Bill_J Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 Hi all, At the end of April, to celebrate fifteen years of service, the company I work for presented me with an Oxford Rail Dean Goods locomotive.. Outed now as a model railway enthusiast, I decided to show, over the next few months, an example of what we do as railway modellers. Using mostly freely sourced materials such as recycled packaging etc, I have embarked on the creation of a scenic micro layout to serve as a place to "play trains" and photograph models. Overall dimensions of the scenic section are one metre by forty two centimetres. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_J Posted July 13, 2019 Author Share Posted July 13, 2019 I hit the upload limit with the size of my photos, so will need to do some editing before I include any images... More to follow soon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_J Posted July 13, 2019 Author Share Posted July 13, 2019 (edited) Part of my purpose with this was to show what can be done with not a lot of money and a little ingenuity... Heavy duty tri-layer cardboard from pallet, and card pallet corner protectors. Pound store pva, hot glue sticks and paint. Kitchen towel. The baseboard was cut to shape from the heavy duty cardboard. Then Framed and braced with the card pallet corners using the hot glue gun. Everything was then reinforced using the tried and trusted paper towel/pva method. The pva also seals the cardboard against temperature and humidity effects. The feline assistants/ inspectors, give everything the thumbs up Surprisingly strong for such simple materials. The finished baseboard with my attempt at a faux distressed leather effect using cheap emulsion and acrylic washes. Total financial investment so far - less than £1. Edited June 17, 2021 by Bill_J 15 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marly51 Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 Cardboard is an amazingly strong material, Bill, and we throw so much of it away to recycling! I love your approach and look forward to the diorama in its different stages. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Sweet pea Posted July 13, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 13, 2019 Bill I like your approach of a budget type layout. I like working with cardboard myself so many things can be achieved by not spending a lot of money. Nice looking baseboard, look forward to seeing more. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_J Posted July 13, 2019 Author Share Posted July 13, 2019 Thank you for your comments Marly and Kevin. I've always loved working with paper. Maybe because I grew up with Blue Peter and The Children's Encyclopaedia with its Things To Make and Do. I remember well, making an Ewok Village from cardboard, toilet roll tubes and paper mache, for my children, more than 30 years ago. Paper and card can be cut, folded, moulded and embossed, all useful techniques for making models. You don't need many tools, and you can make things while sitting with family watching tv. Track plan should be up in the next day or so... 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry1975 Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 Looking good so far and great you have approval from your furry friends too . Jerry. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 Bill, Fantastic to see that you have started a layout thread and that you have made a good start. What an ingenious and resourceful baseboard! I do tend to think we massively over-engineer things at time, making layouts heavy and unwieldy. However you have shown this doesn't have to be the case and with a little lateral thinking here are alternatives to the traditional methods. The low-cost is another great benefit!! Looking forward to following your progress. Keep up the good work! David 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 Great start Bill, I'll look forward to seeing this grow. Excuse my ignorance but what is the paper towel method? I'd hazard a guess you soak the paper in dilute pva the use that. Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_J Posted July 14, 2019 Author Share Posted July 14, 2019 Thanks Steve. My method is to rip cheap kitchen towel into small pieces -roughly 2" squares. My pva is the cheap kids one from a certain high street pound shop, which I dilute approximately 60% pva to 40% water and add a drop of washing up liquid to aid flow. Using a cheap brush, I spread the pva on the surface I want to use, place a piece of paper towel on there and brush the pva over the top until it goes transparent. Continue doing this, overlapping each piece of towel with those previously applied. Varying the angle of the paper towel pieces, makes a stronger shell. do this for at least three or four layers. It takes a while, but is much less messy than soaking paper in the pva mix. It is surprising how strong this shell is when fully dry. Easily strong enough to take a thin coat of cheap, pound shop, filler for creating scenery contours. I will post some "how I did it" pictures when I get around to the scenery for this little layout. I find it to be be quite therapeutic, especially if I'm stressed about life. Hope this helps... 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 Thanks Bill, that is most helpful. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_J Posted July 14, 2019 Author Share Posted July 14, 2019 I made a start on the layout proper yesterday. This is how the track plan currently looks. Just a single point and siding, long enough to hold up to five wagons depending on size. Run around can be performed using fiddle-sticks. Or simple shunting puzzles, on the scenic section, with the other line available for displaying other stock. Current idea is a rural location. As I am using this project to trial various modelling techniques and strategies, this track layout is to be demountable. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_J Posted July 14, 2019 Author Share Posted July 14, 2019 The Very good reason for starting this project: I really do need to get All the cat hairs off before taking photos... Regards 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 4 hours ago, Bill_J said: As I am using this project to trial various modelling techniques and strategies, this track layout is to be demountable. Good to see track down already, you're motoring ahead! It's the reason I love micro layouts, as just 20 minutes work or so and you can see progress. Small manageable tasks that aren't overwhelming. I find this really useful as I don't get too anxious. Being 'demountable' is a really interesting concept - so the 'base' will theoretically be able to support a number of different layouts? How will the scene be attached to the base? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Sweet pea Posted July 14, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 14, 2019 Bill it’s great to see some track on the baseboard. I’m looking forward to watching your progress on the micro layout. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry1975 Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 looking good, I do like that gwr loco too. Jerry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_J Posted July 14, 2019 Author Share Posted July 14, 2019 3 hours ago, south_tyne said: Being 'demountable' is a really interesting concept - so the 'base' will theoretically be able to support a number of different layouts? How will the scene be attached to the base? Thanks David. The track isn't quite laid yet, just placed to show the track plan. The track bed is nearly finished though. I doubt that I will use this particular method of boxing the expanded polystyrene packing sheet. It is still quite flimsy and I've spent more time on trying to strengthen it than it really warrants. On the other hand it has cost nothing, as all the packing materials and the grey card are recycled waste. Still on the same pot of pva. The current idea for the demountable sections is to use bookbinders screw posts, of which I have a few, somewhere, in all my bits & pieces. Again, this will be experimental. Thank you Kevin and Jerry for your kind comments. I think the Armstrong, Dean and Churchward designed locomotives are some of most attractive ever built. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted July 15, 2019 Share Posted July 15, 2019 11 hours ago, Bill_J said: The current idea for the demountable sections is to use bookbinders screw posts, of which I have a few, somewhere, in all my bits & pieces. Again, this will be experimental. Thanks for the explanation Bill. I think it is a fantastic idea. I have always been intrigued by multi-era and/or multi-location layouts, where the setting can be altered by changing buildings and vehicles etc, but your proposal takes this one step further. I cannot wait to see what you do. Nothing wrong with a bit of experimentation, it is the only way we learn and develop our skills. As I said, particularly with baseboard construction, I really think we tend to over-engineer things. It's good to see someone having a different approach to the traditional methods. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted July 15, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 15, 2019 Don't underestimate the need for strengthening foam board. I made an early version of Treamble, added some paper kitchen towel covered in paint, and the whole layout bowed as the paint dried. Even small cakebox-sized squares can bow if you paint just one side... 1 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_J Posted July 15, 2019 Author Share Posted July 15, 2019 Thanks for your comments Stubby. As I said earlier, much of this adventure is about experimenting with techniques to make the best use of materials that normally end up in the rubbish. I don't think i would use this material in this way in future. the foam is just the flimsy sheets used to protect appliances inside the carton when in transit. The triple layer corrugated card would probably have been a better solution. I agree about using the same treatment on all the raw surfaces. regards 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Holmes Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Definitely interested to see how this develops, especially using so much cardboard for the baseboard. I’d been eyeing up that corner protector angle card for quite some time but never got a chance to use it. I hope it works out for you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halsted Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Nice layout. I like these two helpers: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesGWR101 Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 The layout looks like it is coming together nicely. Can not wait for to see more pics of your progress Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_J Posted July 21, 2019 Author Share Posted July 21, 2019 Thanks Halsted, yes they do like it when I'm making things and, just like kids, they truly believe It's for them. They do like moving trains too, they hunt and kill them. They also leave fur fluff absolutely everywhere, it certainly adds an interesting texture to freshly painted surfaces. Thanks for your comments JamesGWR101. In a short break from construction at the moment, after a busy and tiring week at work. Also, trying to locate everything I need to wire the layout. I want to get this done by next weekend so I can at least play trains, while I make a start on the scenery. Hope to post more soon... Regards, Bill 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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