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MarshLane

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  1. MarshLane

    Baseboard design for Forge Gate

    By MarshLane,


    Forge Gate Goods Warehouse
    Well, as ever with these things, family and work life have got in the way of the pleasurable hobbies, so time has been limited, but I have turned my attention to baseboards, how best to make them and how to store them.  Yes, it sounds like the start of one those 'Baseboards for Dummies' books!
     
    Open-top, open-plan baseboard
    I have done baseboards in the past, the quick and simple way, some 2" x 1" framing to give a study frame, then ply or chipboard on top. They have worked fine, but are not exactly lightweight and definitely fall into the 'flat-earth' category, in that you can only go up, not down.  I wanted this project to take on a different feel for a number of reasons.  Some parts of it (around the goods warehouse) are certainly flat, but the roads may not be.  That pushed me towards an open-top, open-plan baseboard, where the frame and cross-bearers have no top and the track bed baseboard is a little wider than the actual track width, which allows the scenery to built up around the railway.
     
    Although the topic is dealing with curved baseboard edges, this image from @peter220950 posted on the aforementioned thread shows the style that I am thinking about, although as a straight board, rather than with a curved edge.  This set me thinking however, in terms of supporting the railway, is there any benefit to diagonal supports over straight ones?  I would be interested to hear anyone's views or thoughts on this.
     
    I was thinking more straight boxes for the cross-bearers, rather than the diagonal version shown here, purely because it would be easier to cut 'notches' out to position the track bed or roadway.  The thought that I have is to have the baseboard laser cut this time.  I quite enjoy carpentry, although I don't claim to be any good at it!  But with needing to get the interlocks between cross-bearers right, I have concluded that my CAD design and the accuracy of a laser beam is far better than my woodworking skills!
     
    Layout storage
    This has brought me to consider storage, as that will have an impact on baseboard size.  In a family house, space is at a premium so any layout will need to be packed away between use.  That brings with it a number of challenges for a layout builder, none of which are insurmountable, but have to be considered at an earlier stage.
    The need to pack it away means that it needs to be as lightweight as possible The storage location needs it to be somewhere out of the way, where detail work will not get damaged The storage location should also protect the layout from getting dusty. When it comes to assembling and removing the layout, multiple baseboards need to go together quickly and easily. There is the issue of a stand or 'legs' to consider Pointwork needs to be position so that it is not, preferably, next to the edge of the board. Wiring needs to be neat, so it does not snag when being moved, and point motors/servos mounted underneath need to be positioned where they will not be knocked.  
    There are numerous other points and thoughts too, but to me, those are the main things.  It was at this point that I realised that trying to store a 3ft long board, taking the above into mind, was going to be difficult if not someway impossible.  Plenty of potential places to put it, but each one fell foul of one of the above thoughts.  It was then that I came across a post on rmWeb from a chap on the Boxfiles and Diorama's section, where he had build a small model within one of the sturdy plastic containers made by Really Useful Boxes.  
     
    That set me thinking, and having had a good look around I came across some EuroCom boxes that are stackable, and with the addition of a steel frame and casters for around £20 can be made easily movable.   The crates are 600x400mm wide - so around 23" x 15" and either 8" or 12" deep - meaning that for 2FS, it would be quite feasible with some form of a simple stacking system within the crate to stack two 23" x 15" boards on top of each other while ensuring no damage.  The fact that there is a top also keeps the dust to a minimum, and crates are far easier to store than open baseboards!  One other advantage to boards of this size is the ability to lift them out and work on them in the dining room or kitchen, not currently having a specific workbench area.
     
    So I am thinking this is the way I will go forward.  It also means that the baseboards are easily manageable and manoeuvrable by one person.
     
    Connecting boards
    The final challenge was how to quickly and easily clip the boards together.  I had thought about using a form of 'over and fasten' clip, where the steel clip on one side has a loop that 'lips' over a stop on the other, but decided against this for two main reasons. Firstly, I am liable to catch my arm or clothes on them and secondly, it would not work if two boards had to be put side-by-and-side and end-to-end.  The idea of pattern makers dowels is great for ensuring the boards line-up perfectly each time, but there is still the issue of holding them together.  A simple bolt and nut is an option, but its messy, time consuming and if two boards are put side-by-side on the table to just do photographs for example, there is no easy access to the underside to put the bolt through.
     
    Then over the last weekend, I picked my iPad Pro up and slotted it onto the keyboard case.  All of a sudden a penny drop moment occurred.  If Apple can hold an iPad in place on a stand with magnets, why can we not do the same with baseboards?  Two magnets that are strong enough to attract each other and not move, but weak enough to allow them to be pulled apart with a little force, could work to hold the boards together, plus it is quick, simple and guaranteed every time.  There is also the option that with magnets that are positioned so they do actually touch each other, along with the brass pattern makers dowels, potentially all the electrical connections between boards could be made this way too (subject to some experimentation) making the setup and break down even quicker.
     
    I concluded that the magnet idea needed some experimentation, so I having had a trawl around eBay, I have purchased 10, what are described as "N52 Super Strong Block Rare Earth Neodymium' magnets.  At 10mm x 5mm x 2mm, they are easily small enough to position two or three along the end of the baseboard.  They should arrive later this week, so I'll report back on the experiment of whether they work and can hold a couple of baseboards together.
     
    Conclusion
    So, in some ways not much visible progress, but in other ways things have moved forward.  The one aspect I have not yet thought or considered are 'legs' or a stand of some sort. I have used the DIY style trestles on my American N gauge layout, which work well, but its something else to store and they are quite heavy to move.  I am wondering about detachable or foldable legs of some kind, but I want to make sure it is solid with no wobble being introduced.
     
    As ever, any thoughts, views, comments are welcome, as is feedback form those who have been there and done that - successfully or not!
     
    Rich
     
    Header Image: Ben Brooksbank / Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license 2.0 - from Wikipedia
     
  2. MarshLane

    Forge Gate Goods Warehouse - 1

    By MarshLane,


    Forge Gate Goods Warehouse
    Firstly, thanks to everyone that commented on the first post, and the wide range of thoughts, suggestions and help that those comments contained.  Its one of the aspects I do love about rmWeb, people are happy and willing to share their knowledge and help modellers to achieve better end results.  In my case, its appreciated and has spurred me on a bit.
     
    So, as I said last time, the first module to be built will be Forge Gate Goods Warehouse.  The intention is that this will be a three-story large building that would dominate any area of the ‘big layout’ if I ever get to that position.  In the short to medium term, this will be part of a working diorama, with one side of the building created, but made removable so that people can see inside at what happened within these giant goods facilities.  To get an idea of where I am going, think along the lines of this building https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrls308.htm.  Ideally, I would have liked to have gone down the square(ish) footprint, like this but it would just be too big, as I estimate the building would scale to around 23 inches square.
     
    Basics
    The board for this will be three foot by one foot, positioned on a 2”x1” frame to lift it up. I am thinking ahead to the next board which will contain the pointwork to access the various sidings and the servos that need to be placed below the board.  2”x1” should provide enough lea-way to accommodate the servo vertically and give some protection. Working on an approximate basis of one inch per track, this is being built to 2mm Finescale standards, that should provide enough space inside the building for three pairs of tracks (six sidings) each of which capable of holding around 16 wagons (based on three taking up around 5.5 inches including couplings).  Two of the tracks (nearest the open side) will be around 6-8 inches shorter, to allow more view into the inner workings of the warehouse, giving a total capacity of around 86 wagons.  Now as I currently only have two (neither of which are suitable for being inside this building, given they are private owner coal merchant vehicles!) I have some wagon building tasks ahead!!  Interestingly the Warwickshire Railways website reports that when the Midland Railway opened Lawley Street Goods Warehouse it had nine roads, accommodation for 88 wagons, so perhaps these ideas and plans are not too far away from reality.
     
    This close up image gives a good view of the detail around the windows, although I am a intrigued as to why one window (presumably stairs?) is lower on the middle floor than it is on the top?  Anyone any ideas?
     
    Construction
    For most of the general buildings, like houses etc, I'll probably follow Roger Beckwith's ideas that he used on Wrenton (which if you haven't seen, is well worth a some time spent exploring his website) which revolve around plasticard cut on a digital cutting machine, such as a Silhouette Portrait.  The results are stunning, and again if you haven't seen it, check out Roger's overview of building a cottage.  However, for the goods shed, because of its size and three levels, my current line of thinking is that the building sides will be laser cut out of 1mm Birch Ply, with the brickwork detail etched onto the sheet, as a friend has access to a laser cutter.  This will then have windows added to the inside out of 0.5mm Rowmark plastic, with 0.5mm Acrylic for the windows, and finally an inner skin of 1mm Ply.  It will mean that the building walls become some 3mm thick, but should make the whole structure solid, given that there are two inner floors to be fitted and the roof, none of which will be supported on one of the longer sides.  The various cast iron lintels over door ways I’ll make from plasticard.
     
    Looking at photographs of the inside of various goods warehouses, both Midland as well as Great Northern and Great Western buildings, I am thinking that the roof detail will follow this style of approach - https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrls432.htm - with either plasticard or possibly small etched brass detailing for the strapping.  I am thinking that the cast iron beams that are visible in the roof area of the lower floor (https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrls306.htm) may best be represented by some 3D printed beams, and I suspect the column will be best produced the same way, then sanded smooth before painting.
     
    However that last image raised another question, one of the cartage area, which leads me to two real options going forward, one is to remove a pair of the long roads, which would release two inches, plus a further two inches for the platform, creating a cartage area that is four inches wide, or to extend the width of the baseboard from 12 inches (one foot) to 18 inches, allowing a cartage area of some 18 inches to be created.  I am tending towards the latter somewhat, but perhaps with a five inch cartage area, allowing an inch outside of the building to be created.  However I am not sure whether this will be able to be blended in with the board next to it, whatever it may be, and whenever it is created.
     
    I am also trying to investigate how Goods Warehouses in the late 1910s/early 1920s would have been lit internally, I suspect gas lamps would have played a big role, but some of the images seem to feature electric light, but it could be that it is a later picture of course.
     
    In terms of cartage, Langley Models produce some nice horse-drawn carts, many with horses, that could be adapted quite easily. One of them (https://www.langleymodels.co.uk/awd1/index.php?route=product/product&path=216&product_id=4897) looks very like the MRC branded cart in this view https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrls308a.htm.
     
    Again, it all spurs me on to actually get started, but I know I need to take my time with the plans and get it right, although having only built one model building before in my life, there is something of a learning curve involved!  I also promise I'll try and make these blog posts shorter in future.
     
    Happy Modelling chaps!
     
    Rich
     
     
    Header image: Mikey from Wythenshawe, Manchester, UK, Used under Creative Commons use, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
  3. MarshLane

    1900s MR - An Introduction

    By MarshLane,


    General
    As a kid I was heavily into real and model railways, thanks to my Dad.  We had a large OO gauge layout in the loft, although like many it was more playing trains that modelling!  Then in my late teens/early 20s, the modelling side of the hobby just ceased to hold the interest.  OO gauge was looking more and more toy like and lacked the realism for me, and as a result my interest wained.
     
    In my mid-30s, a revival of the model side, thanks to a friend, came about and I acquired a significant number of modern image O gauge items, and while I still love the realism and presence of 7mm today, I had to accept the realisation that I just didn’t have the space for what I wanted to do.  I struggled for a while to find a layout proposal in a scale that would work in the space I had.  One of my big problems being a broad interest in anything on rails!  Whether its from pre-grouping to nationalisation, steam to electric, trains to trams and light rail, seeing a picture would spark my mind off into ‘ooh that would make a nice little layout!’.
     
     
    The Farthing and Bath incentive
    A few years ago on rmWeb I discovered @Mikkel, who has a blog on the site and creates miniature working dioramas based around his fictional town of Farthing. The models are set in the pre-grouping era of the Great Western and his modelling is wonderful and detailed, but each of the dioramas are only small, probably 3ft x 1ft at maximum, with a communal traverser that can be used with any of them.  The various blog entries, many of which focus on little stories set around the dioramas are wonderful light hearted reading, and really show a different take on what we traditionally see in model format.
     
    Just recently, when having a few days of “I want to have a layout I can work on and run, but cannot come up with anything that works for me from a scenic and operational viewpoint”, Mikkle posted a new update and the cogs started turning once more.  Usually, this is an ‘oh-no’ point as the likelyhood is another batch of used and redundant envelopes will be heading for the bin covered in track layout sketches!  But on this occasion, there was a penny drop moment and an idea that maybe following a similar principal could work, using small 3’ x 1’ boards that could be packed away in a protective box.  But designed in such a way that at some point in the future, they could have ‘extra’ connecting boards added and be joined up to make a bigger layout.
     
    Having joined the 2mm Association around two years ago, my thoughts also turned to a visit that the North Mercia Area Group, organised by Laurie Adams, had from Jerry Clifford (@queensquare) of this parish.  Jerry has to be in the top group of high class 2mm modellers and many will probably know of his Bath Queen Park layout that he is building or his Tucking Mill or Highbury Colliery layouts.  The visit showed off several buildings, as well as locomotive and rolling stock models for the Bath layout, and included a stunning model that has been built for him of a Midland Railway 2-4-0 outside framed locomotive, shown below.
     

    Midland Railway 2-4-0 owned by Jerry Clifford for his Bath Queen Square layout. Picture by Marsh Lane
     
    A couple of pictures from his visit provide a photographic interlude in this post, but also show how a compact Midland engine shed could be provided within a similar 3’ x 1’ space.  The work pictured is entirely Jerry's for his own layouts and all credit goes to him and is included here to a) show off his skilful modelling, and b) to demonstrate the kind of thing that could be achieved. 
     

    A suggestion of what could be achieved in a small space for a motive power depot.  Models and Bath MPD layout by Jerry Clifford.
     
    My modelling aspirations
    So, having taken the decision to progress this and see where it does, that is where I now am.  I have a bit of a fascination with the Midland Railway where pre-grouping is concerned, probably part of that being down to the fact that the company used smaller locos that in the main had no, or very little, complicated valve gear!  This certainly makes building (or conversion of RTR) to 2FS far easier.  I must admit, with a focus on realism I really am drawn to the finescale gauges, and for this project 2mm ticked all the boxes.  Ok, there would be an amount of kit and scratch building involved but more and more I have been developing an interest in ‘having a go’ in this area.
     
    So that is the background for this blog, and what will hopefully become a series of layouts, that will include a main line terminal station - I love the early 1900s architecture and platform furniture - goods warehouse/yard and main line approach’s and possibly some form of engine shed when the locomotive fleet is built up.  As you can see, there is no shortage of ‘modules’ that could easily be connected together and work together in the future.
     
     
    The plan going forward
    I am coming to this with a blank canvas, there being no existing stock, so progress will be slow, and with the effects of the pandemic behind us, money will not be easily available to splash around, but in many respects, I think that helps to encourage the innovative and ingenuity aspects of how something can be built without resorting to expensive means or always ‘buying in’ things.
     
    The first of the modules to be created will be Forge Gate Goods Warehouse, modelled on a Midland-style building, that will take a lot of incentive from Birmingham Lawley Street, Nottingham Goods and Sheffield Wicker freight depots.  My thought is that the two or three-story building will take up the full 3’ x 1’ board, with the inside track work being raised by 2mm to allow the board to be ‘set down into’ a bigger layout in the future.  One side of the building will be left off to allow the viewer to see the activity inside, and I have a few ideas for small scenarios and story scenes that could be depicted.  I still need to pour over the various editions of Midland Record that I have here, but inside I am thinking that there will be three pairs of sidings, a couple perhaps shorter than others, with wooden platforms between them for loading/offloading goods, and the offices that would have been at the rear will also be depicted.
     
    For me, it forms an ideal first module, as I can hand build the track (using 2mm Association Easitrak) and there are no points involved!  Alongside the goods warehouse, a small two or three foot long traverser will be constructed to allow shunting movements to take place.  Longer term, the next module will probably depict the approach lines to the warehouse, and give the opportunity for point building, but first things first … I’ll get the goods warehouse and some wagons sorted out.  The initial stage will also give the opportunity to built and fit DG couplings and work out positioning of magnets within the shed, hopefully making use of the delayed action feature to reduce the number of magnets actually needed.
     
    Loco wise, I am thinking that the purchase of a Graham Farish Fowler 4F (372-063) with Midland numbers might be a good first option, then remove the LMS branding from the cab side. I believe the design dates from the early 1910s, (Edit: although as pointed out in the comments further Class 4 designs were not built until 1917) so fits with the pre post-World War I/pre-Grouping period that I am thinking.  The question, which I need to look into, is whether it is an easy conversion to 2FS or whether I bite the bullet and scratch-build a chassis for it.  The latter is tempting as it is only a straight 0-6-0, with no complicated valve gear and other than the brake equipment, there is little under frame detail.  I have had an aspiration that if I could scratch-build my own chassis for locos, then I can ensure that the pick-ups, DCC fitment and running qualities are as good as I can make them, which paired with the running qualities of 2FS track work, should (in theory at least) make for a superb model.
     
     
    Conclusion
    So there we are, an introduction to what may be a series of working diorama’s with a bigger layout aim at the end of them.  If you are still reading and haven’t got bored or fallen asleep well done, you may get a bonus points award for getting this far!!  I hope anyone interested will follow the blog, I may keep the blog for the bigger ‘overview’ posts and create a thread for the day-to-day update posts, I have yet to decide.
     
    I welcome all thoughts and comments, please do feel free to chip in!
     
    Happy modelling!
     
    Rich
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