Totally agree, this format right here is the new Model Railway Club, everyone is welcome wherever in the world you might be. 👍🏻 Yeah it’s nice to go to shows and exhibitions etc but on here is where tips, tricks and advice are at from the comfort of your own home.
Fab layout, so much interest yet with a uniform look, not easy to do. Have a look at the little electric railway at Hellingly Hospital. The Kato budget loco is near perfect for this and the hospital wall is perfect to divide the layout. Also they used a tram to transport inmates and visitors. All the best, Charles
The 10”x2’ layout has the look of a very compact representative of a shortline rail service. Potentially, you place a wall or a a hill behind the station that can run 45 degree-ish towards the upper right of the layout that hides what could be an interchange track and loco storage track. A loco positioned on the lower track (loco storage track) could pick up wagons on the upper track (interchange), run to the west and around the curve to deliver wagons to the station side track. The runaround track could be used to shunt wagons from the station side track to the lowest track on the layout that could be staged as a team track (not sure what that would be called in the UK) or to an industrial building platform (food, lumber, paper, etc.). I may have a go at this myself …. It is a very simple track design with a lot of operational potential. Luv it!
Thanks for the video, time is definitely moving forward on the model railway seen The layout looking good, looking forward to seeing the people and other little bits added!!😎🚂🚃🚃🚃🇬🇧
They are both beautiful and brilliant layouts. Micros and small layouts are the future. People are nomadic these days, and you can't take a room-sized layout everywhere. Your observations about the "death" of the hobby are bang-on. Things change. In the 40s, you listened to big band swing music. Every ten years thereafter, you were listening to something new. Same concept, although the model railway world moves at a slower pace.
@BudgetModelRailways they are also very proactive with the social dynamics of model railroading. They started a new module range called Kato Circus, which consists of a laser cut module base and a single piece of straight or curved Unitrak. They're literally small enough to carry in a plastic food container and at their first community outing, thousands of young people showed up in the middle of a pandemic to participate. The process is also designed to give school students credit towards requirements building and participating. A module costs about $8 US in Japan. The tariffs to bring them to the US drive the price up considerably but US clubs are replicating the module bases with polystyrene foam and a piece of track for $4 US. Their clinics are wildly popular with people from pre-school age to adulthood.
I'm thinking of buying one of these Pocket Line loco's from Kato, probably one of those freight train packs. They are so cheap at 20 euro's and you not only get a loco but also 2 wagons. Although if i do get one i'll probably removed the body and replace it with a custom H0e (European OO9, but H0 scale) body.
Mike may I suggest your point to point layout have a double sided crescent shaped backdrop. The convex side could be a seaport and the concave backside a mountain village on a one inch raised elevation. Goods and passenger trains would shuttle between the harbor, up the mountain to the village/rsort. You could use some foam and cardboard to elevate the mountain village. I'd use a road overbridge as a transition between the two sides. A small bridge crossing a brook on the curve leading into the resort sidings as a transition.
Hey, just stumbled onto this channel! Good find! I have been wondering about a smaller scale railway but not quite sure where to start.. saw some z-gauge stuff and T gauge? Just wondering if anyone knows the best option meaning the most accessories and availability of scenery etc. N gauge they way? For a smaller scale? Many thanks!
The Castletown layout looks terrific mate! Amazing how much you have fitted in. I like how since it is a medieval town it doesn’t look too crowded precisely because that is exactly what a medieval town WOULD look like! Lovely job on the station. Very small suggestion: maybe a girder under the signalbox? Just thought it would look more realistic ☺️ I’d definitely go for the small quay Cornish idea as it gives you most scope and excuse for more extreme depth to the scenery. I like railways that almost look like they are clinging to the side of a cliff 😎 BTW, I don’t know if you’ve had it yet as a suggestion, but the town square is crying out for something. Maybe a sizable statue? Or some sort of market folly building that overlooks the square as one finds in various historical towns. I assume they were used for something like storage for stall holder or even as a central lookout for the market admin 🤔 Have a great weekend mate 👍😎🍻
We have a hobby store here that was pretty much foot traffic heavy, now they are online traffic heavy with foot traffic making up the rest of the sales. The hobby isn’t dying as you say it’s the way we purchase that has changed. They still have a store as they sell more than just model railway gear. I’ve been getting into doing a slate layout…but your seaside idea sounds interesting as well….hmmmm 😉
Love your ideas on the layouts, with the smaller ones you get more time to create some cool details. And as for the hobby dying, it's not from a lack of interest. It may just be reinventing itself, new technologies might make it more accessibe to more people. Happy modelling to you 😄
Yep, only been back in the hobby for few months after decades out. Last week I got a 3D printer because I want to do TT narrow gauge on my old N and Z track, mechs/stock.
@@BudgetModelRailways I am from Victoria and had Puffing Billy go past my back fence, 2'6" Z gauge in TT, moved to Qld where mainline is 3'6", N gauge in TT. Seems like TT is the perfect scale, GWR on OO/HO track? TTn2 is a bit harder, need that Japanese ZZ 4.8mm or European Zm 4.5mm track, TT 3mm track is about 15", those would be fun ones to model. Trying to print my own sleepers track for my old code40 rail, not as easy as I thought it would be.
Layout looks fantastic Mike your imagination is second to none . While I am talking is it possible for Doug to send me a list of components to add lighting to my coaches .
Beautiful Castle Town. You are great in making small layouts 👍 By the way, any possibility to interconnect them and let them double as a larger modular exposition layout with separate theme "rooms"? Trains could then be running from one "room@ to another, which may be interesting for visitors? Great update video 👍
That’s a great idea. Most of small layouts have the ability to be interconnected to create up to an foot long layout depending on which sections I use.
As one who does not have space, 4' x 12in I am always surprised that the model railway press sticks to large layouts. I was a great follower of Model Trains International, to me the bible of small/micro layouts. Shame it had to stop I am currently building a micro and find that I still get enjoyment from the hobby. As you say its not dying but changing.
Castletown does look good. As to the second layout, I wonder about one big industry with a couple of places to spot cars on the straight. Or it's an interchange between two railroads. That might allow the two fiddle tracks to represent two separate railroads. The train from railroad 1 comes in and drops off a car or two then departs. The train from railroad 2 comes in, does its pick-ups and drop-offs and leaves, and on and on.
With your preference for Euro freelance. You could do something like a Norwegian harbour with iron ore and lumber delivered by rail. Perhaps fish traffic. Definitely would be different. Anyway great content as always and for me on point. Thanks
Castletown is looking simply splendid! I think the idea of a mountain top for the end-to-end layout would look really good. Echoes of a rack railway in Switzerland? Have the track coming around a really impressive mountain and this will avoid the cliched "enter through a tunnel" we see on so many layouts.
My HO layout is a "micro layout" based on Inglenook Sidings. It's 1 x 6 feet and built on a shelf unit. Were I to build up your new N layout, I'd designate the stub end of the run around track as the connection to the outside world. I'd place an industrial flat on the backdrop at the back siding and a team track on the siding next to it with a dock and gravel area by it for loading or unloading. I very much like your idea for a port dock at the siding by the run around track. Just some thoughts. Cheers from Wisconsin!
It's quite sad that such events as Varley have stopped but perhaps as you say the hobby is moving to more online content. All hobbies seem to be cyclical - they are born, they flourish and then they die. Later still they are reborn - as an older person I've seen it before. Hopefully the big online retailers will be okay but I actually though Hattons was big online and look what happened there😥. The future is, as always, unknown and interesting😀
I always fancied building a line based on but not an exact copy of the industrial Hamworthy Branch to Poole Quay and that type of thing may work for your layout. Model Railways aren't dying, just changing. We need a return to making more rather than just buying everything ready made. Never been to Warley; stopped buying from Hattons 18 years ago when they showed a distinct lack of interest in a rather large order I placed that went astray. I chased it myself and when it had been damaged due to poor packing they kindly offered to sort it IF I returned it at my own expense and the paid for delivery again. Sad as they were really good for mail order back in the 80's & 90's. Try to shop local wherever possible now which is usually Trains 4U at Peterborough or KS Models in Stevenage.
Castletown layout looks great. How about a winter alpine, ski resort scene, with the track exciting from a mountain tunnel to a station on the edge of town.
I think the problem with Warley is the fact that a single club was trying to run an exhibition at what has become a very expensive venue. Yes the NEC has good transport links and plenty of parking, but they don't half know how to charge for that parking. This will make people think twice about going and from what I've heard visitor numbers were down. Reading between the lines having "Warley at the NEC" is probably over because of the finicial risk, I've yet to see anything about "Warley at ????" never happening. As for Hatton's I think international trading problems have caused more harm than good for their particular business model (which they may or may not have seen an easy way to change). So it's better to get out now whilst still solvent and not owing suppliers and customers money/goods. It wouldn't supprise me if something didn't rise from the ashes.
I agree, the NEC would charge you to breath if they could lol. It had got to big a show for a club to run, I've heard rumours that other people with more backing and resources may re launch it. There will be more to Hattons than is being published as you say
@@davidstead4048 I will ask him, he did mention them in the video. It was only a while ago that you asked and he is studying hard at Uni for exams which are the priority
Totally agree, this format right here is the new Model Railway Club, everyone is welcome wherever in the world you might be. 👍🏻 Yeah it’s nice to go to shows and exhibitions etc but on here is where tips, tricks and advice are at from the comfort of your own home.
Thanks, very well put
Fab layout, so much interest yet with a uniform look, not easy to do. Have a look at the little electric railway at Hellingly Hospital. The Kato budget loco is near perfect for this and the hospital wall is perfect to divide the layout. Also they used a tram to transport inmates and visitors. All the best, Charles
Thanks, I live only a few miles from Hellingly so am very familiar with it
Better than you expected Mike!! You are to modest, it’s brilliant
Thanks, to be fair the excellent metcalfe kits are what make it
The 10”x2’ layout has the look of a very compact representative of a shortline rail service. Potentially, you place a wall or a a hill behind the station that can run 45 degree-ish towards the upper right of the layout that hides what could be an interchange track and loco storage track.
A loco positioned on the lower track (loco storage track) could pick up wagons on the upper track (interchange), run to the west and around the curve to deliver wagons to the station side track. The runaround track could be used to shunt wagons from the station side track to the lowest track on the layout that could be staged as a team track (not sure what that would be called in the UK) or to an industrial building platform (food, lumber, paper, etc.).
I may have a go at this myself …. It is a very simple track design with a lot of operational potential. Luv it!
Thanks for the suggestions, and I hope you are able to use it to make a nice layout
I am amazed so have got so much into a small footprint, it looks great to!
Thanks for the video, time is definitely moving forward on the model railway seen The layout looking good, looking forward to seeing the people and other little bits added!!😎🚂🚃🚃🚃🇬🇧
They are both beautiful and brilliant layouts. Micros and small layouts are the future. People are nomadic these days, and you can't take a room-sized layout everywhere.
Your observations about the "death" of the hobby are bang-on. Things change. In the 40s, you listened to big band swing music. Every ten years thereafter, you were listening to something new. Same concept, although the model railway world moves at a slower pace.
Thanks. Kato are thriving in Japan because they cater for convenience and size, so you could be right
@BudgetModelRailways they are also very proactive with the social dynamics of model railroading. They started a new module range called Kato Circus, which consists of a laser cut module base and a single piece of straight or curved Unitrak. They're literally small enough to carry in a plastic food container and at their first community outing, thousands of young people showed up in the middle of a pandemic to participate. The process is also designed to give school students credit towards requirements building and participating. A module costs about $8 US in Japan. The tariffs to bring them to the US drive the price up considerably but US clubs are replicating the module bases with polystyrene foam and a piece of track for $4 US. Their clinics are wildly popular with people from pre-school age to adulthood.
@@TheJpec361 they are popular in the UK but pretty pricey, but as you say a great way to get people involved
I'm thinking of buying one of these Pocket Line loco's from Kato, probably one of those freight train packs. They are so cheap at 20 euro's and you not only get a loco but also 2 wagons. Although if i do get one i'll probably removed the body and replace it with a custom H0e (European OO9, but H0 scale) body.
If you are going to do that it's cheaper to just buy a 11-109 chassis
Castletown looks great.
The Mirror tile is a great idea to add depth. Thanks.
Stay safe and happy modelling
Mon
The village is outstanding!
Thanks
Hi Mike that looks wonderful i love Castletown.The other little board could be a China clay scene like Charlestown in Cornwall.
Mike may I suggest your point to point layout have a double sided crescent shaped backdrop. The convex side could be a seaport and the concave backside a mountain village on a one inch raised elevation. Goods and passenger trains would shuttle between the harbor, up the mountain to the village/rsort. You could use some foam and cardboard to elevate the mountain village. I'd use a road overbridge as a transition between the two sides. A small bridge crossing a brook on the curve leading into the resort sidings as a transition.
Hey, just stumbled onto this channel! Good find!
I have been wondering about a smaller scale railway but not quite sure where to start.. saw some z-gauge stuff and T gauge?
Just wondering if anyone knows the best option meaning the most accessories and availability of scenery etc. N gauge they way? For a smaller scale?
Many thanks!
Hi Welcome. Almost certainly N if you want a large range of locos, rolling stock and accessories, at least in the UK
I really like the little end to end one. Can't wait to see what you do with it!
The Castletown layout looks terrific mate! Amazing how much you have fitted in. I like how since it is a medieval town it doesn’t look too crowded precisely because that is exactly what a medieval town WOULD look like! Lovely job on the station. Very small suggestion: maybe a girder under the signalbox? Just thought it would look more realistic ☺️
I’d definitely go for the small quay Cornish idea as it gives you most scope and excuse for more extreme depth to the scenery. I like railways that almost look like they are clinging to the side of a cliff 😎
BTW, I don’t know if you’ve had it yet as a suggestion, but the town square is crying out for something. Maybe a sizable statue? Or some sort of market folly building that overlooks the square as one finds in various historical towns. I assume they were used for something like storage for stall holder or even as a central lookout for the market admin 🤔
Have a great weekend mate 👍😎🍻
I had the same thought about the square, I have a few ideas
We have a hobby store here that was pretty much foot traffic heavy, now they are online traffic heavy with foot traffic making up the rest of the sales. The hobby isn’t dying as you say it’s the way we purchase that has changed. They still have a store as they sell more than just model railway gear. I’ve been getting into doing a slate layout…but your seaside idea sounds interesting as well….hmmmm 😉
Love your ideas on the layouts, with the smaller ones you get more time to create some cool details.
And as for the hobby dying, it's not from a lack of interest.
It may just be reinventing itself, new technologies might make it more accessibe to more people.
Happy modelling to you 😄
Yep, only been back in the hobby for few months after decades out. Last week I got a 3D printer because I want to do TT narrow gauge on my old N and Z track, mechs/stock.
I agree fully
3d printing is a game changer. I toyed with the idea of TT on N track
@@BudgetModelRailways I am from Victoria and had Puffing Billy go past my back fence, 2'6" Z gauge in TT, moved to Qld where mainline is 3'6", N gauge in TT. Seems like TT is the perfect scale, GWR on OO/HO track? TTn2 is a bit harder, need that Japanese ZZ 4.8mm or European Zm 4.5mm track, TT 3mm track is about 15", those would be fun ones to model. Trying to print my own sleepers track for my old code40 rail, not as easy as I thought it would be.
@@babbagebrassworks4278 we tried 3d printing track bed, also with no success
Castle town has come along really well :)
Layout looks fantastic Mike your imagination is second to none . While I am talking is it possible for Doug to send me a list of components to add lighting to my coaches .
Hello,the layouts are looking brilliant.the first one,castletown is so compact it seems busy.cant wait to see how the other one turns out.
Superb, amazing what fits in such a small space
Not bad the backscene. I love it, and it's on my shopping list.
It's one of my favourites
Beautiful Castle Town. You are great in making small layouts 👍 By the way, any possibility to interconnect them and let them double as a larger modular exposition layout with separate theme "rooms"? Trains could then be running from one "room@ to another, which may be interesting for visitors? Great update video 👍
That’s a great idea. Most of small layouts have the ability to be interconnected to create up to an foot long layout depending on which sections I use.
As one who does not have space, 4' x 12in I am always surprised that the model railway press sticks to large layouts. I was a great follower of Model Trains International, to me the bible of small/micro layouts. Shame it had to stop I am currently building a micro and find that I still get enjoyment from the hobby. As you say its not dying but changing.
Castletown does look good. As to the second layout, I wonder about one big industry with a couple of places to spot cars on the straight. Or it's an interchange between two railroads. That might allow the two fiddle tracks to represent two separate railroads. The train from railroad 1 comes in and drops off a car or two then departs. The train from railroad 2 comes in, does its pick-ups and drop-offs and leaves, and on and on.
With your preference for Euro freelance. You could do something like a Norwegian harbour with iron ore and lumber delivered by rail. Perhaps fish traffic. Definitely would be different. Anyway great content as always and for me on point. Thanks
Great idea! A fjord and a mountain, and a train in between. Looks like a fantastic eye catcher on expirations.
This really is a fantastic layout!👍😊
Castletown is looking simply splendid! I think the idea of a mountain top for the end-to-end layout would look really good. Echoes of a rack railway in Switzerland? Have the track coming around a really impressive mountain and this will avoid the cliched "enter through a tunnel" we see on so many layouts.
That's a clever idea thanks
My HO layout is a "micro layout" based on Inglenook Sidings. It's 1 x 6 feet and built on a shelf unit. Were I to build up your new N layout, I'd designate the stub end of the run around track as the connection to the outside world. I'd place an industrial flat on the backdrop at the back siding and a team track on the siding next to it with a dock and gravel area by it for loading or unloading. I very much like your idea for a port dock at the siding by the run around track. Just some thoughts. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Thanks for the thoughts, all the best
I love stone buildings as it is what I am used to
They are great kits
This is what you do best.......keep it going..
It's quite sad that such events as Varley have stopped but perhaps as you say the hobby is moving to more online content. All hobbies seem to be cyclical - they are born, they flourish and then they die. Later still they are reborn - as an older person I've seen it before. Hopefully the big online retailers will be okay but I actually though Hattons was big online and look what happened there😥. The future is, as always, unknown and interesting😀
Did you ever think of making a rabbit hole layout in a very small space using N
Very creative!
I gotta say the mirror is convincing. You were explaining it and I still thought it was an extension of the layout. 😅
Thanks its a neat trick
I always fancied building a line based on but not an exact copy of the industrial Hamworthy Branch to Poole Quay and that type of thing may work for your layout.
Model Railways aren't dying, just changing. We need a return to making more rather than just buying everything ready made.
Never been to Warley; stopped buying from Hattons 18 years ago when they showed a distinct lack of interest in a rather large order I placed that went astray. I chased it myself and when it had been damaged due to poor packing they kindly offered to sort it IF I returned it at my own expense and the paid for delivery again. Sad as they were really good for mail order back in the 80's & 90's.
Try to shop local wherever possible now which is usually Trains 4U at Peterborough or KS Models in Stevenage.
I agree, let's get back to making not throwing money at it
Castletown layout looks great. How about a winter alpine, ski resort scene, with the track exciting from a mountain tunnel to a station on the edge of town.
Thanks, that was on my radar
Could you send some plans for a2by4 or 2by3 or some web pages so I have got a rough idea which to use
Sorry I don't tend to draw plans, and haven't built one that size. Any plans book by Cyril J Freezer is good, peco publish quite a few
nice layout keep up the good vid thanks lee
How about a inland riverport such as might be found on the Rhine or Danube.
Yes it's an option, thanks
I think the problem with Warley is the fact that a single club was trying to run an exhibition at what has become a very expensive venue. Yes the NEC has good transport links and plenty of parking, but they don't half know how to charge for that parking. This will make people think twice about going and from what I've heard visitor numbers were down. Reading between the lines having "Warley at the NEC" is probably over because of the finicial risk, I've yet to see anything about "Warley at ????" never happening.
As for Hatton's I think international trading problems have caused more harm than good for their particular business model (which they may or may not have seen an easy way to change). So it's better to get out now whilst still solvent and not owing suppliers and customers money/goods. It wouldn't supprise me if something didn't rise from the ashes.
I agree, the NEC would charge you to breath if they could lol. It had got to big a show for a club to run, I've heard rumours that other people with more backing and resources may re launch it. There will be more to Hattons than is being published as you say
🤠
European canal wharf?
You keep stating radius when you mean diameter!
I occasionally get it right as well. The layout is 12 wide with a 10in dia track curve, or 5in radius
@@BudgetModelRailways Thanks for clarifying. I like the idea of a mini layout right now due to space and storage limitations.
@@williamlefler5670 I think that's becoming more and more common. With an N micro you still get a lot of model railway
There is nothing natural at all! How about at least some street trees or a tiny garden somewhere?
I have another layout with over 40 trees, I like a change lol
Don’t you answer peoples questions
I do try, but we get hundreds of comments and I sometimes miss them. Sometimes I don't know the answer
Will Doug send me a list of components to light my coaches
@@davidstead4048 I will ask him, he did mention them in the video. It was only a while ago that you asked and he is studying hard at Uni for exams which are the priority
Doug says all the components are mentioned and listed in the video, hope this helps
Ok Mike I will watch the video again