-
Starting out
Second time around? Many years ago I built a simple N-gauge layout that was about the size of a single bed and consisted of a single loop and a few sidings. It was all built starting with second hand gear. It was a bit of a hodgepodge of euro-US stock. Hey, I was a teen without any cash and based in NZ. Anyway, I enjoyed the building of it. I decided many years later to revisit this hobby and this time build in all the things I couldn’t afford/find back then. I also wanted it to be based on some kind of prototypical location. And I wanted to use OO-gauge.…
-
A poem lovely as a tree
Trees. I need lots of them so I’ve tried a variety of methods. I started with the plastic armature kit from Woodland Scenics and it didn’t come out too bad but a bit expensive Next I went with a dried actual plant and added foliage. This is a similar method to Luke Towan’s approach (his modelling is great). I couldn’t find the same base plant he uses so I just picked things on a bush walk that looked like that could do the trick. Then I glued on the the foliage with tacky glue Simples
You May Also Like
On the rocks
-
Powering Up the track for DCC
I’ve decided to do a pretty simple DCC wiring construction without bothering with circuit breakers, a separate accessory bus or booster circuits. If my layout was larger or more complex, that might be something I’d have to consider. The down side is that a short will cut the supply to everything. Since I went simple, effectively all a needed to do is ensure all the rails are suitably live using a series of ‘dropper’ wires connected onto 2 larger DC supply wires. I used brown and blue to differentiate the polarity. The image below shows how I connected the droppers going up through the baseboard to the main power using…
-
On the rocks
So a key part of the layout is the cutting going into the tunnel. I had several goes at this and still not sure I’m there yet. Step one was to create the overall landscape shape which I used various foam boards from Bunnings and a sharp blade to shape with. I did try to use the hot wire cutter but it proved to be a little slow (as well as giving off nasty fumes) I covered it all with paper towels (cheap packs from Officeworks) soaked in watered down PVA. Once dry I then applied Amaco Sculptamold which was painted with brown and green poster paints. Finally I applied…
You May Also Like
A poem lovely as a tree
-
Platform Awaits
Having a gentle curve on a model is good for a couple of reasons. It makes the track look a little more interesting and it allows a transition to a tighter curve without things looking too unrealistic. Downside with the platform awaits. Basically I had to scratch build the platform using a printout of the plan to use as a template for the curve of the platform. This was cut and joined using 1mm Evergreen plasticard on a base made from polystyrene foam. I then primed the platform with grey primer. I had to tape the foam to stop it from melting from the paint. I then added edging from…
-
Tame Valley Baseboard
The River Tame and the Huddesfield Canal both sit in the Tame Valley spanned by the Saddleworth Viaduct. This is the next most challenging baseboard on the layout. It’s not as heavy and large as the Big Boy but it has its own challenges. The plan dimensions are 2.4m by around 1.1m but a lot more variable due to the valley undulations. As I have had to compress things to get a reasonable size layout, so the topology is also compressed. Now, if I had the time, I might have planned the cross sections to be following that topography exactly. As you can see from the plan, that involves roads,…
-
Botching History
One of the challenges with prototypes and history is that a certain segment of the hobby can be a bit pedantic about how things should be during the period modelled. I’m primarily interested in the LMS Period (1932-1948), mainly as the LNWR period before it is not so well represented in ready-to-run locos. I’m also found of some of the steam from the early BR period as well (1948-1956). That’s quite a range. Problem is that when I look at plans and docs on Saddleworth, a lot changed during that period of history. Look at the image of the platform here in 1903 compared to the one in the 1950s.…
-
Opps #4: Melting Points
Soldering is something I’ve done since about 10 or 11 years old. You’d think I’d know better about melting points. Unfortunately the iron got a bit damaged as it swung around on my desk and ended up burning into a plastic tool. That meant the tip was damaged and solder didn’t melt as quickly. (I later found this site to help) Net effect was that when I went to solder the droppers under one of the points, I used too much time. The seats of the rail melted. I didn’t actually note the problem until I ran a train over the point and wondered why it often derailed. OK, melting…
-
Roughing it
I constantly judge the perspective of the layout before anything is completely fixed. That means that the hill and cutting on the station section needs to be roughed out early on. I took some Bunnings XPS and used a hobby knife to shape the hills roughly. This is still a work in progress and I find myself constantly adjusting the look of it. Trying to balance the prototype with the curved constraints of the model is a challenge. Also a challenge is taking care with the knife.
You May Also Like
Tame Valley Baseboard
-
Opps #3
OK, this one is a bit of a physical damage opps. Its one of those “Don’t run with scissors” things. So I’ve been roughly carving out my landscape with XPS foam. So far, so good. Unfortunately I got a bit careless with the hobby knife and it slipped. You know the drill. Just before it happened you knew you were being careless. Opps indeed. Profuse bleeding ensued. Technically I should have gone and got stitches, especially after the 2nd day of bleeding. But I’m a guy and we tend to only accept that we should go see a doctor after we’re dead. “Perhaps I WAS sick”…
You May Also Like
Opps #4: Melting Points
-
Dimensions are somewhere
As my research so far has uncovered, there are a few nice photos of the Station building. The difficulty is how to work out the dimensions of the building. One idea I had was to use a photo with people and use them as a reference. The trouble with that is effect of perspective and that these people were children of some in-determinant age so that made things a challenge. I could also go with standards. For example, standard door height. Problem was I wasn’t sure what station building in the 1890s considered standard. So off to Oldham council I went on the off chance that I could find some…
You May Also Like
Platform Awaits
