Making a start in O gauge

[Cowley]

I thought I’d share a little of what I’m doing at the moment as I start to get to grips with an entirely new scale and following on from my previous N gauge Lapford layout which has moved onto a new home.

I was given a spare 1 metre long board by Paul a few weeks ago and a couple of lengths of track came into my possession, so I thought I’d have a go at making a little stabling point just to get a bit of practice:


The idea being that there was originally a steam era structure there that was knocked down but with the foundations and lower parts of the walls kept. Also a modern hard standing has been added so that locos can be refuelled by road if need be.


My dad asked me if I wanted anything for my birthday in May and I suggested things like buffer stops and oil barrels would be good (I did say didn’t have to, but I think he’s quite into it )

Oh and I bought a Ford Sierra (Ghia no less) and some ballast and and etc…


Right, that’ll do for now. I’ve done more but I need to take some photos outside with some decent light!

 

[Sun Chariot]

Already oozes the 1980s
It's amazing how much "character" can be achieved in small footprint. Less is more and all that

 

[Cowley]

Already oozes the 1980s
It's amazing how much "character" can be achieved jn small footprint. Less is more and all that

It’s so different doing things in O. I originally thought about modelling an entire shed wall (I might still do it actually), but the amount of plastikard sheeting required was eye watering!

 

[Harpo]

It’s so different doing things in O. I originally thought about modelling an entire shed wall (I might still do it actually), but the amount of plastikard sheeting required was eye watering!

Card/foamboard plus embossed papers? I’ve seen some great results.

It’s something I’ve got to get my head around too after a major moment of weakness involving EFE’s lovely class 15, followed by some suitable wagons.

 

[Iskra]

Impressive stuff. I particularly like the bricked-up old wall. The rolling stock looks really nice too. I'll be watching developments with interest

 

[4COR]

Very nice indeed - I can imagine it taking so much longer to model given the potential levels of detail!

Re brickwork - in addition to the above, perhaps a texture roller on softish foamcore might work? That or buy shares in plasticard makers!

 

[Cowley]

Already oozes the 1980s
It's amazing how much "character" can be achieved in small footprint. Less is more and all that

It’s quite good practicing in one small area, although bearing in mind that it’ll eventually be incorporated into a larger layout I’m going to have to make sure that I remember what ballast and grass etc I used!

Card/foamboard plus embossed papers? I’ve seen some great results.

It’s something I’ve got to get my head around too after a major moment of weakness involving EFE’s lovely class 15, followed by some suitable wagons.

Impressive stuff. I particularly like the bricked-up old wall. The rolling stock looks really nice too. I'll be watching developments with interest

Very nice indeed - I can imagine it taking so much longer to model given the potential levels of detail!

Re brickwork - in addition to the above, perhaps a texture roller on softish foamcore might work? That or buy shares in plasticard makers!

I’ve ended up buying some more sheets of stone just so that it matches! I might try something different for the long wall along the back though.

A bit more detail

This is what it was looking like after I’d painted and weathered the wall and added an original doorway that had been bricked up.


I keep rethinking how to do things but with the track weathered it’s starting to look a bit worn down and tatty which is what I’m going for.

A strange story about the little 3D printed oil tank below:


I made a little plinth for it, painted it all up, weathered it and then it completely disappeared!

After tearing the shed apart I ended up searching in places that would have been impossible for it to have ended up in. In the end I gave up, bought another one and started again.

Anyway I found it in the garden a week later and we think our daughter’s dog had carefully picked it up and wondered off with it. The only other possibilities were aliens or a poltergeist but I don’t think it was either of those?

Took a little photo of the O gauge 37 on Paul’s O gauge project yesterday. I was measuring things up to see what I could get into my shed without it looking too squashed up.
O gauge is really big. Like really big!


175 centimetres for a 37 and three mk1s kind of big…

 

[Sun Chariot]

Took a little photo of the O gauge 37 on Paul’s O gauge project yesterday.
View attachment 168674

That is sublime. Takes me back to my teens in the 1980s.

That rising gradient, ahead of the Tractor, looks formidable - or is it purely the focal perspective?

 

[Cowley]

That is sublime. Takes me back to my teens in the 1980s.

That rising gradient, ahead of the Tractor, looks formidable - or is it purely the focal perspective?

No you’re right, there is a gradient there. Eventually it’s going to be a small BR/GWR type terminus but because the canopy on the station isn’t finished I thought it had quite a nice 1980s rundown look about it.

 

[Ash Bridge]

I’m a bit late to the party here MrC due to the fact that I hadn’t seen the thread until now, very impressed by the shots upthread and very much looking forward to seeing the eventual end result judging by your previous adventures in N gauge. That Ford Sierra Ghia looks identical to the 1983 model that I used to have except mine was a metallic red colour.

 

[Cowley]

I’m a bit late to the party here MrC due to the fact that I hadn’t seen the thread until now, very impressed by the shots upthread and very much looking forward to seeing the eventual end result judging by your previous adventures in N gauge. That Ford Sierra Ghia looks identical to the 1983 model that I used to have except mine was a metallic red colour.

Thanks Mr Bridge. Those Sierra’s just seemed to be everywhere in those days!
I always like the look of a car next to a locomotive as it gives you an idea of the size difference…

 

[Ash Bridge]

Thanks Mr Bridge. Those Sierra’s just seemed to be everywhere in those days!
I always like the look of a car next to a locomotive as it gives you an idea of the size difference…

No doubt that loco is yet to arrive as I could only spot two Railfreight wagons - but yes, I know exactly what you mean

Tell you what, a Sierra is certainly a rare bird to spot these days though, then again its main 1980s rivals of Passat, Vectra et al. equally so I suppose?

 

[Cowley]

No doubt that loco is yet to arrive as I could only spot two Railfreight wagons - but yes, I know exactly what you mean

Tell you what, a Sierra is certainly a rare bird to spot these days though, then again its main 1980s rivals of Passat, Vectra et al. equally so I suppose?

Yes most of those are fairly thin on the ground these days!

Speaking of locos, my 26 had its first run out this evening on the Exeter Gauge O Group test track. I’ve been along a few times now and a couple of my friends are members so I think I’ll probably join properly next time as they’re a nice bunch and there’s some very knowledgeable people there.

 

[Iskra]

Yes most of those are fairly thin on the ground these days!

Speaking of locos, my 26 had its first run out this evening on the Exeter Gauge O Group test track. I’ve been along a few times now and a couple of my friends are members so I think I’ll probably join properly next time as they’re a nice bunch and there’s some very knowledgeable people there.
View attachment 168731

Now that just looks sublime. I have been contemplating a RF 26 on my layout, one of the new Heljan ones but haven't quite taken the plunge. It wouldn't be prototypical, but it's just such a striking and evocative livery isn't it.

I always like the eclectic mix of stock you see on an O gauge test track

 

[Sun Chariot]

Yes most of those are fairly thin on the ground these days!

Speaking of locos, my 26 had its first run out this evening on the Exeter Gauge O Group test track. I’ve been along a few times now and a couple of my friends are members so I think I’ll probably join properly next time as they’re a nice bunch and there’s some very knowledgeable people there.
View attachment 168731

Right at the start of the 1990s, I frequented Aylesbury's staff model railway clubhouse: a stripped-out ex LMS Period 1 TK. Some readers might recall it?
We built an O gauge double track straight, along one carriage wall, with a curve along one end of the carriage.
I was responsible for creating the "steeper-than-I'd-intended" gradient (well, I like to see an engine working hard )
One long-passed colleague had a fabulous green EE Type 4. If only digital sound was around in those days...

 

[Ash Bridge]

Yes most of those are fairly thin on the ground these days!

Speaking of locos, my 26 had its first run out this evening on the Exeter Gauge O Group test track. I’ve been along a few times now and a couple of my friends are members so I think I’ll probably join properly next time as they’re a nice bunch and there’s some very knowledgeable people there.

I’m with @Iskra regarding that 26, can’t be any going back to N for you now Mr C surely?

 

[Cowley]

Now that just looks sublime. I have been contemplating a RF 26 on my layout, one of the new Heljan ones but haven't quite taken the plunge. It wouldn't be prototypical, but it's just such a striking and evocative livery isn't it.

When I made my first trip up there in 1988 I remember getting off the train at Dundee and there was one parked up in just that livery. I think it was the first time I saw one in its natural environment so I just had to have one in that livery really.

I always like the eclectic mix of stock you see on an O gauge test track

Yes they’ve got multiple track gauges there so some people run narrow gauge stuff. The one theme being that it’s all in 1:43 scale.

Right at the start of the 1990s, I frequented Aylesbury's staff model railway clubhouse: a stripped-out ex LMS Period 1 TK. Some readers might recall it?

I need one of those.

We built an O gauge double track straight, along one carriage wall, with a curve along one end of the carriage.
I was responsible for creating the "steeper-than-I'd-intended" gradient (well, I like to see an engine working hard )
One long-passed colleague had a fabulous green EE Type 4. If only digital sound was around in those days...

That sounds lovely. Your colleague probably would have been amazed at what you can buy “off the shelf” these days. I couldn’t see me doing this if I had to build the trains before I could even run something!

I’m with @Iskra regarding that 26, can’t be any going back to N for you now Mr C surely?

I don’t know really. I won’t be getting rid of the stock I’ve got as I run it on Moors View anyway. I have still got a plan in the back of my mind for something I’d like to do one day but I’m going to concentrate on one thing at a time, otherwise I’ll bankrupt myself!

Rough railway plan

This is basically what I’m hoping to do in garden:


So I’d like to fit a couple of stations in with passing loops which gives the option of two people driving trains at once. I’ll also landscape it and fit a pond in somewhere hopefully. I know how I want it to all to look but I probably won’t be tackling anything outside until September next year realistically.

Inside the shed I’m hoping to do a smaller version of something like Ballachulish station, not Ballachulish but inspired by its original design (Ballachulishish?) if you see what I mean? A bit like this:


In O that’ll be about 5 metres long, which actually means I’m going to have to extend the shed by a metre, but I’ve been stockpiling materials to do it, so that shouldn’t be too difficult. I could probably squeeze it into what I’ve already got but I just don’t like things looking too cluttered.

The bit here with the two sidings is the part I’m working on at the moment:


That’s the plans then. I might start a thread on Ballachulish in the history section actually. One things for sure, I’m going for a simpler name because I keep having to check the spelling.

The current working title is Kinloch as in Kinloch Laggan, which is a real place that didn’t have a railway and is in the right kind of area. Not sure of the justification for a railway clinging on yet, I’m still working on that bit, but if anyone has any ideas..?

 

[Gloster]

I highly recommend joining the O Gauge Guild. They are the source of a lot of useful information and members can access all its Gazettes on-line (the latest is Volume 22, No 9, so that is a lot of pages) and information sheets: I have also been able to have a good discussion with someone at the local exhibition. The date to try and keep clear is 31 May for the show at Kempton Park: if I haven’t yet got to grips with the couplings I am going to ask for advice there.

 

[Cowley]

I highly recommend joining the O Gauge Guild. They are the source of a lot of useful information and members can access all its Gazettes on-line (the latest is Volume 22, No 9, so that is a lot of pages) and information sheets: I have also been able to have a good discussion with someone at the local exhibition. The date to try and keep clear is 31 May for the show at Kempton Park: if I haven’t yet got to grips with the couplings I am going to ask for advice there.

Yes I might have a look at that at some point. I’d definitely like to go to Kempton Park.

 

[Sun Chariot]

@Cowley have you been tempted to create Eastfield's cl122 "bubble-car" route learner? TDB 977177 (ex-55015). Dapol's blue-grey 7mm offering is a candidate?

55015 Details

The history of Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs / railcars) in Britain.

railcar.co.uk

 

[Cowley]

@Cowley have you been tempted to create Eastfield's cl122 "bubble-car" route learner? TDB 977177 (ex-55015). Dapol's blue-grey 7mm offering is a candidate?

55015 Details

The history of Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs / railcars) in Britain.

railcar.co.uk

That would be quite cool actually. It would also keep the forum modelling sections Bubble Car appreciation society going…

 

[Iskra]

Lovely plans for the railway, will the two stations on the main garden layout be based on anywhere in particular? That track layout should allow for a few running permutations and I line that the line will cross with the shed line so you have trains on multiple levels. It’s also great that a train leaves the shed station, serves a couple of stations and then comes back turned-around and back onto the layout, like in the real world. I can see you’ve put a lot of thought into this!

 

[Cowley]

Lovely plans for the railway, will the two stations on the main garden layout be based on anywhere in particular?

Thanks @Iskra. Yes I’d quite like one of the stations to look a bit like Crianlarich if possible. I’ll probably build the platform and station building so that they’re removable so that I can store them indoors though.

That track layout should allow for a few running permutations and I line that the line will cross with the shed line so you have trains on multiple levels. It’s also great that a train leaves the shed station, serves a couple of stations and then comes back turned-around and back onto the layout, like in the real world. I can see you’ve put a lot of thought into this!

Yes I think it should be quite interesting to operate. Someone I met the other day is doing me plan with some software he’s got. It would be good to know that it all works in the space I’ve got!

Time down the drain

I had a little corner on the board that I wasn’t sure what to do with and instead of putting a tree or some such on it I thought I’d go underground and make a kind of drain type thing. Around the station area I’d quite like to build a small stream in running below the platforms as it’s always good to get things a bit more three dimensional.

Anyway, here’s what I spent quite a lot of time pointlessly making:

That’s the thing about doing stuff in this scale. Things that you don’t notice in N are suddenly apparent when they’re four times bigger!


That’s it more or less put together here. It was all made out of scraps I had in the box, balsa wood, brick sheeting etc.


Some nice manky looking water in the bottom with two pipes draining the track area and a chamber to catch it all. Is that how these things work? I don’t know.


And here it is set into the board:


It’s gone a bit rusty, but hopefully nobody will fall into it…

 

[Peter C]

You've made a brilliant start on this so far @Cowley - I've been reading with interest (and have only just found time to post!) and it's great to see how this new venture is coming along. That drain bit looks brilliant just by itself - very realistic indeed. And that 26 you shared upthread is amazing too - I don't think I'll ever not be amazed by the size and presence, even just in photographs, of O gauge engines and rolling stock. I bet it weighs a fair bit?!

-Peter

 

[Cowley]

You've made a brilliant start on this so far @Cowley - I've been reading with interest (and have only just found time to post!) and it's great to see how this new venture is coming along. That drain bit looks brilliant just by itself - very realistic indeed. And that 26 you shared upthread is amazing too - I don't think I'll ever not be amazed by the size and presence, even just in photographs, of O gauge engines and rolling stock. I bet it weighs a fair bit?!

-Peter

It’s incredibly heavy.

I was thinking that if I do end up making any bridges I’ll have to build them fairly strong!

 

[Sun Chariot]

That drain feature is modelling genius.
I hope your 7mm railway staff aren’t depositing waste oil and chemicals down it!
What did you use to create the foamy water surface?

 

[4COR]

The drain is super - simple and very effective. As you say - the 3 dimensional nature just gives that bit extra to it all - doesn't need much but something to take it away from a flat board.

 

[Cowley]

That drain feature is modelling genius.
I hope your 7mm railway staff aren’t depositing waste oil and chemicals down it!

That’s exactly the kind of thing they’d do. I am keeping an eye on them though.

What did you use to create the foamy water surface?

It’s just a bit of brown and blue paint on a piece of board with some varnish stippled over it. The newts like a bit of stippling.

The drain is super - simple and very effective. As you say - the 3 dimensional nature just gives that bit extra to it all - doesn't need much but something to take it away from a flat board.

Thanks @4COR. I thought it was something a bit different and it seems to work.

It’s not easy being green (apologies to Kermit)

I think I mentioned on the ‘What’s on your workbench’ thread that I’d had a go at making some brambles. I’m not sure if they quite look like brambles, maybe the leaves are too bright? I don’t know, but I could tone them down if need be I suppose. I’ve at least managed to get them to creep over various things which was what I wanted them to do.


I want it all to look a bit autumnal bordering on winter really, so I’m using some quite dead looking grass on it and I might even go for a light dusting of snow if I’m brave enough… What I don’t want is vivid summer green colours so it’s going to take a bit of thinking about.

Here’s some barriers I made for next to the concrete pad and also showing that the lesser used siding is more disused looking hopefully.


And I went eBay crazy the other day when I found someone who sold all kinds of 3D printed bits and bobs, so I bought a set of shovels, brushes and a salt bin which I’ve painted and stuck down.


I also decided that I couldn’t live with the low back wall so I extended it upwards at the weekend, but with part of it dismantled around where the nearest window to the camera would have been.


Eventually the line to the station will run behind the wall so I’d like to be able to see the trains through the window gaps.

Ballachulish goods shed had some slightly similar rectangular windows so that’s the kind of look I was going for.

This is the scene behind the buffers with a few bits of abandoned detritus:


That’s it for the minute!

 

[Sun Chariot]

Inspiring modelling, @Cowley I keep finding new things in the scene, when I look at your photos.

I've a mental image, of an abandoned rusted-up MCV or HTV against the stops on the lesser used siding.

 

[Iskra]

That has come together really nicely, great work! Maybe some smaller bits of litter required just to finish it off? You know, beer bottles/cans or food wrappers, soggy magazines that kind of thing...