Obermatt Swiss N gauge layout

[Frutigen]

I decided to experiment with Tacky Wax and see some people on the layout. I think I need to use less wax. I also need to stop taking close up photos of those railings. 
 

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2022 by Frutigen
Restoring lost photos

[Keith Addenbrooke]

9 hours ago, Frutigen said:

I decided to experiment with Tacky Wax and see some people on the layout. I think I need to use less wax. I also need to stop taking close up photos of those railings. 
 

 

The photos really disguise just how small everything is: the writing on the side panel of the locomotive and the facial detail on the gentleman are really good (I can’t see enough of the lady to comment).  With that in mind, I wonder how this looks at ‘normal viewing distance’ ?  Does the tacky wax become less visible?  I can’t see anything wrong with the railings anyway.

 

[Frutigen]

On 26/09/2021 at 07:59, Keith Addenbrooke said:

I wonder how this looks at ‘normal viewing distance’ ?

Good point. Probably more like this… 

 

EDIT: After the Great Loss of Images here on RMWeb I couldn't find the originals to repost, so you'll have to imagine a sort of drone shot looking down on a station platform. Sorry.

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by Frutigen
Restoring lost photos

[cornish trains jez]

Hi Keith,

 

I agree, the railings look fine to me. A couple of dabs of super glue would stick your figures down just fine and then you won’t need or see the tacky wax.

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

 

[Frutigen]

Yes I think superglue will be the way to go for permanent fixing, I wouldn’t trust Tacky Wax in a contest with the hoover that visits Obermatt from time to time. 
 

Has anyone found N gauge figures that look vaguely up to date?  Most of the Noch etc figures look like refugees from the 1950s and the cheap Chinese ones have an odd fashion sense for a European setting. I’ve got the SBB train crew as you can see, and I also have some modern track workers from Farish, but figures representing the general population in post-1990 Obermatt seem to be harder to find. 

[Gordonwis]

9 hours ago, Frutigen said:

 

Has anyone found N gauge figures that look vaguely up to date?  Most of the Noch etc figures look like refugees from the 1950s 

 

I don't think that's completely true. There are a number of Noch and Preiser sets where the figures look acceptably up to date for me. There are some bright colours, which suggest a more recent than 1950s clothing. 

[MrTea]

On 25/09/2021 at 22:18, Frutigen said:

I decided to experiment with Tacky Wax and see some people on the layout. I think I need to use less wax. I also need to stop taking close up photos of those railings.

 

Hi Keith,

 

Those photos look good to me. I've used Tacky Wax for temporarily positioning figures and found it works well too. You don't seem to need much - I think I used a cocktail stick to apply the wax to the base of the figure's feet. What I liked about using the wax was that you could set up a scene for a photo and then move the figures afterwards.

 

I know what you mean about the style of some of the figures, there seem to be fewer modern style ones in N. On Veja Megstra I've got a mix of people from Kato, Farish, Noch and Preiser.

 

Keep the updates from Obermatt coming!

 

Ian

[Frutigen]

Thanks gents for the encouragement to keep looking for the right figures, or maybe to learn how to adapt what’s available to suit the setting. 

[Frutigen]

Going back to the Tacky Wax, it seems you only need to wipe the figure’s feet in it, but the wax has to be warm and soft. As the new picture shows, much improved. 

 

You might also notice that the Fleischmann Ae6/6 is back from an extended absence. Some while ago it developed what looked like a short when placed on DCC powered track. It ran fine on DC when I took the decoder out and put the original DC plug back in the socket. And the decoder went on to work just fine in another loco. I’ve just got round to taking a look at it again, cleaned the wheels, put in a brand new MX617N and it works, sort of. Progress at a constant speed is a bit jerky so further adjustment is clearly required. 

Edited April 29, 2022 by Frutigen
Restoring lost photos

[cornish trains jez]

13 hours ago, Frutigen said:

Going back to the Tacky Wax, it seems you only need to wipe the figure’s feet in it, but the wax has to be warm and soft. As the new picture shows, much improved. 
 

 

You might also notice that the Fleischmann Ae6/6 is back from an extended absence. Some while ago it developed what looked like a short when placed on DCC powered track. It ran fine on DC when I took the decoder out and put the original DC plug back in the socket. And the decoder went on to work just fine in another loco. I’ve just got round to taking a look at it again, cleaned the wheels, put in a brand new MX617N and it works, sort of. Progress at a constant speed is a bit jerky so further adjustment is clearly required. 

 

Figures look great now. The Fleischmann Ae6/6 is a lovely loco, look forward to seeing some video of it running around the layout.

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

 

 

 

[Frutigen]

I thought it was about time for another video.I've done no scenic work on the layout over the summer (apart from experimenting with a few n gauge people) as I've been thinking more about the backlog of tinkering on the loco fleet. Not that I've achieve all that much, but I do have a plan and I now have all 4 Minitrix Re4/4"s upgraded to Maxon motors and flywheel drive. You might remember I was putting one of them together from leftover bits and the bogies were making life difficult. I finally tracked down a donor loco with good bogies courtesy of John Brightwell at NScaleCH and got the last one running properly.

 

As it happens, the donor loco came with a Swiss Express body, which I didn't have, so I swapped it for one of my two identical red ones (same running number) to round out the collection. I'm now in the process of selling off a collection of bodies, motors and chassis blocks that I managed to acquire along the way - this partly to fund the upgrades and partly to stop myself thinking up ways to use them myself.

 

Anyway, I give you loco number 11112 finding its way around Obermatt. You might also spot evidence of other models waiting for attention.

 

 

Edited October 22, 2021 by Frutigen

[Frutigen]

On 11/12/2020 at 07:32, cornish trains jez said:

Is that an Ae4/4 I can spot on the end?

 

It is now. I tracked down a near mint example of the made in Japan models with no decoder sockets. It was at La Dormilona in Barcelona but sadly I was able to buy it on eBay instead of going in person. It now has a Zimo MX616 hard wired and is getting a good run in.

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2022 by Frutigen
Restoring lost photos

[Frutigen]

Still on the topic of N gauge people, my granddaughters (10 & 13) took me to C&M Models to choose some, then went on to give a master class in how to place them on the layout. 
 

They’re now working on a launch video for the Ae4/4. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2022 by Frutigen
Restoring lost photos

[Frutigen]

Here’s the video of the Hobbytrain Ae4/4, filmed by my granddaughters last week. 
 

There’s another video on the way showing it running with the BLS Lötschbergbahn EWI coaches. 
 

 

[Frutigen]

As promised, here’s a video with the Ae4/4 on push-pull passenger duties. Plus, the recently modified Eriam driving trailer - height reduced by shaving some depth off the bogie mounting bosses under the body, and by fitting smaller diameter wheels. I still need to adapt the now too low coupling so it can follow as well as lead a train. 
 

And all 4 of the recently remotored Minitrix Re4/4”s make an appearance. The green engine is the one assembled from leftover parts. It has LED headlights connected to the blue wire because for some reason the decoder wouldn’t power the original bulbs via the chassis common return - not a problem I’ve ever encountered before. 
 

 

[Keith Addenbrooke]

12 minutes ago, Frutigen said:

As promised, here’s a video with the Ae4/4 on push-pull passenger duties. Plus, the recently modified Eriam driving trailer - height reduced by shaving some depth off the bogie mounting bosses under the body, and by fitting smaller diameter wheels. I still need to adapt the now too low coupling so it can follow as well as lead a train. 
 

And all 4 of the recently remotored Minitrix Re4/4”s make an appearance. The green engine is the one assembled from leftover parts. It has LED headlights connected to the blue wire because for some reason the decoder wouldn’t power the original bulbs via the chassis common return - not a problem I’ve ever encountered before. 
 

 

Really enjoyable - videos like this do more than anything else to encourage me to press on with my own little layout building attempt.  Thank you for sharing: a really well put together film.

[Frutigen]

16 hours ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

Really enjoyable - videos like this do more than anything else to encourage me to press on with my own little layout building attempt.  Thank you for sharing: a really well put together film.

Thank you for your generous comments and encouragement. This layout owes a great debt to others who have shared their own skills, techniques and results for me to learn from. Although I’ve been modelling for 50 years I count myself as a novice because no previous project ever got further than bare track on a flat board. 
 

I do love the way the camera on a phone opens up extra perspectives that would have been hard to experience not so long ago.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

9 hours ago, Frutigen said:

Thank you for your generous comments and encouragement. This layout owes a great debt to others who have shared their own skills, techniques and results for me to learn from. Although I’ve been modelling for 50 years I count myself as a novice because no previous project ever got further than bare track on a flat board. 
 

I do love the way the camera on a phone opens up extra perspectives that would have been hard to experience not so long ago.

I’m with you there - though it’s ‘just’ 40 years for me (so far) trying to get past bare boards.  But I’m nearly there…

[MrTea]

On 06/11/2021 at 08:57, Frutigen said:

I do love the way the camera on a phone opens up extra perspectives that would have been hard to experience not so long ago.

Couldn’t agree more Keith. I think one of my favourite sections of Obermatt is at the back in the middle where you have the track gently curving around the mountains on two levels. You can only see that up close from the shots you’ve posted in your clips. 
 

You’ve inspired me to have another crack at a video update from Veja Megstra. I think the last time I captured any footage was March this year so I’m well overdue a running session and an update to show progress on the layout. 
 

I can’t believe that this is your first proper layout - it definitely doesn’t look like it!

[Frutigen]

11 hours ago, MrTea said:

I think the last time I captured any footage was March this year so I’m well overdue a running session and an update to show progress on the layout. 

Yes please. I’ve visited the area you’ve based it on and it takes me right back there. 

[Frutigen]

It's been a while as I've not done any further scenic work recently, but I can't let the season pass without a video. Here's an Re10/10 that I filmed earlier in the year; the locos are in Santa's livery so I assume all those vans must be part of his supply chain.

 

Thank you all for your good company and thoughtful support throughout the year, I'm looking forward to modelling with you in 2022.

 

Keith

 

 

[Gordonwis]

Coincidentally - here's an Re10/10 I filmed earlier this year (luckily in the 'between restrictions' era of October 2021!) 

 

11630 + 11345 passing Reichenbach im Kandertal 14/10/2021

 

 

Edited December 24, 2021 by Gordonwis

[Frutigen]

A while back I shot some video of the BLS push-pull set, looking for new viewing angles. Here's the result. I think this must have been a driver training run since the trip starts and ends in the yard.

 

If I've learned one thing from this experiment, it's that not all shots have adequate lighting. In part this is down to the overhead daylight bulb being just off to the side of the layout, midway along. Added to this, I find I sometimes block the light as I reach over for the shot, and the window at the end of the layout can cause unhelpful contrast issues even when the blinds are closed. 

 

I try to overcome the light blocking and camera wobble issues by placing the camera in the scenery and operating it remotely, but that's not always possible due to the lie of the land. I wonder how different this layout might have been if I'd designed it from the start with photos and videos in mind.

 

 

Edited January 18, 2022 by Frutigen

[MOB 2002]

Great work. Some of those scenes with the train romping through the rolling greenery takes me straight back to Zweisimmen-Interlaken trips before the BLS abandoned their traditional image.

 

Must find time to play with another video too.

 

Mark

[Frutigen]

My programme to restore faulty trains back to service is starting to produce results.

 

 

 

The Fleischmann Ae6/6 was running badly and research suggested it was a dodgy commutator, which I cleaned and adjusted. It’s running fine now but if it happens again I’ll look into fitting a coreless motor. 

 

The Arnold Rbe540 railcar had the cracked plastic gear problem common to many models of its age. I recently sent it to James Dewar in Ireland who fitted new brass gears and made some other improvements. I’ve had this model sitting around for about 10 years and it’s really good to have it working on the layout at long last. All I need now is a NPZ driving trailer.

 

Then there’s the Lilliput FLIRT with its motors that lock up, which I’ve now replaced with coreless motors (description here). This is another model that spent far too long in its box because of a built-in fault and it’s good to have it back where it belongs. 
 

Might need to celebrate with another video…

Edited April 29, 2022 by Frutigen
Restoring lost photos