Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Space....The Final Front Ear....


*old joke...How many ears does Captain Kirk have? Three, you forgot his final front ear....sigh...

Am_Fet writes: Just lately his Royal Druffness and I have been conversing about layout space and how it equates with our dreams (or at least, thats what I think we've been talking about). Living in a small 3 bedroom box in a back section with no garage, I am well qualified to talk about lack of space....with a wee bit of ingenuity I dont think it needs to be a hurdle however. Looking around, there are numerous spaces in the house that could be used (obviously with domestic approval).

- Under the Bed: Obviously just for storage, I dont think anyone could successfully operate down there...vertical height becomes an issue, and cleanliness as well. Still Doable, however.

- Closet/Alcoves: Some larger closets may be able to be rejigged for a small shelf layout around three sides. Wouldnt work in my closet though, I'd just be dodging business shirts I never wear...

- Book case: For a small shunting layout, just the ticket. Not so great if you want to model the Spiral full size, but maybe you need to re-evaluate your goals? (pic is from http://carendt.com ...best model railway site on the planet)



- Above doors: This one looks promising, and I'm waiting for KiwiBonds to write about his experiences with Moana. By mounting a layout above the door line of a room, you get full length walls and it stays out of the way of domestic activities.


- Spare rooms: Speaks for itself....I think you are exceptionally lucky if you have the chance to build in a nice warm carperted room...lucky blighters.

- Outside Shed: Cold draughty unlined unpowered.....no one else is bound to want it, so its perfect, really....

- Garage: Usually has to share with smelly cars, lawn mowers, gardening stuff, bikes, camping gear....if there is any room left (preferably walled off from the rest of the chaos) its by far the best option.

In our current digs, I'm investigating using an outside shed with is around 3.3 x 1.8. It currently has no power and an absurdly low headroom, but in my minds eye I can see a small shelf running above a workbench at one end and behind the beer fridge a the other. Build it in a modular way and it can be rejigged for a bigger space once we move house (which is possibly on the cards...a curse on school zoning).


Das Shed


Right, your turn....what spaces have you currently got that youve often thought about expanding into? And for extra marks, whenever you plan your "dream layout", what size space do you design it for? (Personally, I dream of a 20' square shed....)

8 comments:

Southern Rails said...

With another little one on the way, any plans for the spare room have been 'Shelved'. pardon the pun.
I'm seriously looking at the wash house as an option. Maybe a small layout beside or even over the dryer.

Anonymous said...

Im doing a shelve layout. 0.3 wide and 4. mtrs long. The 4 mtrs is broken down to 2 mtr sections. 1 station 1 hilly with very tight curve in. Then another of the same size [0.3x4] is built just under that one. If one day I can then have both sides of a nice layout.

muir said...

Just something - the floors in garages (unlike your very lucky) are made with just poured concrete i.e no proofing or anything, so the porosity is oticeable and there is this all pervading dampness in the air - niksil track may not rust but it gets very yucky and your lichen shrubberies may just start to grow on their own accord.
Shed realistically has to be lined - which by the by does head druff or amateur fettler and co want some N gauge modules off a layout? they're sitting in my shed getting damaged but I'm sad to take 'em to the tip... I think there's four each about 1m x.5 or something.... they have track and are scenicked...
I'm currently trying to do the Ceiling cavity i.e the four spare feet in the roof, with a loft ladder and crawlways to get from a to b. Lots of floorboards, sponge and carpet - and it gets me an area without intruding on the authorities' lebensraum.
Still many, many cons...
Tell me if you're interested in the boards you'll have to pick 'em up, although I could assist...

woodsworks said...

I'm scheming a sectional (not modular) layout, able to fit within our double garage when the cars are temporarily banished, and can be set up in my workshop at a pinch, 4.5m x 2.4m - the size largely dictated by being made up from 1.50m x 0.45m sections, which can be made to stack in and above the well-deck of my ute for transport to displays if required.

The Dream Layout will be built in our current (temporary) accomodation once we save enough pennies to build The Flash House alongside and move into that. Space is 12m x 8m, with stairway access from below, so no doorways in walls to avoid, layout can go right around walls, with lobes into middle as desired.

For possible layout spaces, you forgot under-house; when I was 16, my dad helped me build a very substantial concrete-lined pit with surrounding slab-on-ground under my parents' house. It was quite dry, had damp-proof liner and all, and quite temperature-stable for having hardboard walls around the outside. My layout sat on the slab on short legs, just high enough to let me reach underneath, which put the layout top at just below chest height. It was about 3.5m x 1.8m from memory, and the pit was half that size, with 1.9m head-height. The layout was a C-shape, and getting in and out was not difficult for a nimble teenager - wouldn't want to do it too much now though, 20 years has added weight and subtracted flexibility ;-)

Amateur Fettler said...

Muir, can I suggest you put the modules in the classifieds on Nz120.org? There maybe someone who would like them...

Andrew Hamblyn said...

I have a 6m x 5m shed at my disposal.
But, its more of a "man cave" than just a plain old shed...
Had plans to partition off a 3x3m room inside it, line it etc and that would still give me ample room for the workshop, trailer, bikes, bar leaner, couch etc etc etc...

At the moment I have a 1.1m x 1.8m benchwork erected and slowly piecing together an HOn30 pike...

Drew

muir said...

Cheers Mr Am_fet - I'll take some photo's when I get enthusiastic and plant 'em on NZ120 -

There are concrete waterproofing products available that can be retrolayered onto an existing substrate, apparently can withstand substantial waterflow...

One of the philosophising things about garage/sheds I feel, is that one is out of the house away from the family - I sometimes kinda feel that it's nice to share ones interest - I know sometimes they complain that you should be building a fish tank or mowing the carpet but at least they're seeing what your doing and by default they're involved - my 3 1/2 year old daughter loves helping dad build his layout :)

outbackiwi said...

Don't over look using a Caravan also very handy when you move as you can just fill it up with house hold stuff and drive away to your new place .