After readings David's excellent article on Easitrack step by step, I was inspired to do the same for fitting DG couplings. So here goes;
Constructing the DG
I'm not going to go into detail here, as the instructions are very good. I would highly recommend that you chemically blacken them now (while they are still on the fret), I used Carrs blackening fluid for this and just leave the etch in a shallow bath until they are a nice dark brown colour. I find dark brown blends in better than so
Introduction
My name is Bryn and I've decided to build a layout for the 2mm Association's golden jubilee challenge, based around the goods yard at Colwyn Bay. What started as a shunting plank has now grown into a full layout, thanks to the competition. With the sheer luck of; the new Farish 24 and TTAs, new etched 2FS 16T minerals and cheaper DDC systems, it looks like this might be possible after all.
The Prototype
The goods yard at Colwyn Bay was built in the early part of the 20th centu
Just a quick photo update to catch up on a few of the smaller jobs that are on going around the layout;
First up is the fitting of chair plates, 2mm Scale Association part 1-092, to fix them I dipped the whole fish plate in thin super glue and held then in position with the tip of a pin until the glue set.
Here we have one of 5 etched buffer stops, designed by our very own Chris Higgs. Once this has be primed and fixed in place cosmetic sleepers will be added to fill the gaps, these wil
Now this wagon has to be a personal record for the longest work bench tenant. At about 4 years from the start of the build and one of my first etched kits, I built the major body bits and left it be. This weekend I decided to finally get on with it, only to discover half the chassis trussing was on backwards! Much fudging ensued....
Please excuse some of the wonky details, most of it predates my ability to use a RSU properly
The kit is from Stephen Harris and is built as a vacuum fitte
Before I disappear onto a long skint of night shifts, I thought it a good idea to make some progress while my brain is still operating normally
I have decided to use the standard Tortoise point motor with the Exactoscale adaptor base, then some how find a way of fixing it to the Easitrac points.
So, here is the end result. Nothing spectacular, but simple to reproduce and easy to maintain.
These small tube pass up through the baseboard and the tops sit just below the turno
After following TomE's approach I've been playing with some test ballast examples. Above shows what I have finally decided on using on Colwyn, it's a 50/50 mix of Treemedus Earth power and Carrs fine ash ballast, all fixed with (still wet and slightly glossy) Kleer. I will do a more indpeth write up when it gets applied to the layout. Thanks again to Tom for the advice
Another experiment was to prepare the plastic Easitrac sleepers to take paint more readily, this was done by brushing on a
After nearly 2 years of inactivity Colwyn Bay Goods has finally seen some progress! Not much, but progress none the less. The track weathering has started and all the baseboard wiring has been completed.
This weekend it will be on display at the Nottingham show on the 2mm Finescale Association stand as a work in progress.
http://www.nottingham-modelrailway.org.uk/exhibmain1.htm
Another two years have come and gone, without much to report! Colwyn now sports a new fiddle yard and legs and was invited to the recent 2mm Scale Association's Super Meet. This wouldn't have been possible without the help of Steve and Matt, both who travelled great distances to move my layout the short trip to the show! It was great to catch up with so many old faces throughout the day. Special visiting stock from David Smith (Cartic and Peak) was also on show over the day.
Photo Steve N
Built from the etched kit 2-515 from the 2mm Scale Association Shop (originally an N Gauge Society kit) and fitted with 2-313 Standard BR W-irons, the above kit has been sitting on my shelf for the last two years. Since Graham Farish released a new version of the the RTR wagon, I didn't know which route to take.
In short.... I'm glad I continued with it
Video Link Broken
Just to prove I have got something running and an excuse to play with my new camera. Sorry about the quality, but good lighting has always been an issue. I am currently playing around with methods to treat Easitrac ready for painting, more on that next time.
EDIT: By clicking the video you have the option to select full screen in HD, well worth the effort.
Finally some progress on the layout! I've finally got on with trying out CNC cut ply wood, as previously done by Missy on her excellent fiddle yard. The top beam is designed to turn the single sheet back scene into a structural support for the forth coming lighting rig, a sketch of the possible design is shown below. I am very impressed with this machined ply, accurate and a clean cut The above photos show a dry run, tape and airbrush boxes arn't in the final design...
Just a quick, mostly photographic, update on the recent scenic work carried out.
As described previously, the trees were made from sea foam with the trunks thickened up with builders caulk and ground foam used as leaves. The key is variation of colour and height to give a convincing look, I also painted a green wall on the backscene to ensure to reduce the amount of of blue sky showing through the branches.
And to finish up here are a few artisti
- Click images to enlarge -
Just a quick post to show I actually get things painted! The Stephen Harris minerals I have been working on are nearing completion, with some finer weathering to add at a later date. 24081 still soldiers on and has now become part of a game of "Where's Wally?" on other 2mm layouts, I'm sure you'll all get fed up of the sight of it soon
I've been experimenting with backscene materials, I finally decided on use of 3mm PVC foamboard. Unlike wood this has a very smooth finish and takes spray paint well, this was glued to the wooden frame with contact adhesive and kept it's subtle curves.
Track weathering was carried out with a dark brown powder pigment applied to each rail side, this was then faded in with a broad fan brush. Once happy this, along with the road/yard weathering was sealed with a matt varnis
Well,
Slow progress is happening in my few days off before my second block of night shifts, the first turnout operating unit (TOU) has been installed. Luckily there was enough play in the whole assemble to stop any excess force being applied to the switch blades. The pictures are pretty much self explanatory, when compared with the previous post.
Also, I've knocked together a 12T van for a bit of a change. I'm quite pleased with it
It started as a quick weathering project, it ended almost two months after. A tangent has occurred...
Many years ago I was inspired by Jim Smith-Wright's article of improving the 4mm scale class 25 from Bachmann. The article can be found here. I've yet to see anyone attempt such a project in 2mm, so why not? Here we go!
The first job was the mill the plastic solebar under the cabs back, using photos as a guide and the buffer back plates as limit.
Today I received a sheet of etches from PPD, from my recent doodlings.
Seen here in its raw form. I created the posts from 3 layers of 0.25mm nickle silver and the stainless steel mesh was brought from BLMA (an American import). I have also etched some small slots on the heads of the posts to allow barbwire to be wrapped around them at even spacings. I will just use a single strand of wire for this,2mm barbs arn't worth considering with IMHO.
I am quite happy with how these
Built from Stephen Harris etches and weathered using methods previously described in past posts. Transfers are from the Fox range.
EDIT: Underframe image for Andy.
A few shots of the recent progress with the layout.
Once the sculpimold has set I next give the ground a light pass of short straw static grass, then a second layer of 2mm dead grass.
The back scene arrived, this is a 3mm thick sheet of PVC foam board, it takes paint well and is self supporting.
Scrub bushes added with simple PVA
Seamfoam trees. The trunks were thickened up using builders caulk an
The on going saga of my first attempt at etch design lumbers forward once again. Modifications include -
1) Finally I created some axle boxes and springs. Layer etch, Stephen Harris style.
2) Brake rigging/rib issues have been resolved. They don't clash anymore!
3) Beefed up wire on pivot bar, 0.5mm wire from 0.3mm.
4) Clever tab system to line up hopper doors.
It might see production next year, if the slow rate of progress continues
Three years on and history repeats itself as Colwyn Bay Goods returns to Tutbury village hall for The 2mm Association's supermeet. My thanks to John Aldrick for the invite and to everyone else involved with putting on another enjoyable show.
Work has been quietly progressing in the background since the layouts previous outing and below is a quick summary.
- Set up at Tutbury with temporary foamboard fiddle yard wall clamped in place.
The la
Sometimes all the thinking in the world can't compete with a a well timed bodge up I've been thinking about how to frame the layout for a while now, some of you will remember my BcnPete style sketch from last summer.
After operating Jerry's excellent layout, Highbury Colliery at RailEx, I was convinced a picture frame type arrangement will work very well in this scale. Now time to put concept into practice.
Thanks to Mr Masking Tap and his old friend Double Corrugated I have
Too much track tweaking can drive a person insane. Now for an image intermission.
I know it doesn't look very different from the images from last November, but it now runs and basic shunting is now possible
Three months without an update, I'm sure that's a personal best
Nothing really to report, I'm halfway through installing my 3 way point and have decided to weather my 21T MDV coal wagon.
The above was achieved by first giving the etched wagon a grey etched primer base, followed by brush painting enamels in solid colours (sleeper grime for the chassis, rust for the body). Once these layers havd dried ff fully, I started adding a few basic washes of thinned acrylics. When these ha
Sorry for the rushed post, but I thought I would post my idea for pivoting switch blades before I install them. One of the main issues with my 3 way asymmetrical point was the short switch blades.
The shortest blade will only be supported by 2 chairs, so...
- Two plastic chairs didn't seem tough enough long term.
- Two brass chairs on PCB sleepers would be more than strong enough...
- Now the blade was fixed solid at one end, it would be tough flex the short length of rail using
