Popular Post JonKing Posted June 6, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted June 6, 2017 (edited) Its been some time since I last posted when I was pondering over the idea of creating a layout based on the sidings at Plymouth Friary, unfortunately I have come to the realisation that I don't have a) the space to create the layout I wanted and b) the time (especially as child no.2 will be arriving in October!). A more realistic proposition is to model a portion of a fictional TMD set during 1998 / 1999 in the Devon area. The late 90s is an era I remember fondly as living next to the Exeter to Plymouth mainline I would regularly go and watch trains with my Dad after school and see a number of freight, parcels trains and loco hauled passenger trains. Freight trains at the time would usually produce class 37s (either in pairs or single) with the odd 60 thrown in for good measure, parcels trains would be allocated to the ubiquitous RES class 47/7s with Virgin 47/8s on cross country services and the occasional Great Western 47/8 on Paddington services. Trips to Plymouth (usually to watch Plymouth Argyle) would always be via Tavistock Junction yard which at the time was still bustling and would usually have at least a couple of locos stabled between turns, we would also call in at Plymouth North Road where a handful of RES 47/7s were usually stabled between turns in addition to the regular Class 08 station pilot. To be honest I am surprised that more people don't model this era as GM 66s had not yet taken over, Railfreight was buoyant and growing rapidly - its sobering to think that in 2017 there is only one scheduled freight service south of Exeter other than the weekly china clay to Stoke. Even the china clay traffic in Cornwall is a shadow of what it once was. This photo of Newport stabling point taken by my Dad in the summer of 1998 really epitomises the era and is the look / feel of what I am trying to achieve: Given I only have a space of 7ft x 18in available I have decided that I can only model a portion of a TMD and achieve some degree of realism. I therefore wanted to include tracks going off scene to imply that there is more space and some non working sidings (as a partial scenic backdrop and also to display wagons which I also enjoy modelling), the non-working sidings also convey a sense of purpose for the TMD as I didn't want it to appear in isolation (there are not many TMDs which are remote from the mainline or adjacent freight yards). I also wanted to avoid access to the hidden sidings from being under a bridge etc and wanted to create a natural scenic break by using the depot building. Track is not laid yet however the photo below shows the general layout overview and proposed track layout in red (with some stock to give a sense of scale). Features marked with letters are as follows: A - This siding will go around the rear of the Depot Building to the hidden sidings, the Depot building acts as a scenic break. B & C - Depot siding 1 & 2, Road 1 is a through road whilst Road 2 is dead end. D - A siding going off scene to the "rest of the world" but can also be used to stable locos. E - Headshunt F -Scenic sidings creating a partial scenic break, a "purpose" and will also double as a programming track. Some people may recognise the name "Embankment Road" as a road near Plymouth Friary, this is broadly where I am assuming the Depot is located. A complete work of fiction because there would never be another TMD so close to Laira TMD! (although there were two depots in the steam days). Track will be Peco Code 75, I had considered hand building the track however don't feel I have the time or the skill. Some careful weathering and detailing should improve the Peco points however they wont look as good as hand built track. Eagle eyed people will also note that I have approached this in my usual a*se about face way and built some of the buildings already. The Depot building is loosely based on Blyth Cambois Depot which is about as far away from Plymouth as possible but I liked it due to its compact size and unusual shape, the shell is formed from 2mm MDF laminated with plasticard, painted and weathered a detailed interior will be added as construction progresses. The admin block is loosely based on a building at Tavistock Junction yard, again I liked the unusual shape and utilitarian look. The frame is 2mm MDF again (cut to my design by York Model Making) laminated with embossed plasticard and then painted. I still have some details to add to this one: Just to show how this is coming together 37717, 37695 and 37705 sit outside the TMD. Hopefully people have found this thread interesting, as usual all feedback, advise, constructive criticism, discussion etc is welcome!. I will aim to post regular updates as this progresses. Jon Edited June 11, 2022 by JonKing 28 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianusa Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 Sounds like an interesting project. Especially so for me was the description of what was doing at a time after I left the area. I did most of my trainspotting between North Road and Marsh Mills and when steam disappeared so did I, so I have little knowledge of what went on after that. From visits back home the whole railway scene is just a shadow of its former self so thanks for the info. Perhaps there will be more to learn with your project. Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 Wow that looks great . I'll be following. - this is the period I model as well on my little Appleton yard plank. Like you say it was a golden time for freight - EWS reached the peak of china clay rail output in 98 I think. I also spent some time down there, I used to fly into plymouth airport at the time so always had a nose round the station. Your locos and excellent buildings will ensure the depot has some individuality as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37403 Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Looks very good. There are a few folk out there modelling this period Are your 37s Bachmann? Look very nicely weathered. What other stock do you intend to run? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonKing Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 Thanks everyone for your feedback so far, its good to see there is more interest in this era than I anticipated!. Your locos and excellent buildings will ensure the depot has some individuality as well. Thanks, whilst my slightly "rough around the edges" buildings are not as high quality as some of the RTP stuff I wanted to scratch build mine to give some flexibility to the track plan and a bit of individuality. I can however see why RTP buildings are so popular particularly the single road shed produced by Bachmann based on Peterborough fuel point - this building has so many possibilities for a small layout. Are your 37s Bachmann? Look very nicely weathered. What other stock do you intend to run? Thanks, glad you like them (as you probably guessed I am a fan of 37s!). Yes these are Bachmann models: - Mainline Grey 37705 is a straightforward rebrand and renumber of a Bachmann Petroleum 37/7. - 37695 is a renumber of EWS liveried 37408 with sandite filler points added and other minor mods. - 37717 was a bit more involved as I converted this from a TTG 37/5 before the heavyweight 37/7s became widely available. This involved body mods (including new bonnet grills, window filling etc) and a respray into EWS livery (getting the gold line straight & level being a particular challenge). Other stock includes a few more 37s, I also want to run a fleet of RES 47s and Cross Country 47s (Cross Country 47s being a regular sight on EWS depots at the time): I am also using the excuse that Freightliner operated a fictional container service from Devonport at the time enabling me to run a few Freightliner Grey 47s such as this pair: 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37403 Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 Great Stuff Jon. This was a fascinating time period with quite an eclectic mix of locos and stock hanging onto a working life. Please keep us posted with updates, will be following with interest Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Banger Blue Posted June 8, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 8, 2017 Great plan, I particularly like the idea of the scenic sidings (F) and the road (D) leading to the rest of the off scene world. Perhaps place a sleeper across the end just before the baseboard edge and a red flag indicating some sort of possession is taking place hence why locos are only using it for temporary stabling. (Also a nice reminder to the operator to stop ) As for your "rough around the edges' buildings, I think you do yourself an injustice there, they both are fantastic! Judging just from the photos, I would say they were most definitely on a par, if not better than some RTP buildings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 37058 Posted June 8, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 8, 2017 What a wonderful little layout this will be, especially loving the buildings and era chosen to model. Looking forward to seeing more updates Jon. Keep up the great work. Cheers, Anthony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wigan Wallgate OO Gauge Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 I'm loving the look of this so far Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 Nice work I'd be interested in your mainland grey 37 - was it easy to get sector logo off ? Made a right hash of 694 trying to get coal logo off ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonKing Posted June 8, 2017 Author Share Posted June 8, 2017 Thanks everyone for the positive feedback, I am hoping to start laying track in the next week or so time permitting. Great plan, I particularly like the idea of the scenic sidings (F) and the road (D) leading to the rest of the off scene world.Perhaps place a sleeper across the end just before the baseboard edge and a red flag indicating some sort of possession is taking place hence why locos are only using it for temporary stabling. (Also a nice reminder to the operator to stop )As for your "rough around the edges' buildings, I think you do yourself an injustice there, they both are fantastic! Judging just from the photos, I would say they were most definitely on a par, if not better than some RTP buildings. Thanks for your feedback, I cant take credit for the road D idea - I first came across this idea on Lance Mindheim's layouts. Lance is an American modeller and his layouts are simply awesome, I would strongly recommend taking a look at www.lancemindheim.com. The road D possession is a good idea, I had been thinking about how I would stop locos from developing an "earth fault" once the track is laid and road D in use. Nice workI'd be interested in your mainland grey 37 - was it easy to get sector logo off ?Made a right hash of 694 trying to get coal logo off ? Rob, I used T-Cut and cotton buds to remove the sector logos. The key was patience - leaving the T-Cut to soak in for a few minutes and then very gently rubbing with a cotton bud. Too heavy and the paintwork is damaged, I have a 37/9 waiting for a re-spray into Transrail livery for this reason, unfortunately once the Bachmann TTG livery is damaged its almost impossible to get a good matching paint job without a full respray (the exec. dark grey cant rail and bodyside grilles are a complete PITA to respray and require a level of patience I don't usually have!). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris64B Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 Liking the look of this one! The buildings look great - do you have any more 'in progress' photos of their construction? Thanks for sharing and looking forward to seeing more! Cheers, Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
big T Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 Agreed with the comments made by others - this was a very interesting era with heritage locos in not brilliant condition being worked hard - a good recipe for action in my books! Looking forward to the updates. Cheers Trev Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonKing Posted June 12, 2017 Author Share Posted June 12, 2017 Liking the look of this one! The buildings look great - do you have any more 'in progress' photos of their construction? Thanks for sharing and looking forward to seeing more! Cheers, Chris Chris, Thanks for your feedback, unfortunately I don't have any in progress photos (I was fully intending to take some but never got round to it!), I can however give a brief overview as to how I constructed the buildings: 1. I always base my buildings on prototype structures (although I don't ever make 100% copies), having chosen a suitable prototype I then trawl the internet for suitable reference photos and use the measurement tool on google earth to get some rough dimensions which I then use to estimate other dimensions such as height, door size etc. I have to admit that I am at a bit of an advantage here having spent 10 years in the construction industry I find it fairly easy to estimate approximate sizes. 2. Having gained enough information I then produce a scale drawing of my proposed building usually in CAD so I can export as a .dxf file. Once complete this drawing is then used as the cutting plan for the 2mm MDF building shells, I do however cheat a bit here as the 2mm MDF shells for both the Depot and Admin block were laser cut for me by York Model Making using the .dxf version of my drawing. 3. The 2mm MDF shell is then glued together using contact adhesive (not superglue as this doesn't allow enough curing time for adjustments etc). 4. Once the shell is glued together I laminate with embossed slaters plasticard using plastic weld to glue the plasticard to the MDF which provides a good bond. Door and window openings are cut and filled to size once the plasticard has been glued to the MDF. Other details such as flashings, plinths, fascias, rainwater goods etc are also then made from plasticard and added to the building - this made constructing the depot building particularly easy as rough joints between the cladding material can be hidden by flashing or fascia details. 5. Doors, door frames and windows are then fabricated using plasticard and installed in the openings (windows are glazed at the end of construction using whatever transparent plastic material I have available, usually old packaging). The admin block was slightly different to the depot building in that the doors were recessed into the brickwork by approximately 150mm, the door frames for these doors were therefore made oversize and stuck behind the door openings (the 2mm MDF giving almost a scale 150mm recess). 6. I then prime the entire structure using Halfords grey primer and paint all of the brickwork with humbrol red brick, once this is dry I paint the other areas (cladding etc) various greys and browns to suit the prototype. A light beige colour is then painted on the brickwork and wiped off to represent the mortar courses. Other items are painted an appropriate colour - I do however try and stay away from reds, yellows and other bright colours. The photo below should give a good overview of the different construction layers / laminating used on the admin block (it looks a mess when viewed internally but no one will see that!). 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 This is more like it!! im now following.. cheers neil.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris64B Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Brilliant, thanks for that guide Jon, that's really helpful for a novice building builder like me! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonKing Posted June 20, 2017 Author Share Posted June 20, 2017 (edited) Brilliant, thanks for that guide Jon, that's really helpful for a novice building builder like me! No problem!, these buildings are the first large buildings I have constructed, having previously only built smaller half relief buildings and lineside huts etc. Not much progress on the layout to report, I have the track which is in the garage in the process of being weathered however due to the weather (I much prefer sitting out on the Patio with a beer in the evenings whilst the weather is nice!) and some long days at work I haven't really progressed much. This is however slowly taking shape on my workbench: Its a plasser tamper kit by clockwork ideas in the process of being re-sprayed as Amey Rail's DR 73912. I built this a couple of years ago but tried to take a short cut and sprayed the yellow using a Humbrol rattle can which I was assured would be a good match for warning panel yellow, unfortunately the yellow was far too lemony however I didn't fancy re-spraying so just persevered with it. I haven't been happy with it ever since and have finally bitten the bullet and stripped it down and re-sprayed with post 1998 WP yellow which is a much better colour, the picture shows it nearing completion (decals are by Precision Labels). I must say that the Clockwork ideas tamper is the best kit I have ever built - really easy to build, clear instructions and quality parts. Originally I had built this as DC controlled however I am planning to update to DCC and possibly add working lighting, I am not however keen on hardwiring in a DCC chip (as this will make future maintenance / chip replacement difficult) - does anyone know if you can get the appropriate harnesses / sockets for DCC chips which I can then install?. Some people will realise that the later style Amey logo I have used is slightly too late for my era (being introduced around 2001), there is a reason for this as my first "proper" job was working for Amey Rail and I have a particular soft spot for DR 73912 in this livery. I have another of these painted in the wrong shade of yellow, once DR 73912 is complete I am planning to do the second as DR 73911 in the original Amey livery with original Amey logo circa 1999 which is not something I have ever seen modelled but was a very common sight in the South West during the late 90s. Edited June 20, 2017 by JonKing 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 That's really nice, and something a bit individual. I'd certainly like one of those but the number of unfinished projects gathering dust is out of hand ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 37058 Posted June 21, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2017 (edited) I certainly know what you mean regarding sitting out and having a cold one in the evenings. Tamper is looking superb, looking forward to more updates. Cheers, Anthony Edited June 21, 2017 by 37058 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 This looks like an interesting project, which I'll be following. Great work, particularly the depot building. You've caught the look of Cambois MPD very well. Just as I remember it! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonKing Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share Posted June 27, 2017 This looks like an interesting project, which I'll be following. Great work, particularly the depot building. You've caught the look of Cambois MPD very well. Just as I remember it! Blyth Cambois TMD.jpg Thanks, like your photo particularly the RF coal 56 with another one lurking in the background - I do have a soft spot for 56s but cant really justify them on the layout as they were never a common sight in Devon, in the future I may invest in a couple of Hornby ones and have some "northern" running days!. Track laying has commenced and almost finished on the layout (helped by the fact the layout is fairly compact with only three turnouts), points are slightly modified Peco code 75 electrofrogs and new Peco code 75 bullhead track. I particularly like the new Peco bullhead track which looks the part and does not look too out of place with the standard turnouts: I did give the track a quick spray of sleeper grime before installation in the hope this would reduce the amount of spraying I had to do indoors, unfortunately this proved to be a waste of time and the track will need to be weathered in the more traditional way later. Next step is wiring which is one of my least favourite tasks (particularly as I like every rail to be electrically bonded), I do have two spare roles of wire which I intend to use for the power droppers however it appears the wire diameter is less than 0.5mm which I am concerned is too thin for the amps put out by the NCE powercab - does anyone have any thoughts on this?! Thanks, Jon 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Nice progress Jon. I've used both Peco and Gaugemaster layout wire with my NCE Powercab and never had any problems on my small layouts. Mal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonKing Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 Nice progress Jon. I've used both Peco and Gaugemaster layout wire with my NCE Powercab and never had any problems on my small layouts. Mal Thanks Mal, Having done some research it appears that the wire I have is 10/0.1mm Stranded Copper which appears to be slightly smaller than the Gaugemaster / Peco wire - I may just but some which is a similar gauge to the Maplin wire tomorrow. Couldn't resist posing a pair of Freightliner Grey 47s this evening and taking a quick snap on the iPhone: 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonKing Posted July 5, 2017 Author Share Posted July 5, 2017 Evening all, not much progress to report - the layout is now wired and the track now just requires weathering prior to installation of hard standings / walkways before ballasting. Point motors are not yet installed, I am trying to source some DPDT rotary switches so that I can make a mini control panel based on a "proper" IFS panel to control the points. I have also been assembling some old Eckon ground signals for use as the Depot Protection signals, I haven't really seen Depot Protection signals modelled but they are usually installed (in addition to derailers) to protect personnel working inside Depots by protecting against unauthorised movements into the shed building. Unfortunately the Eckon Ground Signals don't really work as expected as light bleed from the LEDs at the bottom make it look like all three aspects are lit (the red and white aspects at the bottom of the signal should be lit for danger with two diagonal white lights for proceed). The picture below shows the issue (LHS should be proceed and RHS should be danger): Has anyone else experienced this problem and come up with a solution to stop the light bleed or is it a case of purchasing some alternative ground signals? (its not a cross connection as the correct LEDs are lit - it is purely light bleed leading to false aspects displaying) Thanks, Jon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdw7300 Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 Evening all, not much progress to report - the layout is now wired and the track now just requires weathering prior to installation of hard standings / walkways before ballasting. Point motors are not yet installed, I am trying to source some DPDT rotary switches so that I can make a mini control panel based on a "proper" IFS panel to control the points. I have also been assembling some old Eckon ground signals for use as the Depot Protection signals, I haven't really seen Depot Protection signals modelled but they are usually installed (in addition to derailers) to protect personnel working inside Depots by protecting against unauthorised movements into the shed building. Unfortunately the Eckon Ground Signals don't really work as expected as light bleed from the LEDs at the bottom make it look like all three aspects are lit (the red and white aspects at the bottom of the signal should be lit for danger with two diagonal white lights for proceed). The picture below shows the issue (LHS should be proceed and RHS should be danger): ground signal.JPG Has anyone else experienced this problem and come up with a solution to stop the light bleed or is it a case of purchasing some alternative ground signals? (its not a cross connection as the correct LEDs are lit - it is purely light bleed leading to false aspects displaying) Thanks, Jon Hi Jon. I scratch built some ground position signals. After a bit of experimenting I found stuffing bluetak around/ behind the LEDs eliminated the light bled. A few pictures of the build here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/76254-laoson-valley-1990s-to-modern-day-tmd-oil-terminal-p-way-yard/?p=1614657 Hope this helps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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