Busch Feldbahn in the living room

[ColinK]

Thanks for your kind words, I’m slowly getting back to full strength, thanks. As well as the small enclosures there are no shelters for the animals.

 

I did a fair bit of research into what to use for water.  Some resins get hot when curing so there was a risk of melting the animals while others don’t set completely, so if the layout was stored on end the water would eventually move.  The penguin pool was made using the clear plastic box the elephants came in (no joints so no leaks) and filled with Deluxe Materials ‘Solid Water’ about 5mm depth at a time, leaving 48 hours between layers.  The streams and puddles were Deluxe Materials ‘Aqua Magic’, two layers each about 2mm thick and left several days between coats.

 

I have no connection with Deluxe Materials but they were very helpful and answered all my questions about model water, I hadn’t modelled water before.

[The White Rabbit]

There's definitely been something virulent going round last month, most of the country seems to have had it (me too).

 

I get on well with Deluxe Materials Solid Water water as well, haven't tried Aqua yet, so handy to see it, thanks.  

 

Preiser do some (non-German) politicians and heads of state in 1:87 but I've not seen a Mrs. T yet. Could you take a female passenger in twinset and with handbag, repaint suit and add some hair? 

[ColinK]

Some special 1:87 figures now ordered. Layout seen in public for the first time yesterday, at the 7mm NGA Lancashire meeting then later in the day at the 009 meeting in Rainford. It now has invitations to exhibitions in Morecambe and Romiley in 2020. Must get it finished then and some spare stock built.

[ColinK]

If I’m going to exhibit the layout it needs more than one loco, so here is the second one which I’ve built from a Narrow Planet kit. It has a 3D printed body with nickel silver overlays and fits on a standard Busch feldbahn chassis.  The completed loco is just 40mm long.   It is actually to 4mm scale instead of 2.5mm but it looks fine. I have had to chop off the cab roof and chimney so it will fit under my bridges.

 

Years ago I scratchbuilt two of these for a friend who was making a model of Waltham Abbey gunpowder works.

 

 

 

Edited December 22, 2019 by ColinK

[Turnham Green]

I really love the concept and the execution of your layout, very imaginative. 

[ColinK]

Many thanks. Glad you like it.

 

The second train is now complete except for a driver and passengers.  The loco is the Narrow Planet 009 body on a Busch chassis as shown earlier. It now has a coach which uses a bogie wagon chassis with a scratchbuilt body made from plasticard.  It turned out to be a bit light so I drilled holes in the sides and filled the areas under the seats with liquid lead - the seat bases are hollow square section so it was an easy job.  You can see it in the station in the picture below.

 

 

 At the Workington exhibition there was a Z gauge layout using Rokuhan equipment; I had not heard of that manufacturer before and had a useful chat with the helpful operator.  As a result I ordered one of their ‘shorty’ chassis from Gaugemaster to try out.  The reasons being it was a bo-bo instead of 4 wheels, so more pick ups, plus it is about 1/3 of the price of a Busch loco.  I was hoping it would have all 4 axles driven, but only one bogie is driven. The multi wheel pick ups are a big improvement, but it does run a bit too fast even on 3 volts. The next job is to scratchbuild a body for it. The photo below is larger than life size, the chassis is only 38mm long. As you can see, getting it on the track is not easy.