My new project - Baymouth Town and Baymouth Quay

[Newportnobby]

I can just about separate each board from the others to get underneath!

At least you don't have to stoop 

[Bob G]

I can just about separate each board from the others to get underneath!

At least you don't have to stoop 

When Star Wars was at its height in the 1980s, I used to be called Luke Groundcrawler (amongst other less printable nicknames)

[scottmitchell74]

My new retirement project - Baymouth Town and Baymouth Quay.

A Southern Region late 1960s-mid 70s pastiche of the south coast. Lots of worms - EMUs, DEMUs, WR DMUs and cross country services, SR locos on parcels, short cement trains (Tunnel cement, Southampton) and even short Boat Trains, WR locos on Yeoman aggregate traffic. Think anywhere between Weymouth and Littlehampton, but stealing ideas from Fareham (aggregate siding), Gosport (lifted quay lines), Crewkerne (station overbridge), Swanage (seaside town), Weymouth (quay), Lymington Harbour (quay), etc.

There is a main line to London, a coastway line to Brighton, and a diesel only line to the Quay. There is a bridge where the model railway line terminates, which historically would have gone down to another quay (think Gosport). This leaves it open for extension if I ever got a bigger room. Rationalisation means the main lines are bidirectional now (I didn't have room for a double track main line into the fiddle yard).

It's just down the line from Bishopstoke, my N gauge roundy roundy, which is somewhere near Eastleigh, and is mainly Era 5-6, plus Rule 1 era 7 and 8, whereas Baymouth is more fixed in Era 6-7.

Stage 1: Baseboards

The baseboards arrived today, from Model Railway Solutions in Poole. These are 9mm Premium Birch Ply, laser cut, plus backscenes, supplied with all fixtures, fittings and even glue.

These are so beautiful, I had to post these photos of the pristine parts. Don't worry, they will be assembled ASAP so they don't warp. I hope they go together well!

There are 3 baseboards: 5' x 2' plus 6' x 2' make the long length and then 5'10" x 2' make the L shaped fiddle yard and town quay.

The layout is DCC sound (so that I can learn all about DCC and DCC sound, which is 100% new to me). There is only one problem for you, my readers. It's in OO. But what I learn with this build, and hopefully from my new membership of Syston  MRC, will help me finish my N gauge project, which has somewhat stalled.

More photos of the build will follow, as these things cross between all scales.

Bob G

I'd love to know what that cost but don't want to be told to mind my own beeswax.   

And, I wish there was something like that near me.

[Bob G]

I'd love to know what that cost but don't want to be told to mind my own beeswax. 

And, I wish there was something like that near me.

I'm assuming you meant someone who builds baseboards?

If we just deal with the ones who do it for a living (and answer emails), there are several baseboard manufacturers in the UK who design in laser cut ply. I'm sure you could find a laser cutting service in Aus.

You get what you pay for, looks and quality wise. Five boards rather than three would have been potentially easier to carry but how often would I move them, and it added about £200 more, because of the additional materials. I could have cut the price a little using 6mm ply rather than 9mm, or cheaper ply rather than premium birch ply, but it was really the number of boards that made the biggest difference cost wise.

I looked at these three manufacturers before choosing:
White Rose https://www.whiterosemodelworks.co.uk/department/online-product-range/
Grainge and Hodder https://www.graingeandhodder.co.uk/shop
Model Railway Solutions https://www.modelrailwaysolutions.co.uk/collections/modular-baseboards

I costed up comparable baseboards and backscenes (which can also come in cheaper MDF)
Prices came in at between £400 - £700. What you see, including 6mm ply backscenes, all screws, alignment dowels and bolts, was ~ £500 plus £80 shipping. I chose MRS because their website was easiest to use to achieve custom sizes, i.e. sizes that fitted my room.

Some people swear by their preferred supplier. I didn't want a canopy but I wanted an attractive raw finish. And yes the mallet was used to interlock the ply because laser cut material can be a really snug fit.

The woodwork is possibly the bit I enjoy most. Laying and wiring points is probably the least enjoyable bit, and that's next!

Cheers
Bob G

 

[Bob G]

I'm closing this thread and asking for it to be locked, because some of the NGF users don't like me talking about my interests in other scales.

As I said in post #1 above "The layout is DCC sound (so that I can learn all about DCC and DCC sound, which is 100% new to me). There is only one problem for you, my readers. It's in OO. But what I learn with this build, and hopefully from my new membership of Syston  MRC, will help me finish my N gauge project, which has somewhat stalled.

More photos of the [baseboard] build will follow, as these things cross between all scales".

I've lost my N gauge mojo right now, and the new build with new things to learn about DCC wiring and operation apply to all scales. But I'm not prepared to share these scale-agnostic experiences with the Forum when I'm just as likely to get lambasted for mentioning the Orribly Oversized scale, which I have continued in my posts to point out that's not the reason I'm posting. I've been talking about generic skills.

So a small number of NGF users can feel very self-satisfied now in shutting this thread down, and ultimately shutting me down, at a time when my modelling mojo was at a low point. Quite frankly I don't know when I want to bother posting anything here again, because of the intolerance of some members.

Enjoy your hobby.

[port perran]

I'm so sorry to read that Bob.

I fail to see why people complain.
It's the same old story.....if you don't want to read a thread then don't.
There are many threads on here that I don't read but I don't complain about them.

As a long established member of this community I think you should reconsider your decision and remain active and, hopefully, get your N gauge mojo back.

[Ben A]

Hi Bob,

I enjoy your posts about stock (and your helpful notes on the 120!) and I like following your N gauge progress.

I am sorry you've lost your N mojo but I think this happens to us all from time to time.

Having said that, I also feel that, however useful some of the shared techniques may be, a thread entirely devoted to a OO layout is not appropriate here.

After all, there are many other forums devoted to other scales and where would it end?  Do we accept OO layout threads because the ballasting, woodworking or scenic techniques are useful?

I do hope your N mojo returns and I hope in future you can share what you learn during this build when you apply it to a cool new N gauge layout we can all enjoy!

cheers

Ben A.

[weave]

Hi Bob,

I can understand some people thinking/saying "it's an N Gauge Forum" but the "General Discussion" thread does say "Other Scales" so perhaps you could post it there (I think Tank posted his garden railway there).

I, personally, was enjoying your build as I was brought up near Woking and travelled a lot to Portsmouth and Bournemouth so those are the only UK trains I really remember and have fond memories and know it is far easier to model in OO.

I don't really like the rmWeb so please ask the Mods if that's OK, ignore the knockers (way hay  ) and Keep Calm and Carry On!

I'm sure your N Gauge mojo will return so please don't burn any bridges and then regret it.

Hope helps.

Cheers, weave 

[Train Waiting]

Bob,

I was enjoying your '00' diversion - simply looking at the size of your baseboards reminded me how big 4mm scale actually is. I found your observations on building the baseboards interesting and was looking forward to seeing progress with the layout and your return to active 'N' gauge modelling in due course.

@port perran is absolutely correct - if one finds a thread (or a board) is not one's thing, then don't read it. That's what I do and I hope others do regarding the three active threads I hold myself accountable for.

I do so hope you'll remain active on our Fabulous Forum and our Marvellous Moderators can help you find the best place to locate this thread. @Bealman was especially helpful in advising me where to put my 'Coarse Guide to the Steam Locomotive' thread.

Model Railways are Such Fun! - please stay with us. Please!

With the very best of good wishes.

John

[scottmitchell74]

No!!

Don't let the whiners get/take you down.

[cornish yorkie]

    
  Model railways are still fun in any scale & we can all learn from each other.Shame you can't have a space for all interested people
  stay safe regards Derek

[Ben A]

I can understand some people thinking/saying "it's an N Gauge Forum" but the "General Discussion" thread does say "Other Scales" so perhaps you could post it there (I think Tank posted his garden railway there).

Cheers, weave 

I haven't seen that area of the forum but that may be the optimal solution?

cheers

Ben A.

[Bealman]

I think it is an excellent idea. Hope you're reading this, Bob!

[Newportnobby]

I'm closing this thread and asking for it to be locked, because some of the NGF users don't like me talking about my interests in other scales.

As can be seen, this has not yet been locked. I have mailed Bob asking whether he'd like me to move it to General Discussion (excellent solution @weave ) or to lock it as he requested. I fear it may be too late and we have lost a valuable source of knowledge and a very good modeller.
We can only see what Bob says

[Chris Morris]

This is the first time I have dipped into this thread. It has to be said that, whilst N gauge is great and by far the best scale for many of the things I want to do, other scales do have their good points. I am sure that many of us here have layouts in other scales.

My current project is in 009 and I also have a G scale garden railway. I haven't posted any photos of my 009 layout here (yet) but I am sure I have posted the odd photo of my garden railway over the years. Whilst I would agree that this forum should always be primarily N gauge I hope Bob carries on with this thread as it is interesting. It is also good to see what other non N gauge railway modelling is being done by fellow N gaugers.