Rob’s been back in touch with an update on his OO scale model railway:
As well as a fab youtube update, he’s taken the time to talk us through his train journey and shared pics too:
“Farland is a OO scale 1:76.2 model railway. It is my impression of Britain. It is not historically accurate.
When I started it, I intended to keep to a narrow time frame of 1965-1968, but the time frame has leaked to pre-1950s and post-1990s. I add anything that piques my interest.
I started modeling in OO in 2012 after buying what was described to me as a locomotive with sound. Sound? Yes, the London store clerk explained, it has sound when it runs. That started me on this journey I have been on ever since.
I had some Lionel O gauge trains as a youngster and a wind-up, clockwork-type train given to me when I was about 6. I still have it, though the 3 rail O gauge stuff is long gone. I guess I should also explain that as a child, I lived in London, England, for a time when I was a kid, once again that 6-year-old period.
The current Farland is actually the second version of it. The first version was built in our unfinished basement at the time. I made every mistake possible with this first layout.
There was no plan at all in the beginning. I bought a sheet of 4-foot by 8-foot plywood and put legs under it, then set up my sound locomotive to run on it. It wasn’t long until I added 2 more feet along one side and then one foot along the end. Within 6 months, the layout was “U” shaped and 22 feet by 13 feet.
Around then, my loving and understanding wife decided she had had enough of seeing out the junk that we stored in our basement in the YouTube videos I started making. She suggested we finish off at least the part of the basement that the layout was occupying.
I agreed and came up with an overall plan for a completely finished basement. We didn’t feel we could afford to do the whole thing so scaled down to the hall leading from the bottom of the stairs to the would-be train room.
I then worked on a track plan that would maximize the running track and include some of the elements I wanted on my model railway. One and most important was I did not want a duck under or bridge. I wanted to be able to walk into the layout unencumbered. All Farland plans achieved this.
By the way, for those of you that are unfamiliar with the OO scale or gauge, it uses the same HO track with a 16.5 mm gauge as HO uses. The track for all purposes is HO track.
Here are three track plans. The first is about the third iteration of the first unfinished basement layout.
Next is the final plan of the first Farland in the unfinished basement.
Last is the as-built version of the current Farland in the now-finished train room.
The room is 23 feet x 22 feet with a bump out in one corner and an inset at the opposite corner.
Rob”
A huge big thanks to Hall of Fame member Rob for sharing his OO scale model railway.
It reminded me of Stuart’s: OO scale steam locomotives.
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And if today is the day you make a start just like Rob did, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
