Sir Madog Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I have just finished the first module for my Japanese prototype N scale layout. "Eizan Electric Rlwy. (Eizan Dentetsu) KK Series 900 EMU "Kirara" crossing Takano River bridge" More modules to follow soon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gwinnett Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Very nice. There's something very tempting about Japanese 'N' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Madog Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 Yes, there is! And at affordable prices, too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Madog Posted June 6, 2011 Author Share Posted June 6, 2011 I worked on a second module today: A few more finishing touches and it´ll be complete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gwinnett Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Again, lovely. Are you working to a particular module standard? Or something of your own devising? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Madog Posted June 6, 2011 Author Share Posted June 6, 2011 Again, lovely. Are you working to a particular module standard? Or something of your own devising? Jon, it´s a simplified T-Trak standard, which I adopted from a Japanese web page. You can find it here :Mini-Module Layout It´s all in Japanese but it is worthwhile just looking at the pictures. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gwinnett Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 What a great concept. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobD Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Simple, and fairly elegent. The techniques for disguising the Unitrak work quite well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gwinnett Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Yes - and am I right thinking Japanese N is a slightly larger scale than US/European stuff, so the over-scale rail is less of an issue? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Madog Posted June 6, 2011 Author Share Posted June 6, 2011 The difference is not that much - Japanese N scale is 1/150. Kato´s code 80 rail is still oversize, but this is much more apparent in photos then in "reality". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted June 7, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 7, 2011 Very nice work. I'm off to Japan myself next year - could be bad news B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Madog Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share Posted June 7, 2011 Barry Ten - that´ll be quite a dangerous venue, and I don´t mean earthquakes, tsunamis and all that. Up until I came across the Japanese way of railway modelling, I was strictly against N scale and modular layouts. See what has happened to me. Believe me, it´s contagious! Just a few pictures of a little touch-up job I did today: ... and my favorite picture: I sometimes find it hard to believe that this is N scale! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Madog Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 Unless I find a figure of a "spray can artist", there is nothing to be added to my second mini-module. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gwinnett Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Just superb atmosphere in such a cramped space. Amazing Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Madog Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 Just one more picture: Eizan Electric Rlwy. Class 900 EMU "Kirara" leaves Kbuneguchi Tunnel on a run to Kurama" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Madog Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 Work on my little modular desktop layout continues: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Work on my little modular desktop layout continues. Can you be pursuaded to describe your module construction? They appear to be different (and possibly easier) than the usual T-Trak approach. You also appear to have re-ballasted the track. Any observations/tips? Just noticed, isn't T-Trak normally double tracked? As an aside, on a whim I bought two ovals of Kato track at an exhibition just so I could quickly put something together to run some trains on directly upon the dining table and I must say I am very impressed with it. The snap together action is nice and positive which is just as well as T-Trak depends on it. Am sorely tempted, albeit for Swiss. Watching with interest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Madog Posted June 26, 2011 Author Share Posted June 26, 2011 Mike, I found this "system" on a Japanese web page. It is much easier to construct than those T-Trak modules. BAsically, this is all you need_ Here is a link to the web page: Mini-Modules It is all in Japanese, but the pictures are very descriptive! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Here is a link to the web page: Mini-Modules It is all in Japanese, but the pictures are very descriptive! I stuck with it this time and managed to find the links to the relevant pages. I love some of the sample modules they show. The interesting aspects are how simple the baseboards are and the fact they can be inverted to give variations in height. You look as if you are using 12mm ish ply which I guess goes a long way out of a 4x2 sheet. You appear to have added felt pads to protect the table surface, but unlike the original T-Trak standard have not included height adjustment which if your construction skills are up to it is not a problem. I do like the possibilities, for example the endless variety that can be built relatively simply and if a particular module does not work out does not represent a major investment to replace. Now where did I put that Kato track!!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Madog Posted June 26, 2011 Author Share Posted June 26, 2011 Mike, I am using 15 mm plywood to avoid warping, precision cut to size at my local DIY store (at no extra cost). I also have added felt pad to protect the surface, as you have stated, just to try it out. I may add adjustable legs, but so far I don´t see the necessity. I found this an interesting, if not unusual way of building a layout. You can start small, at low cost, and grow your layout as budget and time allow. At first, I was very much of a skeptic, but now I really enjoy building these mini-modules. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 There are some topics that fail to capture members interest. This appears to be one of them, which is a shame, because it is a brilliant concept. How are you getting on? The other week I bought a sheet of 12mm MDF 1200 * 600 from B&Q with a view to building some T-Trak modules. I also managed to find some 12mm offcuts in the garage which have provided enough material to build a corner unit and a straight. Unlike you I cut these myself using a circular saw and I must admit this went quite well. Now I need to decide whether to press ahead and fix track, or like you paint the base. As stated previously I am going for a double track system rather than the single line you are modelling. I have carried out some experiments which may be of interest to you. The Americans often use what they call acrylic/latex caulk to fix down their track. To the best of my knowledge in the UK the nearest alternative is decorator's mate which is a flexible gap filler. I tried fixing a piece of Kato track down with it and it seems to work very well. I tried colouring the rails with Tamiya acrylic spray paint. Big disaster as the paint just did not take. Precision worked a lot better. Can I ask what you ballested your track with? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branwell Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 It's inspired me as well! I've just built a couple of straight modules using 13mm rigid PVC foamboard and am just about to start work on the track. I'm tempted to do some UK based scenes and so have painted the trackbase with trackcolour and then applied Woodland Scenics fine ballast using dilute PVA. Seems to be going ok so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Interesting concept, and certainly will help with the "there's just too much to do, so I won't make a start" mind-set I keep finding myself in... I love the bridge module, what did you use to model the water on the river bed? Or is it just dry? (I can't tell from the pictures...) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Madog Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 Sorry, folks, for being late in my answer. I have been out of town to take care of my ailing parents for a little while. Both are well into their 80´s and each day needs to be considered as a gift. The baseboard for the modules is really a simple, straight forward job to create. I use a marine grade 15 mm plywood, which I can buy cut to the exact size at my local DIY place. Just glue it together and put in a few nails for extra strength - that´s it. I also glue and nail the Kato track, using a glue called Pattex. This glue stays soft - just as latex caulk, which I cannot obtain here. Coloring the rails is done with a rattle can, the color being "chocolate" brown. It is a little darker than a color called rust, which appears to have too much of an orange touch for me. Ballasting done is done in the usual way, spreading the ballast, shaping it with a fine brush, spraying it with a mix of 70 % isopropyl alcohol and water (2:1 mixture) and applying diluted PVA with an eye dropper. I use N scale granite ballast as ballast, which is still a little to coarse. Ballasting is a little tedious, but it pays off to do that properly. Make sure the ballast does not clog the rail joiners. MichaelW - the river has no water yet - I will use Woodland Scenic´s Realistic Water, once I dare to pour it. The river bed is just some bird´s sand a a few small rocks I had collected somewhere on the way. I hope to be able to finish work on my third module - a level crossing - by the end of this week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin1985 Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 These look great! I keep getting tempted to trying to put together a modular layout, but my woodworking skills tend to scupper things when there are so many track joints crossing boards. Unitrack is a great solution to this. Looking at the Japanese site you link to, it almost looks like they have used some kind of balsa like wood, rather than traditional ply. It looks like it is a bit stronger than the balsa we get here though. I wonder if this is a product unique to Japan? Justin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.