As indicated in a previous post, I use a simple planing software. Numbers below are from the Märklin C track system (24XXX).
13 July 2018
Inglenook micro layout – Märklin C Gleis/Tracks - Friday 13 July 2018
The track plan:
As indicated in a previous post, I use a simple planing software. Numbers below are from the Märklin C track system (24XXX).
As indicated in a previous post, I use a simple planing software. Numbers below are from the Märklin C track system (24XXX).
12 July 2018
Inglenook micro layout – Märklin C Gleis/Tracks - Wednesday & Thursday 11/12 July 2018
Two other good evenings of work.
Construction of the layout is going well, so it was now time to build a staging yard. I used (or recycled) another IVAR side unit for the base frame. My goal is to have a decent size yard, not too heavy, that can be used with my other layouts (which are also under construction). I attached 1/2 plywood to the IVAR frame. I took the time to remove the center part of the board to reduce the weight. The sides are made out of MDF. I still need to glue foam board on the plywood sheets.
Photo 24 to 27:
Construction of the layout is going well, so it was now time to build a staging yard. I used (or recycled) another IVAR side unit for the base frame. My goal is to have a decent size yard, not too heavy, that can be used with my other layouts (which are also under construction). I attached 1/2 plywood to the IVAR frame. I took the time to remove the center part of the board to reduce the weight. The sides are made out of MDF. I still need to glue foam board on the plywood sheets.
Photo 24 to 27:
Inglenook micro layout – Märklin C Gleis/Tracks - Monday & Tuesday 9/10 July 2018
Work completed on Monday & Tuesday:
Photo 15: I dismantled all the MDF pieces and painted them in pale green, with spray paint. The color looks very dark in this photo.
Photo 16, 17, 18 & 19: I installed three 18 in / 450 mm fluorescent to the upper frame to provide adequate lighting. I attached the electrical cords to the layout and installed a power bar under the module.
Photo 20 & 21: Recycling two Walthers structures from a previous layout:
Photo 22 & 23: White foam board panels are now glued to the module. Final test of the track plan done with sectional tracks. I'll publish the track plan in a future post. Signal box is a Faller kit (Sw Mittlestadt?)
Photo 15: I dismantled all the MDF pieces and painted them in pale green, with spray paint. The color looks very dark in this photo.
Photo 16, 17, 18 & 19: I installed three 18 in / 450 mm fluorescent to the upper frame to provide adequate lighting. I attached the electrical cords to the layout and installed a power bar under the module.
Photo 20 & 21: Recycling two Walthers structures from a previous layout:
Photo 22 & 23: White foam board panels are now glued to the module. Final test of the track plan done with sectional tracks. I'll publish the track plan in a future post. Signal box is a Faller kit (Sw Mittlestadt?)
Inglenook micro layout – Märklin C Gleis/Tracks - Sunday 8 July 2018
Work completed on Sunday:
Photo 7: I use 1/8 or 3 mm MDF for all my backdrops. It's cheap and easy to work, but does not have any structural properties. Since the backdrops are going to support the upper fascia/dust cover, I made the decision to frame both of them with 1 X 2 in (25 X 50 mm) pine strips. I glued the strips with carpenter glue on the edge of the piece of MDF. Carpenter glue doesn't dissolve with water when it's dry, compared to regular white glue.
Photo 8, 9 & 10: The two framed back drops are then fixed to the base module with number 8, 3/4 zinc coated screws.
Photo 11 & 12: I built the upper frame with 1 X 2 pine strips, then fixed it to the top of the backdrops.
Photo 13: I then took me couple of hours to cut, prepare and install all the MDF pieces used for the fascia.
Photo 14: Last action completed Sunday PM was to paint the backdrops. Two coats of regular latex paint for walls, pale blue, were brushed on.
Photo 7: I use 1/8 or 3 mm MDF for all my backdrops. It's cheap and easy to work, but does not have any structural properties. Since the backdrops are going to support the upper fascia/dust cover, I made the decision to frame both of them with 1 X 2 in (25 X 50 mm) pine strips. I glued the strips with carpenter glue on the edge of the piece of MDF. Carpenter glue doesn't dissolve with water when it's dry, compared to regular white glue.
Photo 8, 9 & 10: The two framed back drops are then fixed to the base module with number 8, 3/4 zinc coated screws.
Photo 11 & 12: I built the upper frame with 1 X 2 pine strips, then fixed it to the top of the backdrops.
Photo 13: I then took me couple of hours to cut, prepare and install all the MDF pieces used for the fascia.
Photo 14: Last action completed Sunday PM was to paint the backdrops. Two coats of regular latex paint for walls, pale blue, were brushed on.
11 July 2018
Inglenook micro layout – Märklin C Gleis/Tracks - Saturday 7 July 2018
Work completed over the day.
Photo 2 to 4: I used 24130, radius 1 tracks, to trace the curve on the plywood. The dimensions of the rectangle are 48 X 36 in, or 122 X 90 cm.
Photo 5: Framed module. Framing was done with 1/2 in (12 mm) birch plywood, width of the wood strips is 3 in (75 mm). It provides excellent structural support to the module. I already had in stock lengths of plywood, leftover from a previous project, so I was able to save lot of time. The layout legs are going to be fixed in the 3 narrow rectangles located at the ends, and corner, of the L.
Photo 6: Test-fit of the legs. Adjustable screw-on glides were installed at that point.
Inglenook micro layout – Märklin C Gleis/Tracks - General information
If you made the decision to have a look at my blog, you probably already have a good comprehension of the concept of micro-layout. There are many good books and articles from different experienced modelers (I. Rice, I. Futers, J. Andrews, N. Palette, P. Lunn, P. Fletcher, D. Tailby, L. Mindheim and others) that have been published mainly in European magazines. Being a late vocation in the hobby (I started 5 years ago) and due to the fact that I must move on a regular basis, I’ve been contemplating for a while to build an industrial micro-layout.
I made the decision to start my project after I read a post on the small-layout-design group. I currently live in Washington, DC, so the summer weather is usually very hot and humid. Fortunately, we had very clement weather over the last weekend (July 7 & 8). Since I already had all the materials required to build a small layout, I started to work on it Saturday morning, having in mind to just do the framing of the layout over the two-day period. Well, I ended up putting in 15 hours of work and was able to complete the entire woodwork.
In terms of tools, I’m well equipped to do woodworking. I invested in an excellent table saw and I prefer to use hardwood plywood, ½ inch, birch, instead of pine for the framing. Birch plywood might be considered an expensive material for framing, but it usually doesn’t wrap, and I can cut a sheet of 4 X 8 the way I want. For the layout legs I made the decision a couple of months ago to use IKEA IVAR side units, either the 30 X 124cm (11 ¾ X 48 7/8 in) or the 50 X 124cm (19 5/8 X 48 7/8 in). I already use the IVAR units in my basement for storage. It’s a very good product, I can find it everywhere in the world, the height of my layouts is standardized, and it’s about the same cost as using dimensional lumber (1 X 2 in). The other material I use is 1/8 in (or 3mm) MDF for the back drops and the fascia. For the roadbed I use foamboard ½ in (12 mm) instead of pink insulation material, since the Märklin C Gleis/tracks already have the roadbed built-in, and it’s easy to fix the tracks to the layout with screws. It also reduces the noise during the operation.
Below you’ll find a list of criteria I used during the design phase:
- Be able to move it by myself;
- Should fit in my current SW/Estate car;
- Should be expendable;
- Use wood that I have in stock;
- Use pre-built structures or some that I have in my stash;
- Be able to operate in analogue or digital mode;
- Should have a main line usable for freight or passenger traffic;
- Should be build in a short period of time (if possible by mid-August 2018);
- Cameo style, or self-contained (my basement can get very dusty);
I made the decision to build an L shape layout, instead of the traditional rectangular shape. I got the idea from the book Minimax-Anlage by Herbert Fackeldey. In his book, he presents 12 different narrow gauge small layouts, including the different options for the storage/fiddle yard. An L shape layout also offered me the chance to use one of the curved turnouts that I already had in stock, including larger radius curved track segments.
The layout dimensions are 122 X 90 cm, or 48 X 36 in. I use Franzis 3D Eisenbahnplaner 10.5 for my track planning. You'll find detailed construction information over the next pages.
Photo 1: The layout after 20 hours of work
I made the decision to start my project after I read a post on the small-layout-design group. I currently live in Washington, DC, so the summer weather is usually very hot and humid. Fortunately, we had very clement weather over the last weekend (July 7 & 8). Since I already had all the materials required to build a small layout, I started to work on it Saturday morning, having in mind to just do the framing of the layout over the two-day period. Well, I ended up putting in 15 hours of work and was able to complete the entire woodwork.
In terms of tools, I’m well equipped to do woodworking. I invested in an excellent table saw and I prefer to use hardwood plywood, ½ inch, birch, instead of pine for the framing. Birch plywood might be considered an expensive material for framing, but it usually doesn’t wrap, and I can cut a sheet of 4 X 8 the way I want. For the layout legs I made the decision a couple of months ago to use IKEA IVAR side units, either the 30 X 124cm (11 ¾ X 48 7/8 in) or the 50 X 124cm (19 5/8 X 48 7/8 in). I already use the IVAR units in my basement for storage. It’s a very good product, I can find it everywhere in the world, the height of my layouts is standardized, and it’s about the same cost as using dimensional lumber (1 X 2 in). The other material I use is 1/8 in (or 3mm) MDF for the back drops and the fascia. For the roadbed I use foamboard ½ in (12 mm) instead of pink insulation material, since the Märklin C Gleis/tracks already have the roadbed built-in, and it’s easy to fix the tracks to the layout with screws. It also reduces the noise during the operation.
Below you’ll find a list of criteria I used during the design phase:
- Be able to move it by myself;
- Should fit in my current SW/Estate car;
- Should be expendable;
- Use wood that I have in stock;
- Use pre-built structures or some that I have in my stash;
- Be able to operate in analogue or digital mode;
- Should have a main line usable for freight or passenger traffic;
- Should be build in a short period of time (if possible by mid-August 2018);
- Cameo style, or self-contained (my basement can get very dusty);
I made the decision to build an L shape layout, instead of the traditional rectangular shape. I got the idea from the book Minimax-Anlage by Herbert Fackeldey. In his book, he presents 12 different narrow gauge small layouts, including the different options for the storage/fiddle yard. An L shape layout also offered me the chance to use one of the curved turnouts that I already had in stock, including larger radius curved track segments.
The layout dimensions are 122 X 90 cm, or 48 X 36 in. I use Franzis 3D Eisenbahnplaner 10.5 for my track planning. You'll find detailed construction information over the next pages.
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