jonte
Western Thunderer
Hi,
Having popped in last night to check on the progress of other layouts, as I do from time to time, I was privileged to learn that I had received an award for being a long time member of Western Thunder. Equally, I am ashamed to admit that in all of that time, I've contributed diddly squat to the forum. Probably because I have nothing to offer. Although that isn't strictly true. No. I have begun a model railway, of sorts. In fact it's my first, during a rather piecemeal interest in the hobby, and I'm quite pleased that it's got as far as it has, although it's still very much in the early stages of construction, and really is nothing to write home about, I assure you. I would have shared it before, however, as it's a North American based layout -Los Angeles in fact - I didn't think it would generate much interest. Please don't move on just yet. Please!
However, in light of interest already shown in a couple of USA themed layouts amongst these hallowed pages, one most recently in fact, I thought perhaps that the time was right at least to provide you with the opportunity to decide whether this is merely an exercise in how not to build a model railway - or otherwise (hopefully!) - and also make the effort to contribute something, at long last, that might make me feel a little less awkward about receiving my 'award' (did I mention I received an award?).
The layout is HO gauge and cobbled together on an old door - it is in fact merely a glorified table top layout which I suppose for this time of year is rather topical - which defines its boundaries. However, it does benefit from a small traverser and not all of the track is Peco Setrack. In fact, the rail in the traverser is Peco Code 75 which I'd accumulated for a layout that didn't get anywhere, and the track in the scenic section is home made from bits of PCB and code 75 rail from a couple of sources. It's not up to scratch built standards having been built from some dimensions on the NMRA site using a vernier gauge and some rather blobby soldering - which is why I prefer to call it home made - but at leAst it works and the few items of rolling stock I possess don't suffer the dreaded wheel drop.
It's set in the late seventies in area of LA known colloquially as 'The Patch' due to the series of ninety degree crossovers along its length, and traverses streets and sidewalks in the industrial area of the city, serving myriad warehouses and yards of the construction industry, fabricators and Lord knows what else!
Sadly, it no longer exists, but if you look hard enough, you can still find the odd trace in the form of ashort length of track poking through tthe tArmac here and there, or the odd buffer stop decaying to the side of a non descript concrete edifice.
Now, I'd sincerely like to start posting photos chronicling the build right here, however, my other lap top where they reside is playing up and I can't presently access them. So, if nobody minds, I'll provide the link to the North American forum where I have a thread, in the hope you find it of interest. If I'm in breach of the forum rules - can't seem to find anything to the contrary at present- please accept my humblest apologies and be assured I shall remove the link forthwith.
It's the fourth post down the page by the way, and as you can see, it's almost twelve months since I started it - where doses the time go? Unfortunately, like most of us in the hobby, time is currently at a premium and I haven't updated it since August, which I trust will change in the near future.
So here you are, friends, and thanks again for recognising my membership. And I mean that.
http://bigbluetrains.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=4126&start=165
Having popped in last night to check on the progress of other layouts, as I do from time to time, I was privileged to learn that I had received an award for being a long time member of Western Thunder. Equally, I am ashamed to admit that in all of that time, I've contributed diddly squat to the forum. Probably because I have nothing to offer. Although that isn't strictly true. No. I have begun a model railway, of sorts. In fact it's my first, during a rather piecemeal interest in the hobby, and I'm quite pleased that it's got as far as it has, although it's still very much in the early stages of construction, and really is nothing to write home about, I assure you. I would have shared it before, however, as it's a North American based layout -Los Angeles in fact - I didn't think it would generate much interest. Please don't move on just yet. Please!
However, in light of interest already shown in a couple of USA themed layouts amongst these hallowed pages, one most recently in fact, I thought perhaps that the time was right at least to provide you with the opportunity to decide whether this is merely an exercise in how not to build a model railway - or otherwise (hopefully!) - and also make the effort to contribute something, at long last, that might make me feel a little less awkward about receiving my 'award' (did I mention I received an award?).
The layout is HO gauge and cobbled together on an old door - it is in fact merely a glorified table top layout which I suppose for this time of year is rather topical - which defines its boundaries. However, it does benefit from a small traverser and not all of the track is Peco Setrack. In fact, the rail in the traverser is Peco Code 75 which I'd accumulated for a layout that didn't get anywhere, and the track in the scenic section is home made from bits of PCB and code 75 rail from a couple of sources. It's not up to scratch built standards having been built from some dimensions on the NMRA site using a vernier gauge and some rather blobby soldering - which is why I prefer to call it home made - but at leAst it works and the few items of rolling stock I possess don't suffer the dreaded wheel drop.
It's set in the late seventies in area of LA known colloquially as 'The Patch' due to the series of ninety degree crossovers along its length, and traverses streets and sidewalks in the industrial area of the city, serving myriad warehouses and yards of the construction industry, fabricators and Lord knows what else!
Sadly, it no longer exists, but if you look hard enough, you can still find the odd trace in the form of ashort length of track poking through tthe tArmac here and there, or the odd buffer stop decaying to the side of a non descript concrete edifice.
Now, I'd sincerely like to start posting photos chronicling the build right here, however, my other lap top where they reside is playing up and I can't presently access them. So, if nobody minds, I'll provide the link to the North American forum where I have a thread, in the hope you find it of interest. If I'm in breach of the forum rules - can't seem to find anything to the contrary at present- please accept my humblest apologies and be assured I shall remove the link forthwith.
It's the fourth post down the page by the way, and as you can see, it's almost twelve months since I started it - where doses the time go? Unfortunately, like most of us in the hobby, time is currently at a premium and I haven't updated it since August, which I trust will change in the near future.
So here you are, friends, and thanks again for recognising my membership. And I mean that.
http://bigbluetrains.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=4126&start=165