Jump to content
 

Charlie the Choo Choo


Recommended Posts

Last year the mrs and I were at a craft fair / fun day thingy. 

 

In the car park I spotted this:

 

46488030251_037c22fe33_c.jpgIMAG0002 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

remembered about this:

 

44670890180_0f4e9f98e7_c.jpg81AZtkk4xuL by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

and decided to make an evil children's train ride, with the locomotive powered by condensed fear from the passengers.

 

I liked the look of the spindly track, so decided on Gnine (1:24 scale on 9mm track) using Joueff HOe track (mainly 'cos I had some too):

 

32472478468_3859b691a8_c.jpgs-l1600 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

Next was the baseboard, made from part of a wooden cable reel and a laser cut mdf ring (the middle bit went on to be Das Blumentopfbahn):

 

32655846638_b181052a97_c.jpg2018-12-30 16.46.49 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

The ring was covered in Das clay to give some texture to the "ground", then the basics of the wiring were added and the track checked for alignment:

 

46019186484_df0b0ecefd_c.jpg2019-01-14 19.21.26 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

I like light and ambient sound on a layout, so made a control panel (its DC controlled as there is one engine, going in a circle, occasionally backwards) and added speakers to the baseboard. There's an amplifier in the control panel:

 

32793362738_755708b7f3_c.jpgP1070032 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

32793365988_34454b49c9_c.jpgP1080034 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

46817517741_aa992e3af7_c.jpgP1200005 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

45895232684_3d6935eab2_c.jpgP1050028 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

I added a framework to the bottom of the base to support two styrene sheets. These will form the base of the abandoned swimming pool the Charlie circles as well as hiding the wiring:

 

46004865504_88e114190c_c.jpgP1130035 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

Then we laid the track:

 

31802270847_fbfbc5190e_c.jpgP1140001 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

More to follow, apologies for a long post :)

 

Les

  • Like 4
  • Craftsmanship/clever 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for the kind words :) 

 

Thoughts turned to Charlie himself and some rolling stock. I really like the much missed Kato 11-103 chassis, so this was my weapon of choice for motive power. 

 

Chassis aren't the end of the world to build, but 9mm ones can be fiddly, so I use these:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/009-rolling-chassis/323658386083?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

(usual no connection except satisfied punter etc).

 

The original plan was for the locomotive, a tender / driving car, then a "bug box" type coach, then a cage similar to the Child Catcher's from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang:

 

45764285034_08df6ed3cc_c.jpg20181227_161016 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

The coach uses Peco 009 bogies.

 

The whole thing is made from styrene, with the exception of Charlie's boiler which is a bit of copper pipe filled with lead. 

 

31549736687_90ba797d56_c.jpg20181227_182129 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

45631154015_0fe7d66bd3_c.jpg20181231_175520 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

He will also have a fairly unique "headlight" :)

 

45631163725_259ae0fe4b_c.jpg20181231_175703 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

I decided not to make (yet) the cage wagon as the ensemble looks ok without it.

 

46551527695_723f6a0c4b_c.jpg2019-03-25 19.28.04 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

More later...

 

Les

  • Like 4
  • Funny 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

The next job was to finish the abandoned swimming pool. 

 

The backstory is that the pool (and surrounding city, off scene) were abandoned after some apocalypse or other a long time ago, and left to fall into disrepair. Charlie was installed some time later, and is now also abandoned, living off stored fear (more of this later). 

 

I'd an idea for a platform sticking out into the empty pool with a ticket office on it, so using balsa and coffee stirrers made a start at it:

 

31775392117_f96e15fdd0_c.jpg2019-01-12 18.27.47 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

The pool base is temporarily in place at this stage as the wiring for the lights isn't done.

 

I based the office one this one:

 

45902577115_8d499d7c07_c.jpg178402 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

and made a start:

 

39852240863_dfd1d93f1c_c.jpgP1200013 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

The tube up the back wall is to hide the wiring for a light in the roof.

 

I also made an entrance arch:

 

46077910824_012685942f_c.jpgP1190004 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

and the scene started to come together:

 

46817539071_b848a1727b_c.jpgP1200008 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

Next were the stands for the lights, and also for Tannoy speakers. These were a right, fiddly PITA to make, and I'd not be in a hurry to do more :). The fake speakers are fitted above the real ones which hide behind the pool sides, and play spooky carnival music.

 

40073263043_0ffe0d59a1_c.jpg2019-02-09 16.00.18 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

47413850602_7275d799d7_c.jpg2019-03-25 19.27.26 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

Once the lights were in place and the wiring for them in, I could fit the pool floor and sides. The mrs came into her own with painting and weathering:

 

40515447013_e4fa6b9802_c.jpg2019-03-27 20.12.01 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

46801033224_32075505ef_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

Charlie and the rest got a coat of paint. Citadel Mephiston Red and Averland Sunset applied over grey primer from a can.

 

32566850407_6a20a47654_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

47544264931_d69ec29694_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

Les

 

 

  • Like 3
  • Craftsmanship/clever 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks again for all the "likes".

 

I touched in the paint on Charlie with a fine brush, and made a control panel. The "dials" are the small brass washers and the lever and big wheel are from Pepper 7. The tanks on the tender top are from a 1:35 scale military workshop kit I picked up for a pound or so years ago at a show.

 

47544264951_e8ff6d18a3_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

Next up were the steps down into the pool. They started out like this:

 

32565317107_bbf207bb9a_c.jpg2019-03-30 17.09.23 by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

Then after some fairly brutal hacking and a visit to Leanne (the mrs / scenic director) ended up like this:

 

33685757088_ddc4403692_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

She also had a look at the entrance arch and the Tannoys, as well as Charlie's face (ex Bachmann "Skarloey", kindly given to me):

 

33687784988_1a20544fe2_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

33686323358_e7e797734a_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

40597582793_371cc12a13_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

Then we tackled the ground cover...

 

Les

Edited by lesmond
Spelling
  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Ivor - I make them, then the mrs makes them look good :D

 

For initial rough ground cover we used sieved ash from a wood burning stove. This cover well and look the part for neglected yards etc or in this case an ancient, derelict site:

 

47472045262_70ed243892_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

32582318067_97c7e33fb7_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

A coat of PVA first on the painted DAS, then the ash, leave it to set overnight and blow the excess off - outside is definitely best for this, preferably over the bin.

 

Before a small amount of greenery, "rocks" (very small stones) and the rest of the structures it looked like this:

 

33690656918_36cecec5fb_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

We then added the finished, weathered platform and ticket office, as well as some scabby grass:

 

46857851794_db977b7017_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

The speakers and entrance arch were the last to go on, as being fairly tall they were prone to damage:

 

46666234175_53b29baf71_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

Charlie got a whistle (an On30 Porter one, from Bachmann UK spares) and after some serious track cleaning was on the prowl:

 

46857656464_18fb917750_c.jpgUntitled by lesmond2009, on Flickr

 

The layout had its first outing at the NDMRS show in Bangor. Co Down last weekend, and apart from one bumpy track joint and some coupler issues (the 009 type don't like the tight curves, and will be replaced by short chains) it all went well. There's a tiny bit more to do, and I'll post pictures when its done :)

 

Here's a wee video:

 

 

Les

Edited by lesmond
Spelling mistake corrected
  • Like 4
  • Craftsmanship/clever 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

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...