Visiting Denis’ Layout

Tuesday night was the monthly British Railway Modellers of Australia (BRMA) meet and this time it was at Denis Lane’s place … a great host with a fantastic layout. His British layout is currently under construction but the one we got to drool over was his West Virginian inspired HO layout.

His layout is multi-tracked with a great selection of vignettes/cameos (including a moonshine distillery), excellent lighting, a nice variety of industries and settlements and a long run track with plenty of sidings for operations. He uses a Car Card system for ops, wireless NCE DCC for control and great supporting audio elements to add life to the layout.

Basically, the layout is W-shaped with a single track mainline that folds under itself for an interesting continuous run. The modelling was excellent with a nice variety of scratch-built and kit-bashed structures and some gorgeous rolling stock including sound-equipped locos.

While I would like to see some steam running around, his diesels were beautiful, smooth running and a delight to watch. Hopefully, one day I may get to operate on this great layout but in the meantime, here’s a short vid to enjoy:

Booth Rodley Rail Crane build

Well, after many nights of little spurts of modelling, the Booth Rodley 15t diesel-hydraulic crane kit by Dapol is nearly complete. Well, it is actually complete in it’s construction and primary paintwork but now I need to weather it. The kit itself wasn’t too bad to construct. The biggest issue is that unlike the Airfix, Revell, Tamiya and Italaeri kits I remember, these kits don’t come with painting instructions and it seems there isn’t actually a prototype that this crane is based on. Anyway, I decided and majority Safety Yellow with a few detail pieces would work and I am quite happy with the outcome.

Tip #1 with this kit is to completely paint the jib before construction as it is a pain to get to the inside once built. I picked this tip up before I started building but I didn’t follow it completely … and was left with some fiddling.

Tip #2 is to thoroughly dry run parts as the mouldings and malleability of this kit mean that there were quite a few places where some fettling needed to occur before construction.

Tip #3 is to decide if you are going to do ‘wasp stripe’ ends BEFORE construction. Deciding this after I have already built the chassis made it a much trickier proposition – but it worked out OK.

So, on with the ‘construction journal’

Construction of chassis:

This was fairly straight forward and I hadn’t got many shots of it under construction. The main points of note here were to paint the bogies before final attachment of one side so you didn’t have to paint around wheels.

Also, as mentioned previously,  I would recommend deciding if you are going to ‘wasp stripe’ the chassis ends before construction. I ended up making a ‘pine-tree’ mask and applying, painting and then touching up … after I had already pretty much completed the chassis.

It was a bit messy but with a little fine painting, it tidies up OK.

Construction of crane platform:

Please, oh please, oh please finish painting your jib pieces BEFORE you put it together. This will save you time and pain. Also, be very, very careful where your glue ends up so it doesn’t lock rotating parts.

This shot shows the jib pretty complete and the main engine room just started. You can also make out that I have painted the handbrake wheels on the bogies white. Again, painting before assemble makes an easier job of a fiddly task.

Once you have started construction of the body, make sure you remember to counterweight the jib by putting some weight in the back of the cab. I used about 7 steel ball bearings from an old sliding cupboard door to properly weight the cab. These were then white-glued into place to make sure they don’t move around. I basically put the cab on a paint jar with the jib at full extension and then added ball bearings until they balanced each other.

Final construction before roof a-fixing to get all the cabling working properly. Then the roof was attached and all parts finally painted. I also added some white edging to the steps on the chassis (safety concious being that I am) and added the decals where it seemed appropriate as, like the paintwork, there are no guides to where the decals are meant to go.

Weathering to be completed, a more appropriate match wagon to be selected and some rusting/ageing of the far too shiny chain to be done … and then it can “ride the rails”.

Building a Wills kit – Part II … and another item

The coal shed is complete, and can be seen here in its likely resting place on the layout.

The Hut

I finished the walls on the hut with a little weathering, putting some dark grey/black pastel powder on the walls to represent coal dust, and added a little extra on the wall next to the coal bins. The roof, originally green, was painted a slate grey (with some wood colouring underneath) and then dry brushed with black paint and finally had some powders applied to dull it down. Similarly, the wee chimney was painted silver and then hit with some black dry-brush and dark brown powders for soot.

There is meant to be a little sign that runs along the roof – but I think I will leave that off for the moment.

The Staithes

The bins (or staithes) are provided as three exact copies of a back and side wall so not only do you end up with a spare wall, but they are very uniform. To ensure a little variety, I chipped away at some of the timbers and then added weathering powders to dull down the bins and add a little shine to the coal. I can certainly notice the variation in the wood walls on the bins, so the effort was worth it there. The coal piles are provided as flexible rubber casts so they were hit with some black powders to take away the plastic vibe, and then a touch of gun-metal powder to add a tiny bit of coal shine.

Location

Behind the shed you can see an elevated rail. The plan is to build a simple coal drop that services both the rail yard as well as the commercial purpose. After all, can’t see why the railway wouldn’t have wanted to gain some revenue from renting out retail space, can you?

The drop will allow for coal to come out probably on the locomotive shed side … or straight down. Haven’t thought that far yet but any hints/advice is welcomed.

Dapol Booth 15t Diesel Hydraulic Crane

Now, onto the Dapol Booth rail crane. This is a little kit I am getting a little frustrated with, but I am sure will be worth it. It’s not hideously complex, just a bit fiddly. The instructions are archaic to say the least, the plastic is prone to breaking and the castings are not wonderful … but it was relatively cheap.

I have finally found some guidance to paint schemes but only from fellow modellers. It appears that this is a slightly interpretive item of rolling stock and I haven’t found any real world examples of it. Based on other examples, though, the overall engine house and boom will be red with white tip. The chassis is black with some silver and the whole lot will be seriously weathered. More to come.

Building a Wills Kit – Part I

It (as usual) has been a while between entries. The latest effort is building a little trackside kit and some other model work. The trackside kit is a Wills Coal Merchants with a little shack and and a couple of coal staithes.

You can probably see that it is plastic cast in grey (walls) and green (door/window and roof) with the coal staithes in black.

I have coloured the walls in a dirty Cotswold honey stone with weathering to represent coal dust. The door and window, that were green, I painted wood(ish) brown and added some acrylic sheet to represent window glass and used a silver Sharpie to add some silver to the strap hinges.

The other model on the bench is a Dapol 15t Breakdown Crane. More on that one later.

Rescuing A Flood Victim – Part II: A Change In Direction

There is a reason for the overly long title. After my last episode I was ‘encouraged to take a slightly different path with this tank wagon. Originally, I was going to model the Royal Daylight wagon as seen in the previous post. However, a little while ago, when researching this project, I stumbled upon this tank wagon

W.B.Dick & Co Ltd ILO Lubricants Tank Wagon

There are a number of reasons I decided to model this little beast, but the main one was that it was different. The wagon is actually an ex-single tank restructured to be able to carry two different substances at the one time.

So, picking up where we left off.

Step 3: Replace and Re-Shape

1) Reshaping of top of tank to accommodate the two fillers and dual spigots

2) Fillers and spigots constructed from Evergreen styrene and leftover sprue

3) Unlike the Royal Daylight wagon, which rests on the cross members, the twin tank model rests on two longitudinal beams … that had to be replaced after carefully removing them in the first step

Step 4: Riveting and Painting

While they are nowhere near scale, I added the rivet detail that ‘is inspired by’ the prototype. These were made by dotting white glue with a toothpick and letting them dry. I tried using a pin but it wasn’t as effective so I stuck with this so they could stick out.

1) Undercoated and ready for first proper use of airbrush

2) Post initial spraying and with the addition of the tank straps … starting to look good

Step 5: The New Wheels

In a bit of perfect timing, I came across an article in Model Rail a couple of issues back, that was specifically targetted at rep[lacing the old push through axles of old Tri-Ang and Hornby axles. So, armed with some new bearings and wheels from the UK, as well as some putty, here is the end result. The basic technique is to use two types of bearings – one with a collar and one without – in each axle set and use the putty to hold them in place and to make the journal boxes as well.

Step 6: Lettering

This is the piece I am just not very happy with. If I was to re-do this wagon (and I just might) I will try and get some custom decals. But, in the meantime, this is how I did it. From the original prototype photo, I created some templates which I then put behind some overhead transparency sheet and then cut out the stencil. This was placed over the wagon and spray painted with the airbrush.

Step 7: Final Construction

The last step was to bring together all the elements – painted chassis, lettered tank and re-wheeled underframe – and add the final cross bracing elements and tidy up the last pieces. Here is the result:

It won’t cope with a close-up too well but it will pass the 3-foot test and once it has its couplers mounted, I will take a video of it on the layout.

Here is the final comparison to show you where this little tank wagon has come from …

I think I am quite happy with the result for my first return to modelling in a serious way

Rescuing A Flood Victim – Part I

Back in January this year, Brisbane experienced some severe flooding and in the ensuing clean-up, a friend of mine (thanks Stu) found a couple of bits of model railwayana that were likely to get chucked out. Fortunately, he salvaged them and handed them to me in case they were of any use. Unfortunately, quite a lot of the materials (old track, some toys and other bits) were beyond salvage, but at least one item has been hanging around waiting to be refurbished.

An old Tri-Ang tank wagon that had seen much better days.

In this shot, the main tank had already had a clean but the rest of the wagon was still a mess. One coupling hook missing, scratches and dents all over, well out of round wheels and push through axles that just won’t spin any more. Here, I thought to myself, was a perfect project. A couple of modifications, some new wheels and a lick of paint would make for a nice re-entry into the model-bashing world. In searching for a prototype to base the work on, I came across this beast:

Step 1: Clean and Grind

First steps were to clean the various pieces and then remove the offending pieces such as broken couplers, bad wheels and dodgy axles.

Step 2: Trim and Drill

The original model had a couple of detail pieces missing that I wanted … and some other bits present that needed removing/modifying. As such, with pin-vise in hand, some styrene strips and tubes as well as an assortment of cutting and filing tools, I set to work on the chassis and frame.

1) Making a hand-brake handle from Dapol footbridge styrene sprue

2) Handle and cross-bar test fitted to frame

3) Make some bolts from Evergreen plastruct tube

4) Frame support test fitted

5) Saw and file stupidly domed buffers to something more reasonable

6) Frame mounting pins (on chassis) filed off and start of frame re-shaping

7) Test fit of new Hornby style coupler (it’s what all the rest of the stock has) on reshaped mounts

8) Test fit of frame supports with new flat bolt ends

More to come as the wagon gets put together, new wheels fitted and then the whole thing painted. But I will save that for Part II

Finally, Some Progress

OK, while it has been a long time between blogs, there has been activity. I decided that the best option to load track on this beast was to get a job lot of foam that I could cut up, throw around and test different methods of building. Fortunately, family and friends have apparently been hoarding Styrofoam and have been more than willing to palm it off on me. As well, I paid a visit to a local recycling mob (you’ll probably have one close to you but my local one is Reverse Garbage at Wooloongabba – used to be at West End) who had a small horde of good sized pink Styrofoam bits. I didn’t want to wast my money and efforts on good stuff until I had some practice.

So, after a visit from the electrician to improve the lighting and quantity of power points under the house (where the layout is), large bits of foam started to hit the table and the layout has started to take shape. I am fairly happy with the plan and have fiddled a little with spurs, potential structures and the overall nature of the layout. As Tom B (creator of the excellent Model Rail Radio talkshow/podcast) would say, I have been exploring the narrative of the layout.

I seem to work best by playing and fiddling with things … but I do need it to make sense. In the end, while there is a loop around to keep things moving, the overall theme of this is an industrial location that may have a canal head and a bit of an engine service facility (including turntable) around the transition from steam to diesel. I also expect it to be the hub of extensions that will give me future rural and urban scenes.

Anyhoo, on with the update.

Gluing the cork roadbed to the inner incline

A longer view of the outer incline (at the back) and the various spurs/branches

Concerned I didn’t have a run-around facility so a minor change in plans and now I have a run-around AND a location for a small branchline platform

Looking away from the branchline station, the line returns to the main branch or straight ahead for a crossing to a coal drop (probably not prototypical, but fun)

The spur into the lower level industrial area going under the overpass

Sister building to the station will be this goods platform.

Overall, this will make for a fun run around for entertainment as well as a development platform for the skills I will need for the next step. In theory, this could become a portable layout as the whole table-top is not attached to the under-frame.

The New Layout

Well, after playing and getting frustrated with the pull-apart set stored under the bed and the fiddling required to use it and then put it away, it was time to move under the house onto a more permanent operation. I had intended to use two doors that had come with an eBay purchase a couple of months ago but that didn’t work out as the doors were different thicknesses and when I tried to move one, the laminations came apart. So, just before I handed out the cash for two new doors at Bunnings, I had a look on eBay and quite fortuitously, a dressmakers was closing down and they had listed their cutting table (a large 1500mm x 2100mm affair) and I won it

So, now what to do? Well, as usual, the first thing I did was to try and plan something with XTrkCAD which is an excellent tool. Unfortunately, two things got in the way:

1. I just wanted to run some trains
2. I have a rather large and eclectic assortment of track that I have found, inherited or bought – no homogeneity here!

Plan B – use the old paper and pen and see what comes out. This gave me the basics but in the end it was the chance viewing of a thread on New Railway Modellers (check out John Geee‘s postings) that gave me the inspiration required. As I was looking to get the maximum run around for the Duchess and her carriages, John’s idea of a double loop over and under would work on my table. So, armed with a bucket load of track, some sketches about where things will be and a bunch of foam odds and ends I was ready.

So, despite all the good stuff I have been getting from Model Rail Radio (please subscribe and listen to this pod-cast, it is excellent) I am hammering out the new layout more by experimentation than accurate planning. However, I am learning new things and getting great ideas for where I want to go and do with this layout as well as how to extend it when I am ready.

So, herewith the initial work on the major loops.

Pic 1: To the left will be a country/mountain scene (my wife is keen to have a ruined castle here somewhere), in front will be the major station and centred will be an industrial zone with shunting (after all, the new Class 08 needs to do some work)

Pic 2: The track will descend into the station and the inner wall will provide an industrial backdrop. Not sure what to place on the outer edge yet … possibly a seawall.

Pic 3: This shows the far side of the layout. At the moment, I am likely to run this as a tunnel with a farm scene on top of it. This is most likely where I will run an extension off of to eventually build a town scene. However, I need to do more work under the house to prepare it … including finding another place to park the car

Today, thanks to being forced to stay at home recovering from a flu, I was able to finally link up the main loop, run a couple of wagons around to confirm structure … and then ran the LNER B12 with its two coaches once around. Surprisingly it worked so now I need to work out how to get the interior operational.

New Rolling Stock and Locos

Just a quick update as it has been quite a while between posts – mostly due to a trip to the UK and also because I have a new layout (more on that in the next post).

The trip to the UK was fantastic, excellent holidaying with just the right amount (for me anyway) of train related activities. Five heritage steam lines (South Devon, Bodmin & Wenford, Swanage, Kent & East Sussex and [of course] Bluebell), two visitations (Gloucester & Warwickshire and Spa Valley) as well as a visit to the Seaton Tramway. At some of these locations I was able to purchase a wagon, or two, unique to that location. As well, I got one visit to a model railway shop – Buffers Model Railways – in South Chard (just north of Axminster) who were wonderful and I thoroughly recommend a visit.

So, from the trip, I added eight wagons, four locos and four carriages … and here they are:

The Bluebell Railway didn’t have any wagons, but they did have ‘Stepney’ with a carriage. Made my daughters day when I bought this one:

The two interlopers were a pair of diesels that I had been wanting for quite a while: Class 08 shunter and a Class 37 heavy hauler

Finally, I couldn’t resist the beauty of the Hornby ‘Days of Red and Gold’ set:

It is because of the streamlined Duchess and her carriages that I have settled on a new layout … but you will need to wait for the next post for them

The Loco Shed is Complete

Well, with only two sleeps remaining until we fly out to the UK, I managed to complete the ScaleScenes North Light Engine Shed and I am not displeased with the outcome. There had been a few nights work leading up to this weekend’s effort. The construction of the wall and roof sections did take some time and attention, but once they were complete, the rest of the kit just hooted along.

From this:

To this:

To this:

in 24 hours.

The kit was quite well laid out and the instructions for the most part were very easy to follow. There were some spots where a little more guidance would have made some  of the fiddlier pieces a little easier to locate correctly in construction and where the unavoidable paper fold (like the corners on the capping layer) just sticks out a little too much. Maybe a bit more practice and care will take care of this because on the whole, this model came together really well.

Overall though, this was a great exercise and, like the little goods shed, although I rushed a few spots I think it will fit neatly onto the layout. There are a wealth of great little details and the interior is a wonderful little view. The idea of printing onto transparency sheets for the window details is brilliant … and then discovering a small cache of them in the filing cabinet is even better!

Yes, that is yours truly through the upper window

Interior shot showing some of the great details like the exhaust/smoke vents.

I haven’t finished the baseplate, as it is intended to be cut up and have tracks put into it so you can actually run locos into it. I will save this step for the return from the holiday when I get a better idea of where it will fit into the scene … and how I am going to run two rails into the shed. I think I can feel the ‘wye’ rail coming on