Jump to content
 

Modbury


Ian Smith
 Share

Recommended Posts

Having acquired a new DSLR camera, I have been trying it out trying to take some photos of Modbury.  All of the photos were taken on a full manual setting with a 18-55mm lens, setting the aperture to f22 (or thereabouts) to give a reasonable depth of field.  The photos were all taken under the layout lighting with a sheet of crumpled foil leaning against the backscene to bounce light back into the scene (the layout lights are only behind the fascia above the front of the layout).  To hide me and the detritus of the workshop a sheet of white foam board was held against the front of the layout.

 

To make these "interesting" for the reader, I have taken photos looking out of the layout rather than into it, meaning that these are views that are not normally achievable (without unscrewing the backscene) or providing the viewer with a mirror.

 

First up the Signal Box :

post-12089-0-83113400-1532358577.jpg

post-12089-0-76227700-1532358597_thumb.jpg

 

Main Station Building :

post-12089-0-21396600-1532358632_thumb.jpg

 

Down Waiting Room :

post-12089-0-04938800-1532358672_thumb.jpg

post-12089-0-56514900-1532358692_thumb.jpg

 

Thank you for looking.

 

Ian

  • Like 19
Link to post
Share on other sites

I have been playing around with my newly acquired DSLR again, this time producing a video of Modbury.  As yet, I have not posted said video on YouTube, however I have added it to my Modbury website - http://www.modbury2fs.co.uk/Videos.html

 

There was a lot of "cut! - take it from the top again", and quite a bit of editing in iMovie to produce the final version, but even then there are bits that are not quite as focussed as I would have liked, however I'm reasonably satisfied with the final result.

 

Comments welcome,

Ian

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Ian,

 

A very enjoyable watch, I do like the transitions you have incorporated into the video.

 

The locomotive performance is to be congratulated too in a rather nicely modelled tranquil scene.

 

May I ask what DSLR you have used to make the video please ? It seems to focus very well for the most part as you say, so if you keep experimenting I feel you will master it. I too use iMovie which I have found to be another useful tool in our armoury.

 

I look forward to seeing more in the future as I doubt that I'll be able to see this layout in the flesh.

 

Grahame

Edited by bgman
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Ian,

 

A very enjoyable watch, I do like the transitions you have incorporated into the video.

 

The locomotive performance is to be congratulated too in a rather nicely modelled tranquil scene.

 

May I ask what DSLR you have used to make the video please ? It seems to focus very well for the most part as you say, so if you keep experimenting I feel you will master it. I too use iMovie which I have found to be another useful tool in our armoury.

 

I look forward to seeing more in the future as I doubt that I'll be able to see this layout in the flesh.

 

Grahame

 

Thank you Grahame, the DSLR is my daughters "old" one - a Canon EOS 1100D (she has down-sized to a more compact camera as she found that she rarely needs all of the features of a full DSLR).  But keeping it in the family as it were means that if she ever wants to she can borrow it back.  

 

Unfortunately, the camera does not automatically re-focus as an object comes toward or away from the lens or if it can I haven't worked out how to do it! (I assume that all DSLR's are probably the same in that regard as they designed for still photography rather than video).  I think that you can get it to re-focus while filming by pressing the shutter release but I need to experiment a lot more, and it will certainly need more editing as it seems to send everything blurred while hunting for the correct focal length.

 

As an aside, the next time Modbury is out will be at Stevenage next January (the only currently booked exhibition next year).  I don't intend doing any more than one or two exhibitions a year with it because we take St Ruth out 4 times a year and I call upon my fellow St Ruth operators to help out with Modbury.

 

Ian

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

A problem with changing the focus automatically with a camera with built in microphone is that it can pick up the motor sound. I think that is why they don't do it by default. Obviously, it is not a problem if you are not wanting to save the original sound.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

 Unfortunately, the camera does not automatically re-focus as an object comes toward or away from the lens or if it can I haven't worked out how to do it! (I assume that all DSLR's are probably the same in that regard as they designed for still photography rather than video).  I think that you can get it to re-focus while filming by pressing the shutter release but I need to experiment a lot more, and it will certainly need more editing as it seems to send everything blurred while hunting for the correct focal length.

I make very little use of the video capabilities in my DSLRs (note I seem to collect cameras, rather than being a master photographer!), but find as you do, that following focus in Live View doesn’t happen. I think professional cinematographers employ someone called a focus puller, who manually adjusts focus as required during a shot. Certainly taking the camera off auto-focus and manipulating the lens during filming might yield better, if inconsistent, results.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

The sort of advice you get on taking videos with a DSLR is to break it up into pieces where each bit can be set for focus then switched to manual so it wont change then repeat for the next bit. Not very helpful if you are trying to take a moving train. I suggest tyring out setting the focus at around the 2/3rds point of the movement then switch to manual so it wont change then when the train comes it will be slightly out of foucus to start getting sharper as it comes then losing fous at the very end. Obviously you can adjust the point of sharpest focus. I t would be better than the camera focussing on the far image .   Mind you I was quite happy with what you achieved.

 

Don

Link to post
Share on other sites

Second the above! The video with all its different view points along the layout also shows how well you've integrated it into the rolling model landscape and backscene with a bit of depth, due to the 2mm  scale. The lane (?) and hedges behind the station at the join is neat

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Ian.

Really enjoyed the video; you've created a really convincing and believable scene. It must be a very satisfying layout to operate.

Ian

 

Thank you Ian,

 

I must admit that for a fairly simple layout it is quite enjoyable to operate.  Although, as it's only been to a couple of shows (and three 2mm Association events) and pretty well all of the operating I do occurs when it's out, I've not really had time to find it boring!  However now it's getting closer to looking like a "finished" layout I hope to play with it a bit more at home.  Clearly I need to build a lot more stock, as I only have 2 complete engines, 4 coaches and about 20 wagons (although another engine is progressing as is another rake of coaches).  

 

As a first 2mm Finescale layout where I knew that I would not be using anything RTR - stock or pretty much anything else for that matter - I was aware that it would all take time and I didn't want to build something more complicated that may not have been achievable for me (at least in a sensible timescale).

 

Ian

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I have been playing again and produced another video of Modbury.  As yet, I have not posted said video on YouTube, however I have added it to my Modbury website - http://www.modbury2f....uk/Videos.html

 

The theme this time is a Goods and a Passenger train passing at Modbury.  I will upload the video to YouTube soon.

 

Now that it's cooled a little I've also started to get some paint on 3 of my new set of coaches too.

Ian

 

Edit: I have now uploaded the above video to YouTube : https://youtu.be/GhX1I9mPbhc

Edited by Ian Smith
  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

It has always been my intention to eventually provide Modbury with a fully interlocked lever frame, so over the last few days I have started to work up a design in CAD (albeit not for the full lever frame or for the locking mechanism) :

post-12089-0-66678100-1534249161.jpg

 

Before I progressed the design too far, what I wanted to do was to knock up a prototype lever to prove that the catch mechanism would function as I visualised, primarily to ensure that the catch block would be lifted far enough up the lever to allow the lever to be moved.  With that in mind, whilst at RailWells I visited Eileen's and purchased some 2mmx4mm brass strip (for the levers), some 3/16th nickel silver bar (for the lever handles) and some 3mmx6mm brass rectangular tube (for the catch handles and catch blocks) - the latter was not completely ideal but was the only rectangular tube material that was anything like a sensible fit around the 2x4 bar.

 

To form the handle of the lever, the nickel silver bar was chucked up in the lathe and a 2 degree taper turned on the end, a 2mm length of full diameter bar left in the middle and a 1mm diameter spigot turned to facilitate a fixing into the end of the lever.

 

For the lever itself, a 57mm length of 2mmx4mm brass bar was cut, and a 1mm diameter hole drilled into one end to accommodate the spigot of the nickel silver handle.  Further holes were drilled towards either end of the lever (3mm in from the ends), a 1mm diameter hole at the handle end, and a 1.5mm hole at the other for the pivot point(I expect to have to open this one out later).  

 

A catch handle was fretted and filed from the rectangular tube, and a piece of L section brass soldered on the rear with a 0.7mm hole in it for the catch block lifting rod.  The catch block itself was formed from the same rectangular tube (a 5mm length), which was cut down and a new end piece soldered to restore the box and to be a suitable fit around the 2x4 lever.  A piece of 1mm square brass was soldered across the back of the catch block (which will engage against the rubbing strips on the quadrant plate).  A 0.45mm hole was drilled through the centre of the 1mm square brass against the back of the catch block for the lifting rod.  The lifting rod itself is simply a length of stiff guitar string with a hook bent on the lower end, the rod is passed up through the 0.45mm hole and soldered to the back of the catch block such that the bottom of the hook is 5mm below the block.  The block is threaded onto the bottom of the lever, and the lifting rod passed through the hole in the previously built and attached catch lever.  A couple of twists of copper wire are soldered onto the lifting rod so that the catch block is at the right height up the lever when the catch lever is in its normal position.  To complete, a 0.5mm hole is drilled into the edge of the lever at a suitable distance below the hook on the lifting rod for a suitable return spring, and a 0.5mm wire hook inserted into this hole for the bottom of the spring.

 

The photo below shows my completed prototype lever (and another turned handle).  I'm quite satisfied with the design, and the catch lever and associated gubbins have a really pleasant tactile feel to it.  So now I just need to make another 17 levers and to finalise the design of the lever frame and locking frame, and of course decide how I'm going to fit and activate the microswitches which will eventually replace the switches extant on the current control panel.

post-12089-0-56125700-1534249252_thumb.jpg

 

Ian

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

Very nice piece of work Ian, and well engineered too.

 

I made a similar cruder version to yours about 10 years ago using various brass tube and springs, made on the table top, sadly no lathe to hand.

 

post-20303-0-42406300-1534258193.jpeg

 

post-20303-0-05319600-1534258206.jpeg

 

I may do some tweaking for my newly proposed layout and use it for the tactile feeling.

 

Grahame

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

As a change from trying to make levers for a lever frame for my control panel, I have made a start painting up my second rake of coaches.  The first in the set to be tackled is a diagram V13 Brake Van.  This is a nickel silver etched kit from my own artwork, and once primed with Halfords Self-etch primer, the model was masked so that I could paint the cream upper works.  After a day or two to dry really hard, Maskol was deployed over the whole of the cream panelling (including the windows), and the roof covered in masking tape so that the brown could be applied to the ends and lower sides.  Again after a day or two to dry hard, the masking was removed and it was time to start the "fun" part - the lining!

 

First my tools of choice :

post-12089-0-74251800-1534587256_thumb.jpg

 

An adjustable board to hold the model (made from 3/4" MDF), paper towel to protect the painted surfaces not being worked on, a sturdy ruler and a Rotring pen with 0.1mm nib loaded with Rotring black ink.  The ink seems to take really well on the Precision Paints GWR Coach Cream but for some reason not on the same manufacturers GWR Coach Brown, so I only use the pen on the upper mouldings.  The lower mouldings are brush painted with Humbrol matt black, and after a couple of minutes drying time any that has strayed onto the panels is carefully removed with a thinners moistened fine brush.

 

And now a couple of photos to show the progress so far :

post-12089-0-75768500-1534587243_thumb.jpgpost-12089-0-45365100-1534587269_thumb.jpg

 

There is still a little tidying up to be done, and I have tried to paint the mahogany coloured door droplight, but I had the paint too thinned and it bled horribly so a re-think is necessary.  The problem is that the door droplight should be set in a cream panel within the black mouldings!  I will initially try again with thicker paint but first need to restore the cream around the droplight.  As a fall-back I will simply file away the droplight, and fit separate ones to the glazing - with the benefit of hindsight I probably should have made them as separate etches, but in my defence the Worsley Works coaches that I've previously successfully painted do not have separate door droplights so I thought I could get away with it.

 

Ian

 

 

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...