An Industrial Narrow Gauge Adventure - 5.5mm and 7/8th narrow gauge modelling

While conducting research on both 18 inch narrow gauge railways and obtaining information and inspiration for my planned narrow gauge shelf layout or 'micro layout' I have come across a number of interesting sites and pieces of information that I will be using as part of this long-term project.

Firstly, my chosen scale of 1:27.7 or 11mm = 1 foot is exactly twice as big as the recognised narrow gauge scale of 5.5mm = 1 foot for details see this link. It is almost exactly half as big as another modelling scale - 7/8th = 1 foot and for details of this combination see this link. 7/8th is just over 22mm = 1 foot.

I also spotted this 1/25th scale narrow gauge layout running on 16.5mm track on this site. see Castle Works Shed. Which reinforces my belief that the 11mm = 1 foot option is a goer as well as giving me the push to produce a 'tuning fork' layout (a simple layout with just one turnout or switch) for more information see this link.

Then earlier this week I found a video link/interview that talked to Carl Arendt the founder of a railway modelling group that concentrates on Micro Layouts. For details see this You Tube link.

So the plans are firming up. A 1:27.7th scale narrow gauge layout with scratch built terrain and scenery as well as modified or scratch built engines and rolling stock running on 16.5mm Peco 'crazy track', all compounded into a micro layout about 4 feet square.

If only there were eight days in a week or 25 hours to a day!

Stay tuned for future updates.

Tony