Kevin Hodges

I was born and raised in Lowestoft. I'm finding this a really interesting thread. I've losely based my own layout on the Lowestoft - Oulton Broad section of line. Kev.

Elvis obviously had a model rail layout. Love me tender. 😳

@DonnyRailMan, Me too Donny, I have a modest 8ft x 4ft Hornby layout one end of my shed, the Scalextric the other end (same size). I gave up on DCC and went back to DC for my locos. Using a Gaugemaster dual with braking. coasting simulation now. I'm finding the cars way more challenging to chip than the locos. Unless they are digital plug ready. These cars are easily damaged fitting the decoder, Probably my sausage fingers ! Kev.

I fitted one, (shoehorned) it into my Mallard steam loco. I know it was loud and the 'chuffs' were out of sync. I've gone back to DC so I don't use it any longer.

The best set of tweezers I own came supplied with my Hakko soldering iron/station. Really nice quality gear. Kev.

Hi Brew Man, I agree, I also think good scenery & weathering etc really negates any size limitations. What this chap (on the youtube video) has achieved on 6x4 is brilliant and inspriational. I can see he has talent and lots of experience though. A hard act to follow. Not sure if he is a member here or reads these comments. It would be great if he could share some of his techniqes and tips on scenery and design. His layout gets a solid 10/10 from me. Kev. 😀 PS, Love the 2 blokes chatting outside the pub. One perched on a beer barrel !

This is the one I think we are looking for. This is a superb layour and all on 6 x 4ft Kev.

Yes, you can build a decent layout on 6x4ft. I just completed a Hornby Trakmat layout and followed the stock design complete with the building/scenery packs. A nice little layout. There is a video on youtube where somone built a truely inspiring layout based on the Trackmat. He even has a large hill at one end complete with a tunnel and super detailed, dual tunnel entrances. Some ballast, rusted rails, trees, bushes. You get the idea. I think good scenery, along with some finishing touches, can really compensate for the reduced layout size. Kev.

@Jimyjames, That is a cracker Jimmy. And how can we forget Airfix !!!

I think all the old Triang Hornby artwork was fantastic. The 50's & 60's era really came to life through this classic artwork.

The Triang Hornby Blue Pullman set gets my vote too. I have both the Blue & Yellow end sets. A true classic. Kev.

@DonnyRailMan That would probably work Donny. I might try it. Although being in the car, real time would be very cool. Kev. 😀

@andy P, Hi Andy, I enjoy both, although I've been into model railways for years. Both interests stem from when I was a kid & my dad bought us a Hornby train set & later a Scalextric set for Christmas. We never could have even imagined things like onboard video back in the 60s. Kev. 😀

Welcome Karl, I'm fairly new to all this but Jadlams UK are hard to beat for some great deals. Kev. 😀

Thanks Andy, I guess It would just all be a blur. Might work for model rail though ? 😀 Kev.

What about those video link, micro tv cameras that the radio contol guys use for FPV. (first person video). They fit these to racing quads with great success. You also need a set of Rx goggles to view the action as you fly/drive. Some of these cameras are truely tiny. The Air to ground range can be miles. Plenty enough for close use like slot cars. Same tech they use in drones. Of course the DJI drones (and many others), use your smart phone/tablet as the viewing device. Kev.

A beautiful set. Thanks for the great pic.

Hi DallasOz, welcome to the forum. I bought a pack of 100 screws (and the mini screwdriver) from a chap online. He supplies these specificaly for Hornby track. They work great and can be backed out (obviously) when you need to dismantle. Here you go; http://www.alansrobinson.co.uk/model%20railway%20track%20pins%20and%20track%20screws.html Kev.

Hi Scott, I managed to get a track mat glued down, zero wrinkles. You need to roll it up, then open it flat on the baseboard for a couple of weeks. Hold it down with weights. This all takes time I realise, but there you go. Once it naturally flattens out, you can gently line it up and glue it down with straight (undiluted) PVA using some kind of flat edge as a 'squeegie' Being careful not to tear it. PVA works way better than wallpaper glue for this. It doesn't make the paper so soggy. It holds way better too. Trust me. Once dried and set, I tacked (screwed) the track down over the track mat. I found a supplier of tiny screws for Hornby track. He even supplies the tiny screw driver needed. They work great. You need to jiggle it around to get it all lined up, but it can be done with minimal distortion. You have to allow for some small areas where it doesn't line up 100% but you can get it pretty darn close. Once you add the buildings and other scenery items you won't even notice any slight misalignment. Oh, make certain to run a few trains in opposite directions around the main loops to ensure you have the correct track clearance. I just push a few carriages slowly round by hand. The spacing can be critical to avoid train wrecks. ! 😢 Kev.

That looks great Jimmy. I see you have a sheet of ply under it all now. Have you tallied up the total track length of yours ? That's about the same size as my layout. I basically extended the track mat plan by adding extra straights. Recently I built up the stock standard layout for my nephew and his family to use. It works great for the space they have available. I actually laid the track right over the track mat that I glued down with PVA. With a bit of patience, a large flat baseboard and some persuasion, you can actually get the track mat down with zero wrinkles. You'd never do it straight out of the package though. It needs a week or two layed flat with heavy objects strategically placed around. The real track lines up pretty well with the track mat. Hornby did a good job with the printing. Very little distortion in the 1:1 scaling. I am limited for space, but managed to extend my basic track mat by a couple of feet and made a few changes. Kev.

Fantastic work Mike ! Truely inspiring. Now you just need a ghost or a creepy clown to haunt the tunnel ! Kev.

That's one reason I like using AnyRail. At the click of a button, It tells me the total length of the track used in my layout. Very handy for situations like this. Total track length for the newer (Large) Track Mat is 14.27m or around 47ft Sorry, I cant remember all the various track mat R**** numbers. I think the older Track Mats would all be close to the same if that helps anyone. It's surprising how the lengths add up, even on small layouts. Kev,

Thanks Chas, I might just put the chip in a drawer & run this car analogue till I get a bit more experience. It is such a nice car, I don't want to damage it. Thanks for your help and thoughts. Cheers Kev. 😀

Hi guys, I need some advice please. I just bought a Slot IT chip and have my analogue car ready to convert. The 2 issues I have are; 1. The slot guide on this car is white. Is it as simple a fix as painting it black ? 2. I understand there needs to be a 3mm hole drilled in the chassis floor, just behind the rear of the guide for the sensor to sit. This car has chassis brackets at that spot and I can't see how I could comfortably drill a hole where it's required without making an aweful mess and possibly weakening the chassis floor. Any tips please ? Kev

Hi Les, Not sure if acrylic would take. It's a very waxy plastic. Maybe enamal would be a better choice ? I'm curious too. Kev. 😀