Ozexpatriate Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Good luck with your project - the hobbit holes look very good so far. I like the idea of having dwarves running the railway and the narrow gauge decision suits the theme nicely. I don't think hobbits would be mechanically oriented enough. I think you are heading in a direction that hits the right notes - which is tricky. Because with the Shire, Tolkien romanticized bucolic village life before the industrial revolution and he despises the 'infernal engines' of Saruman's invention, it is very hard to marry steam engines (the very embodiment of the industrial revolution) with Middle Earth. It is easy to imagine an alternative Sharkey's Shire with trainloads of hobbits being packed off to work slavishly in some dark Satanic mill atmosphere. Steam engines fit well into this nightmare vision, but it would be quite an unattractive topic. It looks like you are walking this tightrope quite well and I look forward to your progress. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 The project is progressing, the loco is now all but complete with a handfull of wagons. I have also been painting Hobbits, as they are large figures, they take a lot of time each. I will set up the camera, take some piccies and add them over the weekend. Best wishes Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold unravelled Posted May 7, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 7, 2011 Looking interesting. If things aren't too far advanced, have you thought about doing something very different with the track? Perhaps looking more like an early tramway/plateway, with short rails and stone block sleepers. Stub points, with rotating sections to avoid crossings would be interesting. Many alternatives to the familiar mechanisms were tried in the early years of railways, and lighter stock, slower speeds allow different choices to be made. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted May 7, 2011 Author Share Posted May 7, 2011 Looking interesting. If things aren't too far advanced, have you thought about doing something very different with the track? Perhaps looking more like an early tramway/plateway, with short rails and stone block sleepers. Stub points, with rotating sections to avoid crossings would be interesting. Many alternatives to the familiar mechanisms were tried in the early years of railways, and lighter stock, slower speeds allow different choices to be made. Dave I am playing with ways to replicate baulk road with some form of bar or timber cross members but my track making abilities would not result in a layout which ran too well if I had to make my own points etc hence the trails. Best wishes Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I like the look of this, you seem to have made a good start at keeping the unreal 'real' it reminds me of the Far Twittering and Oysterperch Railway in a strange way. cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted May 7, 2011 Author Share Posted May 7, 2011 I like the look of this, you seem to have made a good start at keeping the unreal 'real' it reminds me of the Far Twittering and Oysterperch Railway in a strange way. cheers Thank you, I saw that one once and loved it. It is too easy to get too serious about a hobby, I am really enjoying the opportunity to let my imagineation run riot and as somebody has mentioned, nobody can say I have the wrong number of rivets on the models!! Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted August 6, 2011 Author Share Posted August 6, 2011 I think I said something about, regular updates to keep the motivation etc going - FAIL!!! Anyway, the first loco is now all but complete, things have been really busy with my N gauge exhibition layout and lots of shows all over the place, a couple of weeks holiday and then back to work to construct the boards for Hobbiton End - working in a woodwork workshop has lots of advantages!! Yer tis - More soon Simon 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted August 7, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 7, 2011 Hi Simon, Following our conversation yesterday at Minehead, good to see an update. I do remember reading this thread a while ago and admiring your buildings. Certainly a change from your N gauge! Funnily enough, family just watching Lord of the Rings (Part 2) whilst tapping on my laptop! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 ooer, nearly a year to the day since the last update, oh dear mega bout of shame my way please!!! Anyway, I have a batch more hobbits painted as well as a couple more buildings. I also have now completed the construction of the main scenic board for the project complete with curved fascia and open frame work ready to start laying track.I will add a couple of piccies tomorrow assuming there is no rain and I can set it up outside to photograph. So the p[roject is now back on track, sorry terrible use of phrase there! Regular updates to follow..,., Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddys-blues Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Precious......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted August 4, 2012 Author Share Posted August 4, 2012 Here are the piccies as promised, firstly during the fitting of the curved backsacene, one advantage of constructing them at work, space and loads of clamps!!! This is the completed framework with the structures loosely in position. Now an overview of the layout on its legs, I know this will upset some people as I am building it at such a height, around 1 metres to track height but it is my preferred level to work at. The station will be nestled into the side of a hill with the hobbit holes burried into the hillside, from below track height to around 15" above it at the highest I am thinking. Next job is to sort out the spare room to get enough space for this and Polpendra at the same time, ooer!! Then I will get started on the trackwork, longitudinal timbers with occasional cross members deeply ballasted intot eh scenery is what I am thinking at the mo, peco rail and buried peco pointwork with sleepers removed. Deep burying the track will help hide all that away as I do not have the confidence to build my own track, I actually want this layout to run well!! Simon 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Splendid stuff! steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldknotty Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 This is great cannot wait for more pics :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted August 4, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 4, 2012 Excellent Simon. Good to see that you have been able to make some progress following our conversation in Barnstaple the other week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Sheep Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Personally I think you are a complete and total nutcase as such I look forward to seeing occasional updates and hope to one day see this layout at an exhibition. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 hehehehe, I totally agree. I would love to think this will get to a standard high enough for the shows. I get the feeling that it is different enough to get the interest for invited as well! Having now sorted out how it is going intot he stare room, trackwoirk can begin. Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Rail Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Good... Had a fair few of the Warhammer - GW stuff in the past and learned the art of inks and drybrushing - a good slant on the usual - how about a TMD for them? Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Looking forward to seeing how this layout / theme progresses, Dwarf silver mines on the other side? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 A few additional piccies for your comments/enjoyment/disgust etc... Some of the new characters ready to move into Hobbiton End The second locomotive is on the way again it is Dwarf driven. Stockwise, although no passenger stock has been constructed, I have started with the goods stock, SDR wagons from Dundas kits and a pair of scratchbuilt wagons for the bales of pipeweed. I have even found some toadstools to paint up for possible use although some are way too large for the layout so will not be used, they are the same height as the hobbits! Best wishes Simon 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 Funny you should mention the silver mine 'Hayfield', I was thinking for a while of doing a Dwarf mining scene to add under the layout, maybe it will get doen sometime? Best wishes Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 I guess you could even have a forest scene for the Elves, and dont forget the Ents!! And you could also have a castle / city section. Could take over the whole house. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 This is outstanding stuff. Just goes to show what can be achieved when imagination is let off the leash. Please can we have more pictures? I have a daughter who's an avid LOTR fan and something of a closet railway modeller. She will love this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridgiesimon Posted August 7, 2012 Author Share Posted August 7, 2012 Thanks to all of you for your kind words, I appreciate it. Yes I will be adding more piccies as the layout develops, now that I have the scanic board built, the development will be rather quicker than just 1 update a year! I wanted to build this layout for several reasons, Lord of the Rings was my favourite book when younger, I have read it numerous times and was rather concerned when they decided to make the films. I think LOTR is the best trilogy ever produced and have watched them on numerous occasions as well! At around this time the games workshop started their massive range of LOTR miniatures which is what really got me thinking but then iI came across the range of halflings form a company called 'Of Flame and Fire' who trade through ebay, I love their miniatures because the are not only very well modelled but he are almost characitures so give a whole new depth of fun to the project. The design lends a lot to a layout by Chris Nevard called Cement Quay, it was one of the few layouts I saw that had a fully curved backscene but totally open one end - http://www.flickr.com/photos/nevardmedia/3918740659/in/set-72157612040179807 This style would suit my plan really well so has been incorporated! Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Lord of the Rings was my favourite book when younger, I have read it numerous times and was rather concerned when they decided to make the films. I think LOTR is the best trilogy ever produced and have watched them on numerous occasions as well! Funny you should say that. Said daughter first read LOTR at the tender age of nine. Since then, she's made a point of reading it once a year (she's now in her 20s). And like you, her trepidations about what the film was going to do to the book were swept aside when she actually saw them. To get back on topic, I think what you're doing is very original. If you decide to exhibit, I'm sure it will go down very well with the viewing public. I'll even make the effort myself to get back to Old Blighty to come and see it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Rail Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 A few additional piccies for your comments/enjoyment/disgust etc... Some of the new characters ready to move into Hobbiton End The second locomotive is on the way again it is Dwarf driven. Stockwise, although no passenger stock has been constructed, I have started with the goods stock, SDR wagons from Dundas kits and a pair of scratchbuilt wagons for the bales of pipeweed. I have even found some toadstools to paint up for possible use although some are way too large for the layout so will not be used, they are the same height as the hobbits! Best wishes Simon Magic 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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