HOe/009 - Something a bit smaller!!!
Article #9 - 20/08/2020 16:31
HOe Model Railway
HOe scale is HO scale trains (1:87 3.5mm/ft) running on 9mm (N gauge track). This forms a narrow gauge track with similar proportions to the 2ft gauge railways found around the world and especially in the Welsh Mountains.
Someone mentioned putting a model railway inside the top of a 9 drawer chest, with the lid that opened up for access. I was looking at my coffee table and decided there was enough height between the bottom and top to install a small N gauge or Hoe mini layout with buildings 1 or maybe 2 stories high. I wanted a small mountain/tunnel, so found a 3D printer design of a mountain, and with some chopping and scaling I was able to print the mountain is 4 sections, with a height that will fit within the table with the lid down. ;-)
The layout consists of one main loop with effectively 2 passing loops. The tunnel on the left west side (3D printed!) has single line working, but with the other loops, 3 full trains can use the layout running from 1 simple DC controller.
The centre loop is also the loop to the maintenance yard. This consists of a turntable (wide enough to carry 1 loco and 1 wagon) and then feeds down to a traverser which has 4 stops along its length. Off each side there is room again for 1 loco and 1 wagon, or 2 wagons. This gives a good availability of stock to be able to manipulate on this small layout.
