Two Sister's yard

[Broadoak]

This whole project was started earlier this year when we were in lock down.

I am now converting an old OO test and shunting plank into a 1/32 scale yard for sorting trains that I use on Two Sister's Farm layout. (I have sold all my American locos and stock and now model British practice in OO scale)

It is free standing and not connected to the farm in any way. Some photos to follow will give some idea of progress, I will however be using all the various locomotives and stock from Two Sisters and because there is more room I will be able to run longer trains.

 

 

A few pictures of the work in progress. The sleeper spacing is wrong so I will have to bury the track to hide that fact. It may take a while as i'm running low on ground cover and am unable to go to the local shop. I am rationing what I do each day to make the job last longer.

 

Regards Peter M

[Broadoak]

 

 

 

Peter M

[Broadoak]

 

A few pictures to show the latest work done on the layout. The contours have been covered with a thick type of kitchen towel soaked in PVA. When this is dry I will paint it all over with Wilco filler to even out any joins. When this is dry I will paint it with thinned washes of emulsion to give it some colour.

 

 

 

 

 

The back scene I have re-painted to look like a field of potatoes growing in Summer. The buildings are to add a bit of interest and give an impression of scale.

 

 

 

 

 

Peter M

[Broadoak]

 

 

The grey device like most of the lorry based vehicles is powered by a four cylinder Gardener diesel which drives a generator. This one is used as a mobile generator for electrical equipment out in the fields as well as towing loads of wagons. All nonsense of course but I like to have a back story for my models, I think it's all possible but probably rather unlikely.

The tractor is a Fordson 27N, a favourite of mine and is used primarily for cultivation work.

I remember the smell of haymaking coming home from school through the fields, a mixture of cut grass and TVO.

 

Peter M

[Broadoak]

A few more photos of a little more progress on the scenery, rocks, and ground cover and hiding the OO scale track. I am running out of my usual modelling materials so am experimenting with what is to hand at home at the present time.

I am continually testing the running of models to make sure the electrical contact is good. I am a bit of an old woman when it comes to decent running.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter M

 

[Broadoak]

I am making slow progress on the extension and have taken a few more photographs to illustrate the amount of work completed I am running short on many modelling materials that represent ground cover and vegetation.

 

 

 

 

The little Porter, a much modified and Anglicised Bachmann ON 30 model, is seen with a few loaded wagons of wheat prior to being loaded onto a lorry for delivery to its ultimate destination.

 

 

Peter M

 

 

[Broadoak]

When I built Two Sister's Farm I wanted vehicles that were a bit different from the usual small steam or diesels locos that are found on many narrow gauge layouts.

The next two vehicles featured illustrate what I mean, both being a bit specialist. The Jeep is used by the yard foreman for getting either fuel or spares out to the tractors in the fields quickly. The fiction is like the other devices she is a diesel electric but this time powered by a Perkins 3 cylinder engine which drives a small generator. This means she can go equally well forward or backwards. She is never used for pushing or pulling heavy loads just the odd wagon if needed from time to time. I like to think the fiction is possible if not very likely.

 

 

The other vehicle is a Ford based cab on a home built chassis made on the farm workshops and is a TVO ( tractor vaporising oil ) tanker used to deliver fuel out to the fields. Like the jeep she is not used for towing heavy loads so she too is powered by a Perkins three cylinder diesel which drives a small generator.

The model is actually a Model Power chassis and a cab from a Russian version of a 1930's Ford lorry. It was from a Russian kit which was of very poor quality, even the cardboard box it came in fell apart.

 

 

Peter M

 

[Broadoak]

 

 

The Chevrolet truck is powered by a Bachmann trolley motor, which comes on a plastic chassis which I screwed to to false chassis on the truck itself. The motor is tiny and not very powerful and not so good in my opinion as the Lima/Ringfield type motor they originally used.

The lorry itself is used mainly to take the tractor drivers out to the fields to start work then collect them again in the evening. I remember as a child one of these lorryies delivering logs in the winter time. It was owned by the people who ran a fair in summer but wintered on a farm near our village every year.

 

 

Peter M

[Broadoak]

I have kindly been given permission to post some of the superb photographs of Two Sisters Farm taken by Chris Nevard for Model Rail magazine. He came up last year to take the photos which appear in the 2016 July issue of Model Rail magazine no 223.

 

 

This is one of the yards on the estate the model is very loosely based on. It was some 7000 acres in size and had a narrow gauge railway with 22 miles of main line track and ten miles of sidings. It was owned by the company that supplied potatoes to Smith's Crisps. Power was mainly by Simplex locomotives but they did have an 0-6-0 steam loco that proved to be too heavy so was sold to a contractor.

 

Peter M

[rue_d_etropal]

Peter,

good to see new model. Does this mean you will now have room for more lorry conversions, maybe a Scammell?

[Broadoak]

It's certainly a thought. I think Mini Art do a 1/35 scale six wheel recovery Scammell. ( I will have to check ) When I worked there in 1960, one of those were often used to collect the wages if I remember correctly.

After the small exhibition layout it is nice to be able to run longer trains.

 

Kind regards Peter M

[Broadoak]

Sorry Simon I was wrong about Mini Art. It is Thunder Models who make a plastic kit in 1/35 scale of the Scammell pioneer six wheel recovery tractor. #35204 for about £45 

It looks a nice model but too expensive to cut about.

 

Regards Peter M 

Edited August 21, 2020 by Broadoak

[rue_d_etropal]

There are 2 manufacturers (both Chinese) doing the big Scammell, covering the recovery vehicle, the tank transporter(including trailer), and the towing tractor with crew accomodation.

It is not cheap, but I have one and it looks like a superb kit.

Possibly a Mechanical Horse conversion http://www.rue-d-etropal.com/3D-printing/vehicles/3d_printed_vehicles.htm

 

Again not cheap in 1/32, but I could offer the can on its own as I did originally with the FAR cab, which is something I had thought of for one of my own 1/32 layouts.

[rue_d_etropal]

Peter, had not realised it was that long ago when you worked at Scammells(presume you were just starting out then). 1960 was only a year or so after my grandfather retired as works manager.

[Broadoak]

 

 

The little Ruston was scratch built in plasticard by using photographs and a side view drawing but without showing the body so it is far from accurate but has the right feel I think. It is powered by Bachmann bogie at the moment, but a Tenshodo would do as well when the Bachmann wears out.

 

 

 

The Ruston is in the loop behind the Canadian Ford gun tractor, now modified to run on rails. She is used to transport tractor drivers out to the fields and is fitted with a powerful winch to pull tractors or implements out if the get stuck in the heavy clay. The model has the original Lima type motor which I think is superior to the small can they fitted later.

The tractor in the foreground is a Fordson Standard N type. I remember these being used for haymaking with the driver standing up as the clutch and brake are operated with the right foot at the back of the tractor. They also run on TVO to give that wonderful smell.

 

Peter M

Edited August 22, 2020 by Broadoak
spaces

[Broadoak]

 

 

A couple of pictures featuring both tractors and a main line shunter. I say main line, the model is very loosely based on the one at Nocton. This had 22 miles of track going round the perimeter of the estate and between the fields and points were put in next to the fields and a spur ran into the field at harvesting time

I hope that the simple painted back scene captures the flatness of the fields dominated by the big sky in the fens.

 

Peter M

Edited August 22, 2020 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

 

 

More work is needed to hide the standard gauge track but I'm running out of materials. Things are pretty tight in the yard as can be seen and this means using only one of the wider rail trucks at a time. It's not really a problem it just means a little more thought and planning is needed for operating sessions. The width between track is not a problem at the other end, there's bags of room down there.

 

 

I must say it is very pleasant to sit at my PC and run a few trains at the same time. I find it's very relaxing watching a small loco and a few wagons slowly trundle by.

 

Peter M

[rue_d_etropal]

16 hours ago, Broadoak said:

I hope that the simple painted back scene captures the flatness of the fields dominated by the big sky in the fens

far better than the photo type ones that many seem to think look good. Background shold be background, and not dominte over the foreground.

Edited August 22, 2020 by rue_d_etropal

[steve1]

Nice to see some more of your excellent work Peter.

 

The longer runs will give the motive power more room to stretch their legs, so to speak.

 

steve

[Broadoak]

The GMC truck was originally powered by a Brill trolley chassis and motor made by Bachmann and was not very expensive, I can't remember the price. The original motor died having run for a few years, it had always been a creature moods, by now the replacements had gone up in price considerably to around £50 which is a lot given the size of the motor. Also over time the false chassis had fractured so it meant I would have to start from scratch really.

Luckily I had in my spares box an Athearn GP7 chassis that I thought would do the job, although making the rail truck slightly longer. The extra length was disguised by making tool store behind the cab. Getting the Athearn chassis to fit in the GMC body meant removing quite a bit of material from inside the body which took a long time and a fair bit of patience. It also meant fitting in the cab a slightly smaller driver figure.

The vehicle is used mainly for carrying tools and equipment mostly as it is a little too long to use for yard shunting. It is also fitted with a powerful winch which can be used to wagons or tractors out of the heavy Lincolnshire clay if they get stuck. If when out in the fields on a repair it can be used to push or pull a few wagons back to the main yard as well if really needed.

 

 

The Athearn chassis which powers the GMC truck. These chassis/motor combinations run superbly and can be found under the body of many of the Bo-Bo shunters and trucks used on the model. Originally the metal clip seen the foreground is used for current collection but it is better to hard wire the bogies and motor for more reliable running. Note the flywheel on the right hand side is painted black so it can't be seen through the holes in the cab floor.

 

 

 

 

Peter M

[Broadoak]

 

 

 

 

I have done a little more ground cover work on the layout using the materials I have to hand. I've added a couple of piles of scrap, they are just placed at the moment not glued as I am not sure whether to make one large pile. I have noticed over the years farmers seem reluctant to throw anything away so usually have piles of items no longer used. As it stands I can add more items from my scrap box as I find them. I think on whole I prefer two piles of scrap as it takes up more space and looks more authentic.

The shunter is a scratch built freelance device, assumed to have been built in the farm workshops. It is powered by an Athearn chassis which is driven from one end only, omitting the drive components gives more room for the cab.

 

Peter M

[Broadoak]

This scratch built shunter is loosely based on a photograph in Stewart E Squires excellent book “The Lincolnshire Potato Railways. “ It shows a Simplex with a home made wooden cab to protect the driver, she is pulling a few flat wagons loaded with sacks of potatoes. Mine is made from plasticard and the body is lower than the real one to clear the entrance to the fiddle yard on Two Sister's Farm model. It is powered by a Model Power chassis, which after much fiddling runs quite well.

I've decided to stick with the two piles of scrap as it is easy to add to it if I find anymore suitable items.

 

Peter M

Edited August 24, 2020 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

I've done a bit more work on the scenic side ground cover mostly. In its former OO state there was a small brick lined recess for the base of the water tower. This I have now filled in with card formers and a lattice work of thin card covered with thick kitchen towel soaked in PVA. I've just given it a thin coat of filler which I will seal with paint then cover with a ground cover material. The area was too small to do much else with really.

I want to make a wooden hut and loading platform in the space at the front when I can get some balsa wood, which I think is the best material for the job.

 

The tractor based device is loosely based on one made by Muir Hill although theirs used a Fordson Standard as the power source. Mine is powered by a Forson 27N which has the same engine as the Standard but is taller. It was given to me by an 009 modeller who thought I could use it in my scrap pile. It was much too good to do that with so I used to power the rail truck.

I reality the Fordson 27N had a three speed gearbox but could be fitted with a Darlington Overdrive gearbox which doubled the gears available. Presumably by changing the size of the sprockets on the final drive system could be made to give a higher top speed than the 7 mph you got with the standard three speed box on the road.
 

The Tilly is used purely for maintenance work as it is too light to push loads of potatoes about, A small wagon with a few tolls is about all it can manage.

 

Peter M

[Broadoak]

I have been able to get some balsa at last. Unfortunately it is the soft kind and I much prefer the hard sort, but never mind. I have managed to make the loading dock but need to make a structure for the foreman to do his load checking and paperwork under cover. I will take some photographs when it gets more interesting. I have made a rough mock up using card of what I think it will look like when built.

I also have added a few more items on the scrap piles, rather in the way it would happen in reality.

In the meantime a few photos of an operating session which I had recently testing various types of motive power for decent running. Apart from the tractor that is static.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter M

Edited August 25, 2020 by Broadoak

[Broadoak]

I made a card mock up of the foreman's hut to see what it would look like in the small amount of space I have available for it. The loading platform I made with soft balsa, I much prefer the hard variety but I couldn't get it anywhere. The hut looked OK next to the loading platform so I went ahead and made the actual hut of balsa wood. I thought at first of a corrugated iron roof but settled in the end for asphalt covering.

The photos show the original placing of the loading platform and the foreman's hut.

 

 

 

 

Peter M