Plan revisions

I have done a little revision on the plans to make the industries more appropriate to the area I want to model.

So instead of the ware house and the Lumber yard I have replaced them with a plastics factory, that either is or was railed served.

You can also see where the bridge will be, as you can see there will no fiddle yard on this layout, trains will be staged on the line in lower right of the plan and 'propelled' round the layout, there will not be a run a round.

Speeds on the layout will be kept very slow and will in effect lengthen the layout and make an operating session longer, as it is I do not envisage session longer that 1 hour maximum, it would be all I have the time for.

Prototype inspiration

Here is shot of the veneer manufacturer I am using as inspiration:

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb161/jhockuk/5A5E6D30-E998-4A79-9C3C-4C0D2677A30B_zpsbfspx0vn.jpg

I intend to model the river and the bridge although I will have to shorten bridge and shrink the river some what.

New layout - new plans

So with the house move progressing (all being well) I have done some planning for the layout, the room is 10' 8" by 9' 10".

I have found my main industry, it is a veneer manufacturer in Rice Lake, Wisconsin:

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?expflags=enable_star_based_justifications:true&ie=UTF8&cid=282401665256932363&q=Birchwood+Manufacturing+Co&iwloc=A&gl=GB&hl=en_uk

There is also a video on you tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s3rpSzWmpY&app=desktop

I have expanded the concept to include the finished veneer being loaded into box cars as well as the logs being delivered by rail.

I have also added a lumber yard and warehouse, but I ma not sure about those at present and they might change.  The real Rice lake also has a plastics factory and fertiliser dealer that are or have been recently rail served.

All change - yet again!

Well a lots been happening, but none on the layout!

I have sold the flat I live in and am in the process of buying a house,  this means more space for a layout.

It also meas I am free to follow my favoured prototype of North America, so this is yet another layout that won't see the light of day, in fact it is already gone.

This blog will now show the progress of my layout in the new house.  If all goes well I should have about 10' by 9' in an L to make a layout in, more than enough for an American shortline set some where in North East America.

So here we go again!

Back scene - more foam board

So a little progress has been made. 

The back scene has gone up and I have decided to go with the large station building.

A little research has shown that station building is based on one just inside the Polish boarder, thanks to some very helpful pointers from some forum members on the railways of Germany forum.

Next up is a another timber truck, a work in progress,  this one is turning out well in my opinion. Much more realistic thanks to the kit I purchased from a German company.

The company produce a few items that could prove useful, including transfers for road signs.

http://www.tl-modellbau.de/index.php?lang=1&cl=start

Excellent quality resin and plastic kit and delivered very swiftly.

Progress pictures

Just a quick post with some pictures of progress:

The track is down, I am using Woodland scenic foam track base which has been salvaged from a previous layout attempt.  I personally favour it as a track base, easy to work with.

Next up is timber truck number 1, a combination of Kibri chassis and trailer, Herpa cab and scratch built log bunks.

Timber truck number 2 is a Herpa chassis with scratch built log bunks and cab protector.

Station choice

Progress has been made but pictures will have to wait a bit.

The track has been laid and wired and fiddle yard constructed.

For now I have a bit of a choice to make about which station building I use.  I am not that familiar with German railways but all my research (via the wonder of Google) seems to show even on branch lines the station buildings are quite large.

So I have a choice;
Hornby

Or Faller

The Hornby station seems very large fore the size of the layout but could be suitable if prototypical,  the Faller offering is small but seems like something you would find in a more urban setting.  

So a bit more research is needed.

Other progress includes 2 timber lorries that will be used in the siding for loading the wagons.

Pictures to follow soon.