North Dublin layout

[CFD]

Hello all....first post here - been on the forum since 2016, but just getting round to saying hello now. 

Working on a layout over the past number of years - I am not modelling anywhere specific, just a fictional layout. It's been a work in progress for some time, since about 2014. The background behind my interest in model trains and how I got into it began when I was given a sizable layout that nobody wanted - family all grown up and moved away, layout boxed up and left in neighbours attic when the house was sold. So it was a sizable collection of well used Hornby British rail models. Most of the loco's and rolling stock is pretty old, ranging from the 60's to probably the early 00's from what I have seen. I am no expert on this however. 

So I started putting it together and the bug bit and after a number of temporary layouts I decided to put something more permanent together. Last year the man in the Big Red Coat and white beard brought me a MMO71 and this year I have decided to concentrate on Irish models, so waiting on what is probably the last few of the orange cement bubbles to arrive to go along with the Mk2's recently purchased from Marks Models. The offerings by IRM are fantastic and a big thanks to all the hard work done in producing all the rolling stock. I will certainly look to support the forthcoming offerings. I am only sorry I missed put on the wagons etc. prior to this year, but hopefully may be able to pick up some over time.

Few pictures attached, at you can see it's still under construction, but the wiring is done on the track laid, so its operational, have gone with DCC. Slowly starting to work on some scenery and landscaping. I have no background or knowledge in what's prototypical,  so likely have put together odd combinations, arrangents etc. but it's great fun and the learning process will continue.

Will be at the Bray fair this coming Sunday, 13th, so might see some of you there. I suspect the temptation to add to the Irish rolling stock may be too much!! Would like to add an 141 / 181 to the layout at this stage so will be on the lookout for one of those as well as continue my learning curve.  

 

[Kinvara-Train]

nice Layout  CFD,see you on Sunday

Kinvara-Train

[WRENNEIRE]

Bring your Confirmation money, or your credit card!!!!

[CFD]

Sounds good Wrenneire....I think I got IR£23 for my confirmation so will bring that..!!

[Kinvara-Train]

for 23€ you get a lot by me,LOL LOL LOL,sorry Cash only

[burnthebox]

Hi CFD welcome onboard, so far that's a dam good stat to a model railway I just wish I was in such an advanced position with mine, . I could have such fun on that, enjoy & don't forget it's your model railway so enjoy every moment.

btb

Edited February 12, 2019 by burnthebox
Txt

[CFD]

Thanks btb....the plan is to focus on the enjoyment for sure. I was fortunate to have the room to start with a good size layout. The plan was changed a number of times before the current one. I haven't started the ballasting yet as I am still undecided about a few places....thinking of removing a set of curved points on the run down the back where the raised curved is track and making two lines instead of merging into one...I am getting the odd derailament at slow speed, so trying to eliminate that. So a few aspects like that to fine tune yet. 

[Paddy Mac Namara]

hi there, love the layout, i like to see my trains run around, and the elevation, always wanted to try that....more details please.

also do you have a name...i don't quite get the use of sobriquets on the forum...or god forbid avatars...what are we.... 12?

cheers

patrick michael mary (yes!) mac namara

[CFD]

Hi Patrick.....yes, Ciaran here...the letters are just my initials...not a code. I guess part of the reluctance for people to put personal details etc. on forums and in their profiles is forums are a constant target for information mining/hacking for personal details of the users/members.

As regards the layout, when I first decided to put one together I wanted to run trains in some sort of continuous way while also looking at developing some operational capacity with sidings and yards - from a position of knowing absolutely nothing on the subject. So this is what I arrived at after a lot of reading and compromising. What I still struggle with is the lack of realism in many aspects - which I know is something that can be achieved to a greater degree with something like an end to end layout as opposed to what I have here, but in wanting to run trains continuously I realised its not possible in an area that size to have a prototypical layout. I also only had a collection of older Hornby and Bachmann items from the steam era, nothing diesel, but since discovering this forum, Murphy Models that's all changing now.....so I have a layout that started with a look for the steam era, now has a mix with later diesel. So still undecided what to do there and how to square that circle. At the moment its going to stay a mix.

I did want an incline in it for interest so that was also something that dominated the design as well - for better or worse.

I have decided to press ahead and continue with the design as it is and have done some scenery work in the past few weeks (this is a third hobby for me so it has to share time!). Some pics attached. I want to create a scene where I have trains running in behind scenery to try and get away from the look of a loop around the very edge of the baseboard, so I will probably end up with some additional work to the design to achieve this later on. There are also plans to extend in a modular form (whats there currently is in three sections screwed together).

So will see how it goes - I have some water/river scenery work to do along with more hills/trees and...ah...a lot of ballasting. When I complete the scenery along the incline that's shown in the pictures below I will actually switch tasks and complete the point motor switching works as I have a lot of servos to install on the underside of the layout.

 

[Paddy Mac Namara]

ciaran thats a great use of space for a continuous run layout, trying to figure out where the track goes after the tunnel, do you have a track plan?

[CFD]

Not of the final layout Paddy, I did start drawing a basic one in SCARM and put that on the board, but then kept changing, testing and adding track until I arrived at the design here. 

The picture below is taken from the opposite corner view and shows how the track has an outside run down behind the incline into the corner and curves around coming back out under the elevated run - this is where it exits the tunnel now.