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Maenol Mine - an update


RandyWales

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Hi again...

After many (more) months of inactivity due to loss of interest, the enthusiasm has returned.

I've had to make a big decision with regard to the trackbed, which was laid and coloured way before I had decided on a Colliery theme.

I've always felt that it looked decent enough, but too tidy for colliery environs.

Hence, I took a deep breath and jumped in....

The images show the before and after, and I'm hoping that the track now looks more appropriate.

I say 'hoping' because I'm 'hoping' I haven't overdone it.

 

 

post-6897-127240381389_thumb.jpgpost-6897-127240379483_thumb.jpgpost-6897-127240383126_thumb.jpg

 

I'll always be grateful to the forum members who helped me develop ideas for Maenol Mine.

 

New members can find the "Microlayout in O Gauge" project from it's inception on the old site via this link:

http://www.rmweb.co....php?f=9&t=25704

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Phew! Thanks Jenny....

It's coarse sharp sand, mixed with charcoal black acrylic paint.

I squirted a large blob of paint onto a mixing board and cut in the sand with a spatula.

This was repeated until I had half a sandwich-bag full.

I left it for 24 hours and (after the said big breath) laid it while it was still damp.

It was generally spread over the track with a piece of plastikard and worked in with a 1" paintbrush.

The paint dried rapidly and the sand is solidly in place, but I'm wondering whether I should use dilute PVA just in case.

I'll see what it's like tomorrow.

Randall

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I'm gonna have to experiment with that technique - I have a rather run-down engineers yard planned on my layout that I'm just about to start tracklaying on; I reckon a slightly less deep ballasting (up to the sleepers, rather than above it, as yours correctly is) and the colouring would look a treat.

 

I'll pin down some flexitrack directly to the board, rather than on cork, and try both options to see what looks right.

 

Excellent work.

 

Going to the beach next week - will take a couple of bags and 'liberate' some sand.

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Randall,

 

That track work looks superb, just the right level of shine for dropped bits of coal, and you definitely get the sense you'd be filthy if you walked on it.

 

Not over done at all.

 

Stu

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A BIG improvement! - without wishing to imply the original was rubbish ... just nowhere near as good.

 

I'd caution the use of a coat of PVA it may have unwanted visual effects such as giving it a shiny appearance or whitening the charcoal neither would be good.

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Thanks all, for the very kind words.

It's a big change, and hard to get used to after such a long time with the original colouring.

Some of the walls will need to be toned down a bit too, as they now look too clean.

Randall

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Just out of interest, was the track laid on cork or something to give a 'shoulder' at the edges, or was it directly to the baseboard?

 

I can't decide whether I should use something to raise the track - when it's likely to be filled in between tracks rather than with a shoulder along the edge of each line.

 

I've marked out the position of the 'key' point that everything else has to fit around to join up with the rest of the layout - so I'm ready to start tracklaying soon! All my other trackwork, by the way, doesn't matter if it's slightly out or not square - but this particular one does need to be.

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It does look realistic. Not just the colour of the ballast, but the way it has been distributed, with random heaps on the sleepers and the shoulders. One of those details which makes all the difference to realism. Makes me feel as if I'd get filthy as well if I walked along it. Nicely done, sir !

 

Dennis

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Just out of interest, was the track laid on cork or something to give a 'shoulder' at the edges, or was it directly to the baseboard?

post-6897-127256591986_thumb.jpg

 

Hi CromptonNut

 

For no particular reason other than it's what I've always done, the track is laid on 1/8" cork floortile glued to the ply trackbase.

The track is laid (stuck with PVA glue) directly onto the cork, with no chamfers between tracks.

For Maenol Mine, the ballast was always going to be up to (and over in places) sleeper level between the tracks.

 

On well-maintained running lines, again I have always chamfered the cork to give the raised appearance.

 

The image shows the unconventional baseboard frame. It's made by joining (PVA again) three (very) lightweight oil painting frames stripped of their canvas. They were very cheap, square and well jointed. With all the additional work that's gone into the layout, the weight saving is probably negligible, but I'd use them again if I needed to save weight.

 

Randall

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It does look realistic. Not just the colour of the ballast, but the way it has been distributed, with random heaps on the sleepers and the shoulders. One of those details which makes all the difference to realism. Makes me feel as if I'd get filthy as well if I walked along it. Nicely done, sir !

 

Hi Dennis...

Thank you kindly...

I pinched the idea of using coloured sharp sand from the Stafford Railway Circle layout "New Haden Colliery" (MR Feb 2004), except I got impatient and laid it while the acrylic paint/sand mix was still damp. I did try it out on a small area first, though.smile.gif

Randall

post-6897-127256671645_thumb.jpg

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Come to think of it, I knew I'd have to bite the bullet and revisit the trackbed one day, and I think that being stumped for ideas on how the make the change was the reason why I lost interest (again).

 

Stubby47 will be used to me going walkabout...he's been following Maenol Mine since Day1 and has provided loads of brilliant ideas that have been incorporated onto this microlayout. After all - he is a microlayout King. His mind is full of amazing schemes and suggestions....Thanks Stu.

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As much as I like the idea of laying track directly on the board (especially as you can't see the difference with your method), I think I'm probably going to have to end up using either the 5mm cork or foam strips that I have to raise the track up, and possibly "fill in" between tracks where necessary.

 

Thanks for sharing your method - off to the beach at the weekend with some freezer bags to bring back some sand!

 

 

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Randall,

 

Many thanks for those very kind comments - I'm almost lost for words!

 

This layout has been a major influence in both Porth Byhan ( for the idea of a small layout) and Wheal Tiny ( for the idea of a mechanical device).

 

Most of my ideas are recycled from other peoples layouts or prototypes I've seen - I'm just happy to pass them on.

 

Regards, Stu

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Thanks for sharing your method - off to the beach at the weekend with some freezer bags to bring back some sand!

It might be cheaper to buy a large bag of sharp sand from B&Q as I did (other DIY shops are available) - £1.52 is probably much cheaper than taking the family to the beach....smile.gif .

Be careful to wash beach sand to get rid of the salt, otherwise your ballast may turn white.

Randall

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Many thanks for those very kind comments - I'm almost lost for words!

Most of my ideas are recycled from other peoples layouts or prototypes I've seen - I'm just happy to pass them on.

You're too modest Stu... the mobile phone vibrator-motor for the coal chute was a stroke of genius and the Chapel is your idea, too!

Randall

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It might be cheaper to buy a large bag of sharp sand from B&Q as I did (other DIY shops are available) - £1.52 is probably much cheaper than taking the family to the beach....smile.gif .

Be careful to wash beach sand to get rid of the salt, otherwise your ballast may turn white.

Randall

 

 

We're planning on going to the beach anyway - and just the two of us, so no cries of "we want another ice cream" (apart from ours, of course) - however I undersatnd what you mean!

 

Thanks for the tip of washing the sand - hadn't crossed my mind.

 

Trips to B&Q are generally not cheap as I usually end up buying all sorts of goodies for the layout, wood, tools etc - not to mention whatever SWMBO decides needs decorating or whatever!

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Impressive. I particularily like the way the buildings (industrial and domestic) appear to dominate the scene, yet the railway has the atmosphere. Do you have a track plan or overall shots? The ballast looks spot on to me.

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Great to see this again....

Thanks Colin....

 

It was your 'Layout in a Boxfile" that inspired this project - the trackplans are identical.

I'd put money on it that your's didn't take nearly two years to complete!

Randall

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Impressive. I particularily like the way the buildings (industrial and domestic) appear to dominate the scene, yet the railway has the atmosphere. Do you have a track plan or overall shots? The ballast looks spot on to me.

 

Thanks Mudmagnet...

The domination of the railway by buildings (unusual in 7mm scale) was the intent from the outset.

 

The complete track layout is visible in one of the earlier images at the top of the page.

The layout is only 4ft by 16" excluding the yet-to-be-built fiddleyard.

 

Here's another image showing the buildings towering over the stock...

The picture was taken on a research visit.wink.gif

 

post-6897-127273373267_thumb.jpg

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