Longstone

[Grum]

I have now been modelling Gn15 for a few months after modelling and exhibiting in 009 scale for over 30 years. I have been enjoying the new scale immensely even though I have found it difficult to grasp the new size. I am lucky that my wife makes all my scenery and also helps me at exhibitions, and she too is trying to grasp the new scale.
Following on from my previous post "New Scale, New Railway" I am planning a new Gn15 exhibition layout, but for the time being and to grasp the new scale, we are constructing a small scene, a set of works sidings, on a base board previously built for a small 009 layout.
So far I have a Smallbrook "Harlequin", which was the loco that started the whole new project off after seeing an ad in the Railway Modeller in April, also a Columbine and another, so far, un-built loco a few wagons bought second hand or from Smallbrook. A scratch built "prototype" bogie coach, which I was pleased with, but when I ran it with the other stock I found it was too big. So, it has been totally dismantled and I am re-building it narrower and lower.



Columbine 0-4-0 loco "Jiro", prototype bogie coach and new wagons

[Grum]

On the base board, I have now finished the maintenance shed, built from 4mm mdf with Slaters 0415 dressed Stone added. The roof has mdf supports, with plastic card roof, and added individual card slates.


Longstone maintenance shed

The stone arch leads to a small single track fiddle area. The bare ground cover is made by using a mix of fine saw dust, pva, and colour from a Homebase "Chocolate Truffle" matchpot added to large dollops of lightweight Advanced Polyfilla, a system I would use again.


Longstone maintenance shed

[MickT]

Hi Graham,

I don't think you can do "Likes" here, but just to record my own "Like". I hope you haven't abandoned 009 but you do seem to be doing very well with your excursion into Gn15 and it is taking on an excellent "Heywood Feel" to the modelling. Looking forward to further updates as you progress.

Mick

[Grum]

The maintenance shed stands in the grounds of a large country house "Longstone Hall" on the North York Moors. On the right of the layout is the "Engineers Office" (a wooden shed) and an area my wife can be let loose on, trying different scenic's. The office was made using a foam board shell and coffee stirrers for the planking, the roof was made from mdf with toilet tissue glued on with pva to represent roofing felt. The valance was cut form plastic card.


Engineers Office

The whole ensemble I hope will become the "Longstone & Whisperdale Railway" running from standard gauge sidings to a woollen mill.

Lots more to experiment with and learn as yet...

[Maniwaki]

Wonderful modelling. Thanks for the pics. What kind of track is it ?

[rue_d_etropal]

The points look like Peco Insulfrog, so must be OO ones. The other track looks like Peco O16.5 flexi track. Shows you don't need to look further than what you can by in model shops.

Of course you could also look at G9, which could make use of your old OO9 items!

Crossing this with another thread. The use of a stone wall at back is very effective. No need for anything more complex, just a few trees in background with mainly blue sky - obviously weather is good in this part of the country!

[Grum]

Re Track: Simon is correct, I have used Peco O-16.5 flexi track with ordinary Peco OO scale insulfrog turnouts, as I needed a tighter radius to fit available space. Point control is by wire-in-tube. I am not sure yet how reliable these turnouts will be for smooth, slow running with small 0-4-0 locos (but......I have a plan) and this layout will not be used at exhibitions anyway.
Re Weather: I model the moors the way I remember them.......always sunny! We have been very lucky with the weather when visiting there every single time. I'm sure it has it's bad times, and next time we go we will probably get washed out!

[Maniwaki]

Thanks !

[NotHarryPotter]

Chris,
some very nice modelling!
cheers
Geoff

[chris stockdale]

Hi Graham,

A very pleasing little layout.

Re coaches: you might like to take a look here:

http://www.mgmodels.co.uk/store/c51/Gn1 ... _Kits.html

Cheers,

[chris stockdale]

And our very own Tom (Tebee) who runs the dirty oily software bits of the Gnatterbox for us has some offerings too:

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/tebee?se ... e-products

Cheers,

[rue_d_etropal]

Are there any plans for the bigger layout?

With reference to reliability, main problem I have had with points is dirt on tips of blades, which is why I wire them up the way I do. For lightweight trains a spot of graphite on rail surface improves running, and reduces need to clean track regulary. Adding extra weight to locos also helps.

[Grum]

Yes Simon, There is a plan to build a larger exhibition layout, but this little scene is just a trial to try new techniques and to grasp the new scale. I want to add some details to it first before I get on with the new baseboards. The shed interior needs many details, and outside in the yard water and coal storage etc. needs addressing.
The exhibition layout plan will contain a continuous run and hidden fiddle yard on four baseboards.
Regarding track, I always tend to keep things absolutely clean rather than add compounds to the running surfaces. I use Ambersil IPA Electronic Cleaning Solvent to clean track and wheels, (the solvent-free versions are useless for me), it cleans the surfaces well, evaporates quickly and doesn't melt the sleepers!
By the way, do you wire feeds to the point blades? I have never does this, or wire the frogs, in over 25 years of exhibiting (009) layouts, but as an extra insurance I may try it on the next layout.

Thanks for the links Chris regarding coaches. I am having so much fun scratch building this coach, I intend to make further items, some four-wheeler's, and a guards van.

Here is the bogie coach being re-built at the moment (please excuse the bare workshop - it needs some attention as yet) the first version was too big due to my in-experience with Gn15.


Re-building coach number 12)[i]

I have also found that making it myself it's cheaper! A few sheets of Wills materials, some Evergreen strip, angles etc, a second hand chassis, and also a bit of accurate measuring, that'll do for me. I hope to post a picture when it's done.

Graham

[rue_d_etropal]

The graphite penxil technique was one Steve B used on his Gn15 mini layout which he took to exhibitions and he said he never had to clean the track. No fancy chemicals. In fact Steve used to sell the pencils on his stand.
For wiring points, I just connected up blades to rail next to it. older Peco points actually have a very small groove in one of the sleeper bases, so I they might have considered this as well, but it seems people would rather depend on the tips of their blades being clean, than to have to add isolation breaks. It is a simple modication which I have found works very well. In fiddle yards, I do still use unmodidfied points as it is easier to sort out problems there.
For a new layout, I wonder if maybe an extension to the trial module might be an idea. One thing about working in this scale is that it can result in big lumps of layout to carry around. This is why I like the Ikea APA boxes, and am now planning all layouts, what ever the scale to be based on modules not much bigger , and easy to transport and store.It is surprising how much you can fit in if you make use of the Z dimension.

[Grum]

Mmmm...."Ikea APA Boxes", that's got my brain ticking! - a new one on me so far (I lived a sheltered middle-agehood).

Thanks for the info Simon.

Graham

[rue_d_etropal]

there is plenty of info here about the APA boxes. Unfortunately Ikea discontinued them a couple of years ago. One thought is that they did not like us modifying them, and using them for other purposes!
I still have a couple unused, and some that have been used but then had models removed. In some ways they were very good, but I am now experimenting with ultra portable layouts.

[Grum]

I am nearing the end of the construction of "Longstone Mainteneance Shed" now, just a few workshop details to add. My mind is drifting onto plans for an exhibition layout.
I have added a few items since my last post, one of which is a water column made out of aluminium tube, copper wire and a brass etch for a water valve tap.

Here is "Proteus" collecting water before the days work.
I also attempted a tree.

I started off with a dried twig from the garden about 15mm - 20mm diameter, and drilled holes up the trunk to accept Woodland Scenics sprues, these were glued in with epoxy resin. A thick wire was drilled into the bottom of the trunk to fix the tree to the baseboard. The whole was dry-brushed with Humbrol light grey matt.

Woodland Scenics clump foliage was glued to the branches with Uhu, and onto this some MP Scenery Medium Green Leaf Foliage was glued on with a 50/50 mix of pva and water.
It is slightly under scale, but as this is my first attempt, and it suits the small baseboard, it's a start.

The original bogie coach I built was too big and seemed to dwarf all the other stock, so it was re-built 7mm lower and 4mm narrower. It was a task indeed, and warrants a new photograph!

No.2 "Jiro" hauls the re-built coach out of the shed.

Meanwhile a new 4-wheeled coach is under construction:

Made the same way using Wills 4mm Tongue & Groove and also Sheet & Batten Roofing, and plastic strip on a Dapol Wagon chassis. Here is the ghostly white coach in the workshop.

A few other photos I took today:



"Jiro" passes the engineers office, the new tree is in situ, and flowers and other foliage has been made by my wife.



"Proteus" arrives with a train of bulkhead flats, two of which are new along with another new three-plank wagon by Shapeways near the shed.



"Jiro" arriving at the water column.




Both locos outside the shed. A third loco kit has now been purchased.



"Jiro" shuffling a wagon and the new 4w coach.



Workshop stuff.



Activity outside the workshop.

I have a plan now to do the exhibition layout, just a few final measurements to calculate and adjustments to make, then I can get on with the baseboards.

[NotHarryPotter]

Brilliant modelling.
I like the idea of using the Woodlands Scenics trees as branches in 1/24.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Geoff

[MickT]

It's coming along very nicely Graham. I'm looking forward to further photos in due course!

Mick

[rue_d_etropal]

The Woodland Scenics trees are bendable so are very good to create those fallen branches.Not sure why there has been no mention before. Creating effective leaves I always find tricky, so as dead wood there is no need. There would be woodland management on such an estate, so a patch with branches and partly cut up trees with railway next to it to cart away the usable timber would make a nice scene.

[docnjoj]

Very cool idea for the trees. I got a bunch of WS tall ones so I will try to follow your lead.
otherDoc

[Grum]

I used the 3 - 5" deciduous type of sprues, properly called "armatures" I think. They were very useful when I was modelling 009 scale. The tree came out about 9" wide. It all depends on how large and wide you want your tree to be. I will try a different way of making the leaves next time, so that they are more to 1:24 scale.

[Grum]

Hopefully below, if Photobucket is behaving itself, should be a photograph of the two new four-wheeled open coaches. Made with Wills materials like the bogie coach, 30 and 40 thou plasticard and Evergreen strip and angles mounted on a Dapol 10ft wagon chassis with Kadee number 19 NEM couplings.


Coaches no's 14 and 15
I am now happy with my plans for the exhibition layout. I have bought most of the wood and have partly built two boards, though the wet weather here in Norfolk is conspiring against me...damn.

[MickT]

Outstanding, more words would be superflous!

Mick