Boxfile on a Budget - Phase 2

[TechnicArrow]

3 hours ago, Andrew D said:

I am VERY pleased with the result. It’s a shame about the ‘line’ where the roof is removable, so if anyone has a good idea as to how to cover it, I’m all ears. 

 

For what it's worth, in the pictures you posted I wouldn't have spotted the breakline if you hadn't pointed it out as such. That said a simple solution could be a simple card lintel attached to one of the sections, painted to represent concrete/stone/brick - I don't think it'd look out of place on your excellent and unique little shed.

 

And if this shed is an indication of what's to come, then I can't wait for more!

[ManofKent]

Nice work on the shed. I agree with the lintel suggestion as an easy option, or maybe a short section of H beam?

[ManofKent]

Snapped this morning - brewery rather than engine shed, but principle applies...

[Sun VI]

Hello Andrew,

I'm very impressed with your enthusiasm, fortitude and skill.  I'm also learning from you - the filler used for cement courses looks a cracking idea, thanks very much.

 

[Andrew D]

8 hours ago, ManofKent said:

Snapped this morning - brewery rather than engine shed, but principle applies...

 

Exellent stuff = Thank you! 

 

 

7 hours ago, Sun VI said:

Hello Andrew,

I'm very impressed with your enthusiasm, fortitude and skill.  I'm also learning from you - the filler used for cement courses looks a cracking idea, thanks very much.

 

 

Aww shucks thank you! I just feel like I'm muddling along. Do check out Bexhill West on YouTube - it was on this channel that I got the idea about the filler, and there's plenty more good stuff there as well. 

Cheers! 

[Andrew D]

There has been little progress - summer is always a busy time, getting outside as much as possible and making the most of it, as there is more than enough opportunity to be indoors in the short days of the long winter! 

 

I've also been simply enjoying the layout, running trains and shunting when the opportunity strikes. 

 

One thing has become clear - the traverser has got to go! 

 

It was a valiant attempt, but the 3mm foam board has warped, and now the track simply doesn't lie flat. Derailments are more common than I'd like. 

 

 

 

 

 

I've decided to make this 3rd boxfile scenic as well. Instead of a traverser, there will be a left hand turnout from the centre line, and this will complete the passing loop of the front line. I'll then just have a 'fiddle stick' beyond this rather than this, a dedicated 'fiddle box.' 

 

The downside of this will be that it might not fit on the table of the caravan when I go away - but then I'll just have to make do with the main double box, and the fiddle stick, and forget the passing loop. That will make it a simple inglenook for the few times I take it away in the van. 

 

FInally, I bought a new camera this weekend and decided to make a video about the build so far, followed by a running session to show how smooth I have got those Mainline J72s to run. Unfortunately, I didn't have the colour on the correct setting and it looks washed out. However, it does the job if you're interested. If you want to jump straight to the running session, it's at 17:45. 

 

 

 

I *might* get the track redone soon, but I don't see much progress being made on this layout until October. But that's OK. Its given me an immeasurable amount of pleasure so far. 

 

Thanks for reading! 

 

Andrew

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Andrew D
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[Andrew D]

Typical, no update for months then two in two days 

 

I ripped out the traverser and plugged the gap with 3mm foam board. I set up the track (and had a play of course) to show the new track layout: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve stood the candle box where I intend to put a view blocker building at the entrance to the fiddle stick.

 

This 3rd box will now be scenic, so I have to decide what to do with it. As I’m lining the first two boxes with LCut Creative pieces to make the factory walls etc (same finish as the engine shed) I’ll probably conjure something up with their system. 
 

You can see there might also be a ‘dummy’ siding here from a second fiddle stick - not sure on that yet. 
 

This now makes the layout 1.5m long. Fine for the kitchen table but too big for the caravan. BUT when I go away I can take just the first two boxes and fiddle stick and operate as a type of inglenook, so it’s all good. 
 

Now I REALLY DO have to put it away for a few weeks and attend to less interesting and exciting stuff. 
 

Finally, a wee running session shot with my proper camera (although the lighting still isn’t all that) showing how the new track layout allows for THREE LOCO operation in such a tiny layout. A few weeks ago I treated myself to an immaculate Mainline Class 03 from eBay for £30. I thought it was a little bit steep until I see that there are some really bad ones on there now going for £45-60! 
 

The running session starts at 03:30 and shows just how smooth you can get these wonderful old locos to run with a @JimRead home-made controller. 
 

Thanks as ever for reading and watching. 
 

 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Andrew D
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[Andrew D]

33 minutes ago, JimRead said:

Though I do hope you are going to rip that lot up and go to O :-)

 

Ha ha! I do have a Dapol Sentinel and a couple of old wagons ready to go, Jim. However I want to finish this one and gain some skills before I start the next. Sadly as I’m still working, and I work for myself, I don’t have a huge amount of spare time, and the spare time I do have I generally like to enjoy playing trains. 

 

You’ll be proud of me because I’m planning on housing my controller in a margarine tub to respect the budget build aspect of this layout. None of this rushing out and buying a box! If I had some Shellac I’d be making a cardboard one. All the best. 

[Andrew D]

This is ALL @TechnicArrow’s fault!

 

Further to his procurement of a Hatton’s Andrew Barclay, I fancied getting one myself when I got home off my trip in October. 

 

But then I noticed stock depleting sooner than expected, so I rushed my order in which arrived 2 hours before heading out the door for 6 weeks. That was still long enough to run it for 15 minutes in each direction on a hastily-assembled oval before trying on the layout. 

 

 

 

It looks gorgeous, but I have to say I’m a wee bit disappointed with the performance so far. It seems to stutter more than I’d like, sometimes it stalls on a certain set of points, and other times it’ll be fine. It seems to be ridiculously geared (like an old Hornby Pocket Rocket) and I’d say the performance is only as good as a Hornby Railroad 0-4-0. Nowhere near bad enough to send back, but a tad disappointing all the same. I’m hoping the running will improve once I’m back home and have given it more of a run in both directions. 
 

Either way, it does look good and I’m hoping I can get it running more smoothly. Servicing instructions would have been nice… 

 

* EDIT: After running in fully, performance was much improved including the slow speed running, and now the loco runs a charm. I love it and I’d recommend it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by Andrew D
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[rodshaw]

Maybe it's just the wipers not making proper contact with the wheels. That was the cause of intermittent running on at least two locos I brought brand new.

Edited August 12, 2021 by rodshaw

[Andrew D]

4 hours ago, JimRead said:

Hello Andrew,

 

May I ask you to check the non-driving axles, is there any up and down movement in them, if not then the cause is only three wheels touching the rail most of the time and consequently poor weight distribution.

 

If they have included some compensation then a pulse/feedback controller will make a tremendous improvement.

 

Cheers - Jim

Always a pleasure to hear from you Jim. Thanks for the suggestions - sadly that four letter word (work) has got in the way and I won’t be back home for 7 weeks. Once I get home in October I’ll check what you suggest. I didn’t try it with my home-made controller as I didn’t know if it was a coreless motor or not. I’ll find out in the meantime. Cheers! 

[TechnicArrow]

On 12/08/2021 at 16:49, Andrew D said:

This is ALL @TechnicArrow’s fault!

 

Hey, don't blame me, blame...uh... actually, why did I decide to buy one of these?

 

Anyway.

Yes, your experience seems to match mine on the whole - straight out of the box the running is quite poor, and running-in to a satisfactory level takes time. I would however disagree that it's "only as good as a Railroad 0-4-0" - my Barclay can manage a lower crawl speed and much better slow-start than my newest Railroad 0-4-0, at least on the main layout. Performance on Alexandra Wharf V2 is a bit lower, but that goes for all locos so it's probably more a fault of dirty trackwork there (not helped by the large amount of insetting). There's one or two ancient curved setrack points on the main layout she understandably doesn't like, but apart from that she doesn't stall more than the rest of my fleet does.

When you get back if you have the time/resources to give yours several more bouts of running-in, I'm sure it'll get better.

[Andrew D]

Eight weeks away working, two weeks sleeping to recover, and finally the time to have some fun with the wee layout. 

 

I want to be able to close the lids of the box files without too much faff, so I was looking for low-relief buildings that would not need ‘splitting’ horizontally for storage. As such, it’s going to be a ‘ground level only’ kind of a layout.  In the main section of the layout I’ll be using LCut pieces to represent the side of the factory in the same style as the engine shed, but I wanted to do something a little different with the new 3rd box - something like garages, or light industry served by a road that will have to come over the rails due to lack of access on either side. 

 

Finally I found just the buildings that fitted the bill. I thought I’d have a go at improving the basic printed cardboard by reinforcing a small building I made with stiff cardboard secured by PVA… It warped and looked TERRIBLE! Here’s what happened, with the roller doors removed and salvaged: 

 

 

 

I hit upon a far better way to improve these super little kits. It involves NOT trying to make the building in all one piece by folding the corners and door/window openings as instructed. 

 

Instead, I cut out the front/sides/roof/windows/doors and use stick glue (like Pritt) to glue these to thick card (salvaged from ‘Do Not Bend’ envelopes). These are then assembled using PVA glue, cardboard corner strengthening sections, and coloured pencils to colour the cardboard edges. 

 

The result, as you can see, is way better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MUCH better! 

 

As mentioned, there will be a yard in front of these buildings accessed by a crossing just to the left of the V of the points. 

 

One problem I’ve been considering a lot is how to disguise the bulldog clips holding the two boxfile sections together. I’ve made a kind of bridge-like structure out of foam board with the intention of covering both sides with brick paper. I guess it’ll be a ‘kind of’ bridge, but I don’t really have the skills or tools to make a proper job of it, so it’s going to be half bridge, half scenic break. We’ll see how it comes along. 

 

 

 

You’ll see I’ve also done a test section of ballasting, which has yet to be painted and weathered. 

 

Thanks for reading! 

 

Andrew 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Andrew D
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[westhighlandline]

Hey Andrew!

 

Nice to see that little layout come together.  Happy to follow your steady and quick progress. I expect more to come from you soon, now that the modelling season has finally arrived. ☺

 

Cheers from Switzerland

Kosta

[Andrew D]

On 30/10/2021 at 08:35, westhighlandline said:

Hey Andrew!

 

Nice to see that little layout come together.  Happy to follow your steady and quick progress. I expect more to come from you soon, now that the modelling season has finally arrived. ☺

 

Cheers from Switzerland

Kosta

 
 

Thanks Kosta! Nice to see you here, and to see the construction of Loch Tay. I can assure you that Caran Leisg (have you worked that bit out yet?  ) is going to be quite different to the masterpieces that you produce - it’s a ‘skillbuilder’ being built down to a price with the main emphasis on operation. 

————————————————-

 

Flicking back through the thread, I think that in my haste I was a little unfair to the Hattons Andrew Barclay. After further running in, it’s turned into a little star. The only downside is, it’s so detailed it makes my basic rolling stock look very crude! The priority at the moment is to get the layout looking presentable and the wiring finished. After that, I can start tinkering with the stock. Who knows, after two years I might even get my new airbrush out of its box for the first time… 

 

 

[Andrew D]

Continuing the theme of keeping the cost down, trial and error… 

 

For the yard area in front of the industrial units, I considered making cobbles out of DAS clay, but first I thought I’d try the quicker and cheaper alternative of making a ‘dirt’ yard out of ash from the fire. I spread Copydex adhesive on the ground, added a thick layer of ash, misted this with IPA, then dribbled on diluted PVA. After three days it has dried up like this: 

 

 

It looks worse on the photo than it does in real life. I think, once some weeds, grass, vehicles and general yard stuff are all added, it’ll look OK. It will be behind a fence, as well. 

 

For ballast, I have used sand from the beach at Eoligarry in the Isle of Barra. The first section I laid using the latter stages of the above - misting with IPA, then dripping on diluted PVA with a drop of washing up liquid. It came up really well: 

 

 

 

Once it’s painted and weathered, a cess added etc, I think it’ll look fine. 

 

BUT…

 

On my N gauge layout Dale Green, using the above method to fix the ballast caused all the insulfrog points to fail. Therefore, this time I was keen to try Ballast Magic. It’s a powder you mix with the ballast, then after laying you just have to soak it with water. 

 

The instructions say a ratio of 1:5 to 1:10, with 1:7 being the optimum. So I mixed 1 tablespoon of Ballast Magic to 7 tablespoons of sand. I spent many hours laying this in the main yard section of the layout, soaked with water, allowed to dry, then cleaned the track and got the small hand-held vacuum to remove the excess sand before running any trains. This was the result: 

 

 

 

 

NOT impressed. Imagine if I’d used 1:10! So I shall either add more Ballast Magic, or just go back to the PVA method. However, after a bit of cleaning and titivation, all the points still conduct as they should - so my overall aim WAS achieved. If I go for the PVA method when I attempt round 2, I’ll be keeping that well clear of the points. 

 

Last night a sizeable order went in to LCut Creative, so I will be able to soon make a start on the station, factory buildings, and the scenic break bridge. Once these are in place I can finish the ballasting and then start attempting the DAS Clay method of Cinders effect. 

 

As always, thanks for reading. 

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Andrew D

[Andrew D]

A quick update before the layout gets packed away again for a few weeks while life gets busy again. A few parcels arrived including a lot of pieces from @LCUT_creative. 

 

The join between the boxes 1&2 and box 3 has been a real headache, and is testing my very limited skills beyond the limit. I ordered the Peco Girder Bridge Sides to sit atop the walls, then of course realised when it arrived that it looked all wrong, given that it needs to sit atop proper piers. It’s also way too long for the gap needing spanned, and I don’t have the means to cut it down. As a fairly new modeller, all this ‘stop-start’ starts to wear you down a bit, and I’m also a bit fed up of buying all this STUFF that might only get used once. So… I’ve concocted some strange thing with a piece of C channel which, when it’s filled and weathered properly will look OK. I think this might have to be a case of ‘it’ll do’ given the lack of clearance between the cut sides of the box files and the trains. To have removed much more of the sides here would have seriously compromised the rigidity of the box files. Once the paint has cured, the walls will get a plaster wash, then a weathering down

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again - I don’t think box files can support a model railway that is operationally interesting, works well, AND looks realistic. I think you have to aim for two out of the three! 

 

 

I had more success with the station. The station ‘building’ is a grounded coach, instantly recognisable as an old Hornby 4 wheeled coach. I recently picked one up at the Folkestone MRC show for a bargain £2. Using lots of passes with a Poundland craft knife, I managed to cut out part of the side to accommodate a door from LCut creative. 

 

When cutting away the glazing, I managed to crack the roof. But rather than try to do a neat repair, I did what would have been done in real life - I patched it! A piece of paper doubles as a felt patch. I painted it a rather nasty shade of light brown as it seemed appropriate. 

 

 

 

 

The platforms are 2 x 5mm foam board and 1 x 3mm foam board, edged with walls from LCut Creative. As you can see from the pics, this is currently way too bright (new can of red oxide paint - much brighter than the can from Poundland), but by the time it’s been washed with thinned filler and black paint, and then weathered, it should look OK. For the platform surface I shall probably just use sand, then a layer of Woodland Scenics fine ash. I have steps from LCut to make up yet, and will attempt to make fencing from coffee stirrers. 

 

 

 

 

I don’t see anything happening now until after Christmas, but you never know. 

 

As always, thanks for reading. 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Andrew D
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[Andrew D]

To say the past few weeks have been ‘frustrating’ doesn’t come close. I have seriously considered scrapping the layout multiple times, only stopping because I actually like it and, as a ‘skill builder,’ I do want to see it through to completion. The frustrations are, after all, learning experiences in themselves. 

 

It started off when I went away in the caravan, and realised that 3 box files + fiddle stick is too big. The original plan was 3 boxes and no fiddle stick, but the traverser idea failed and the 3rd scenic box came into being. 

 

However, I realised that I could still have a lot of operational fun when faced with limited space with just the two original boxes as a kind of inglenook - but it would mean introducing isolating sections (to be able to release the loco bringing trains in) and wiring the whole thing up properly. 

 

Fortunately, I had planned for this eventuality when laying the track and had already soldered ‘droppers’ to the track where they would be needed. I’d also allowed for possible failure of continuity through the point blades, which happened in a couple of cases. 

 

 

 

 

One of the million disadvantages with box files is that there is nowhere to mount cheap toggle switches, and I don’t have the skills to make a switch panel. After agonising over the cost I bit the bullet and bought Peco isolating switches and a holder, together with a 6 pin DIN plug and socket to connect the switches to the layout.

 

Only when the package arrived from Derails did I realise I’d goofed, and the DIN socket was for panel mounting, but I wanted trailing. Bang went the free time I had to do the wiring. 

 

I was also planning to paint up some wagons and ordered the transfers without consulting the gurus at RM Web. Suffice to say I’ve been one of the unlucky ones with the supplier of said transfers, and so far it’s been five weeks since the order went in. So there’s been no wagon painting while I wait. 

 

After an order on the Bay of Fleas for a couple of 6-pin DIN plugs and trailing sockets, I waited some more. 

 

When the necessary arrived, I then spent an evening procrastinating and wondering how on earth I’d solder the plug before actually doing it, and realising that it was nowhere near as difficult as I thought it would be. The first pin took about half an hour to solder, the last pin took about 10 seconds. 

 

 

 

Just as I got into it… I ran out of cable. Or is it wire? Either way, there was no more. 

 

So, another order went in via The Bay to a nice model shop in Thirsk.

 

CM3 models were extremely efficient and the cable arrived very quickly, but my free time was no more. 

 

Eventually I had a free evening and went to continue the wiring. The soldering iron seemed to take a long time to heat up… because it had chosen this moment to give up the ghost. 

 

It was at this point that I felt that God/The Universe/Whichever Belief System was trying to tell me just to pack it all in. But I didn’t. I ordered a new soldering iron. 

 

And tonight I finished the wiring! Sadly my Dremel  is back home (I am staying with family for a while) so I can’t make the necessary isolating breaks, but it all seems to work. Suddenly, it all seemed SO worthwhile! 

 

The switches are mounted on a boxfile off-cut along with my home made controller which delivers awesome slow-speed results from my old Mainline locos. If I want to run more modern stock it’s easy to switch that to a Gaugemaster Combi. I’ll get some velcro to attach the relevant controller to the control board. 

 

 

 

So here you have the missive as to why it’s taken me a month to wire a box file layout. But… we got there in the end! 

 

Next job is the low-relief factory, then I can complete the ballasting. 

 

Thanks for reading. 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Andrew D
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[Andrew D]

After the ‘Two Steps Forwards, one step backwards’ progress of January, the past couple of weeks have seen some tenable progress. 

 

 

 

 

Yes, we finally have a bakery and the whole raison d’être for the layout. 

 

The low relief factory wall and warehouse are all made from pieces from @LCUT_creative. Great products, good price, and formidable service. 

 

 

 

The pieces were sprayed with Poundland red oxide primer before assembling, and this was then coated in regular interior filler which was immediately wiped off with a damp cloth. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was then washed with watered down acrylics with a drop of washing up liquid, as always mixtures of the cheap but great quality primary colour acrylics from The Works. 

 

 

 

 

This is then weathered down using chalk pastels, again from the works. These are whittled into a bowl using a knife and applied with a stiff brush. 

 

 

 

Signage is made by Scale Model Scenery - a great product, but unfortunately the main sign is a bit too big. You get four signs all the same size - I wish they did two of this size and two of half the size instead. I’ll be suggesting that to Justin & Tina at Model Rail Scotland  

 

 

 

 

 

I’m absolutely delighted with the effect, and I also prefer the way I have done the windows (painted black) to the way I did them on the engine shed. I’ve decided to get another 6 windows from LCut at MRS and revisit the engine shed. 

 

 

 

 

I have two questions. 

 

First off, in this overview, I am wondering what to do in the area to the right of the station by the open wagon. I’m wondering if I could put a coaling stage here for the locomotives given the lack of space by the engine shed. That way, if I want to change eras, I could build the coaling stage on a base plate and make it removable, so I could maybe exchange it for a fuel tank if required. Failing that, there is always the ubiquitous coal merchant and staithes. 

 

 

 

 

 

My second question is about Buffer Stops. I have the Peco versions to build, but they take up valuable space. Does anyone know if beams were ever mounted to walls to act as buffer stops? These are  the two sidings I have in mind: 

 

 

 

 

If anyone has ideas about these two issues, I’d be glad to hear them. 

 

As you can see, there is still a long way to go. I can’t wait to continue experimenting with the ballasting.  But I am delighted with how it is looking so far. 

 

As always, thanks for reading. 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Andrew D
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[The Bandit]

It’s all looking very good Andrew. You can’t beat a box file for getting the brain cells working - how to best utilise the small space available. In my most recent box file called Bleak Moor Quarry Shed , I used sleepers laid across the rails (or even at the end of the rails) and then ‘chained down’ to act as buffers. Hope this gives you some ideas.

[Andrew D]

59 minutes ago, The Bandit said:

In my most recent box file called Bleak Moor Quarry Shed , I used sleepers laid across the rails (or even at the end of the rails) and then ‘chained down’ to act as buffers. Hope this gives you some ideas.

 

Thank you! Do you have a thread here on RMWeb? My search has drawn a blank… 

[The Bandit]

Hello again Andrew. I don’t have a thread but my box file M & J Brewery Sidings has been in the e mag The Dispatch and published in the French magazine Voie Libre. Bleak Moor Quarry Shed is to be included in Ian Holmes’  March issue of The Dispatch. You can subscribe for free and it’s a really good read.

[Andrew D]

I’m already a fan of The Dispatch. Looking forward to seeing it. 

[Andrew D]

While I acknowledge that there is a long way to go yet with the scenery (ballasting etc), I am very pleased with the performance I’m getting from a controller that cost me £20 to build and two locos that cost me £15 and £30 respectively. 
 

I made a wee video with a layout update and a shunting session. If you want to skip straight to the shunting to see how the layout performs, it’s at the 10 minute mark. 
 

https://youtu.be/ZZCuSNWtsyQ

 

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Andrew D

[The Bandit]

Lovely work Andrew. The thing with detailing is, once you start, other ideas occur to you and you can keep returning to the layout at odd moments and do a bit more. Your slow speed running is great. You look like you use insulfrog points which is even more impressive. I too use insulfrog and never seem to have problems - keep it simple is what I say. Have you thought about submitting photos to The Dispatch when you have finished? Ian is very accommodating and I’m sure the subscribers would love to see what you’ve built.