mogtrains Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 As a change from US HO (and not the return to 3mm or Gn15 I thought I was going to make), I've made a start on a small layout for an upcoming show this summer. The layout depicts Winkford Green, a station on The Mid Sussex Light Railway, one of the lines managed by Colonel Stephens in the 1930s. Built around a mile from the village it serves, Winkford Green station is currently serving as a terminus for the railway for trains from Tenterbridge Junction whilst repairs are made to the line following a recent landslip. As with many of the Colonels lines, visiting power from other parts of the Light Railway empire, as well as occasional borrowed Southern engines may be seen. Nope, the Mid Sussex Light Railway doesn't exist to my knowledge! I have limited myself to a footprint of 4'x1'.. Carl Arendt's 'micro' definition.. but planned for an additional fiddle, currently at one end, with scope to add another on the other side allowing through traffic. I have a deadline, so it's OO and I'm using Peco 75 small radius electrofrogs.. DC at the moment, although I am seriously tempted by a Loksound Adams Radial, so that may change! Baseboards is built, cork is down and track has been delivered.. For now a very loose and rough sketch to illustrate what I'm after.. 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, mogtrains said: As a change from US HO (and not the return to 3mm or Gn15 I thought I was going to make), I've made a start on a small layout for an upcoming show this summer. The layout depicts Winkford Green, a station on The Mid Sussex Light Railway, one of the lines managed by Colonel Stephens in the 1930s. Built around a mile from the village it serves, Winkford Green station is currently serving as a terminus for the railway for trains from Tenterbridge Junction whilst repairs are made to the line following a recent landslip. As with many of the Colonels lines, visiting power from other parts of the Light Railway empire, as well as occasional borrowed Southern engines may be seen. Nope, the Mid Sussex Light Railway doesn't exist to my knowledge! I have limited myself to a footprint of 4'x1'.. Carl Arendt's 'micro' definition.. but planned for an additional fiddle, currently at one end, with scope to add another on the other side allowing through traffic. I have a deadline, so it's OO and I'm using Peco 75 small radius electrofrogs.. DC at the moment, although I am seriously tempted by a Loksound Adams Radial, so that may change! Baseboards is built, cork is down and track has been delivered.. For now a very loose and rough sketch to illustrate what I'm after.. What a great introduction and looks to be right up my street as a big fan of light railways! Lovely compact design and a nice simple, straightforward trackplan. To me there are a number of special ingredients that get to the heart of what makes the Colonel Stephens railways so attractive - namely simplicity, eclecticness, neglect and a wonderful run down atmosphere. I am sure you will do a great job of conveying these elements so it should tick all the boxes for me! I do remember your 3mm scale layout very fondly from a few years ago (probably more years than I like to imagine!!). It was a lovely little layout and I really liked the W&U tram! Is it still in existence? I am really looking forward to seeing this project develop. Keep us updated with progress. David Edited February 23, 2019 by south_tyne Spelling Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Holmes Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Looks good to me. Anything with name 'mogtrains" attached to it is fine in m y books. Four feet is loads of room. My new layout is only 3' 6" and it feels like acres of space. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 Looking forward to seeing this develop. I'm doing something similar. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogtrains Posted February 25, 2019 Author Share Posted February 25, 2019 So.. boards are built..I've given them a coat of fence paint all round.. cork down. Track has been laid and wired up and the first train ran tonight.. it works! Not brilliant, but no shorts and no major issues. I'm operating the electrofrog points via wire in tube, using small electrical slide switches mounted at the rear to operate the point and switch the frog. Bloody fiddly to set up.. mainly because the mercontrol wire I've had for years is coiled and naturally wants to spring in any direction other than the way I want it to! I'm not convinced about the small Y point, having bodged it to isolate and power the frog.. but it seems okay at the moment. I need to finish the wire in tube for the last point and then properly test this thing before I crack on with ballasting and scenics etc. It is a very strange sensation operating a layout from the back! (I've only ever built layouts for myself and next time I'll stick to the front) Next decision.. couplings. Not overly keen on kadees on OO stock.. so it's either going to be Kirby mods for the tension locks or Spratt and WInkles. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogtrains Posted February 25, 2019 Author Share Posted February 25, 2019 On 23/02/2019 at 01:34, south_tyne said: What a great introduction and looks to be right up my street as a big fan of light railways! Lovely compact design and a nice simple, straightforward trackplan. To me there are a number of special ingredients that get to the heart of what makes the Colonel Stephens railways so attractive - namely simplicity, eclecticness, neglect and a wonderful run down atmosphere. I am sure you will do a great job of conveying these elements so it should tick all the boxes for me! I do remember your 3mm scale layout very fondly from a few years ago (probably more years than I like to imagine!!). It was a lovely little layout and I really liked the W&U tram! Is it still in existence? I am really looking forward to seeing this project develop. Keep us updated with progress. David Hi David.. thank you.. and thanks for remembering the little 3mm layout! I still have it, and the few items of stock that I built. I considered taking it along to the small layout show instead of building something new, but I doubt it would be rugged enough for displaying :-) I did dig it out not too long ago and made a short video about it too.. 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 1 hour ago, mogtrains said: Hi David.. thank you.. and thanks for remembering the little 3mm layout! I still have it, and the few items of stock that I built. I considered taking it along to the small layout show instead of building something new, but I doubt it would be rugged enough for displaying :-) I did dig it out not too long ago and made a short video about it too.. Great to hear that it is still alive and kicking and thanks for posting that video The layout really did make a big impression on me at the time (if I recall correctly, probably through the Small Layout Scrapbook updates and on here) and it is lovely to be reminded of it once again. I am a big fan of 3mm scale, although I have never tried to model in the scale, now being firmly commited to 0 Gauge. Glad to see you've made a start on the new layout. I love the plan - that simple loop and two sidings arrangement just screams light railway to me! I really like the idea of the truncated line at one and too, will offer some potential for lots of scenic creativity! Is it from a operational or visual perspective that you are not keen on kadees? I have struggled with S&W couplings when I have tried them in the past, they just proved to fiddly to set up and get right. However it is probably due to my ham-fistedness as I know many use them to great effect. Keep us up to date with progress on your new project and, if you do dig Elston Road out again, I for one would love to see some more photos! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogtrains Posted February 28, 2019 Author Share Posted February 28, 2019 On 26/02/2019 at 00:43, south_tyne said: Is it from a operational or visual perspective that you are not keen on kadees? I have struggled with S&W couplings when I have tried them in the past, they just proved to fiddly to set up and get right. However it is probably due to my ham-fistedness as I know many use them to great effect. Mostly the look of them. I use Kadees on my HO stuff (US) and like them a lot.. but somehow they just don't like right to me on 4mm UK stock.. especially older stuff. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogtrains Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 Well.. some definite progress.. and some set-backs too. The track is working fine, the wire in tube doing what it should.. and I've built a short frame to support the layout and fiddle together on a tabletop. However, two snags so far.. Firstly couplers. Been gluing staples onto the tension locks and planting magnets. With much fettling it is working.. mostly. But it's very fiddly and prone to failure.. I can see constant tweaking needed to persist with the Kirby method, I mostly seem to have issues with the locos (Because I'm using a runaround, even with hooks on one end only, I still need to equip the locos with a hook). So - decision time. As much as I like Sprat&winkles, I want this to be as fiddle-free as possible, and ideally want a layout that 'just works' (well, at least where I can influence that!).. so , it's looking like Kadee 18s. I had some spare and have to say that they don't look that bad in the flesh on UK stock and actually allow more 'close' coupling than the tension locks. Big bonus - 99% of the stock has NEM pockets too.. so less faff at the fitting stage. Annoyingly I got rid of a s**tload of Kadee 18s on ebay last year because I never thought I'd use them!! Second issue is more juicy.. the runaround loop is just too short. I thought I'd planned it so that I could just sneak around 3 wagons. Unfortunately the clearances are really tight, and that's only possible with three of the shortest wagons. Add a couple of vans in and I'm buggered. So, another decision needed. Either I live with it, and plan shunting moves very carefully, I'd rather not drop below 3 wagons as a 'train' so may have to split the runarounds to shunt the sidings.. OR I lift the end point and re-lay it a few inches to the right, along with the wiring, new connections to the loop and wire in the tube. Not something I really fancy doing but wonder if I'll regret it of I don't. On less practical matters, just wondering about a pub as a view block on the LHS rather than trees.. not convinced. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Mog, Glad to see you're making progress. I would agree with you regarding Kadees, I don't think they look too out of place on British stock, even older prototypes, after a while you won't notice then at all. I also think that the flexibility they will offer for operation will be a real boon and will far outweigh any perceived visual drawbacks. The snag about the runround look is annoying....... Personally I would re-lay that point to get the extra length and capacity. Again for operational reasons, I think it will be better to ensure that you can run round there wagons and I would worry you would regret it, and would ultimately be frustrated, if you don't. Better to make that decision now, at the earliest stage of the build, rather than waiting until further into the build when it would cause far more upheaval. David 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechnicArrow Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Good work so far. Couplings are always tricky to get right, but certainly worth spending the time on - I didn't with my shoebox layout, and operating can be pretty dreadful. Similarly, I would definitely extend the run-round if it's feasible; it looks like it will make operation so much easier and hence far more enjoyable. Comparing the current state with your original sketch, I'm not quite sold on the pub. Might it work better on the other end of the layout, with the road and level crossing providing access to the station? For the LHS, I think a spot of careful landscaping, with the trains passing naturally behind a rise or in a low cutting, would look nice - perhaps even a rickety footbridge to top it off. Whatever you do, I'm looking forward to seeing this scenic and running. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogtrains Posted March 9, 2019 Author Share Posted March 9, 2019 1 hour ago, TechnicArrow said: Good work so far. Couplings are always tricky to get right, but certainly worth spending the time on - I didn't with my shoebox layout, and operating can be pretty dreadful. Similarly, I would definitely extend the run-round if it's feasible; it looks like it will make operation so much easier and hence far more enjoyable. Comparing the current state with your original sketch, I'm not quite sold on the pub. Might it work better on the other end of the layout, with the road and level crossing providing access to the station? For the LHS, I think a spot of careful landscaping, with the trains passing naturally behind a rise or in a low cutting, would look nice - perhaps even a rickety footbridge to top it off. Whatever you do, I'm looking forward to seeing this scenic and running. Thanks- agreed. the pub distracts from my original 'vision' and I was just giving into the 'use me, I'm in this box' temptation! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogtrains Posted March 19, 2019 Author Share Posted March 19, 2019 Well.. every layout I've built has hit a point where it all feels like it's gone t*tsup.. but I've learned that unless there's something fundamentally wrong, persevere.. it'll come right at some point (!) On the plus side.. track lifted and relaid to extend runaround loop and that's working fine. It does narrow the lane on the right hand side considerably but not beyond plausibility. Kadees fitted to all stock and wagons all weathered.. magnets planted in track and all seems to be running just fine. I love the effect that Chris Nevard gets with.. well everything actually.. but the ash trackbed looks great.. so after looking at pictures of the deeply obscured track on the KESR, I sprayed the track earth brown and lightly ballasted with sand, then started to apply DAS clay to a couple of areas. This evening I've just started colouring it.. and trying to colour the sand ballast without making a mess. but it's making a mess! Currently wishing I'd just ballasted it 'normally'.. but rather than get frustrated and go at it like a ham-fisted bodgy thing.. I'm leaving what's done to dry and I'll come back to it tomorrow.. no pictures of the mess it looks now, but a couple of progress in recent days.. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 Mog, Glad to see you have relaid the track at this early stage, although it may have been a faff I don't think you will regret it in the long run. I would agree with your approach to the ballasting. Coming back with it with fresh eyes is often the best approach and I am sure you will be able to touch it up and improve in due course if it is necessary. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogtrains Posted March 30, 2019 Author Share Posted March 30, 2019 Hopefully getting through the Buggerit and Dammit stage.. less inclined to chuck it in a skip! I've cracked on with ballasting and DAS claying.. some attention with an airbrush to the trackworks helped to bed things in together. Backscene has been added and work starting to move apace with the scenics.. rough placement of stuffs to 'get a feel' and after some agonising about trees as my budget was starting to creep (Oxford Radial and new Hornby KESR Terrier have arrived).. I've added a couple of wargames trees and had a go at making some myself. Stockwise - I've weathered and changed couplings to Kadee 18s on the wagons. Could do with a couple of coaches (midway through converting a Hornby 4 wheeler) but overall progress is okay now.. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 With regards to the Hornby 4-wheeler, If you cut about 1mm off the top of the sides and lower the roof arc (I used an old CD as a template) you can get a much more convincing light railway coach. I bought mine as a body-moulding only. My plan is to use the chassis from the Dapol BR Brake Van kit for the underbody stuff, perhaps use some styrene strip to make a representation of a timber-underframe van. Come to think of it, I really should finish that particular project. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titanius Anglesmith Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 Looks great so far! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 Fantastic little layout, nice plan and theme. Glad you didn't despair when doing the DAS clay, it always looks rough at the early stages but once painted and weathered I think it's a great way to get that covered sleeper/ash ballast look. I've never seen Elston Road either, thanks for posting the video, enjoyed watching that. Keep up the good work. Steve. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 I think the ballasting and use of DAS looks great. I've never been brave enough to try it myself, but it really looks so effective. It's amazing what the addition of a backscene and a little bit of greenery do for transforming a layout and helping to bring it to life. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogtrains Posted April 5, 2019 Author Share Posted April 5, 2019 A bit more progress.. starting to look a bit more acceptable! It hasn't got the light and open look that I pictured, but I'm still working on tones.. been working some ash (saved from a barbecue!) into the static grass.. which wasn't very static as my fly swatter device broke.. some pieces are just propped up at the moment to get the feel.. like the platform fencing. Need to bash some coal up to cover the coal pile (and make wagon loads) and plan to stick a little allotment/garden in the back right hand corner behind the path from the lane to the station. I've tried to curve the lane so that it doesn't hit the back scene, and disguised the fiddle exits on both ends hopefully with trees, as planned. The whole thing will have a 'frame' when it's done, with LED strip lights. (that's the plan anyway!) 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry1975 Posted April 5, 2019 Share Posted April 5, 2019 stunning work, I like this alot. Can I ask what you used to make the platform? Jerry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogtrains Posted April 5, 2019 Author Share Posted April 5, 2019 55 minutes ago, Jerry1975 said: stunning work, I like this alot. Can I ask what you used to make the platform? Jerry. Hi Jerry - Thanks! nothing clever - it's a Ratio kit. I hadn't used it before and ideally I'd have preferred the platform to bit just a little longer.. but it's in proportion :-) 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted April 5, 2019 Share Posted April 5, 2019 That's some good progress mogtrains, love the photos Steve. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry1975 Posted April 7, 2019 Share Posted April 7, 2019 On 05/04/2019 at 12:07, mogtrains said: Hi Jerry - Thanks! nothing clever - it's a Ratio kit. I hadn't used it before and ideally I'd have preferred the platform to bit just a little longer.. but it's in proportion :-) Thanks for that. Jerry. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor_harley Posted April 7, 2019 Share Posted April 7, 2019 A really nice layout with some very nice modelling detail. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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