Connolly Shed + my bedroom circuit

[josh_]

Join as I show my progress drawing building and designing Connolly shed along with a double circuit passing Connolly shed and around my bedroom

This is also my first layout to make ever and it will run DC and DCC

[josh_]

Final drawings been done of Connolly I will be drawing the full circuit during the week 

U notice I drew a junction on the Birds Eye view as I realised be no point adding the turntable as I intended due to the area being too sharp for accuracy 

The designs labelled 1, 2 and 3 are showing rough concept designs for supports under Connolly shed, I’ve decided with 2 as the drawers would come in handy as space is a big thing to tackle in my bedroom 

Give ur thoughts and opinions on my work as it is my first layout Im making 

Also drawings are for a carpenter my parents had him doing doors and they thought whilst he’s here he could do the layout so after he’s done with the doors in my house, he’ll get around to the layout and it’s an extra pair of experienced hands to help, Im looking forward to do the circuit by myself as I want to be specific in my curvature of the flexitrack while I’ll be buying from marks as it is my layout and personally doesn’t count if I get someone to do all the work on it I will be for sure doing the wiring, building structures, track laying and detailing

When I get my laptop back from being fixed, hopefully I can be able to mess around with online planning so I can get a more in depth view of my future work

[Rob]

Best of luck  Always exciting to start a project- make sure to keep us updated

[josh_]

Ofcourse thanks very much

[dropshort105]

Looking forward to seeing this progress

[leslie10646]

Good luck with this, Josh. Having met you at Bangor, I know that I am old enough to be your grandfather (if you were, you could take over the loft railway when I am no more).

When I was in my teens, I had a 12ft by 12ft bedroom. I drew up a plan to show that if my parents threw out my double bed and replaced it with bunk beds, I could get a 8ft x 4ft layout in the middle of the room. To their everlasting credit, they gave in to this and my first "GNR" layout was built there. The only survivor from it is the "F" Railcar set made from balsa wood by the late Dennis Grimshaw - which still is just about able to turn a wheel - I should re-motor bogie it!

Like everyone else, I was repainting Hornby coaches in blue and cream and re-lettering wagons!

Now you have so much to choose from - all you need is a large pile of money - so work hard, young man!

Edited April 26 by leslie10646

[Darren.d]

Be very interesting as how you approach it.iv a room i can use but a lot less space and the shed is big.

[Darren.d]

Just can't figure out what way to place the shed on a layout as id like a continuous loop to run trains.

[DJ Dangerous]

1 hour ago, Darren.d said:

Just can't figure out what way to place the shed on a layout as id like a continuous loop to run trains.

That’s a whopper of a feature!!!

What size is your room?

[leslie10646]

1 hour ago, Darren.d said:

Be very interesting as how you approach it.iv a room i can use but a lot less space and the shed is big.

No shed is too big!

It's just that lots of room  means bankruptcy when you try and fill it!

Remember - you can't take it with you!

[Darren.d]

6 hours ago, DJ Dangerous said:

That’s a whopper of a feature!!!

What size is your room?

Its about 8x8 in feet

The shed up in top corner is about 3 ft in length.i just can't figure out what to do with the shed placement. Iv been using anyrail so they just ideas.i want more than a diorama running locos end to end.and I don't want to fill the entire room .add to that iv made the gnri signal box that was across from the shed I want to add in too.

 

[josh_]

23 hours ago, leslie10646 said:

Good luck with this, Josh. Having met you at Bangor, I know that I am old enough to be your grandfather (if you were, you could take over the loft railway when I am no more).

When I was in my teens, I had a 12ft by 12ft bedroom. I drew up a plan to show that if my parents threw out my double bed and replaced it with bunk beds, I could get a 8ft x 4ft layout in the middle of the room. To their everlasting credit, they gave in to this and my first "GNR" layout was built there. The only survivor from it is the "F" Railcar set made from balsa wood by the late Dennis Grimshaw - which still is just about able to turn a wheel - I should re-motor bogie it!

Like everyone else, I was repainting Hornby coaches in blue and cream and re-lettering wagons!

Now you have so much to choose from - all you need is a large pile of money - so work hard, young man!

That’s amazing leslie, thanks so much for the inspirational words 

Lucky for u to have such a large space, my biggest challenge is room but a few awkward spots won’t stop me from getting the job done

13 hours ago, Darren.d said:

Just can't figure out what way to place the shed on a layout as id like a continuous loop to run trains.

That’s a bit like I’ve in mind but the double circuit is longer and a fewer track sidings

13 hours ago, Darren.d said:

Be very interesting as how you approach it.iv a room i can use but a lot less space and the shed is big.

I’m the same with space but I can always work around the difficult spots and those spots that look and feel like a nightmare are the ones u find the most opportunity for creativity in

[Darren.d]

I need to clear out the room and see better how space works.keep us updated with pictures Josh ya seem To know what your doing.

[josh_]

Only thing i have in mind to learn is wiring the track to run DC and DCC rolling stock in case i buy locos that were fitted with DCC so i dont have to fiddle with them back to DC but thats soemthing to worry when i finally have the boards set where i plan them 

[josh_]

 

These are some of my references in working with i found online

 

[Darren.d]

They are great its to help with.details.peco make dropper wires connected to fish plates you could pre wire for dcc while still running dc.there are plenty of ppl on here who would be very knowledgeable and willing to steer you in thr right direction.

[josh_]

Thanks darren I am after their flexitrack but ill be sure to check out their dropper wires 

 

[josh_]

Hi all
Was out today whilst the train I was on was waiting on finding a free platform, I seized the opportunity to take pics of Connolly shed and this is what I got 

Note is well is the writing on the back of the shed in the 3rd photo up high, I’m wondering of anybody knows or has photos of it

[Flying Snail]

Its a good idea alright to get as many pictures as you can, from as many angles as you can! 

The writing you're asking about - do you mean the oval plate in the centre of the water tank? That'll be details of the foundry that manufactured it. There's a good shot of it here - its the fourth slide: https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/50010034/seville-place-dublin-1-dublin

 

I can't make out all of the letters but its a good starting point, and someone will have details of the full name somewhere

Edited April 30 by Flying Snail

[josh_]

Caught this out iswell after the day out at the forty foot

Rpsi weren’t doing anything so wonder why it was at platform 3, any ideas?

its also the 3rd time I’ve spotted it running light engine

Vid took a while to send but I’ll send the first time I saw it at Drumcondra and first at north wall doing a HOBS train

[josh_]

Here’s the others 

15 minutes ago, Flying Snail said:

Its a good idea alright to get as many pictures as you can, from as many angles as you can! 

The writing you're asking about - do you mean the oval plate in the centre of the water tank? That'll be details of the foundry that manufactured it. There's a good shot of it here - its the fourth slide: https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/50010034/seville-place-dublin-1-dublin

 

I can't make out all of the letters but its a good starting point, and someone will have details of the full name somewhere

Thanks so much, I was able to read them at the time I was taking photos of the shed but forgot what it said

[josh_]

Took this at north wall dk if there’s any connection?

[GSR 800]

17 minutes ago, josh_ said:

Caught this out iswell after the day out at the forty foot

Rpsi weren’t doing anything so wonder why it was at platform 3, any ideas?

its also the 3rd time I’ve spotted it running light engine

Vid took a while to send but I’ll send the first time I saw it at Drumcondra and first at north wall doing a HOBS train

IMG_5527.mov

I'd say driver training. If she was on 3, she was probably waiting for a road. 1 or 2, and she could've refuelled either.

[josh_]

Looked back she was on platform 2

Odd time especially with the chaos in Connolly when it was when it was bright,

Docklands did take some of the ease off Connolly but wonder if IE expanded on docklands for it to accommodate the Longford and Mullingar trains to take more of the chaos out of Connolly?

 

Edited April 30 by josh_

[Darren.d]

They are great pictures.theres a great  amount  of details around the shed and track to model.

Edited May 1 by Darren.d
Spelling mistake

[Northroader]

Looks like “Cowans Sheldon ?Co.

                           Limited               
                    Carlisle” and a date.

Edited May 1 by Northroader

[josh_]

On 1/5/2025 at 10:50 AM, Darren.d said:

They are great pictures.theres a great  amount  of details around the shed and track to model.

 

On 1/5/2025 at 7:30 PM, Northroader said:

Looks like “Cowans Sheldon ?Co.

                           Limited               
                    Carlisle” and a date.

Yes it is, I forget the date they also make the old maintenance cranes, the 15t is in downpatrick and the 40t is scrapped dk when and where 

[josh_]

Apologies for the long wait for an update as i was waiting for the carpender who i was hoping for a helping hand is what ive been told by my mam but no sign of him and go what i originally intended and do it myself

Im going to get my laptop back from the repair shop this afternoon after school to do the full track layout of my room on Anyrails and will post the final results and concepts here 

Seeing how i am for money after getting my laptop back, i plan to go to marks and get my flexitrack, in the meantime, im going to sort my room and put stuff back on my desk and shelves (except the one i will build Connolly shed on) that were previously cleared for the carpender 

Also need to verify with my parents to know if they are planning anything else with my room in the meantime to have the green light to get building

Speaking of building, Im also planning on getting MDF board from a woddies near me and my grandad down the road has tools i can use and i believe he also has excess wood that can come in handy, if i need any other tools, i can get some from my dads workplace when it comes to more finicky and eletronical 

 

[Flying Snail]

I picked up some MDF recently for a different (non-railway) project, and I found it to be very heavy when compared to plywood. You should find both in Woodies, but I'd consider going with ply over MDF for that reason. If you use timber bracing to stop it bending, something in the 6mm to 12mm range should be okay

[Mayner]

1 hour ago, Flying Snail said:

I picked up some MDF recently for a different (non-railway) project, and I found it to be very heavy when compared to plywood. You should find both in Woodies, but I'd consider going with ply over MDF for that reason. If you use timber bracing to stop it bending, something in the 6mm to 12mm range should be okay

While MDF because of its weight has good sound deadening qualities, the downside is that unless you use water resistant MDF it swells and distorts if it gets wet.

I generally use a 5-7 ply plywood preferably Birch or Scandinavian in the 12-18mm thickness for strength and rigidity, though I recently used 9mm finished ply on a plywood framed layout on a portable layout. I generally install cross members on a ply or timber framed baseboard at 600mm centers.

In the past I had MDF baseboard surface swelling when I used a PVA and water mix while loose ballasting a layout and problems with drumming and sagging when I used 6mm ply as the trackbase on a layout about 30 years ago. At the time I used to glue the loose ballasted track to cork underlay which contributed to the drumming

These days I use dense foam (camping ground sheet) underlay with ply baseboard surface/trackbase with track glued (not pinned) to the baseboard to prevent drumming.

[josh_]

2 hours ago, Flying Snail said:

I picked up some MDF recently for a different (non-railway) project, and I found it to be very heavy when compared to plywood. You should find both in Woodies, but I'd consider going with ply over MDF for that reason. If you use timber bracing to stop it bending, something in the 6mm to 12mm range should be okay

Thanks so much, Would ply be the best for wiring and strength?

[josh_]

53 minutes ago, Mayner said:

While MDF because of its weight has good sound deadening qualities, the downside is that unless you use water resistant MDF it swells and distorts if it gets wet.

I generally use a 5-7 ply plywood preferably Birch or Scandinavian in the 12-18mm thickness for strength and rigidity, though I recently used 9mm finished ply on a plywood framed layout on a portable layout. I generally install cross members on a ply or timber framed baseboard at 600mm centers.

In the past I had MDF baseboard surface swelling when I used a PVA and water mix while loose ballasting a layout and problems with drumming and sagging when I used 6mm ply as the trackbase on a layout about 30 years ago. At the time I used to glue the loose ballasted track to cork underlay which contributed to the drumming

These days I use dense foam (camping ground sheet) underlay with ply baseboard surface/trackbase with track glued (not pinned) to the baseboard to prevent drumming.

Is varnishing the boards a good idea before placing any track and landscape?

 

[Flying Snail]

3 hours ago, josh_ said:

Thanks so much, Would ply be the best for wiring and strength?

Yes, its traditionally used for baseboards so should be fine. You're right that it's a good idea to seal the baseboard before placing any track and landscape - varnish or an emulsion paint would do nicely.

[derek]

5 hours ago, josh_ said:

Is varnishing the boards a good idea before placing any track and landscape?

 

@josh_I agree with @Flying Snail above. Definitely seal the boards, but as he says, use any old emulsion that is lying around. It will be far cheaper than buying varnish, and the colour won't really matter, as you will be covering it with scenics, track, ballast etc. 

[josh_]

16 hours ago, Flying Snail said:

Yes, its traditionally used for baseboards so should be fine. You're right that it's a good idea to seal the baseboard before placing any track and landscape - varnish or an emulsion paint would do nicely.

Thanks so much

It came to me that with movements and extra weight of landscape and other extras that it would be prone to crack especially when there would be DCC wiring under the board for the tracks 

14 hours ago, derek said:

@josh_I agree with @Flying Snail above. Definitely seal the boards, but as he says, use any old emulsion that is lying around. It will be far cheaper than buying varnish, and the colour won't really matter, as you will be covering it with scenics, track, ballast etc. 

Exactly, Ill have a look and see if my grandad down my road has anything or my dad at his workplace