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The (Slow) Train to Scarville


Nile
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Work is still progressing slowly. As well as building up the scenery there are smaller detailing jobs to do. I've been making a ground frame for the siding at the small halt. This is mainly leftover bits of Wills point roding mounted on a piece of foam board.

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The levers and base are from the Ratio signal box detailing kit.

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The facing point lock made up from bits of plastic card/rod/strip.

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That went on the other side of the track, linked to the middle (blue) lever.

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I've repositioned one of the levers, they would normally all be 'in' but this lever controls a stop block so needs to be 'out' to allow access to the siding.

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Moving the lever in would swing the block across the rail. Simple and good enough to hold a single wagon in the siding.

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I've been concentrating scenic work on what can be considered the front of the layout, including the hill and road that divides it in two. The following photos show some of the progress on that.

The basic landscape, made up from pieces of insulation foam and foamboard, was slowly covered with Sculptamold. The added red paint results in a pinkish look when dry.034.JPG.6618515aa6eb48081e5f82eb2d9b481a.JPG

 

 

The small station halt. The main station at the end of the line can wait till later.035.JPG.4690cea103482f03baace7b1d01d86e3.JPG

 

 

The hill has now been built up to its final form. Other parts of the landscape have received a coat of poster paint, working towards earth brown.036.JPG.09f1d03193625ed8a4367913962c58bd.JPG

 

 

The ground is looking more earth like now, ballasting has been resumed, and the platform ends now have ramps.037.JPG.d8451eac5d70fa02862fbb6434fc9c3e.JPG

 

 

I was wondering what to do with the bridge. These Wills bits for an occupational bridge, suitably shortened, seem to work.038.JPG.50d51d5eafa1f58e9e86e268a0bf9c67.JPG039.JPG.f20747b91720072cf6a77c78ff311952.JPG

 

 

Edited by Nile
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It's been so long since I've seen any other layouts that I can't remember. I suspect most modellers don't know what a FPL is anyway.

Updates have been a bit sparse mainly because I haven't felt like doing any, not through lack of modelling which is continuing slowly as ever. So here is a small one to get things going.

The landscape has turned from brown to green with the application of some scenic scatter material.040.JPG.37f9dadb22ad7f72176ea86ecd57de85.JPG041.JPG.9df2d3abd2470e1d470f9ddfee8d7ec1.JPG

 

 

This is just a base coat. Static grass and other stuff will eventually be applied over this.

Another little detail I've added is a small wooden platform to stand on to operate the ground frame.042.JPG.c77e7828945640b1122dde18729d4fd6.JPG

 

 

Edited by Nile
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1 hour ago, Nile said:

It's been so long since I've seen any other layouts that I can't remember. I suspect most modellers don't know what a FPL is anyway.

There was, a few months ago, some beautiful 3D-printed renditions of Midland Railway economical FPLs shown - I forget if they were for P4 or S7. I'm afraid I was so tactless as to mention the boarding that protected the mechanism from damage by accidentally-dangling bits of rolling stock and, of course, hid the FPL from view...

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And now for some news from the signalling department - there are signals!

Originally the Scarrdale Railway didn't have much in the way of signalling, it mainly operated on the one engine in steam principle. But growing traffic and the need for passenger trains meant some proper signalling was needed. Some parts and advice were obtained from the LNWR, as I already had the Ratio kit for these.

This signal controls access to the main line from the main station. The lower arm is a shunt ahead signal, allowing access as far as the crossing. The arms and post have been shortened so they fit in better. The balance weight arms also needed shortening because of the tight clearance where I've put it.043.JPG.3beba4a180ca71e580c261557a633c38.JPG

 

 

Some test running to check clearance.044.JPG.651254c0c125097400f8fd0189a9c22d.JPG045.JPG.786e49599027c2662e041a7320f6da00.JPG046.JPG.a4d510b86abacd105c5e0ab179a6b794.JPG

 

 

 

 

To operate it from the back of the layout I've used a combination of rods and levers. These rods run through brass tubes to the layout underside.047.JPG.01659a56f08868079a1f3a89c4e430c5.JPG

 

 

In a recess on the underside these rods end in loops. Operating levers locate into these loops.048.JPG.bb36b7623ad6218805f911b279148915.JPG

 

 

Some more brass tube take these levers to the back of the layout. No complicated electronics here, just simple mechanics.049.JPG.8e79455f2d46bf658a0be36672a7ac42.JPG

 

Edited by Nile
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Them engineers have been busy again. Some point rodding has appeared. The signal box, which will be bottom centre of the photo, only controls two points but both have a FPL.050.JPG.43f0828e399cbce5c1230d99d7d81656.JPG

 

 

In order to allow a shunting loco onto the mainline as far as the crossing I needed to add a section break there. Simple enough to do with a slitting disc in a drill. But this left a section of the mainline electrically isolated. I decided the easiest way to connect this to the adjacent section was a link across the point at the halt. The ballast was wetted and dug out, making room for a link wire. This will disappear under new ballast.051.JPG.215f1f26c8f5ab13d165c5d68ce2ec36.JPG

 

 

Having a think about the operation of the main station I realised an extra signal was needed. A train waiting to depart needs to be far enough back from the main signal to leave room for an incoming train to pass. The answer I came up with was this ground signal between the tracks of the station loop.052.JPG.b86d1afe8fc58dc366b79e5fe324b4b4.JPG

 

It's too small to make work, and can hardly be seen anyway. It provides a useful marker for where to place a departing train.053.JPG.3b6e51b44e8083321abc96f973b57e3e.JPG

 

Edited by Nile
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At the other end of the station some work on the landscape has been happening. I'd already installed a base for the sheep dock - three layers of foamboard. The top and front surfaces were cut from embossed Plastikard.054.JPG.17f325cd197fa0f1afaf7524892d20fe.JPG055.JPG.a07eba36d255598e9986d52090bcb847.JPG

 

 

 

The landscape around it was then built up with pieces of foamboard.056.JPG.b8c9b618ca432c6fc245b839dfc42306.JPG

 

 

Later finished off with Scuptamold.057.JPG.11682dd299c812091a7f62e0fd732836.JPG

 

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The process of greenifying the landscape is a slow one. I've been using static grass, which I find needs to be applied in layers to build up to the sort of density that I want. Things have moved on enough in the corner with the bridge to allow me to instal the roadside walls. These are the laser cut foam stone walls (as seen on the Warren branch) from Osbourne's models, which are very flexible, so ideal for bending round curves and up slopes.058.JPG.9136e8388b5d09d56d064b783919414e.JPG059.JPG.a6e651587dd8b7b05e9e1dd4101bda2f.JPG

 

 

Edited by Nile
osbournes
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101 modelling uses for Lego, no.23.

Adding the ladder to the station signal, I improvised a lower support from some ladder material. I needed something to hold it level while the glue set, which is where the Lego came in handy.060.JPG.7b47b7e23c0cd63a7f17ac8f31001d62.JPG

 

 

Just enough room for the ladder next to the point rodding.061.JPG.86365b917ea49d9249fc48cf5aa6f022.JPG

 

Edited by Nile
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That works of you're happy working in imperial units. The basic one-knobber brick is ⁵⁄₁₆" wide by ⅜" tall so your jig has set the underside of the ladder at ¹⁵⁄₁₆" above baseboard height, a scale 5'11⁷⁄₁₆". It's handy to remember that this scale is 33/64" to 1 metre.

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Backscene

This layout needs a backscene to hide the fiddle yard and continuous run from view. Its current storage location limits the maximum height to 4 inches. Another factor is the need to see over it when operating from the rear, particularly with regard to shunting in the station area. For this reason I've made the smaller section on the left only 3 inches tall. The larger section starts 3 inches tall, and gradually increases to 4 inches near the right end. A filler piece will extend it to the bridge. The small piece has been glued in place, the larger one will be fixed later as it restricts access to the station area.062.JPG.9c527060a19402b7b1b6b670d95aa44d.JPG

 

 

To fill the area between the road and station I've taken the radical decision of using a Wills Iron Chapel as it's meant to be, rather than convert it to something else. Here it is in a boring green paint scheme, which seems typical.063.JPG.f6b8760704319bc1c6ae828b6d152845.JPG

 

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Here's what it looks like after painting and the addition of some scenary. I've painted it with enamel paint to seal it. A water based paint could have caused it to warp.064.JPG.950d0a0466400f64177c350555885b39.JPG

 

 

I've started on the main station building, more Wills kit bodgery. This will be in two parts with an overall roof. The window on the right facing into the passageway between them is the ticket window.065.JPG.0f8ad3a9cea0cdbf0e911834b795e2f8.JPG

 

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19 hours ago, Nile said:

I've started on the main station building, more Wills kit bodgery. This will be in two parts with an overall roof. The window on the right facing into the passageway between them is the ticket window.

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It seems that Tom Dauben's beaten you to that idea already! :D

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This was on his Hebridean Light Railway Isleornsay layout (https://hlrco.wordpress.com/blog/)

Edited by Hando
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A bit more done. I'm not going to bother detailing the interior as it won't be seen or accessible.066.JPG.009970a46201ae2452c390815b242772.JPG

 

 

This won't be easy to see either when it's finished.067.JPG.348ce0ddd32e568b2fa635d5838a8d38.JPG

 

 

I've had to glue the roof on to give the structure strength and stability. I'm thinking of adding a canopy if I can find enough bits for the valance.068.JPG.535627b74c2747a2ad3ab5f821d6fe67.JPG

 

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Not had a chance to look through the forum but sometimes a return after an absence highlights just how much has been achieved and you have a achieved so much in a few months Nile. Fantastic, quality and inspirational modelling. The signals are a real gem and I really like what you have built as the station building. Hopefully I will be able to be a more regular viewer and keep more up to date with your progress. Woody

 

 

 

 

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Hi Nile, really like the way the layout is progressing - as @Woody C says above.  Could I just ask what you use for the ballast and how you stick it down?  It looks a bit like the Calci Sand I used on my test track, which I stuck down with PVA after soaking with water / washing up liquid.  It hasn’t been a problem, but yours is definitely neater than mine so I have room for improvement.  Thanks, Keith,

Edited by Keith Addenbrooke
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The ballast is Woodland Scenics fine buff. For glue I use a mixture of PVA (50%), IPA (25%) & water (25%). I don't 'pre-soak' it, I apply the glue mixture from a plastic bottle with a very fine nozzle (I think it's actually meant for applying flux), and I only apply small amounts at a time.

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No more progress on the station building, but I have managed to finish off the stone walling along the road. These flexible pieces of foam need to be held down with pins and weights while the glue sets.070.JPG.296591718e0852f710bf813164b4f803.JPG

 

 

The view along the road from the crossing.071.JPG.e59dfc1ff1bd730376f477f2d03b0a60.JPG

 

 

An overview of the yard area, with the buildings plonked down for effect. Still lots to do here, but I want to sort the platform out next.072.JPG.4699e72534dc62ec9156923eee92c26b.JPG

 

Edited by Nile
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