Sophia NSE Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 Having lurked on here for quite some time I thought I should actually try to build something. I'm definitely not a chippy or a sparky so construction will be *ahem* basic at best, so I did what shouldn't be done and used a pasting table (I know, I know...) I strengthened (haha) it with some ply and it hasn't fallen apart so far! This will be the station end and the mk2s are sitting on platform 2. They are also a dead giveaway for the timeframe I'll be modelling. Wickham Brook is a ficticious area of Kent with a railway link into Bromley, through services to London having been cut in the 70s and was becoming run down until the construction of a new shopping centre. The station was partly incorporated into this monument to consumerism replacing the original building. Platform 2 will end at the fold. Platform 1 might have the narrow concrete extension that the Southern rather liked. The far track is the line to the fiddle yard (when it gets bodged, I mean built!). The short headshunt may well feature an homage to the wagon that was sitting in the up bay at Maidstone West since the 60s I think. The track at the front will lead to a basic stabling area in front of a large retaining wall. The backscene will mostly be a newly built shopping centre (how very 80s!) and there will be access from it to the platforms as well as from a building on a road bridge. Another bridge will sit at the other end to hide the fiddle yard with a road covering the yard. The front will most likely be a car park with a dirt road through to the stabling area. Initial building works have been taken on by the notorious company of Bodgit & Leggit! Overall view. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted September 21, 2019 Author Share Posted September 21, 2019 So today I attempted to wire the layout up. I forgot to mention previously that its code 100 track with insulfrog points running on DC. After a while and a few very unladylike words it was time for the test mule to sit on the track and.... A tiny jerk forward and the sound of a motor wanting to work. Then suddenly, actual forward motion!!! With my lack of wiring skills!!! The test loco then negotiated 3 points and went in reverse too, from platform 1 to platform 2 and then off towards the stabling point. First time wiring a layout and it actually works. Quite a big victory for me! 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhOh Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Seems that you're off to a good start Great that you've allowed plenty of space to stage the surrounding scene. With the 80's having been some of the best years of my life I'll look forward to seeing this develop 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 On 22/09/2019 at 15:39, OhOh said: Seems that you're off to a good start Great that you've allowed plenty of space to stage the surrounding scene. With the 80's having been some of the best years of my life I'll look forward to seeing this develop Thanks! I know how I want it to look, but whether my limited modelling skills allows this remains to be seen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 There's a platform. And the beginnings of a station building/footbridge. Whatever next??!!?? I also picked up some led lights for buildings and for under the platform canopy. Anyone want to have a guess at where I got them from and their cost? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhOh Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 On 08/10/2019 at 15:25, Sophia NSE said: Thanks! I know how I want it to look, but whether my limited modelling skills allows this remains to be seen Well, I think having 'the look' in mind is half the battle won already, but it's probably wise to bear in mind that things may change as the build progresses. I started a little micro layout thinking that I knew exactly how it was going to look and what was going to go where. But a little bit in and I've realised that things won't quite fit as I had planned, so a mental revision has, I hope, set me back on track to getting-on with the build. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 Progress so far on the station building and platform steps. A fence will run from the steps alongside the track to create the car park. At the other end of the building will be a ticket office and the entrance to the shopping centre. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted December 5, 2019 Author Share Posted December 5, 2019 So what's new on Wickham Brook? The folding baseboard idea has been ditched as it will be impractical to store once buildings and backscene are on. Construction of a new baseboard has been taking place using..........foamboard! 3 sheets to the wind! 5.5 feet of baseboard so far. It needs more foamboard as a spine to eliminate flex but I'm very pleased with my efforts so far. I still have a fiddle yard to build which should take 2 more sheets of foamboard and then another couple more for backscenes/front fascia 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alister_G Posted December 5, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 5, 2019 Hi, You might find that a zig-zag of diagonal pieces makes it more rigid than a longitudinal spine? Watching with interest, Al. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted December 5, 2019 Author Share Posted December 5, 2019 14 minutes ago, Alister_G said: Hi, You might find that a zig-zag of diagonal pieces makes it more rigid than a longitudinal spine? Watching with interest, Al. Cheers Al, Absolutely right, diagonal pieces would make for a much stronger construction. I do have to say I'm very much enjoying how light it is. Each sheet of foamboard is 33 inches so I'm thinking a 3.5 foot fiddleyard/ EMU stabling point will be plenty enough 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alister_G Posted December 5, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 5, 2019 19 minutes ago, Sophia NSE said: I do have to say I'm very much enjoying how light it is. I haven't used foamboard for baseboard construction, but I did use 50mm insulation foam for my Grindleford boards, and was amazed at how light they were, even with 6mm ply reinforcement round the edges. It sure beats getting a hernia trying to lift a solid timber board! Al 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted December 5, 2019 Author Share Posted December 5, 2019 6 minutes ago, Alister_G said: I haven't used foamboard for baseboard construction, but I did use 50mm insulation foam for my Grindleford boards, and was amazed at how light they were, even with 6mm ply reinforcement round the edges. It sure beats getting a hernia trying to lift a solid timber board! Al Its 5mm foamboard all round but I need to reinforce the corners at some point 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chuffinghell Posted December 5, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 5, 2019 Following with interest 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted December 6, 2019 Author Share Posted December 6, 2019 Board still needs diagonal bracing, but I pulled up all the track from the folding board and only broke one piece of flexitrack. Laid it on the new board to see how things were working out. The extra part on the right will be for controllers and switches which will be hidden behind the backscene. Looks like I need more flexitrack! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chuffinghell Posted December 6, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 6, 2019 9 minutes ago, Sophia NSE said: ......The extra part on the right will be for controllers and switches which will be hidden behind the backscene. Good idea! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted December 6, 2019 Author Share Posted December 6, 2019 1 minute ago, chuffinghell said: Good idea! I have them occasionally 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted December 8, 2019 Author Share Posted December 8, 2019 Had a little daytrip yesterday, no prizes for guessing where 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chuffinghell Posted December 8, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 8, 2019 (edited) On 06/12/2019 at 19:24, Sophia NSE said: I have them occasionally I have good ideas on a regular basis I just forget them immediately after having them Edited December 8, 2019 by chuffinghell 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted December 8, 2019 Author Share Posted December 8, 2019 17 minutes ago, chuffinghell said: I have good ideas on a regular basis I just forget them immediately after having them I'm amazed that the foamboard baseboard hasn't fallen apart yet. Plenty of glue and masking tape is clearly my friend 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted December 10, 2019 Author Share Posted December 10, 2019 Both boards complete apart from a few diagonal bracing pieces and backpieces and front fascia pieces. All nice and strong so far! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted December 10, 2019 Tempfix Share Posted December 10, 2019 I'm liking this already. I'm interested to see how you get on with the foam board. I went the opposite way with my 'portable' layout - 12mm MDF. It does fit in the car, but weights about the same amount. Rich 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted December 10, 2019 Author Share Posted December 10, 2019 4 minutes ago, Rich Papper said: I'm liking this already. I'm interested to see how you get on with the foam board. I went the opposite way with my 'portable' layout - 12mm MDF. It does fit in the car, but weights about the same amount. Rich Hi Rich, So far, so good and barely an unladylike word uttered. 5mm foam is easy to work with, though 10mm would probably be even better. I have some 150 gsm coloured paper to glue onto it as I expect warping if I paint only one side of the board, but that's for tomorrow! I have grey for the baseboard and may try to create a Network SouthEast style sign for the front fascia cover 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chuffinghell Posted December 10, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2019 (edited) 19 minutes ago, Sophia NSE said: Hi Rich, So far, so good and barely an unladylike word uttered. 5mm foam is easy to work with, though 10mm would probably be even better. I have some 150 gsm coloured paper to glue onto it as I expect warping if I paint only one side of the board, but that's for tomorrow! I have grey for the baseboard and may try to create a Network SouthEast style sign for the front fascia cover Looking good and the diagonal/zig zag bracing would definitely greatly improve the rigidity and make it less flipity-flopity once you start adding the track and scenery etc Chris Edited December 10, 2019 by chuffinghell 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chuffinghell Posted December 10, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2019 (edited) 38 minutes ago, Rich Papper said: I'm liking this already. I'm interested to see how you get on with the foam board. I went the opposite way with my 'portable' layout - 12mm MDF. It does fit in the car, but weights about the same amount. Rich my removable section on Warren, although small weighs the same as a small hatchback being driven by an elephant on the way back from B&Q with concrete paving slabs in the boot Me exaggerate? never in a million years Edited December 10, 2019 by chuffinghell 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia NSE Posted December 10, 2019 Author Share Posted December 10, 2019 29 minutes ago, chuffinghell said: my removable section on Warren, although small weighs the same as a small hatchback being driven by an elephant on the way back from B&Q with concrete paving slabs in the boot Me exaggerate? never in a million years Get on board ('scuse the pun) the foamboard revolution, you never know where it could take you, especially in this weather! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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