Without a paddle...
- laurence703
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Without a paddle...
So for a few years now there has been a modular layout at the National Garden Railway show in Peterborough. I've always liked the idea of making my own module to go into the layout but my wood working skills aren't the best so making a module from scratch (for the time being) was out of the question. I had one baseboard from a past N gauge layout left over in the garage which was a bit narrow and slightly too short to be used in its original state.
So out with the jigsaw and other powertools... I ended up with this...
The plan was to have a culvert originally but like all things, subject to change which it did.
The bridge was made of electrical conduit and then the tops claded with wood. A footbridge has been made in a similar fashion.
Track was dropped on top to make sure the top of the bridge was level with the top of the board before the sleepers were cut three at first but then I opted for five as it looked better and made the bridge look longer.
A platform was dropped in to see if it would look good with my leek and manifold waiting room / toilet on it.
A L&M coach was used as a "if this fits, everything will fit" but then I read the specs on the 16mm page and pushed it back further... the Roundhouse VoR is really wide!
While all this was going on I made a Foamboard Culvert to fill the hole...
and then painted it and glued rocks in...
I also made the classic mistake of ballasting the track before doing the main ground cover...
So thought I'd better do something about that and painted the board green... its amazing how far a tin of Humbrol Enamel goes...
I then had a moment of madness and ripped the foam board culvert out to replace it with an actual working water feature...
This was made using a piece of plastic guttering, some stones from the garden and a few lumps of ballast from work, a plant pot, some jenga bricks, a length of hose, a stack n store and a pond pump.
It took a fair bit to get it to seal resulting in using half a tube of silicon at one end and a lot of hot glue at the other end.
But it sealed eventually! and so making it less obvious what it really is had begun...
A few odds and sods were thrown in to make it look natural or as natural as you can get with a coopercraft wheelset and a peco sleeper in a stream... but its not unknown!
I had planned on having a little goods loading bay on the end of the platform with a pick up truck collecting some milk urns... but the steering wheel is on the wrong side and its a very american car so its now been removed in favour of a wide path to the station.
Had a bit of a photo shoot because the stream was now disguised...
The fencing is our favourite material... coffee stirrers! Painted brown
and the foot crossing is a mix of balsa wood and foam board.
Again, painted brown...
I found a coarse sand that isn't far off scale for a gravel so a tub of that later and I have made a few footpaths from it. It may get a bit of paint on it to tone it down a bit but I kinda like it as it is.
It's even good for creekbeds...
But overall it looks good!
Now I'm starting on the small details to add that little bit of extra wow... and I've started with an old saying. The Station is called "Upchit Creek" and has a Paddle stand for the local water sports centre at the end of the footpath... unfortunately the Paddle salesman is out of stock so those who don't bring their own are up a creek without a paddle...
Now there's one corner of the module that is a bit barren at the moment... well it was until earlier today when a piece of oo gauge track was laid to represent 15" gauge with a small loco and two wagons. There's also a water tower. If and when I build more modules then this will get longer and indeed work.
At present all it needs is grass and platform furniture and it can be called finished but I have plans to put a real plant on it somewhere as well if I can get it to fit without compromising the structural integrity of the module.
So out with the jigsaw and other powertools... I ended up with this...
The plan was to have a culvert originally but like all things, subject to change which it did.
The bridge was made of electrical conduit and then the tops claded with wood. A footbridge has been made in a similar fashion.
Track was dropped on top to make sure the top of the bridge was level with the top of the board before the sleepers were cut three at first but then I opted for five as it looked better and made the bridge look longer.
A platform was dropped in to see if it would look good with my leek and manifold waiting room / toilet on it.
A L&M coach was used as a "if this fits, everything will fit" but then I read the specs on the 16mm page and pushed it back further... the Roundhouse VoR is really wide!
While all this was going on I made a Foamboard Culvert to fill the hole...
and then painted it and glued rocks in...
I also made the classic mistake of ballasting the track before doing the main ground cover...
So thought I'd better do something about that and painted the board green... its amazing how far a tin of Humbrol Enamel goes...
I then had a moment of madness and ripped the foam board culvert out to replace it with an actual working water feature...
This was made using a piece of plastic guttering, some stones from the garden and a few lumps of ballast from work, a plant pot, some jenga bricks, a length of hose, a stack n store and a pond pump.
It took a fair bit to get it to seal resulting in using half a tube of silicon at one end and a lot of hot glue at the other end.
But it sealed eventually! and so making it less obvious what it really is had begun...
A few odds and sods were thrown in to make it look natural or as natural as you can get with a coopercraft wheelset and a peco sleeper in a stream... but its not unknown!
I had planned on having a little goods loading bay on the end of the platform with a pick up truck collecting some milk urns... but the steering wheel is on the wrong side and its a very american car so its now been removed in favour of a wide path to the station.
Had a bit of a photo shoot because the stream was now disguised...
The fencing is our favourite material... coffee stirrers! Painted brown
and the foot crossing is a mix of balsa wood and foam board.
Again, painted brown...
I found a coarse sand that isn't far off scale for a gravel so a tub of that later and I have made a few footpaths from it. It may get a bit of paint on it to tone it down a bit but I kinda like it as it is.
It's even good for creekbeds...
But overall it looks good!
Now I'm starting on the small details to add that little bit of extra wow... and I've started with an old saying. The Station is called "Upchit Creek" and has a Paddle stand for the local water sports centre at the end of the footpath... unfortunately the Paddle salesman is out of stock so those who don't bring their own are up a creek without a paddle...
Now there's one corner of the module that is a bit barren at the moment... well it was until earlier today when a piece of oo gauge track was laid to represent 15" gauge with a small loco and two wagons. There's also a water tower. If and when I build more modules then this will get longer and indeed work.
At present all it needs is grass and platform furniture and it can be called finished but I have plans to put a real plant on it somewhere as well if I can get it to fit without compromising the structural integrity of the module.
No one expects the SPANISH ACQUISITION!!!
Superb, I really like that stream
Also a 15" gauge mini ride on railway sounds pretty fun, and relatively easy to do
I look forward to seeing the modules increase
Would the mini ride on stuff not be 12.5" gauge?? That was always my thought
Also a 15" gauge mini ride on railway sounds pretty fun, and relatively easy to do
I look forward to seeing the modules increase
Would the mini ride on stuff not be 12.5" gauge?? That was always my thought
Jon
Have fun steaming
Now put the kettle on....sit back and browse my webpage http://fwpl.webs.com/
Have fun steaming
Now put the kettle on....sit back and browse my webpage http://fwpl.webs.com/
- Peter Butler
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- laurence703
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I'm not really sure but in terms of scale it could be either for example:
This is the Cagney... its really small on 15" gauge and would be quite happy on 12.5" or 10.25" gauges. It was also built to run on 16" gauge.
Locos used on it will be of no particular scale... even though they'll be standard gauge outline...
This is the Cagney... its really small on 15" gauge and would be quite happy on 12.5" or 10.25" gauges. It was also built to run on 16" gauge.
Locos used on it will be of no particular scale... even though they'll be standard gauge outline...
No one expects the SPANISH ACQUISITION!!!
- laurence703
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I have literally been making it up as I go along! lol!Peter Butler:119738 wrote:I am seriously impressed! There is a lot of thought and experience involved in this and it has paid dividends. So far I haven't seen a modular layout assembled but looking forward to it.
Thanks
No one expects the SPANISH ACQUISITION!!!
It looks brilliant and very natural, you should give yourself more creditlaurence703:119740 wrote:I have literally been making it up as I go along! lol!Peter Butler:119738 wrote:I am seriously impressed! There is a lot of thought and experience involved in this and it has paid dividends. So far I haven't seen a modular layout assembled but looking forward to it.
Thanks
Jon
Have fun steaming
Now put the kettle on....sit back and browse my webpage http://fwpl.webs.com/
Have fun steaming
Now put the kettle on....sit back and browse my webpage http://fwpl.webs.com/
- tom_tom_go
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- laurence703
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- Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2011 1:49 pm
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- laurence703
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- Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2011 1:49 pm
- Location: Lost
- laurence703
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- Soar Valley Light
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Superb job Lawrence. I love your stream detailing, the low level shots are very realistic. It was well worth the effort of taking it outside, the improved lighting really brings it to life, there is a lot more to see in the more natural condtions.
A waybeam bridge is an unusual subject and you've captured it very well. Model ones are the best sort, the real thing are a pain in the proverbial. I had four of the things when I was a Pway Section Manager and they made my teeth itch!
The footbridge is also a very interesting piece of work, I love the construction, it's another very convincing feature.
Where did you find the sand for the ballast, I like that a lot too, although I suspect it may be prohibitively expensive for the quantities i would need it in outside!
Andrew
A waybeam bridge is an unusual subject and you've captured it very well. Model ones are the best sort, the real thing are a pain in the proverbial. I had four of the things when I was a Pway Section Manager and they made my teeth itch!
The footbridge is also a very interesting piece of work, I love the construction, it's another very convincing feature.
Where did you find the sand for the ballast, I like that a lot too, although I suspect it may be prohibitively expensive for the quantities i would need it in outside!
Andrew
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
I do like the miniature railway, although if anyone is going to be sitting astride the brake van, the chimney might give a nasty surprise
Last edited by Big Jim on Sun Aug 28, 2016 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
If at first you don't succeed, use a bigger hammer!
- laurence703
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- laurence703
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That will be addressed in time... I'm looking for a cheap one of these:Big Jim:119762 wrote:I do like the miniature railway, although if anyone is going to be sitting astride the brake van, the chimney might give a nasty surprise
so I can turn it into this: (yes that is a much younger me)
And make some of these with it:
No one expects the SPANISH ACQUISITION!!!
- laurence703
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It's really not far off now... just a few more minor details like platform stuff and then it's pretty much done.
https://scontent-fra3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5849BED1
https://scontent-fra3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5849BED1
No one expects the SPANISH ACQUISITION!!!
- tom_tom_go
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- laurence703
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