The starting point of my layout was a picture in a Norwegian model railroad book (Modelljernbane på Norsk). This book contains an idea to model the Raumabanen between Dombås and Åndalsnes.
The trackplan in the book was very simplified but as I wanted to build something modular I had to have a very simple plan as well. This picture shows the real trackplan. Countless days were spent to figure out how to fit this on a modular structure.
One key decision was to remove track 2, which simplifies the switch/turnout/point work.
To the left you will see the track plan fitted
on two modules. The modules are 120cm by 60cm which is a standard size
in the Netherlands. I decided to use Roco line, code 83, track. This is
very nice track and the switches (points) are also very nice.
Dombås has nine tracks all together but I could only fit six
on the modules so I decided to simplify the track plan a little bit.
So in the winter of 1995/1996 I started to build the modules. I fitted the modules in a bigger layout of which one part already was built a couple of years before. In April 1996 I visited Norway for a couple of days and spent a whole day at the station of Dombås to make pictures. The first picture in this series is also taken that day.
A friend who writes articles for a Dutch modeltrain magazine showed interest in writing an article about the layout. In June of 1996 a photographer of the magazine visited to make pictures. The picture to the left is taken during this visit.
The picture shows the track plan in place. Part of the wiring was already done. The night before the turntable was installed so this was the first day with all the tracks ready. In the next couple of weeks I spent numerous hours underneath the layout to get the wiring ready. In another part of the layout I used Lemaco/Fulgurex under floor switch motors but I wasn't really happy with them. In a local store I found a Tortoise switch motor and I tried that one, I was really happy with this motor so I ordered all the motors I needed from an American hobby store.
This picture is taken somewhere in 1997. The ballast was done, after all the track was painted (what a pain ;-) ). In the back the slopes of a mountain can be seen. In the front the first parts of what eventually would become the roundhouse.
For the roundhouse I used parts of a Pola kit. Since this didn't fit I had to change it a lot. I wanted to operate the doors with Tortoise switch motors and that took some time to figure out.
