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General => Trains! => Topic started by: playmofire on December 01, 2019, 21:28:27

Title: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 01, 2019, 21:28:27
In a fortnight's time our great niece will be visiting us for the annual trip on the North Bay Railway Santa Special. Her first question when she arrives will be, "Where's the train, uncle Gordon?" as I always make a window ledge layout for her visit. So here are a few photos of the layout so far.
 
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 01, 2019, 21:29:19
And one of work in progress.

I'll post more as work progresses.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: tahra on December 01, 2019, 21:50:38
That's great playmofire :)

Love the bridge with the half height foundation parts :love:  (7400! 7400! 7400!), the bikes, and the work in progress pic is great too!

Won't you have a bunch of people glued to your window?


Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 01, 2019, 22:38:39
That's great playmofire :)

Thank you, tahra.

Love the bridge with the half height foundation parts :love:  (7400! 7400! 7400!), the bikes, and the work in progress pic is great too!

Yes, I've acquired lots of those parts, including two full DS sets.

Won't you have a bunch of people glued to your window?

I hope not!
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: Tiermann on December 02, 2019, 00:05:08
That's wonderful Gordon! I really need to find one of those shuttle mechanisms. The LGB ones are occasionally available here and I need to look out for one. Will there be video I hope?
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 02, 2019, 01:12:55
That's wonderful Gordon! I really need to find one of those shuttle mechanisms. The LGB ones are occasionally available here and I need to look out for one. Will there be video I hope?

Thanks, Tim.

The Playmobil shuttle units are basic, for example, you can't change the pause time at the ends as you can with the LGB ones, but work well.

I plan for there to be a video, either of the window ledge version or a longer version planned for our chapel Fun Day in early January, or both.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: Janilew on December 02, 2019, 02:08:54
Lovely set up! Simple, yet appealing. Wish I could find a decent, old-fashioned train.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: tahra on December 02, 2019, 08:41:25
Yes, I've acquired lots of those parts, including two full DS sets.

7400?  Wow.

I have very few of those parts, compared to the amount of steck I have :(
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmovictorian on December 02, 2019, 17:05:10
What a wonderful idea dear Gordon  :wave:

I cannot wait to see more of your Christmas Train  :)
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: Junker Jörg on December 02, 2019, 18:35:00
That's pure brillant - considering the little space you have! Einfach toll - vor allem, wenn man bedenkt, wie wenig Platz Du hast!

jj:
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 02, 2019, 19:28:24
That's pure brillant - considering the little space you have! Einfach toll - vor allem, wenn man bedenkt, wie wenig Platz Du hast!

jj:

Thank you, jj.  The space is about 80 inches and this has implications foor the locos and rolling stick used.  Obviously not a route for a 4052(!) so I use an LGB Spremberger loco and LGB Toy Train rolling stock, all of which are a few centimetres shorter than similar Playmobil items.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: PMatt on December 02, 2019, 21:24:06
I just discovered the existence of 7400 and now I see how ingeniously its parts can be used! The way you used those to support the railway looks wonderful.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 02, 2019, 22:06:30
Lovely set up! Simple, yet appealing. Wish I could find a decent, old-fashioned train.

Thank you.  You can still get bargains on eBay.  I bought a 4001 set, hardly used, with extra straight track but no figures for £41.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 02, 2019, 23:01:01
I just discovered the existence of 7400 and now I see how ingeniously its parts can be used! The way you used those to support the railway looks wonderful.

I must admit, there is an example of this in a Playmobil train catalogue which I based mine on.   However, in the catalogue the tracks seem to fit perfectly on the trestles, but in practice they are wider than the trestles.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: Junker Jörg on December 03, 2019, 08:34:19
...so I use an LGB Spremberger loco and LGB Toy Train rolling stock, all of which are a few centimetres shorter than similar Playmobil items.
Looking forward to seeing further pics - ich freu mich schon auf weitere Bilder ...  ::)

jj:
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: Janilew on December 03, 2019, 13:34:53
Thank you.  You can still get bargains on eBay.  I bought a 4001 set, hardly used, with extra straight track but no figures for £41.

Can you buy from a European eBay if you're in America? I know some sellers are from another country. but I don't know about a whole nother store.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 03, 2019, 13:40:38
Can you buy from a European eBay if you're in America? I know some sellers are from another country. but I don't know about a whole nother store.

If the seller ships world wide, Yes.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 17, 2019, 19:33:37
Here are a couple of videos showing the layout running, a daylight one and then an evening one showing off the lights.

https://youtu.be/KB-9Y_UqJvg   

https://youtu.be/bOhknMiwmkA       
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: Tiermann on December 19, 2019, 00:50:27
Looks great Gordon. A really nice variety of foreground action along the shelf. The raised concept really works well.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 19, 2019, 02:46:52
Looks great Gordon. A really nice variety of foreground action along the shelf. The raised concept really works well.

Thanks, Tim.  I am thinking of using  raised line as part of the display at Kirkbean next year.  One possibility is to have a raised round-and-round  track in the middle with a similar but larger track outside it at baseboard level.

I have thought of having the raised track overlapping the lower track, but this would mean that the raised track would have to be 8 or 9 inches clear of the lower track and I don't have enough Playmobil parts for this.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: PMatt on December 21, 2019, 08:46:55
It's a great little layout, and the display of vintage and modern figures alike makes it all the better!
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 21, 2019, 14:47:29
It's a great little layout, and the display of vintage and modern figures alike makes it all the better!

Thank you.   The vintage figures have a charm of their own.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: Marco_4124 on December 21, 2019, 19:57:11
It reminds me of Amsterdam, of the Haarlemmer Houttuinen and Tussen De Bogen.

(https://i.postimg.cc/htt4KM1G/visit-to-Haarlemmer-Houtt-20000000009413902-1024x768.jpg)
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 21, 2019, 20:28:01
Ah, in the UK railway arches are usually less splendid:

https://editorial01.shutterstock.com/wm-preview-1500/9353333b/2b03970f/save-brixton-arches-campaign-london-uk-shutterstock-editorial-9353333b.jpg
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: Marco_4124 on December 22, 2019, 13:25:33
In Amsterdam there are offices under the railway, a printing shop, cycle repair shop, an instrument builder and a café. After years of neglectance, this is now the place to be.
Title: Re: Christmas train shuttle layout
Post by: playmofire on December 22, 2019, 13:59:48
In the UK, the "arches" are often used for small businesses such a car repairing and servicing or metalworking an let out at low rents.   But Network Rail who owns the arches are now selling them off to private landlords, not always to the benfit of those renting them:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/sep/10/network-rail-sells-railway-arches-real-estate-investors-telereal-trillium-blackstone-property-partners

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/sep/13/network-rail-failed-railway-arch-tenants-in-15bn-sale-say-mps