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As progress on my Cwmhir layout is rather slow and I need to set up things in the shed to continue I fancied a micro to build on holiday, use indoors and maybe even exhibit locally. I rather like the scalescenes kits and their boxfile layout gave me the idea to do a 5+3+3 shunting puzzle using two boxfiles and a fiddle stick.

 

The plan: is to

Scalescenes Boxfile layout as the end of the sidings and put the points in another boxfile with more scalescenes buildings around them, fiddle stick for headshunt.

This will be a S.Wales industrial complex set in 1929 - 32 (as Cwmhir is).

Locos: GWR 57xx, 1854, 850 O-6-0 Panniers (I Also have a kit built 1361 but don't think it runs reliably enough).

Stock: Mixture of Kit built goods vans and opens from the big four.

Wheel standards / gauge: All with Gibson type wheels set to oo-fs standards (Cwmhir has C&L track). I'm not going to build new stock for this so this is fixed.

 

Issues:

1)What track to use?

I have some peco code 100 points and track, It'll be buried so doesn't matter about the appearance BUT will have to test whether stock will run on it. Can I just shim out the flangeways?

Alternatively I'll have to scratchbuild the track but I'm not sure I have enough finescale rail.

 

2) Concrete hardstanding.

The scalescenes kit has some nicely detailed concrete hardstanding but is this appropriate for the 1929-32 period? If not what would be more likely?

 

3) Orientation of buildings.

For some of the buildings I could really do with a mirror image of the scalescenes kits. Is there an easy way to do this?

 

4) Do I add a brake van into the mix (Arrive with van next to loco propelling, van has to end up at the tail of leaving train)? I've got some nice small ex-TVR/RR vans that would help to add a sense of place.

 

Kits bought and downloaded: Boxfile layout, Low relief warehouse, Industrial Water tower, Industrial warehouse (non-rectangular). Card on it's way, time to play with the track and finalise the planning.

Comments welcome.

 

 

 

Edited by Darwinian
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55 minutes ago, Darwinian said:

 Orientation of buildings.

For some of the buildings I could really do with a mirror image of the scalescenes kits. Is there an easy way to do this?

 

If you go to the print screen in Acrobat Reader and click on the Properties button, you will find (maybe after looking around a bit) somewhere the option to print a mirror image.

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1 minute ago, Bishop of Welchester said:

 

If you go to the print screen in Acrobat Reader and click on the Properties button, you will find (maybe after looking around a bit) somewhere the option to print a mirror image.

Thanks, not been able to find it yet but I’ll have another look. 

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On 13/06/2019 at 17:47, Bishop of Welchester said:

 

If you go to the print screen in Acrobat Reader and click on the Properties button, you will find (maybe after looking around a bit) somewhere the option to print a mirror image.

A mirror image is not easy without other software - see https://answers.acrobatusers.com/mirror-image-pdf-file-q240067.aspx I have just checked with my copy of Acrobat (Adobe's current CC version) and all there is for rotation is just that - rotate. As mentioned on that linked webpage some printers may allow for reverse/mirror image printing.*

 

I have access to Photoshop CC and could do it there (Other graphics packages may well have a similar function). Open the PDF specific page you want, use the option from the Image drop down -  Image rotation - Flip (horizontal or vertical).

 

It does however literally mirror everything so your text will also be mirrored. If you have shop fronts with store names etc., you will still need a graphics package of some sort that is able to edit a PDF in order to then manually restore those specific elements to non-mirrored text.

 

* I have not tried it but a setting for printing onto transfer paper might do it and then simply load standard print media into the printer. 

Edited by john new
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The version of Acrobat reader/printer I have doesn’t provide a mirror option. I might be OK with the orientations supplied anyway as the buildings didn’t fit the way I had imagined it.

 

I remember printing t-shirt transfers using “paint” which did do mirror but haven’t tried importing a PDF and then printing at the right size. Text won’t be an issue here as there isn’t any.

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I’m thinking the old trusted pin knocked out hinges will do for both alignment, holding together and as inter board electrical connections, for track at least. Not decided on lighting yet.

 

I am also tending towards compacted earth/ash rather than a concrete hard stand. 

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Like the look of this and tempted with something similar myself, are you 'knocking through' between the two box files or having a scenic break? Also what about the front of the boxes? 

 

Think the earth / ash base would be more suited to your time frame. 

 

Keep it up 

Ralf

 

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The scale scenes boxfile is designed to hav 2 or 3 tracks coming in with a conveyer building above so I will be attaching the second box directly to that. There will be a single track between buildings from the fiddle stick into this box. 

Box fronts to be cut down where there are not buildings.

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On 15/06/2019 at 22:31, Darwinian said:

Test running of 57xx and vans shows this track will do the job. Just got to decide how to connect files and fiddle stick both physically and electrically.

 

From bitter experience, I suggest you mount the files to a tray or chassis as a single unit

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On 21/06/2019 at 12:12, Ravenser said:

 

From bitter experience, I suggest you mount the files to a tray or chassis as a single unit

Hmm, sounds ominous, but the whole point for me is to build a compact, storeable mini layout for occasional use. 

Having cut the track openings the loss of rigidity is apparent. I’m going to line the box bases with a complete layer of 1mm mount board and another of 1mm cork. Hopefully it will end up like plywood.

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It's joining and separating the track that causes the problem. You end up with bad track joints and a tendency for rails to rip out at the joint when putting into /out of storage.

 

My rework is covered in this and the two following blog posts  boxfile - mounting to chassis  the resulting single unit will still fit in a storage drawer under the bed (along with the stock in 2 more boxfiles) but it is very much faster to set up, has far fewer running problems and looks better. 

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I see.what you mean. I am planning to solder all rails to copperclad strip at the box exits. There will be no physical connection between rails in adjacent boxes, more like inter board joins on a larger portable layout. Electrical continuity will be through separate wiring connectors (TBA).

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On 21/06/2019 at 12:12, Ravenser said:

 

From bitter experience, I suggest you mount the files to a tray or chassis as a single unit

Agree. Although it was a while back I tried something similarly experimental with three shoebox length sections. All ended up being mounted onto a single board - it proved to be too experimental. See this page, both the layout and that blog page sadly in need of an overhaul - relevant section is about half-way down.

Edited by john new
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  • 1 month later...

So a two week family holiday in Tenby gave me some time in the evenings to build the first two of the scalescenes boxfile buildings, just needed some finishing off once I got home. Here are buildings A and B. I left off the roller door on the ground level opening on the low building (A) as my research suggests they were only really fitted from the late 30s onwards. I will scratch build some folding doors (in open position). I will also fit some protective timber baulks over the rather modern bash plates on the doorway edges.

 

302098269_iardferAandB.JPG.cb4d6bc440219d7bf7954d944c1a904b.JPG

 

Trackwork is down in the box for these structures and sorted out but not glued down in the box containing the points. I need to sort out point control for this. Probably going to use a couple of old Peco point motors and the CDU on my controller. They can then be operated by stud and probe with duplicate studs front and back to allow for operation from either and nothing significant projecting out of the side of the box.

1979865226_iardfertrack1.JPG.28a182ae4015ec9e9575e5cd26d1c64b.JPG

 

Closer shot of the joint between the two boxes.  I soldered short lengths of track, with fishplates to the point and then marked the exact length and cut the rails with a piercing saw. The end sleepers were trimmed off (they have to have the "chairs" removed anyway to clear the fishplates so serve no useful function). Electrical feed will be to the toe of the first point and then to all three sidings in the left hand box. With only one loco in use and no contact between the rails in adjacent boxes this should work. My plan is to use metal hinges with removable pins to hold the boxes together front and back thus providing a +ve and a -ve connection between them. Wiring can then all be inside the boxes apart from the actual connection to the controller.

1181282839_iardfertrack2(1).JPG.9a19c479254fe083c18cd11672a1b2e3.JPG

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  • 3 weeks later...

Track infill going in. I used a different approach to Scalescenes instructions. I stuck the two sheets of graph paper grid together then used a soft pencil to take a “brass rubbing” of the sleeper edges. I cut this out to make patterns that I then stuck to 2mm card and cut out. They were then cut into sections at an angle to make inverted v channels for the wiring.

 

Same technique for the top surface. Here is the top surface pattern with the first track area cut away.

0CC30DCE-CBE3-4B9F-BFCA-0E852251D493.jpeg.5d495d7124ccdcdb05944f85dc2996ec.jpeg

And here the top surface patterns being checked for fit.

B647DC45-8EF5-4FB5-B4EB-25C7360F36EC.jpeg.90e97a587f235a84ff1214958997c5d2.jpeg

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  • 4 months later...

Well it's been rather a long time since I did anything on this but the Seasonal break meant sitting watching TV in the evenings and a good opportunity to stay in the warm and do a bit of card modelling.

However I am finding that I have to keep stopping to leave sections to set under weights.

Anyway this is the current state of Iard fer. Building D, that goes above the tracks on the back left  has been mostly built but is sitting under weights while the front wall sticks.

 

1850731770_iardferJan2020.JPG.517be70a6450fde6d3b1fde94b09b514.JPG

 

The tracks are double wired to the ends of the screws holding the brass hinge (split) onto the chipboard of the file. Front rails to the front one and rear rails to the back one. Power (12v DC) can then be carried from the board (boxfile) with the points on, which will also have the controller connections. As you may be able to see the back building needs to be fettled a bit to get a really close fit.

Track infill is just cheap card (magazine envelope backs) set just below the rail tops so that the rails can be cleaned. Its simply sprinkled in random patches with a cheap flock that I had lying about and then  painted with a Burnt Umber acrylic. I'll use better card next time as this curved when painted and had to be carefully stuck back down around the rails by dropping in dilute PVA and putting odd bits of metal (Alu extrusions) with weight on to keep it down while the glue set.

 

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  • 4 months later...

Although I’ve not added to this thread I have done some work on Iard fer. It is all as per instructions except that I reduced the very high roller door opening by adding a lintel  and additional window.

Here is the current state.

 

7E317CD4-C498-4E05-81A5-1F1241610789.jpeg

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  • 3 months later...

Slowly making progress. Gardening, decorating and the Aberdare for Cwmhir have taken priority but now evenings are getting dark again....

 

359782733_iardferSept2020.JPG.61171dc70eadc367b5f3cb724d4e986b.JPG

 

That's an 850 pannier, just got to finish off the conveyor and sort out fixing buildings at the back in place. I have a leftover length of backscene from Cwmhir that will cover both boxfiles.  I have also been making some "levers"  (more like fancy pull/push knobs) for the front of box 2 to  connect to wire in tube to operate the points.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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