Deconstruction

I knew it had been a while since I posted anything, but I didn't realise it had been over a year!  Any readers left will not be surprised to learn that I've not a layout in that time, but have built a couple of buildings, and a been to a couple of railways, so I've got material for a few blog posts.

The reason for this post is that Michael Campbell's recent posts about building a Kerr Stuart Skylark inspired me to have a look at the partially constructed kit I bought a couple of years ago.  I was obvious that it would require some modification to fit on the Dapol 14xx chassis I had in mind for it, but I'd need to get it into the component parts before I could work whether it would fit.  I'd been meaning to buy some superglue remover, but a quick google search suggested that hot water might do the job.  I found a jug and ran the hot tap and a couple of minutes later I had all the parts.  Checking it against the 14xx chassis shows I'll need modify the footplate, and probably the boiler too.  I'm undecided as to whether to modify the doors like Michael, there's no question that his loco looks nicer with the modifications, but I'm wondering if I should keep it as simple as possible to increase the likelihood of me actually finishing the thing.

009 Modules

I've been sketching out some ideas for modules for an 009 modular system which is under development. All 3 modules could represent parts of my fictional modern Welsh narrow gauge network, but hopefully wouldn't look too specific to that region.

1. Is based on this bit of the WLLR. After drawing it I realised it might be better if the river didn't go over the ends of the modules as that would be hard to make look good, so I would change that if I built it.

2. Is based on the Aberglaslyn tunnels, with the line running between two tunnels. I'm assuming modules with backscenes that wrap around the module ends for this one, but it could have a short tunnel in the middle there weren't backscenes between modules.

3. A junction station which could be used either as a straight module, a corner module or as a junction module. There is double track leaving on the left end, but the rear track wouldn't continue if the next module didn't have double track. The platforms would be low (WHR style) and the road would be on a retaining wall behind the station. There might be houses in the top left, or I might make it two boards with the left hand board being narrower that the right. It's very loosely based on the idea that the Llanberis Lake Railway have extended to Caernarfon.

Oh, and if you're wondering what the beer is, it's Wells Bombardier.

A rainy Sunday afternoon

It was raining on Sunday afternoon, and rather than go swimming in a river with friends, I spent a while working on the pizza layout.  My two year old was fascinated and sat watching me, asking questions, and telling me what she thought I should add next.  Her ideas were surprisingly similar to some of my plans.  I spent a while cutting the polystyrene to get the shape of the cutting right.  It obviously made a difference as my wife looked at it and observed that "it looks like a landscape now".  Since last time I blogged about the pizza I've also added some card edging and started painting the bridge.  I think I've got the effect of mortar which has gone black with age, but I need dry brush the bricks, and possibly add some newer mortar.  Looking at some pictures of bridges shows that the bricks end up a variety of colours, browns, greens, dark greys and off white all featuring as well as some newer bricks which are still brick colour.  I was going to add a photo, but I've not managed to take one this week.  Hopefully I'll spend some more time building stuff next week and I'll post some pictures then.

Painting flint and other progress

Last time I blogged about the pizza I was trying to work out the best way to make it rotate and was ready to try painting the flint wall. I've not thought any more about rotating and I've been putting off the painting. A few weeks ago I had a go at painting and wasn't at all happy with the results. After a third attempt I'm still not happy but since the wall is going to have plants growing up it I may leave it. I've also put some more polystyrene in between the card framework. The theory is that they'll be something under shell of the landscape which should make planting trees easier. I've covered the who lot is masking tape and also slapped some dirty black paint over the track. The bridge now has some retaining walls on the inside of the curve. I'll add some wooden planks to hold up the steeper bits of embankment either side. I've also put the first layer of glue on the pond - but I touched it before it was dry and there is a finger print. I'll know for the next layer.

Narrow gauge diesel progress

I've made some progress with the Drewry bash diesel. I took the kit, chassis, some plasticard and some tools away with me at Christmas. However I forgot to take pack the glue so nothing got stuck together. I spent some time cutting and filing off moulded handrails and other details that I didn't want. I also had a bit more of a think about how the cab is going to look. My plan is to build a locomotive with two bonnets, as this will make the locomotive roughly the right length for the Bo-Bo chassis. The Drewry has only one bonnet and has larger windows at the back of the cab so I couldn't fit a second bonnet and keep use all parts of the cab. I considered cutting down the second bonnet so that it was lower than the windows, which would give the driver better visibility, however this wasn't the look I wanted and I couldn't see how I could do this with the Drewery bonnet sides. The only thing for it was to clone the cab front in plasicard. I started work but still haven't finished the windows yet. When I got back I glued the larger bonnet together and used some milliput on mounting hole for the horn and a couple of places where there are dents in the moulding. Next task is to finish the cab and then work out how to make the second bonnet end.

Clay and Jalapeños

It's been far too long since I last blogged about doing any modelling so I've decided that I'd better post something. The pizza layout has been left on top of an old chest of draws in our spare room for a while. I dug it out the other day and found something that I'd forgotten that I'd done. I had been thinking about making a base which the layout would site on which would allow it to be rotated. I decided to use a stereo and jack in the centre of the layout to supply power and act as the axis of rotation. I used the lid from a jar of jalapeños to attach the plug to. The layout does rotate but it's rather wobbly as I expected. I'll build a base with some runners about two thirds of the way out to take most of the layouts weight. I've not worked out exactly how that will work yet bu I have an idea after reading Nigel Burkin's article on building a fiddle yard. He made the sector plate part of the yard slide on plasicard - the same thing would probably work for rotating the pizza.

I also made some progress with the scenery over the weekend. A trip to Hobby Craft to get picture frames also allowed me to get some Das modelling clay. I tried out building a wall and some steps and then decided to do the level crossing and the area around the pond too. We'll have to see if I can paint the wall to look like flint and building the cottage will be more of a challenge! I've taken a couple of photos but my camera doesn't want to talk to my computer tonight so I'll try again tomorrow.

Basingstoke Canal Railway

Links:
The Basingstoke Canal Railway: Modern use of the Narrow Gauge by Nick Lewis

The Basingstoke Canal: The Basingstoke Canal Railway

Flickr: Tags: Basingstoke Canal


Dr Neil Clifton (CC-SA) from geograph

During the restoration on Basingstoke Canal a narrow gauge railway was used between 1975 and 1982. The railway was employed as road access to the canal was poor. It used small industrial locomotives and tippers and was initially used to remove silt. As the restoration of the canal progressed the track was lifted and moved and used for transporting bricks, sand and other building materials for renovation of locks. It was then moved again and used for transporting clay to re-puddle the water channel. At one point the railway ran along side the main line from London to Southampton.

A canal railway would make an interesting prototype for a model using Nigel Lawton skips and locomotives in OO9 or kbscale kits in O16.5 or O14. As far as I know none of the Basingstoke locomotives are available in either scale so an accurate model would require scratch building. However I'd be more inclined to use it as inspiration for a freelance canal railway with kit built locomotives. Another option would be to include an OO9 canal railway on a standard gauge layout as there are many places where main line railways lines run past canals.

A mock up

On the pizza layout I've added some more bits of cardboard to for the base of the hill and built a mock up of the cottage. It's not got a roof but it gives a better idea of what the finished layout will look like and has helped me think about how the cottage should look. I'm still thinking about how to model flint. I don't think the Wills cobblestone walling sheet it going to work after comparing the size and density of the pattern to some real flint walls.

Wills sheets:



A flint wall:



So I need a new plan. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Bridge

I've been making a bridge out of Wills plastic sheet. I read John de Frayssinet's article on building the East Lyn Viaduct for tips on how to use Wills sheet as I've never used it before. The trouble is I keep realising I don't know enough about how bridges are constructed and having to check things which has slowed me down. I've got one entrance finished an the other is nearly done. The only thing I've not decided is what to do about the tops of the walls; thought I've had a look at some bridges near where I work and have some ideas.

Vans and Coaches

I've a couple of old Egger-Bahn vans with the bogies missing. The goods van (left) also has a corner of the roof missing. I'm planning to switch the roofs and remove the balcony from the luggage van. I'll extend the chassis slightly and add a scratch built open section. It will then be glazed, painted and used as part of an engineering train.

I'm also building a Parkside Dundas Glyn Valley Tramway style 4 wheel coach (DM28). I got halfway through and realised that if I wasn't the interior painted I'd need to buy some paint. The plan is to scratch build a couple of coaches to make up a short passenger train that I can run round the pizza and on any future layouts.

Diesel Plan

Here's a quick mockup of the Bo-Bo diesel Drewry kitbash that I'm planning. My version of the kit has an extra bonnet side piece in so I should be able to make this with only the parts in the kit, styrene sheet and some other bits. I want to give it Lyd2 style lights - hopefully working. One thing I've not worked out yet is how to fix it to the chassis.

Bo-Bo diesel

With the Life Like GP38 I recently bought and some bits from an Airfix/Dapol Drewry shunter I'm planning on building an Eastern European influenced loco. I'm planning on an off centre cab design.

To make sure I have a sensible loading gauge I'm planning on using using the height and width of the Lyd2 as a guide. Working from the measurements of the Lyd2 here gives me a maximum of 28.9mm wide and 42.7mm high.

Pizza construction

I've made some progress with my pizza - track is laid on foamcore and I've started building up where the road will go using card. A cottage will go where the wire is with the duck pond in the bottom right.

I'm also planning on trying to scratch build a couple of more British looking coaches to run - my current design is slightly longer than the Egger-Bahn coaches. The design might need changing to make them fit round the curves.

Pizza Progress

Whilst waiting for a train I came up with a rough plan. The track will circle a cottage and a duck pond. The scenery will slope up towards the back of the pizza so that about half the circle is in a cutting. At the highest point there will be a brick bridge over the track. A road will cross the bridge, go down past the cottage and there'll be a level crossing at the front of the layout.

Over the weekend I bought a 36" length of peco track, some track pins and fishplates. I also checked out base materials in B&Q but didn't buy anything as wood only comes in massive sheets and I don't have anywhere to store the excess. When I got home I searched the garden sheds and found some chipboard that was left over from adding shelves to the wardrobe. It's the white laminated stuff so not the most obvious choice by it's not going to get used for anything else. I marked out my plan on this and borrowed a coping saw from a friend.

Pizza?

Inspired by the latest scrapbook on Carl Arendt's site I'm now thinking of making a pizza layout first. It will give me a chance to practice my modelling skills and won't use any points. It will also give me a loop of track to test locomotives on and it will be easier to move (hopefully moving house soon).

Intro

I'm currently thinking about building a small OO9 layout. At the start of the month I got back my most of my 009/HOe from my parents. I'm not really sure what I want at the moment. Something small that could be used as a module of a larger line in future. I might use the trakplan from Gum Stump & Snowshoe Railroad.

What I have:
Egger-Bahn 0-4-0 steam tank engine
Egger-Bahn 2 green coaches + 1 break coach.
Waggons - 1 tipper, 1 skip type thing, 1 flat waggon.
Vans - two Egger-Bahn vans - same sort of wheel base as the coaches but no wheels.
Around 10 Peco points and some short lengths of flexi track.

I've also got a summer coach and a kit for 5 slate waggons in a box at my parents somewhere.

Created a list of some things that I'd like on kaboodle. I'll need to get some more flexi track before I can build anything.