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From Household Rubbish to ‘Fantasy Halt’


Marly51
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I have loved the amazing railway creations by Rowland Emett, since seeing them at a 1950s exhibition in Edinburgh. Using a range of materials, and working to no particular scale, lends itself to creating a more fantastical railway themed diorama! Another fantasy railway modeller, who I admire, is Phil Massey and you can read about his layout ‘Mon Jouet’ here -https://www.mixbook.com/photo-books/interests/monjouet-2nd-edition-7227776?coupon=GIFT&vk=vvN9kK4bPh&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2F 

Phil’s models incorporate children’s toys, found at car boot sales, and his models are jam packed with humorous little details!

Most of my railway models involve using recycled materials for the buildings. This time I am going to attempt to create a ‘wacky’ locomotive!
 

I have assembled some items from my stash of useful ‘rubbish’:

  • Soft paper from packaging
  • Packaging cardboard
  • Grey card stiffener from an A4 envelope
  • Discarded piece of hardboard
  • Kitchen matchsticks
  • Vitamin containers
  • Various plastic containers 
  • Tin foil pie cases
  • Clear plastic tray from cheese packaging
  • ...... any many more!

 

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Edited by Marly51
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I have taken a quick look to see which item would be best suited for my ‘fantasy’ locomotive boiler, and have chosen one of the smaller plastic vitamin containers. The locomotive chassis will come from a Dapol/Airfix static Pug kit, and the body built up using card, DAS clay and various ‘findings’. I shall  scratch build the chassis for a guards van or carriage, from Plasticard, or card treated with shellac. The locomotive, with its exaggerated chimney, will probably take up the full 6 inches height of the cake box. Hopefully  there will just be enough room for a station halt, scratch built in the style of Rowland Emett’s models, possibly with a Highland flavour. Emett’s cartoons were crammed full of detail, so there is plenty of scope for scenic extras!

My initial drawing is not to scale, but gives some idea of what I am aiming for.

 

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Edited by Marly51
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Worked on some details for the layout and the station halt building and platform last night. The plastic container will be transformed into the locomotive boiler. Still got to decide what to do with the area in front of the track. Well... time to get moving with the actual model!

 

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In one of Emett’s illustrations he has detailed the timber boarding, on the gables of a small station, in a decorative, diagonal chevron, pattern. This reminded me of old Highland porches, station shelters, fences and outbuildings, where locally-sourced natural birch poles were used. A number of examples still exist here in Sutherland, but I am unable to go and photograph them just now. There is a small shop in Golspie and, at one time, there was a signal box at Dunrobin Station with some very fine detailed timber work. You can see a photograph of the Dunrobin signal box at the Am Baile website: https://www.ambaile.org.uk/search/?searchQuery=Dunrobin+Signal+Box


I was considering creating this timber boarding effect, by laying down spent matchsticks on the gables of my station halt model... but some old barbecue or cocktail sticks might be more appropriate, to recreate the birch pole effect. A layer of DAS clay could be used to form a dressed stone base for the walls. 

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I am assembling the chassis for the locomotive today, from the Dapol Pug kit. However I am holding off the build of my ‘Emett’ style loco body until I receive a couple of unpainted character figures, which are actually G Scale. If I can manage it, I may upscale the model, otherwise I shall be modelling my own figures! 
 

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Edited by Marly51
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Still working on a few details so I start building things in the right order. I remind myself to make sure I have allowed for the thickness of the baseboard and any backscene - don’t want to be nearly finished, then find it doesn’t fit in the CakeBox!
 

I’ve been gathering a few more items for my loco, and come up with this for the construction. As always, certain details will evolve as I progress!
 

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4 minutes ago, HonestTom said:

Might a golf tee be the right shape for the funnel?

Not quite tall enough, I think, HonestTom! I am not a golfer so would have to purchase them. I may have to find a length of white-wood dowelling/balsa or play around with some plastic tubing of differing sizes! I’ll experiment!

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What about a plastic wine glass?  the stem might be the right sort of shape for the chimney, and possibly the right length.  We used to have a set in the camping box when I was a kid, so maybe a camping-supplies site might have something suitable?

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1 hour ago, Ben B said:

What about a plastic wine glass?  the stem might be the right sort of shape for the chimney, and possibly the right length.  We used to have a set in the camping box when I was a kid, so maybe a camping-supplies site might have something suitable?


Thanks, Ben! That is a solution. I do have some if these disposable glasses somewhere. Finding them is the question!

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3 hours ago, HonestTom said:

Might a golf tee be the right shape for the funnel?

 

3 hours ago, Marly51 said:

Not quite tall enough, I think, HonestTom! I am not a golfer so would have to purchase them. I may have to find a length of white-wood dowelling/balsa or play around with some plastic tubing of differing sizes! I’ll experiment!

 

Otherwise, I wonder about barrels from disposable pens or mechanical pencils.

 

Although the plastics used vary a lot, some of them seem to be made from polystyrene tubes.

 

In particular, I believe that Wilko sell packs of 10 own brand mechanical pencils - with barrels made from pastel coloured tube that seems to be polystyrene.

 

I suspect they'd lend themselves to the old-school "stretching over a candle" routine - which would yield a thinner "neck" in the middle.

 

For my cakebox build, I was thinking of using a couple of barrels from these (or some Bic crystal or similar pens) - with part of an empty Ferrero Rocher box - and scraps of plastikard - to build a freelance tram shelter.

 

If I were to stick with On30, I'd still try this - and I might have a go at building one as a "stand alone".

 

However, I'm now looking more closely at HO. I'd probably still use the FR chocolate box (albeit different sections) - plastikard for the roof - and white PVC insulating tape to represent rounded concrete walls and window frames.

 

Of course, it's likely that my plans might change again ... .

 

 

Huw.

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47 minutes ago, Huw Griffiths said:

 

 

Otherwise, I wonder about barrels from disposable pens or mechanical pencils.

 

Although the plastics used vary a lot, some of them seem to be made from polystyrene tubes.

 

In particular, I believe that Wilko sell packs of 10 own brand mechanical pencils - with barrels made from pastel coloured tube that seems to be polystyrene.

 

I suspect they'd lend themselves to the old-school "stretching over a candle" routine - which would yield a thinner "neck" in the middle.

 

For my cakebox build, I was thinking of using a couple of barrels from these (or some Bic crystal or similar pens) - with part of an empty Ferrero Rocher box - and scraps of plastikard - to build a freelance tram shelter.

 

If I were to stick with On30, I'd still try this - and I might have a go at building one as a "stand alone".

 

However, I'm now looking more closely at HO. I'd probably still use the FR chocolate box (albeit different sections) - plastikard for the roof - and white PVC insulating tape to represent rounded concrete walls and window frames.

 

Of course, it's likely that my plans might change again ... .

 

 

Huw.


Great suggestions, Huw. My model is now verging ‘very roughly’ towards G Scale, but will see what works best! I like the sound of your model!
 

Marlyn

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The unpainted figures arrived today! Grandma Giles is slightly different from the catalogue image and a bit shorter than I expected, but looking at some of the actual cartoons, she is probably about right!  https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d0/9c/e6/d09ce64034a6b19a33690184de992b87.jpg


These figures are intended for a small garden railway I am planning to build in the summer, but they will double up for the this CakeBox!

 

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Edited by Marly51
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On 16/02/2021 at 17:22, Marly51 said:

 Grandma Giles is slightly different from the catalogue image and a bit shorter than I expected, but looking at some of the actual cartoons, she is probably about right!

 

 

 

Don't forget the infamous padlock on her handbag!

 

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Edited by Dickon
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  • 4 weeks later...

Oops, it’s been a month since I updated! We’ve had a busy time with various things, so modelmaking was put on the back burner, once more! However, I did manage to construct the Dapol ‘Pug’ chassis from their plastic kit, two nights ago, after spray painting the parts black. This kit was moulded in black plastic back in the Airfix days, which made life a little easier, especially with the moving parts!

My next job was to work out a full size scale drawing of the loco, to make sure my Scotsman fitted, as the driver. The resin cast figure is very heavy, so I will need to create a balanced weight in the body work, and possibly add extra bogie wheels, if necessary. I definitely need to shorten the boiler, to leave me enough room for a ‘wacky’ carriage. Also, I may need to have a removable extension piece for the smoke stack, which can be stored in the box, to comply with the rules of the challenge.

 

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Well this coming week is going to be focussed model making! My solution for the loco chimney/smoke stack was to use a drinking straw as a former, and roll strips of paper around to create the rough profile. I am using air drying clay to smooth down the profile, then add details, once dry. It is in two sections, as the full chimney height is higher than the CakeBox. 
 

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