Toying with an Industrial layout shelf

[ManofKent]

6 hours ago, sb67 said:

I'm pretty sure with Electrofrog points all feeds must be at the toe end of the points. I stand to be corrected but I think for your plan to work you'd have to have insulating rail joiners where the green arrow is and the feed for the top section would have to be in between the two points. The feed for the bottom section looks ok. 

 

Thanks - I might add isolators to that top siding and add a third feed between the upper pair of points where the toes join.

[ManofKent]

Track laid and tested - I used the Peco pre-soldered fishplate connectors for ease and they're discreet enough for me with holes drilled through the baseboard. Copydex to glue everything in place (beer can weights) avoiding the point bars. Seems secure enough. I've drilled holes under the points bars incase I go with rods - still undecided whether it's worth it on such a tiny layout. For testing I used a a basic Bachman 36-560 I'd picked up 2nd hand for £5 complete with transformer. I was going to replace it with something more sophisticated, but as I can get something approaching a crawl out of a Hornby Railroad 0-4-0 using it I might not bother - pleasantly surprised what a basic controller can do. I've started cutting back one edge of the foam to install the quay wall, but that's going to take some time to complete, and I probably ought to decide what track I'm inlaying first, and finalise building locations...

[ManofKent]

Played around with clearances and decided the small engine shed will fit at the end of the second siding from left on photo above - will act as a scene blocker for line out (far left) and be at the opposite end of the layout to the timber stores and workshops (seems more logical than right next to flammable sawdust/timber!). It's going to be very simple pretty much like this prototype (although if I include the added lean-to it will be brick not stone) - https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/12/a_small_industrial_loco_shed.htm  I tried holding two sheets of Wills corrugated sheets back to back and decided it was just too thick but as there will be no doors I need to see corrugation inside and out. Thinking going with their clear corrugated glazing sheets and painting them might be easiest over a frame of 3mmx1mm strips.

Edited May 7, 2021 by ManofKent
typo

[ManofKent]

Little visible progress so no photo update of layout, but I've been busy playing.

 

The track has altered slightly - there wasn't enough of a gap between the rear sidings and front sidings (right on previous picture) so I lifted some of the track (the joys of laying track with Copydex - highly recommended - made it fairly easy) and replaced a short section with a little flexi. It moves the sidings a little close to the front, but still gives me enough room at the front for coping stones, and the compromise will allow room for a simple water tower and fueling point next to the shed. It will also allow a small structure to fit between the two pairs of sidings. Probably an old van store to give it a local flavour (there's 30+ old BR vans dotted around what used to be the main timber unloading sidings and is now a boatyard). I'm modelling mid 50's so can't go for ex-BR but there are early 20th Century SECR van kits which could be justified...

 

 

 

 

 

[ManofKent]

On less positive notes, there are barely a handful published photos of the Faversham  Quay branchline, and whilst I'm aiming for flavour of location rather than accurate model I wanted to try and include key elements. There are two photos of one of the cranes and both show a 1-2tn crane with a corrugated cab. For those old enough to remember - think the 70's/ early 80's Hornby/Pola coaling stage crane. After a couple of weeks searching I found one on the great auction site in the cloud. Sadly when it arrived it was that Curly-Wurly moment  (or Wagon Wheels for those who liked the horrible things) - I remembered it as being much bigger when I was a lad... It's titchy barely suited to HO, more TT scale and would look wrong anywhere other than at the back of a deep layout.  It's going to be a case of scratch-build (maybe using a Wills lamp hut for cab?) or try and find something that resembles the manual crane (beefier than the Wills yard crane with cagework girder jib).

[ManofKent]

Not much progress on the modelling side, but I've got a few bits to assemble including a Langley crane. Socket installed in side of base and wiring all joined up (easier than the holding bare wires together for testing ). I like these new slimline WAGOs, but found crimping a 'bootlace' ferrule on the wire end the only way of ensuring a good connection.

 

I played around with a couple of lengths of stiff wire for point rodding, but decided it's silly on a layout of this size with the points being just a few inches from where the rod control would go. Instead I've ordered Caboose levers from the US. Still going with Kadees for coupling.

 

 

[ManofKent]

A little track work, and finally a start on the scenics...

 

I lifted the track at the rear and using sheets of cork glued together and sanded created a slight gradient - only around 2% to about 7mm high. It's a tiny layout but I don't want the scenics pancake flat and if I'm adding a very slight rise to the landscape at the rear it would have looked odd to have the track completely flat.

 

The main activity though was at the front. I cut back the front edge with a foam cutter ready to put in the quay wall. Having walked along Faversham's Wharf and Quays I counted six types of edging (brick, wooden planks, concrete, stacked 'telegraph poles', old sleepers, and steel retaining walling). I such a small length I possibly should have stuck with one, but decided on two - brick walling for one end (and probably a short section at the  other, with wooden planks for the majority. Walnut strips ordered (grain is nice and fine compared to softwoods and it won't need a base dye).

 

The crane is going on a raised platform at the end of the two front sidings (wooden buffer beams will be fixed to this saving track length).  I've used Wills Sheet (English bond, although both English and Flemish bond appear to have been used in Faversham for different sections!).  I had planned on giving it a base coat of light red, but experiments on scrap showed the sheet raw is pretty good once mortared (cheap filler, applied then wiped off). It's going to be so covered in mud and algae for much of the height the base probably won't be that visible anyway). Wills Setts for the top (still undecided on 'mortar' or just letting the washes and powder fill). The sidings will be inlaid with setts carved into DAS  that will hopefully match the Wills one's reasonably closely! I still need to add coping stones (probably DAS again if I can get it thin enough, if not scribed/cut plastic angle will do). Wooden posts to be added, along with silt etc.  at the base (it's modelled at low tide!).

[ManofKent]

Today started well with an early morning trip into town to take a few reference photos of setts. We're luck in that there's a large expanse in the town centre and a few scattered pockets elsewhere. Thinking I'll adopt the more mortared look for the raised area, and the mossier look for the sidings - hopefully they'll visually blend rather looking too disparate.

 

[ManofKent]

I say the day started well, but in between and after work I started on the check rails for the inlaid track. My initial plan was to use code 75 laid on the edge of the chairs, but I thought the flangeway looked a little large. I puled it up and tried something different - laying the code 75  horizontally on its side pushing the rail top underneath the vertical rail top of the main code 100. It looked quite good, although curves were a pain, giving a relatively narrow U channel. Testing a couple of wagons the modern flanges seemed okay so pleased with myself I was about to stop when I thought I'd better test a loco. Failure - it just wasn't deep enough to ensure reliable traction and jumped on the curves. So I ripped it up and went back to code 75  vertically next to the code 100. Works well and where the infill and check rails will be fractionally lower than the code 100 top should make track cleaning reasonably easy... DAS clay here we come...

[ManofKent]

Setts engraved and given an initial coat of black, followed by grey acrylic.

 

I think by the time I've picked out a few individual stones in  a couple of colours (won't go mad as they're generally pretty even in life), added a wash and powders for mortar the regularity of the Wills sheet won't standout too much against the hand-carved, particularly with a crane on top...

[ManofKent]

A week of frustrations.

 

The caboose throws arrived, and seem to work well enough, but the bars are longer than I'd realised so are going to take up more room than I hoped for. I'm also going to have to come up with a more solid fixing - they're presumably designed to be screwed into wood - foam and cork won't  do. I think a piece of thin ply inlay is required.

 

I had planned on having a saw next to the timber store and found Woodland Scenics did a kit that looked good - it assembled into two parts the saw bench and a steam powered generator. The steam bit was too 19thC America but I thought I could use the bench part and connect the band to something more suitable, or through hole in shed wall to hide power source.  Kit arrived and let's just say I have never come across a worse kit. My guess is the moulds needed retiring a few years ago. The flash made the Dapol re-issues seem positively clean and it was impossible to tell what was detail and what was flash metal. After an hour with needle files it looked bad but possibly usable under paint, but then I tried assembly an realised the main frame wasn't just bent out of alignment in one direction, it was three. I eventually gave it up as a bad job.

 

So I moved onto constructing buildings and structures. The Cambrian SECR van went together smoothly(irons and buffers removed), The Will's weighbridge fine, along with the roof of the timberstore. I then started on converting an mdf engiine shed into a workshop when I was faced with what I sort of guessed. I haven't got the physical space to get everything I'd planned in and create a convincing composition.  I'm now slimming down what I'm going to include, and actually thinking properly about height/size balance. I'm also planning vehicle access, complete with areas big enough to turn likely vehicles! I should have knocked up card mockups in advance...

[Multigauge]

On 25/05/2021 at 16:00, ManofKent said:

Setts engraved and given an initial coat of black, followed by grey acrylic.

 

I think by the time I've picked out a few individual stones in  a couple of colours (won't go mad as they're generally pretty even in life), added a wash and powders for mortar the regularity of the Wills sheet won't standout too much against the hand-carved, particularly with a crane on top...

I think it's looking pretty good. You're a lot better at this inlaid track malarkey than me. 

I briefly considered using check rails and found out that they were not always installed and took the easy option. I've been making slow progress with mine due to a non covid lurgy doing the rounds that floored the family, but I have fitted some more Wills stone setts. I tried using Das clay as a trial but it didn't scribe well for me. 

[ManofKent]

Thanks. With DAS check rails are pretty much essential to keep the flangeways clear. The problem with checkrails besides being a little fiddly to fit is they do emphasise the narrow gauge nature of oo.  I like the Wills sheet setts - they're definitely easier - maybe a little even (although prototypes vary) and whilst not quite overscale they are at the large end of real setts. I found the trick with scribing DAS was drying time. For me about 18 hours seemed right -  not set perfectly hard but almost. Hope you and your family are feeling better. 

Edited June 1, 2021 by ManofKent
Setts not cobbles!

[ManofKent]

Not a lot of progress this week due to being reminded the garden needed some work...

 

Having been severely disappointed with the Woodland Scenics saw bench kit, I tracked down one from Langley models - still to assemble, but unlike the Woodland Scenics garbage it does have clean and undistorted mouldings!

 

Caboose switches installed. They're the HO/N universal ones - a bit smaller than the standard HO ones but obviously still overscale and not prototypical for UK railways. I think they'll look okay once bedded into the scenery and painted - Chris Nevard used the slightly larger ones on Brewhouse Quay and they look okay (alright there's the minor issue that I don't possess Chris Nevard's talent or experience... ). The connector was too long for where I wanted to site the forth one, but I turned one round and carefully drilled out the hole designed for wire operation and used that (just fits) - it took two attempts but thankfully they came as a set of 5. Would I use them again? I don't know - on this 'layout' the points are only 4 inches ish from the front so wire in tube just seemed pointless (no pun intended). If the points were further in on a larger piece I'd probably go remote operation  with rod or wire in tube, and whilst I can get away with none VR point levers on a private industrial layout they'd look wrong on a BR branchline... They work well and using a lever is quite satisfying.

 

 

 

 

[ManofKent]

A bitty day.

 

Roof section of timber store assembled (Wills Kit) and given initial paint (believe it or not under natural light the corrugated iron is green with black (well black lightened a little with some deck tan to soften slightly) wood work.

 

Kadee magnets cut down a little from each end with a dremel. I was going to just paint planks on, but decided to gently score them with the cutting disk to hopefully enhance the illusion. Of course the planks are now 4mm wide, but my walnut strip wood for the rest of the walkway was 3mm. The difference showed too much so not being able to rescore the magnets it was order some more strip wood (Cornwall Model Boats are excellent for strip wood). Hopefully when painted the magnets won't be too obviously magnets, and the walkways are at least in logical locations.

 

Whilst I had the dremel out I took back the original finish on a Pocketbond Austin K2 that's going to be repainted.

 

Oh, and because I haven't got enough partially completed jobs to finish off, I decided I would add more hand carved stone setts...

[ManofKent]

Bored with inscribing stone setts and still prevaricating over whether to squeeze a curved background on or stick with corners that are at least view blocked at low level, I had a play with another element.

 

I needed a small coal lorry suitable for use in early to mid 50's and the options seemed surprisingly limited, particularly if you wanted to avoid railway or regional branding. I ended up picking up a used Pocketbond Classix, stripping paint with a  dremel and brushes before priming and hand painting.  Main colour is mix of Tamiya white, blue and decktan. First time I've tried the lifecolour weathered wood paints for the deck and whilst I need to improve my dry-brushing I don't think it looks awful, particularly as it will have sacks and a little black weathering thrown in. Undecided on how much to weather the body. Thinking a very thin panel wash and maybe a little rusty brown under arches but not too much. I suspect commercial vehicles were generally kept in reasonable presentation for customers. Livery looks believable from photos of preserved Austins, and is the same as I remember from my childhood (although by the coalman then had a Bedford) .