My Layout

This layout began in 2002 I had been collecting Hornby clockwork engines since I was given one for my birthday about six years ago. I've always liked the size of O gauge but couldn't afford an electric engine. So the tinplate trains I had were only run during the holidays when I set the track up on my bedroom floor I did have an OO scale layout as well. Then in early 2002 I found out about Marx and saved up joined up to Paypal and eBay and bid on my first Marx set. 6-8 weeks later the set arrived in the mail costing only NZ$100 or about the cost of a new piece of software.



I set this up and ran it for a while around its figure 8 of track and then in a mad rush sold all my OO stock and converted to 3 rail O gauge. I ripped up all my OO mainline and sold it all through the internet replaced the top of the baseboard with plywood and glued a lifelike grass mat down.



With the money from the now OO stock I brought another starter set some track, wagons and accessories and set it all up on the baseboard. I tried many different track plans and finally settled on the one below. I brought more track some Marx 034 curves and screwed it all down. The control panel was built up in a case I got on special with some switches I was given. By this time I had acquired a Marx 333 not just a 0-4-0 but a true locomotive a 4-6-2 pacific. This doesn't run the best on the Marx 034 curves and the back of the cab hits the top of the tender. I also managed to get a Lionel engine and gateman.




The plan on the layout is to have as much lights as is possible. I was given some light sockets that had a fault on the mounting bracket and have placed these in all my buildings. I do need to get some light towers for the yards and these will probably be my next purchase. I've planed an extension to the layout so I can fit an Marx freight station but I don't know if the extension will ever happen as I want to put larger curves on the layout and this would mean a larger layout anyway.

The track is all 027 profile and I think I'll keep this profile on any future layouts as I've noticed K-line produce large radii. I managed to pick up some Plasticville buildings locally and that saved me some money, as buying from the USA is a bit expensive once you add postage on top of the purchase price.