busy until the real fun begins.

John, I think you're correct on this one. Thanks for the insight into some of the possibilities available.Some thought, research, planning and patience will go a long way in doing this right.

jhb171, your comments are welcome, full of ideas and offer realistic options. I think if jhb171senior was on the platform carrying out inspections I would have to consider the permanent way foreman, Paddy McGartland standing at his hut on the convent siding pulling on a cigarette and telling his men to 'keep busy'! The shed measures 10x6 outside with a sound 3" frame clad with T&G boards so I guess I lose about 6" all round. I will be filling the studwork with quilted insulation and sheeting inside with 'smartply'. The roof is PVC coated tin on a plywood pitched and trussed roof. I will insulate the inside of the roof with Kingspan foil backed insulation boards. The floor is solid ply on 4" joists and on top of that I'm adding insulated exterior grade ply. Our directors office is having a refit so I've been promised carpet tiles from that. I'd love a continuous circuit but something tells me space would dictate a U-shape, as you have already suggested. Thanks again for your thoughts.

Paul, your input is valued and I thank you. I've no plans to storm into anything. As I keep telling my Carpentry students "Measure twice, cut once"!

There are three interesting parts of Omagh that interest me and give opportunity. The North Cabin with the mainline that runs under a road bridge and towards Newtownstewart. The goods yard,which I could re-arrange to fit on available space and theres the Engine Shed at the opposite end of the station with turntable and adjacent road bridge. Both road bridges would allow me to conceal a continuous run-around if required. Is it all too ambitious in the available space?

I am hoping on coming up with a fairly accurate section of the track around the Omagh area. The Goods Yard looks impossible at this point however I can use the Engine Shed and turntable to link with some mainline traffic. The Market Branch isn't impossible but I have little or no photographs of the buildings around it.

Excited...... garden shed arriving tomorrow. Looking for ideas on making this a permanent place to model. Need to make space for small table for scratchbuilding. I would also like to make the layout transportable so I can bring to model exhibitions at a later date.

Noel, I loved it. Thank you for letting me sample some fantastic stock, layout and nostalgia.

Some rough calculations taken today show that to model the actual footprint of the Omagh Goods Yard building along would required 785mm x 295mm. A huge building for any 4mm layout.

When I talk about assembly, I am referring to 21mm hand built track.

Email from Peco this morning............. "The first 2 points in the code 75 bullhead range are due to be released in October, these will be the large radius l/h and r/h points. Other points will follow in due course."

I'm pushed towards Peco Code 75. I've spent weeks looking at 21mm and costing through Scalefour Society membership and although cost is one issue, time and skill is another. At the best of times, its hard enough to connect rail with standard fishplates with my spectacles on without going down the route of threading rail into railchairs and filing point frogs!

Ultimately, I'd be looking at Peco Code 75, if I decide on 00. My real gut feeling tells me 21mm but there is so much added cost.

Noel, heres a better picture. The previous one was of the 'back bay', the name of a siding off the main line. This new picture shows the mainline (centre) and siding (foreground)

Hi Guys, heres a picture of the track at Omagh, at close quarters. Gives you an idea of the type.

Is Peco Code 75 Nickel Silver rail and pointwork seen as the best alternative to hand-building track and pointwork in 00.

Was in Dublin this weekend (again) choosing to drive to Portadown and take the train. Got me thinking that I might invest in a little modern Irish passenger stock. Can anyone suggest a nice Irish Rail set on the market that would make an ideal passenger arrangement like the Enterprise?

Possibly, no harm done.

No, but I can tell you that 00 informed me that there were still locos in stock that customers 'pre-booked' and have not paid for. They said they would prefer to honour the original orders before considering to sell them off. They have placed my name on their lists to obtain one but this has been going on for months! At the moment I'm at a junction where I'm considering the move to 21mm so my patience is thinning.