Ballykeen Loop

[krose]

Hi all,

I have been a member for a while and have been meaning to get going with a layout, but with 1 thing and another I never got around to it.

So for the Christmas period there is a "toy train exhibition" in Roscommon town in aid of the Jack & Jill foundation and I was asked to enter something, so I said I would.

But the opening date was yesterday, the day Santa turns on the lights in the town and by Friday night I had nothing done.

So Saturday morning I got up and started to get the boards ready. I cut a 2m x 1.2m sheet of MDF in half and fixed some 50mm metal stud to the underside for support. The board is in 2 parts to allow me to get it in and out of the attic and also for transporting by car.

I then began to lay the track which was a double loop due to time constraints. I placed some foam under the tracks to dampen the sound, the foam was about 2mm and left over from the time we layed timber floors in the house. I also used a roll of ballast sheet under the track for effect.

At this point I moved from the attic down to the dining room table because there was more space & light and I had no trestles for the boards in the attic so I was working on the floor.

For the scenery I had some 50mm insulation which when cut rough and painted grey gave a face like a rock formation. the grass is static grass mat roll and the bridges were built with MDF.

I made the petrol station diorama a few years back and it was sitting in the attic, so it made for a good center piece.

The layout is by no means finished but considering the day & 1/2 I had left myself to do it I was happy with the result.

 

I have also taken a video but the quality is not great, I will post a better one soon.

 

The exhibition is more of a toy train show aimed at the kids and not a model show so there is lots of Thomas stuff.

The kids from the Jack & Jill get an afternoon in there and really enjoy it.

Sean Brown has entered loads of great static Irish & English models along with some Irish railways memorabilia.

There is an O gauge Woolwich, a lovely looking model that I had never seen before.

so if any of you are in the Roscommon town area the display is in the Harrison center and your support would be appreciated, its for a good charity.

[Georgeconna]

Thats pretty fine for a day and a halfs work!!!

[heirflick]

excelent work and for a great cause - well done and good luck with it:tumbsup: