A new hobby

Well I been into British motorcycles for over 50 years now with my Norton and later model Triumph Thruxton but had other earlier Triumphs as well in that time, but as I am getting older and just over 2 weeks to go for my old age pension I have always been interested in model trains since I was a child and still have 2 British engines from my child hood, now with selling a few of my toys I had a large slot car raceway set up in my shed but it wasn't what I wanted so I sold it and now putting the money into what I always wanted to do, build a OO/HO train layout using the tables set up from the slot car set up, I also sold the 1960 Norton project bike for over double what I paid for it to throw into this new hobby.
Model trains is a expensive hobby just as bad as motorcycles lol, with the slot car set money it got me started as well another bit of extra money out of our savings (but don't tell the wife sssh) so $2600 first up with flex track, switches, a DC controller, 2 new locos that are DCC ready and other bits and pieces to make a start, now with the sale of the old Norton project bike gone I have an extra $4k of toy money to spend on the new hobby, so decided to go full on DCC set up, so for the last 2 weeks I just been ordering bits for the layout.
I have a track plan that I drew up about a month ago with the tables set up and so far I have spent 3 days and into the night when its cooler laying the track plan but as I going the plan has changed a little and after today I have just on 3/4 of the track work laid out, I have a part of the back track that going to climb up to a higher level and a few trestle bridges put in and cross over the bottom line.
So another few days before the track will get all joined up, then I run the trains to see if there is no problems with the curves and all then I will have to lift it all up to lay the cork underlay before gluing it all down and then all the wiring that will need to be installed under the tables, so a lot more work needed before the trains will be running, I say a month before the track work is done.
This is a long term project and I am not rushing into it, do it right first up but this is all new to me, but so far am enjoying my new hobby, it will keep me amused and busy and away from the idiot box at night, even making the trestle bridge from scratch was fun making while waiting for things to be delivered.
A few friends thought I was mad but they have all come good to my madness and have a few who want to help, but this is my time to do things my way I am sticking to British railways but my own ideas so no set in stone which way I will be going, I even have plans to build extra table once I move things around, I mostly buying Hornby locos and rolling stock with Peco track and switches, so far I have thrown just over $3600 into the lay out but still don't have much to show for it just yet, I took pics on my phone but will charge up my good camera tonight and take pics tomorrow and put up on here as I have laid more track since taking the pics on my phone, a month ago I was just thinking of this but selling the slot car track has got me hooked right into it, the bug has bitten, the bikes have been so reliable and haven't done any work on them for a long time so I need something to keep my mind and hands busy.
Been a very hot spring day here even with the industrial fan running it just got too hot in the shed and now a large thunder storm is rolling in, 35c today and we are only 1/2 way into our spring going to be a hot summer.

Ashley

Ash, How about humidity & rust?
It'll be outdoors, correct?
Stainless rails?
I know nothing about the hobby, but have seen a few.

Yep, my winter projects. Restoring Pre-war Lionel trains.


This was the top right engine before:

and after


Most of the cars were in similar shape before I started.


Ash, LGB makes trains that are made to run outside. I don't think they make anything as small as HO though.

The layout is inside my shed under the mezzanine floor which takes up 1/4 of my shed but the layout is larger than the mezzanine ceiling, the track is silver nickel so won't rust so no steel track, DCC is the new way of model trains where the old DC controller only controls one loco where the DCC controller can control up to 10 locos and control the trains on the same track or anywhere else on the layout, it's all new to me so still a learning curve for me as I go, the power from the DCC controller put power to all the tracks and the decoders inside the engines picks up the commands from the controller for each engine that has been programmed in the controller, as I say It's all new to me so still learning and I got a lot to learn, it's like the first time you built a motorcycle there be mistakes made but you learn as you go, but I have a few books on setting up and the DCC controller comes with a full explanation of how the system works.
I know everyone has other hobbies other than just motorcycle as MC has been my life and major hobby just now I need a change but my British bikes are still my number one hobby as well my life, I am just taking another direction in what I am doing, it's not just a simple task as it will take time, but I have plenty of time on my hands.

Ashley

You guys are making me crazy!

I have no time and now you are making me think of my boxes of N gauge trains and the fact that I have a rec room that is 100% unused and no wife to tell me no!

Well, maybe after I finish rest of my motorcycle projects spreadsheet. It has 77 rows, 43 are done and I'm concurrently working on 4. The trouble is people keep talking me into adding items. For instance, a while back I had a Trident ready for sale but ended up taking a MK3 basket case and $$$ in trade so: one finished, one added.

Not far from my place our local park has 5" and 7" full live steam and diesel locos that people ride, when I worked at the Tec college (TAFE) students in metal fab was building the steel track work but at the end of the year the Maintenance Fitters, I was a T/A to the fitters we had to finish the tracks off so the train club could lay it all and I have 2 friends who have built steam trains to run around the park.

Deets55 said:

Yep, my winter projects. Restoring Pre-war Lionel trains.

View attachment 122241
This was the top right engine before:
View attachment 122242
and after
View attachment 122243

Most of the cars were in similar shape before I started.


Ash, LGB makes trains that are made to run outside. I don't think they make anything as small as HO though.

Click to expand...

Deets you done a great job of restoring those trains, its a good hobby, my back yard is not big enough for an outside layout my shed takes up 1/2 my back yard, but there are a few model railways clubs around my neck of the woods, I am a member of our local Mens Shed but the Mens Shed in the next local area is a train club where men get together to play trains which I think I will joining.

Ashley

marshg246 said:

You guys are making me crazy!

I have no time and now you are making me think of my boxes of N gauge trains and the fact that I have a rec room that is 100% unused and no wife to tell me no!

Well, maybe after I finish rest of my motorcycle projects spreadsheet. It has 77 rows, 43 are done and I'm concurrently working on 4. The trouble is people keep talking me into adding items. For instance, a while back I had a Trident ready for sale but ended up taking a MK3 basket case and $$$ in trade so: one finished, one added.

Click to expand...

Greg we all have our likes in life and since I been telling a few mates about my new hobby a lot have come out admitting they wish they done or have a thing for model trains, it's a life time dream to build a layout and once I get something in my head I won't stop till I do it, playing with trains is a fun hobby, just making things for the layout, using your hands and thinking about it and at the moment I am loving it, the track laying is a big effort and time consuming but that's only the start, the wiring up of the layout will be another big task, at the moment the switches are going to be manual but down the road they be powered switches, but that be way further down the road then there is the scenery and buildings and be sometime before I get that far, well months I am sure, even years, better than watching TV, I am just going to take it all in and enjoy the ride.

ashman said:

The layout is inside my shed under the mezzanine floor which takes up 1/4 of my shed but the layout is larger than the mezzanine ceiling, the track is silver nickel so won't rust so no steel track, DCC is the new way of model trains where the old DC controller only controls one loco where the DCC controller can control up to 10 locos and control the trains on the same track or anywhere else on the layout, it's all new to me so still a learning curve for me as I go, the power from the DCC controller put power to all the tracks and the decoders inside the engines picks up the commands from the controller for each engine that has been programmed in the controller, as I say It's all new to me so still learning and I got a lot to learn, it's like the first time you built a motorcycle there be mistakes made but you learn as you go, but I have a few books on setting up and the DCC controller comes with a full explanation of how the system works.
I know everyone has other hobbies other than just motorcycle as MC has been my life and major hobby just now I need a change but my British bikes are still my number one hobby as well my life, I am just taking another direction in what I am doing, it's not just a simple task as it will take time, but I have plenty of time on my hands.

Ashley

Click to expand...

Ash,
Yes, those new controllers are real nice. A far cry from these lumps.

marshg246 said:

You guys are making me crazy!

I have no time and now you are making me think of my boxes of N gauge trains and the fact that I have a rec room that is 100% unused and no wife to tell me no!

Well, maybe after I finish rest of my motorcycle projects spreadsheet. It has 77 rows, 43 are done and I'm concurrently working on 4. The trouble is people keep talking me into adding items. For instance, a while back I had a Trident ready for sale but ended up taking a MK3 basket case and $$$ in trade so: one finished, one added.

Click to expand...

Greg just looking at you pic of your Norton laying on its side from your accident off your lift table, maybe it's time to pull your N gauge trains out to play, might be safer in the long run, getting old is not fun but you can make it fun with the right hobby.

Well it was a very hot and humid day yesterday and not much got done up in the shed was 39c but today rain has set in and a big drop in temp from 39c yesterday to 22c today but I be able to work on the layout without the big industrial fan blowing it sounds like a plane engine running lol. Most of the track is down (3/4s) but I got to build the higher level before I can finish the track laying then pulling it all up to put the corking bed down, not sure if I going to glue the track work down of nail it down as changes I am sure will happen when I do extensions to the layout.
I am back at the Mens Shed tomorrow so using the saw benches to cut the ply to size and other timber I need for the higher graduations on the layout, I do 3 mornings a week at the Mens Shed (30 hrs a fortnight to get my centrelink payments) but have the afternoons free but after 2 weeks time I can cut back the time I need to do down there as I will be getting my old age pension and no need to do the hrs to get pay.

Ashley

I had OO gauge trains when I was a kid, they always fell off the rails. One of my friends was German. He had a Marklin train set. It was a really beautiful thing. I recently saw some on the Antiques Road Show. The attention to detail is fantastic

Well the hobby is getting out of control as I extended the tables, and just one small section of track to lay, just waiting for a few more things to arrive by post today before I take pics as not much to see at the moment just tracks and switches, then got to lift it all up to lay the corking underlay still deciding whether to glue or pin the tracks all down and ran out of rail joiners so a trip to my hobby shop for a few more things today as well.
I have rail gauges so that I get the curves set right for my trains to run smooth without derailing and have tested the track so far with rolling stock and so far so good, track work has taken near 2 weeks and still have a bit more to go just one more big curve and a few straight sections and the layout is the way I want it, 15 switches so far with 3 large sidings and cross overs.
Going to solder the feeder wires in the next few days as well the main buzz wires when they arrive today, going to be a lot of soldering and wire cutting/slicing but do it proper and I won't have no problems down the road.

Ashley

ashman said:

Well the hobby is getting out of control as I extended the tables, and just one small section of track to lay, just waiting for a few more things to arrive by post today before I take pics as not much to see at the moment just tracks and switches, then got to lift it all up to lay the corking underlay still deciding whether to glue or pin the tracks all down and ran out of rail joiners so a trip to my hobby shop for a few more things today as well.
I have rail gauges so that I get the curves set right for my trains to run smooth without derailing and have tested the track so far with rolling stock and so far so good, track work has taken near 2 weeks and still have a bit more to go just one more big curve and a few straight sections and the layout is the way I want it, 15 switches so far with 3 large sidings and cross overs.
Going to solder the feeder wires in the next few days as well the main buzz wires when they arrive today, going to be a lot of soldering and wire cutting/slicing but do it proper and I won't have no problems down the road.

Ashley

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"Too much is just barely enough" I've said for years. Go Ash