Hemerdon Bank

[pirouets]

As far as clearence go I have room as there is just shy of a scale 3m between the track and the bank, but I think I agree on the slope angle. I'm going to cover a small area of this to see as it will be easier to check.

 

If I do need to ease the angle, I will need to think how to do this. I can either remove each piece, cut it and then re-install, or try and find a way to modify in situ. (Any one know of a good tool for cutting 6mm ply that is installed?)

 

On the other side of the cutting I am more confident of the angle as this is really clear on Google Maps.

[Kris]

Unless you can get a jig saw at the bits I can't think of an easy way of attacking them without removing.

[pirouets]

Nothing major except more wood cutting at the moment. I about 2/3rds of the way in setting the land formers behind the track.

 

I've also decided to start keeping a picture diary each week from now on to build up a week by week picture of progress which I can then build an animation from in a couple of years time. I won't post these each week as that means some weeks the picture will look the same, but I have attached 2 images below to show where its starts from.

 

 

[dave ottney]

I'll be watching this thread with interest. I'm always amazed at the tight spaces you Brits manage to work with. Also I find it interesting that you don't have to insulate and heat your shed. My shed, used for lawn tools and patio furniture, is facing 10 degrees F (-10C) tonight, so my modeling stays inside.

I've just ventured back into N scale after a 35+year absence and am having a great time (having modeled in HO and currently modeling 1/20scale on 45mm track). So your layout has attracted me. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

Dave

(upstate NY near Lake Ontario)

[pirouets]

I'm always amazed at the tight spaces you Brits manage to work with

 

That made me chuckle as I think I have a great space. Saying that though I did miss a trick when "negotiating" for space in the garden for the shed and reckon I could have got more if I had of tried.

 

As far as insulation goes I have wondered about that a number of times and one reason I may take the branchline out on the other side of the shed is to make the job far easier. On the other hand, if I don't get out there for a week, the temp will still drop to the same level as outside in the winter, which means I have the same condensation issue to deal with when the heating goes on.

 

I generally put on plenty of layers and get the shed to about 10C in the winter and am happy with that. I used to model in a very cold loft which got me used to this. In the summer I have a decent fan to get the air moving.

 

As far as my modelling of buildings etc though inside the house as the light and space is better and our new kitchen has a great breakfast bar for this.

[pirouets]

So rather than crack on with all the scenery I have made a 30cm by 30cm test piece. On this I have tried 3 key thinks

 

1. Open frame scenery

2. Ploystyrene blocks underneath

3. Sticking a bridge in. (yes it is blue - printer cartridge was nearly out)

 

The first 2 photos show the frame pieces cut in, and a test placing of the bridge.

 

 

 

I cut a few corners in making the bridge as the key for this is all about the land form, grass techniques and planting trees.

The next 2 show the card cross pieces on one side of the bridge and the polystyrene on the other side.

 

 

 

The last 2 show 30 mins of messing the kitchen up with modroc. I'll let this all set and later in the week ballast the piece. With the ballast I will try the normal PVA on one side and ballast moxed with cascamite on the other.

 

 

 

The daft thing out of doing this is the attraction of soing such a smaall piece. I could become a micro layout convert.

[Kris]

Looking at that Steve it shows that if you use modrock (or any other wet landform) you don't want to have a card road. Where the water has got to the card it looks like the road has sagged a little. I shall be watching to see how you find adding trees.

[pirouets]

The road sagged due to cack handed cutting of the MDF. When I do this on the layout far more care will be taken, plus I will either be using 2mm card, or a thin piece of hardboard for the road base.

 

I gave it a tap this morning and its all good and solid.

[Kris]

Just as an extra thought it might be worth keeping an eye on the MDF over the next few days / weeks to see how it has reacted to getting wet from the modrock. If it starts to swell it would be worth sealing the formers on the layout proper before doing this to stop any possible issues.

[pirouets]

So the tree test has taken place, and with a decent layer of mod roc over the open frame they stand up fine, so no need for any meesy polystyrene cutting.

 

 

 

I made sure I tried the tree when it went through the card former under the modroc, and where there was not one and they both stood up fine.

 

I'll keep playing with this piece as I want to have a go at static grass, weeds on the bank and a couple of different ways of ballasting which on the main layout will need to happen before the bridges go in.

[Kris]

Are those the biggest trees that you are going to use? I ask as I have found that the biggest trees that I have need significantly more support than the smaller ones (not a total surprise ) and if you intend to use bigger one it might be worth testing them as well.

[pirouets]

Well blow me. I've finally found time to put the last 5 elements of the land formers in, and cut the remaining pieces of backscene. If you wondering how I see into the fiddle yard, the answer will be mirrors. I just have not figured out what type yet.

 

 

I've also made a start on adding all the missing sleepers to the point work and track joins.

 

The layout has struck back though as 1 section seems to have developed a short, but i'll go and find that another night.

[Kris]

Now the land formers are in and the strips are starting to cover them the layout is starting to come to life.

[pirouets]

Its been a while since much has happened, mainly because I have been attempting and failing on the bridges. A number of attempts have come and gone and then I had a brain wave. Build a card frame and then wrap it later. So the card frane looks like this

 

I need tyo add a small 2 or 3mm plate to the base of this just to raise it up as the top of a train is to close at the moment

 

 

So the next plan is cutting various bits of scalescenes paper to cover the bridge. This will be a grey brick. I've also added a blog entry for the first time in ages as I found a new modelling tool in doing this.

[Kris]

I shall look forward to seeing the bridge going grey then

[pirouets]

A few quick pics of progress. The first one shows the farm bridge plus the area I have added for Parkside Farm to sit on. As I said in the blog, I had missed this and also the fact that it sits past the bridge on the up line to London. As with most things there is some compromise in the grass area between the buildings and the line is mainly slope rather than also having a lawn area that should be there but I can live with that.

 

 

The second is a close of of the view through the bridge looking up towards London

 

 

The final one shows the land form towards London. I have a few more strips to add and then it will be time to Modroc.

 

[Kris]

The bridge is looking good.

[pirouets]

A small amount of progress over the last couple of weeks. I am in the "and god created Modroc" phase of the layout now and in the process of adding the first of 3 layers over the formers.

 

 

 

You may also see the basics of the farm house sticking out. I have set a base in place with 2mm card and cut out the foot print of each building. The idea is I can do one of 2 things.

 

- Use the base and build the building on that base and insert it. I then use the ground cover that goes down to hide any cracks that have shown in the past when I have used the plonk down method. (This is what I am trying first)

- I will also make a mock up of the farm house, but instead of glueing to the base that is cut out, I will add 2mm that just goes straight in to the base, again then using ground cover to hide the joins.

 

Other reasons for playing with this now is because the farm and its buildings will be compressed so it gives me a chance to work that out. Its also something else to do.

 

Now for the annoying bit and getting a bit shouty. WHY DOES ONE SET OF POINTS IN THE FIDDLE YARD NOW KEEP SHORTING OUT??? A couple of weeks ago a short developed in the throat to one side of the fiddle yard. Can I figure out why? Not yet. What is really confusing is the same layout of points works fine at the other end of the layout. I'm sure this will be the subject of a post in the future.

 

And finally, an oops moment I have discovered. If you look at the 2nd picture, I need to fit a signal between the outer track on the left and the main running line, but at the moment I do not have room. I think I am going to need to try and ease the loop track over by around 3 or 4mm to allow that to happen. I also have the same problem at the other end, but I have slightly more room to do that.

[Kris]

Easing the track over is going to make it tight to the edge of the board / cutting isn't it?

As to the farm, I always admire people who can build buildings with the basement to allow dropping in but have always found it far easier to build with a flat base then hide the join that way.

[pirouets]

So whats happening. I am about to start the testing phase of the layout. (OK - I mean playing trains)

 

This means its time to clean all the track up, and stock the fiddle yard with everything and look for any glitches. I've had a few recently so it will be interesting to see what this throuws up. Along side this I am also going to try and develop some kind of running plan as I have not got round to getting any more timetable info yet.

 

Alongside this I have 2 other jobs to finish off

- Add another 1 1/2 layers of mod roc

- Put the board front on to seal up the open frame.

 

The testing phase may last a while which is a shame, as the next job is so much fun - Ballasting!!!!

 

I also plan to employ a bit of child labour once the mod roc is all down to paint the surface brown. I need to get the kids out of my wifes hair for a bit so she can write school reports so this seems as good a way as any.

[pirouets]

So a few bits and bobs have happened over the last 6 weeks. All the mod roc is now down, and as you can see the fiddle yard is now full.

 

 

I've also put a fascia across the front of the layout.

 

 

So I said the testing phase would last a while and it has, but mainly because i'm stupid. I could not figure out why the back fiddle yard was shorting and I have tried everything, till I looked closely at the point. The circle rail breaches the insulating joiner in the heat as the track expands turns out to be the cause, so I have taken 1mm off the rail and all is fine now. So now playtime can commence properly.

 

[Jules]

Starting to look really good - had a blast up the bank behind Nunney Castle last Sunday - awesome!

[pirouets]

Not a lot has happened as I have been on Holiday and playing lots of golf, but with the weather today I do seem to have a swimming pool between myself and the shed.

 

 

Next job is to paint all the modroc brown and start on the ballasting.

[pirouets]

So, it would appear that I have created a possible first on RMWEB with Hemerdon now being a Martian landscape layout.

 

 

But now for the real question. What colour should the ballast be?

 

 

 

The black is out for starters. I think it is between the red/brown colour in the lower of the 2 pictures and the grey colour in the upper picture. At the moment the upper picture has the glue setting so is not the best picture.

[bridgiesimon]

To be honest I think that you should be aiming for a grey ballast for this area and then weather it down rather than starting with a brown ballast, see below

 

http://www.mainlinesteam.net/6024_5029_Hemerdon.htm

http://taillampphotography.com/Graphics%20Used%20For%20Website/CLASS%2044_46/CLASS%2046/MKLRa46_004_01.jpg

 

or this great video -

 

Anyway, I have only just found this thread and really like what you are doing, during my time in Plymouth doing a degree and PGCE I spent lots of time at the bridges along here with my books etc 'researching/studying' etc and look forward to enjoying this project develop.

 

Best wishes

Simon