Fate of the 4x2 American N gauge layout..

This layout has spent all it's time in the garage in 'storage'. It's quite pretty, but sadly, despite it's relatively small size, it's not 'working'..not really practical for a quick play.. I am considering this evening dismantling it.
(The track is all unitrack and the buildings and trees will lift off okay - so no huge loss)
Shame.. but maybe I need to stick to shelf layouts or go royal abundance and have a big roundy in the shed or garage. :)

(As it happens, I've been pootling away on a 4ft OO Brewery layout, and have been knocking up a little N gauge shelf to try out UK stuff too..more to follow)

Got talking to a nice chap at the Mansfield show recently about TT and 3mm, got me thinking about all of that again. Initial thoughts were to try 12mm gauge.. but I wonder whether I'd be as well to persist with 14.2mm, I'm thinking a Light Railway 'tramway', where skirted locos using motor bogies would mean no real urgency to build a working chassis just yet..

RIP Carl

I learned some very sad news today.
Carl Arendt, of micro layout fame, has left us.
I came into this hobby via the interent, haven't joined a club yet, and I am still largely sustained by the internet.
Carl was hugely supportive of my early doings and kindly hosted a few of my ideas and layouts over the last few years.
A proper gent, an inspiration and the creator and maintainer of a unique source of inspiration and a real loss.

Progress..

The eight foot shelf has finally had a decision made about it's fate - it's dismantled and gone! I'm going to focus on smaller projects for now until I'm really happy with an idea.
In the meantime, some progress made on the N scale 4x2 roundy..


still work to do yet - not least a decision on where it's going to live!

Re-hashing a good idea?

Some time ago, I used a 'spare' bit of 4'x2' MDF baseboard to make a little 'roundy' in N scale (American) which lived under a sofa. It was a quick fix, using Kato unitrack and was fun to operate.
Now that we've moved, I decided to do version 2 - same plan, just a more robust board with a little more scope for scenics.
This is how far I've got so far..

I'm really pleased with the backscene, which I think looks quite effective despite being ridiculously easy to do! See here for a full explanation (I swapped skyscrapers for rolling hills).
Next up, I need to get the road surfaces down.. not decided on the best method yet, and then plant some more trees..

My stock is mostly ex Rutland Railway so I am trying to place the layout in New England. I've never been there, although it seemed daft not to try representing 'the Fall'

8 feet is so big!

Moved house in june. I now have a 8ft x 1ft shelf up. I started to build an HO American DCC thing but it just wasn't doing it for me. So, I paused and had a good think.
Anyway, to cut long and confused meanderings short.. It occurred to me that I often read of the classic GWR branch terminus being a bit of a cliche. However..I got into this hobby in Gn15 and have via 3mm and OO9 I have realised that I have never had a go at that myself.
So - basically I'm going to build a OO cliche GWR branch station! Not worrying too much about fidelity and accuracy, but hopefully come up with a plan that will give some intersting operations as well as fun to build. I've drawn heavily on the Culm Valley for inspiration, but made some changes. Notably, I've decided to start off with a 57XX tank or similar, as the current 14xx model is a bit long in the tooth and I would like a nice running loco to get off the ground with.
Pictures to follow.. basic plan for now..

micro site update

Still messing about with the shelf layout - I will post some progress pics soon..

In the meantime - Carl Arendt has added this months update to his site, and as ever, I've come away brimming over with inspiration and ideas..

'check it out' (as they say)..
http://carendt.com/scrapbook/page101/index.html

A unique dilemma

In the scale of things, not a life-changer.. but in my modelling world, I have come to a point where I need to make a decision. We've moved into new house.. slowly unpacking. I now have a 'playroom'. I reckon I can comfortably get a shelf layout in.. 110" long with a about 60" on the right angle. (Then there is the cavernous shed and garage to consider in time...)

Great! The biggest layout I have ever planned!! but.. what to do?

I've been dabbling in various scales and gauges over the last few years with the excuse that I was trying them out. Maybe the time has come to assess and make a choice. Which also means getting rid of some stuff :-)

HO American.. with DCC and sound where possible.. switching various cars around. N scale American with the Kato unitrack I invested in.. more railway in the same space..3mm scale. All handbuilt stuff..stick to 14.2mm (I haven't managed to complete a working chassis yet), or try the easier 12mm gauge route? And then do I go for Light Railway..classic branch terminus.. industrial exchange. Or... take the far easier route of OO? Or try EM? (I've discounted N UK outline, having tried a little inglenook) OR.. OO9.. a quaint railway in the landscape.. or try out 7mm NG ? ..Easier to handle. Gn15 feels like it needs the micro layout treatment. On30? Like the bashability but yet to be inspired with a setting.
Some list-writing, box-checking and head-scratching to follow no doubt.

It's a nice dilemma to have though.