N Gauge Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Phoenix on September 04, 2025, 01:27:57 PM

Title: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: Phoenix on September 04, 2025, 01:27:57 PM
Hi All,

Hope everyone is well  :D  I've been absent for a bit but am catching up with the forum, and here's what my "state of play" is  :thumbsup:

I have now completed my move, got my old house sorted and tennants moved in, and am now settled into my new house.

I have got the downstairs re-decorated and how I want it (apart from a new sofa I am waiting for) so am now tackling upstairs and getting it model railway friendly  ;)

However this has taken me a bit longer than expected as the weather has been really good, so I have had to explore my new town, which is another way of saying I've been on a 2 month pub crawl  :D  :beers:  :D  :beers:  :D

During the move I got rid of a whole load of junk I don't need, and now I am in, the stuff I might need one day is stored away, and the stuff I will be using is in my new modeling room which is the second bedroom.

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/5755-040925124300-1546741415.jpeg)

This end will be where my work bench will be, the other end has a wardrobe and cupboard.....

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/5755-040925124259-1546721868.jpeg)

I will put shelves in the wardrobe so I can store boxes .....

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/5755-040925124259-1546711732.jpeg)

The other cupboard is really deep, so I can store all the sheets and board I used to keep under the bed, as well a load of other stuff .....

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/5755-040925124259-154657992.jpeg)

The other end of the room is where I will have my workbench .....

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/5755-040925124259-1546721322.jpeg)

The bench will be L shaped, along the back wall and running under the window, and supported on a motley mish mash of dressing table units and computer desks, or at least that's the plan  :hmmm:

The worktop has been ordered from B & Q and all the bits will be arriving over the next week, so I will keep you updated.  :D  :)  :D

As far as modeling goes, now I have more space, I can build bigger layouts. I am still going to do a harbour layout, but I can now make it on a 2 x 4 baseboard (tiny by comparison to your layouts, but enormous compared to my little case layouts  :D )

However let's get the room sorted first :D  :D  :D

All best wishes

Kevin

 :beers:
Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: port perran on September 04, 2025, 01:34:35 PM
It's good to see that you are now settled in your new town Kevin.
2x4 is a good size for N Gauge so I'm looking forward to whatever masterpiece you comevup with.

Cheers
Martin
Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: Newportnobby on September 04, 2025, 02:25:19 PM
Glad to hear you're seeing light at the end of the tunnel, as long as it's not some sod with a torch bringing more work :D
Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: crewearpley40 on September 04, 2025, 02:32:50 PM
Hi Kevin

Glad you are settled in and that I echo what Martin and mick have said. The storage space looks useful.


Good see you posting and up and running

Chris
Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: Fardap on September 04, 2025, 03:02:36 PM
Quote from: Newportnobby on September 04, 2025, 02:25:19 PMGlad to hear you're seeing light at the end of the tunnel, as long as it's not some sod with a torch bringing more work :D

or the 2:48 express from Paddington...
Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: Phoenix on September 04, 2025, 08:50:12 PM
Thanks Guys.

Swanage is a fab town. It's a bit smaller than Weymouth, but with so much more going on. The week after I arrived was Carnival week, with the Red Arrows starting things then live music, parades, fireworks, and pleanty of cider, then a week off and it was lifeboat week and all the fun and frollics started again  :D  :D  :D  :D  :D

Next week it's the Folk Festival  :D  :D

I am in an end of terrace house and my next door neighbours are really nice, and have shown me round and introduced me to some nice friends  :thumbsup:

They also have an allotment and keep bringing me round all sorts of produce. I don't think I have ever eaten so many fresh vegetables, and unlike Martin, I don't have to grow them myself  :D  :D

Talking of Martin, thank you for your Kind words  ;) A 4 x 2 layout would be good for me to practace on before getting on to the big layout in the roof. I can still use the bits I made for my case Harbour Layout, but see how I get on with code 55 track which seems to be what people use on full size layouts.

This will be what I am going to base the layout on....

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/5755-040925204236-1546972423.jpeg)

Also Martin, I went down to the pier to look for the brass plaque you have there. I didn't find it as there are over 13 thousand.  :o  I started looking but gave up as there was cider and rum that needed drinking  :beers:

I need to get the room sorted first. The units are arriving tomorrow and saturday, with the worktop coming next week sometime, so will keep you updated  :D  :thumbsup:  :D

All best wishes

Kevin

 :beers:
Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: port perran on September 04, 2025, 09:32:58 PM
Keep looking for that plaque.
It is there amongst the 13,000.

Have you come across the chap that sells second hand model railway stuff just off the main street?

Lots of junk but a few gems to be found if you are lucky.
Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: Bealman on September 05, 2025, 12:32:23 AM
All looks wonderful! :thumbsup:  :beers:
Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: Phoenix on September 05, 2025, 08:53:57 AM
Cheers George,

Just catching up, seems I missed your birthday  :-[

Hope you had a fab day  :beers:   :toot:  :claphappy:  :laugh3:  :claphappy:  :toot:  :beers:

All best wishes

Kevin

 :beers:
Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: Bealman on September 05, 2025, 09:21:49 AM
Cheers, Kevin! I can't even remember what I did! Oh yeah, I had a night in Sydney. :beers:  :beers:
Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: EtchedPixels on September 06, 2025, 09:14:53 PM
Bending code 55 into sharper curves is interestingly annoying (even if you know the secret about the arrows on the back) so it's actually often easier making big layouts with it than small!

Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: Phoenix on September 07, 2025, 12:12:51 PM
Thanks for that bit of info.  :thumbsup:

Not having used code 55 track before, I did not know it is more difficult to bend to curves than code 80 is. :hmmm:

When I get the room sorted, and workbench up I can get onto the layout and start a thread about that, but I do appreciate your heads up about the track.

I also think I will need some advice on points to use, but that is for later  ;)

All best wishes

Kevin

 :beers:
Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: Newportnobby on September 07, 2025, 01:12:34 PM
I bent code 55 down to 1st radius with no issues. I wouldn't want to try it with code 80 flexi as code 55 is stronger
Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: Phoenix on September 07, 2025, 07:50:14 PM
Hi All,

Cheers Mick, I was finding on Windmill hill that on the really tight curves on the top level the rails were tending to ping out of the sleepers unless I was very careful, but I heard that the rails on code 55 are set deeper.

When I am ready I will get a length of code 55 to have a play about. I am nearer to Poole now, which is where my nearest model shop (Sechfields) is. My bus pass arrived yesterday so a trip out is on the cards.

First though I will get my workbench put together. All the units have now arrived ....

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/5755-070925193434-1547261219.jpeg)

The worktop arrives Wednesday, so I should get it all done this week, cider permitting  ;)  :D  ;)

I will keep you informed :)

All best wishes

Kevin

 :beers:

Title: Re: My New Modelling Room.
Post by: Newportnobby on September 07, 2025, 08:06:00 PM
Quote from: Phoenix on Yesterday at 07:50:14 PMAll the units have now arrived ....

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/5755-070925193434-1547261219.jpeg)


Wahey :claphappy: A bedroom shed with a few bits left over ;)