The Light

[colin penfold]

A new rolling stock project today.

 

I have nicknamed this the ba$tard van. Inspired by a photo in the excellent Wild Swan book about the Mid Suffolk light. It features an old open wagon which has been converted into a covered van.

 

 

The basis of this is a parkside NB 4 plank open, and the sides and roof of a banana van kindly supplied separately by Peco.

 

 

Comparing the sides it wasn't brilliant news. Not only are they different lengths, but the doors were different widths.

 

 

 

That meant that to reduce the van sides i had to take material out in 4 places. Both doors and both main side panels

 

 

 

I also carefully trimmed off the bottom of the door locking assembly for re-use

 

 

One thing about the plastic used in the parkside kits. It's quite soft and swells upwards when cut creating a raised "scar" I trimmed and filed these back flat.

 

 

I then glued up the slices of van side and the open sides against a backing sheet of plain plasticard. I used a wooden straight edge to ensure the roof line is straight.

 

 

With the ends treated similarly I now have 2 sides and two ends. I am going to give these plenty of time for the glue to harden before I do some filling of the join lines

 

[colin penfold]

Here's one of the sides, filler cleaned up and plank lines scribed back in

 

 

And a very loose mock up. Corner fits look pretty good

 

[colin penfold]

I have added diagonal strapping and done some more smoothing with files and a fibreglass pen. I also made some simplified door handles from plasticard after our visiting cat made the ones i carefully saved from the original van disappear.

 

Here is the body with a first primer coat which will show up any areas that need more filling or filing

 

[Mallard60022]

So good to see you progressing with your stuff Colin. Must be the inspirational performances  of the Greens (and I don't mean Sprouts)

Ar$£

Edited December 16, 2018 by Mallard60022

[colin penfold]

fuelled almost entirely by sprouts and beer I have completed the ba$tard van. A few areas of filling were necessary but it went together pretty well considering. Now awaiting filler to xry before final sanding, paint & lettering. The original retained the lettering on the open only, which helps accentuate the cobbled together nature of the thing. I plan to replicate that.

 

 

[colin penfold]

Another rolling stock project has come off the bench. It's an 21' LNWR full brake from a Diagram 3d card/MDF kit. It will be attached to passenger trains on the light, primarily for milk traffic.

 

 

[colin penfold]

Today I spent some time on the group of buildings at the front of the layout, Mill Lane. I wanted to make sure the ground works didn't look too heavy for a light railway but also wanted to drop the buildings below rail level and suggest the road dropping towards the river. Ground works prepared and I'm happy with the positions of the buildings. There's a footbridge over the road and a small loading platform for the mill to receive grain for processing.

 

 

 

 

 

[Stubby47]

If the buildings were there before the railway, they might not all be in alignment with each other, or the embankment behind.

[colin penfold]

The story is as follows. The cottages predate the railway and were built by the miller next to the mill, on the same lane near an ancient river crossing. The lie of the land was generally down towards the lane and river from Church Street at the back of the layout and the levelling of the site for the railway led to the existing bank behind the cottages being raised in height. It also meant the railway was constrined by the road and buildings. To help with the illusion the cottages are higher at the front than the back (built into the slope) There are compromises with a small layout, obviously but I like the idea that the miller was able to build his little bridge and platform. Mill lane will cross the river lower than the railway does. On the other side of the cottages Mill Lane was rerouted alongside the new railway and up to join New Road at a t-junction just after it bridges the railway. New Road was construted to carry traffic over the railway from Church Street. All that leads to a cramped station site constrained on three sides by roads (2 existing and one built by the railway) and by the river on its fourth side. Whilst not committing myself to any specific region this is hilly country.

 

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by colin penfold

[colin penfold]

Another job today was the adaptation of a Peco overbridge. I had to reduce height, width and span and also account for different ground levels on each side. This is a thin hollow plastic moulding so i built it up on a piece of 6mm ply. I didn't grately like the painted finish so I don't mind repainting it to cover the joins and to move the soot marks over the track! Here's the result so far:

 

 

 

As you can see there is space to imply that the platform continues under the bridge and beyond. Have the other one to do for the branch platform.

[bgman]

Looking good Colin.

 

Here's  to your next 4001 posts ! 

 

G

[colin penfold]

I have been tracklaying in the goods yard. Used Peco spikes to represent flat bottom track spiked directly to sleepers. A fair bit of this will disappear under ash and dirt to rail level. Happy with the position of buildings, need to place a small cattle pen and coal staithes.

 

After that I continued with the card formers for the scenery. The road from the mill cottages up to the bridge, and the slope up from the river to the goods yard.

 

 

 

 

 

[81C]

Hi Colin your layout is coming nicely  I couldn't help noticing you have loose electric cable by the light switch    I suggest you get some plastic conduit for that. 

[colin penfold]

Thanks Bob.

 

It's perfectly safe as it is not conneceted to the mains at all. I have routed a lot of cable for lights and power and keep meaning to get a sparky to come and connect it all up. Meantime I survive on extension leads.

 

Thanks for looking after my wellbeing.

[bgman]

Hi matey,

 

Looking good, as a matter of interest / curiosity, how do you get on using the spikes and how well do they perform when holding down the rail ?

 

I can see that you are soldering to copper clad at intervals to maintain some rigidity but wondered how effective they are from a practical point of view.

 

I am aware of them but never seen them used.

 

G

[colin penfold]

Graheme you are spot on. The structural integrity comes almost entirely from the copper clad. I used peco rail which is a little bit flat bottomed rather than full on flat bottom rail. I was able to pre drill for the spikes with the rail and sleepers in situ.

 

I think if I was going to use them struturally I would do a template and glue the sleepers to it rather than build half-track. I would buy proper flat bottom rail and I would pre-drill the 4 holes in each sleeper in a jig on the workbench before laying them.

 

Hope that makes sense

Edited January 26, 2019 by colin penfold

[bgman]

Perfect sense mate, I would probably tackle it in a similar fashion too, template / drill etc.

 

Cheers

 

G

[colin penfold]

Today I have been working on the positions of the road bridge and the abutments for the rail bridges. This is where I got to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[colin penfold]

A bit more work on the route of the river today. The idea is that rather than hit the back of the layout at right angles i want to hint at it bending right to parallel the line on the railway (vice versa really!) just loosly placed some sample trees to test the concept - it will be a lot more "woody" to create a proper view block.

 

 

 

 

[bgman]

Nice concept Colin, it'll help to disguise the back very well I reckon.

 

Looking ahead, have you decided upon what you will use to represent the water ?

 

G

[colin penfold]

Nice concept Colin, it'll help to disguise the back very well I reckon.

 

Looking ahead, have you decided upon what you will use to represent the water ?

 

G

I think i might go for the woodland scenics stuff on a base of sand and gravel glued down with PVA. Any ideas G?

[gwrrob]

I think i might go for the woodland scenics stuff 

 

 

I'd recommend the products of Vallejo myself.

[colin penfold]

Opinions invited here.

 

Options on how to deal with the road behind the station.

 

I am weighing up whether to go with a grass bank and steps like this

 

 

Or a retaining wall with steps down it like this

 

 

I think the bank is more "light railway" as it would be cheaper! Both options also suggest the lie of the land sloping up that way before the railway came.

 

I realised that both those photos are a bit misleading. They look like it's a continuous slope, which it isn't. Here is a shot along the road above the station which clarifies the situation.

 

Edited January 28, 2019 by colin penfold

[colin penfold]

I'd recommend the products of Vallejo myself.

I'll have a look at that Rob, thanks. Would it give a reasonably deep effect, assuming I can prevent it running away before it sets!

[gwrrob]

I'll have a look at that Rob, thanks. Would it give a reasonably deep effect, assuming I can prevent it running away before it sets!

 

Yes, I think so and as it's cheaper than WS you could buy two bottles just to be sure. The depth also comes with what colour base you go for too.