Will J's Random Adventures in N Gauge

Hi Will -

 

Very impressive! I might suggest painting the 'hole a mid-grey'? As to another location, I seem to remember just outside Bridgenoth that the line runs on an embankment above a waterwheel? Modelling th rail line in the foreground, with the landscape fallingaway behind to the wheel might make a counterpoint to Victoria Bridge - and think of the scope for 3D printing of the wheel!

 

Regs

 

Ian

Yes.. I'll certainly want to get rid of that sandy/clay colour at the base of the 'tunnel' so as not to draw attention to it.

 

Ah, Daniel's mill, that would look impressive!

Great work Will.

 

I love that second 'overall' shot...but perhaps next time throw a black cloth over the table as the brightly covered 'fruit topping' detracts from your fine model...

 

Will you have a turntable each end, cassettes or perhaps a simple loop to sit and watch the trains go by?

Hi Will.

 

Looking really good! It has an almost oil painting-esqu look to it!

 

Having the bridge abutments printed was a really good move too, they look excellent!

 

Tom.

Lovely work Will, the second shot really shows off how well your idea works. To get such a sight on a micro is a rare treat. Agree about the table cloth disturbing things a bit though :-)

 

I am not a great fan of painted backscenes, but your solution is really interesting and effective - perhaps because unlike other painted backscenes it does not pretend to show anything specific, and so there are no improper perspectives etc.

Hi everyone..

 

yes, the tablecloth is a little intense. I'm writing on a laptop, which is sat on top of it now, and I am finding it hard to focus on the screen, such is the mesmeric pattern around its edges.

 

Before anyone supposes that it is our normal table decor... Mrs. J (Katie) provided it for my sporadic bouts of kitchen table modelling, to avoid my scratching the delicate veneer of the table proper beneath! It does get put away if we are in polite company........

 

I will try my best to keep the background 'vague' as it seems to work well in the context. I was reading with interest Pete's recent layout planning thread, with thoughts about viewing angles, perspective and the like. It becomes a minefield of conflicting approaches when the scene is much taller than it is deep (depth, in terms of horizontal width... I'm confusing myself now!) and the whole thing is a compromise to suit as many different viewpoints as possible. The tricky thing is I am used to viewing the bridge from a number of different angles...

 

a) From a train (the one angle where the bridge is more or less invisible)

b)From a low flying aircraft (the bridge sits 'on' a rich, dark background of trees and water)

c)On a bicycle, from immediately by the abutment (the view of the bridge is framed by sky)

 

This deserves a blog post of its own, when I have fathomed out my theory in my own mind*

 

*Which could take some time

 

However it is explained, I will keep the backdrop 'vague' as it needs to not overpower the model, and a vague background is more easily 'blended' with the three dimensional scenic elements.

Will you have a turntable each end, cassettes or perhaps a simple loop to sit and watch the trains go by?

 

The plan, as it stands, is for the layout to live on the wall of my office as a scenic display 'shelf', there is space for a short siding at either end allowing a modest train to shuttle to and fro. It will be portable however. I had made the silly mistake of making it about an inch too long to sit comforably accross the back seat of the car, a Fiesta, without resorting to a jaunty angle with the sharp edge of the shelf resting unwisely against the window... Luckily, a new purchase, a Ford Focus which is wider to a surprising degree, will allow it to be transported in safety and comfort!

 

The original idea was to have cassettes at each end for exhibiting. Thinking practically, this will mean a 'layout' with an overall length three times the scenic bit. Figuring that the attraction of the diorama might be a tiny layout to fill a tiny exhibition corner, this seemed a little extravagant, so I am building a couple of 'hairpin bend' modules to plug in at either end, to link to a 'roundy roundy with traverser' arrangement at the back. To put the size into context, the scenic bit is approximately 8 carriages plus a loco long, plus a bit, the length of an everyday SVR train.

Before anyone supposes that it is our normal table decor... Mrs. J (Katie) provided it for my sporadic bouts of kitchen table modelling, to avoid my scratching the delicate veneer of the table proper beneath!

 

oops...hope that didn't offend Mrs J...

 

Sounds a good plan for the layout Will...having clip in modules and/or cassettes will allow you some flexibility depending on home or exhibition use.

 

I wouldn't worry about the proportion of scenic to unscenic though. That latest project of mine is 33.3% scenic to 66.6% unscenic, but as we know, peeps like to have a look at the back as well as the front of house. I know I do!

 

I guess the diorama is timeless too, so perhaps you could even run a few blue boxes on it?...

Blue boxes, easy, just imagine the bridge is just ten miles upstream....

 

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/location.php?loc=Coalbrookdale