• OO/HO African profile model railway in Kenya

  • Discussion related to everything about model railroading, from layout design and planning, to reviews of related model tools and equipment. Discussion includes O, S, HO, N and Z, as well as narrow gauge topics. Also includes discussion of traditional "toy train" and "collector" topics such as Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and others. Also includes discussion of outdoor garden railways and live steamers.
Discussion related to everything about model railroading, from layout design and planning, to reviews of related model tools and equipment. Discussion includes O, S, HO, N and Z, as well as narrow gauge topics. Also includes discussion of traditional "toy train" and "collector" topics such as Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and others. Also includes discussion of outdoor garden railways and live steamers.

Moderators: 3rdrail, stilson4283, Otto Vondrak

  by NaugyRR
 
I'm looking forward to more pictures, John. African railways aren't usually something that comes to mind when thinking of modeling, so it'll be interesting and exciting to see your work.
  by johnthefireman
 
Thanks, mate. I'll post pictures as I go along, but I'm conscious that this is going to be a long, long process over many years...
  by NaugyRR
 
Looking good! I'd imagine it must get hot in there with the metal walls.
  by johnthefireman
 
Not too bad since we built the shaded veranda on the west side. The sun doesn't begin to hit that wall until about 4.30 pm now. The east side of the container forms the inside wall of a workshop, and there is an overall roof over the workshop and container, so all in all it's not too hot.
  by NaugyRR
 
I had a chance to paw through today, you have made a ton of progress. I really admire the variety of trains and rolling stock you have, and the structures look great.
  by johnthefireman
 
A long break without posting anything, but work on the model railway has continued. I got a lot done during the COVID lockdown, but waiting for certain parts and materials to arrive in Kenya from UK often slows me down.

The shanty town has really developed and, like real life shanty towns, continues to grow haphazardly. I've installed some lighting.

The lake scene is now quite well developed, with cliffs overlooking the lake, a steamer coming in to dock at a stone jetty, hippos and crocodiles basking by the lakeside, and a dozen or so flamingos which I haven't yet fixed. The lake itself is made of old pieces of glass.

The desert airstrip and station scene is pretty well developed, still adding details - indeed the addition of details on the whole layout will continue for many years to come. There's always something more than can be added or changed. Semaphore signals are in place to protect the station, but they're not remote controlled.

I'm now concentrating on the main loco depot and the posher area of town which overlooks it, including the Catholic church and some Cape Dutch architecture. I'm waiting for a parcel to arrive from UK with a few more houses in it.

I'm also gradually developing a small industrial area as a transition between the town and the shanty town, with the coaling stage in the foreground. I'm scratch-building low-relief warehouses and have ordered a factory chimney kit and an industrial scenic backdrop. On other parts of the layout I've already mounted rural scenic backdrops from Australia, which feel more African than the European or north American backdrops. The Aussie ones are not cheap, mind you!

I've struggled with mounting points motors under the baseboard, but now I have some side-mounted points motors which I hope will be easier to fit. I've got a couple of points working manually with long wires in plastic tubing, and I plan to do one or two more like that, the ones which are nearer to the operating console but still too far to reach comfortably. I'll gradually start connecting up the colour light signals to the control console.

I've decided to have a small narrow gauge (OO9, 9 mm gauge) feeder line running into the main station, with a siding into the goods yard. It'll add a bit of variety. I've just ordered a small narrow gauge diesel loco and some other bits and pieces; again I'm, waiting for them to arrive from UK.

I've received a replacement engine for my Garratt, so one day I'll fit that and get it operating. I've also received a couple more British-pattern steam locos which have a vaguely African feel to them.

Not much progress on the main station and town, but I've decided to use MDF for the platform, nearly 2 metres long, as we've had some wardrobes fitted and there's plenty of this good quality board left over.
  by johnthefireman
 
Half a year later I've posted more photos at https://friendsoftherail.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=365

I've been playing around with various bits of scenery, including the shanty town, the lake, and the industrial area behind the coaling stage. I've also been installing more points motors, colour light signals (including ground signals) and lighting, and generally trying to sort out the wiring beneath the baseboard. I've obtained a loco and some stock for the narrow gauge feeder line.
Last edited by johnthefireman on Sun Dec 26, 2021 5:54 am, edited 3 times in total.