On30 Micro layout

[SRRL-Maine]

HI,
I am posting the story and pictures of my On30 layout.
Micro Layout

I was cruising the Internet, when I came across the Micro layout site.

After spending an hour or so looking a plethora of layouts in all scales and sizes I left the site, having no intention of building one myself.
However, at a meeting of the narrow gauge group I belong to, the Friday Night Irregulars (any scale), we had a discussion on the merits of Micros and how difficult or not they where to build.
Darryl, our un-elected leader and motivator, mentioned en passant, that he was working on a Micro and the owner of the Railhead Model Railroad shop, David was in to it as well.
I mentioned to my buddies that I had seen a small layout that I liked, called Avalon Brick works by Julian Andrews. (Howard Martin bought it and exhibits it to advertise his business, Avalon Models (O9 kits primarily, mostly designed by Steve Bennett) and before I knew it , I had been hornswaggeld in to building one for our upcoming Vancouver Island show in September.
A mere 7 months away.

So, I got busy by constructing a Plywood box (24 x 36) first, using 3/16 plywood, I cut then and glued pink Styrofoam as a base on and cut out the harbour and the creek areas. The backdrop is 00.60 Styrene painted grey and then a much thinned blue and clouds where added and with a soft 4” paint brush wiped back and forth until they almost disappeared.
The track is Peco On30 in the front and some HO track and a Peco 00 Code 100 switch “behind the scenes”
Motive Power is a Bachman Spectrum Davenport switcher, detailed with a Backwoods Miniature kit and still awaiting the installation of a Sound Unit from MRC, assuming the Davenport engine was replaced by a more powerful Diesel engine. Two sets of tip cars from Bachman and a few cut up Peco narrow gauge freight cars round off the rolling stock.
On the bench are a second loco and some more rolling stock, like a fuel car, passenger car and a box car.
I followed the general layout of the buildings as on the layout shown, but added a Smoke stack
The brick sheet used over 00.40 Styrene is from Slater’s and the Windows and Doors are Grandt Line as are the Cornice Details and the Date Plate.
The main building has a mirror on the back wall and some LED lights as have some of the buildings that sport windows. I acquired a bag of girders from a Corner Stone kit that where on offer at David’s shop to build the frame of the loco shed and covered it all with corrugated sheeting(bought long ago and the bag has no label on it)

The welding/battery cart is a military model from Tamiya, so are some of the figures and a dog, others are from Woodlands Scenics, including the cow and cow patty, and Model Power, I altered a Life Like sitting Passenger and made him in to a Fisherman and build a pole for him, (Now Woodland Scenics has a new set of Fishermen out and I may replace him with the new offering) .Langley model Ducks, Seagulls and a few rabbits round off the populace.

Details are from many sources, and the grass is from Woodlands and Scenic Express. I found two inexpensive lamps at Home Depot and the whole layout is powered by NEC power cab.
I have added some sound effects to the layout now, a CD from Scale Magix by Fantasonic.
Engineering and a MRC town and Country system to inject barking dogs and mooing cows and such All in all a lot of fun to be had in a small layout and it attracted a lot of admiration and questions from the public and the kids loved it. This is proof that you do not need a large space for a layout, even in O scale.
Pictures by Darryl and myself.

[SRRL-Maine]

Daniel von Kanel's On 30 Site

[Eastern Roads]

Dan, this is one seriously well done layout. It's hard to believe it's as small as it is, but with so much detail, and all the excellent pictures, you'd have to think you were looking at a huge empire! I kept scrolling through, as there are tons of ideas (rabbits, 55 gal drums, lots of people doing things, that bridge!) and lots to appreciate. You definitely spent some intensive time filling in the details. This was a great post, thanks for sharing, but I have one question...

What's the deal with the Engineer on the Davenport?? They must call him "Sleepy Joe". He must've had a long day, he looks asleep in there!

You have some great stories in that layout! Thanks again!

[SRRL-Maine]

Thanks Mike,

Sleepy Engineer is a "adapted" military driver and he got unglued.
Thanks for the comments. I am working on a larger, room size layout, ( On30 with a Maine flavor) now that my kids have left home.
Cheers,

Daniel

[Daryl]

Hey Daniel, don't forget to post on going pics of your in house layout as well cheers Daryl

[SRRL-Maine]

Ok,
Just one of the things on my to-do list. I made a mold today (four strips of 3/8 of plywood and a piece of flat molding I had in the scrap heap.
I crumpled up some alu foil and poured plaster in to the mold. Then I cut a piece of pink foam and pushed it in the mess, so I could save on the weight and also it streches the plaster a bit further. I cured it and scribed it a little and later when it is dry I will install it for the first bridge on the layout.
Bridge is build from Steam in the Bush.

Cheers

Daniel
Brass Hat, D&K RR