halfwit Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 I'm using the 2011 challenge as a kick up the rear to build a micro-layout. I've never built a layout before, I tend to build locos and stock only, although I have owned a couple of second hand layouts so this is going to be an interesting experience. Before coming up with a design I had a think about what stock I have available and how I could use it to best effect, after all there's no point in me designing something that would need new stock that I can't afford building for it. So it had to be based around small industrial shunters (particulary my Ruston 48DS) and 16T mineral wagons. I model in EM so at least the scale and gauge is sorted. I want something that will be visually interesting on its own but with the addition of fiddleyards/sector plates etc. on each end to give some (limited) operational interest. Also I want a scene to display my small locos to good effect. So the idea for 'Undecided Aggregates' was born on a drive to Wales. The layout is based around an aggregates plant with wagons being loaded on one track and weighed on another. I'd like the scene to give the impression of being part of a larger complex. I also like the idea of the stock being dwarfed by the surrounding buildings. The name is temporary until I decide exactly what type of stone the plant deals with. Limestone is one possibility as is granite, perhaps for ballast. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted May 20, 2011 Author Share Posted May 20, 2011 Card mock-up stage. A piece of cardboard was cut to size and a rough plan drawn on it, then stock placed on the card to see how it looks; Offcuts of card were cut up into rough building shapes and placed on the plan; The main building at the rear will form the backdrop and will house the hopper for the wagon loading bay. I intend that the wagons will be loaded with real stone under the loading chute (the 'lean-to' on the left). The other buildings at the corners are intended to act as view blockers to disguise the track exits, I might add raised walkways between these and the rear building. Operation will consist of empty wagons arriving from a hidden fiddleyard on the left and being loaded under the chute one at a time before exiting right onto another fiddleyard. A sectorplate/traverser/whatever will then move to allow the wagons to be propelled onto the front track for weighing before being taken offstage again and then pushed back along the rear track towards unseen exchange sidings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted May 20, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20, 2011 Looks like a cracking idea Paul and ideal for all those little locos. Love the technical descriptions of the buildings, 'Big Building', 'Loading Thing' and 'Wiggly Tin Cladding' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted May 20, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20, 2011 Anyone whose mockup includes the legends "loading thing", "big building" and "wiggly tin" deserves to win on merit anyway! I hope the model lives up to your expectations, Paul! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mophead Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 im looking forward to seeing the finished layout good luck with it cant beat a bit of industrial shunting mophead Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 I'm intrigued by the use of dual gauge track and narrow gauge shunters... Seriously though, it looks like a good idea - and my layouts never really get further than the cardboard box stage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 'Wiggly Tin'????!!! Someone else who cannot spell corra... corror... corru...... Ahh what the heck - 'wriggly tin'll do! More to the point - nice idea! Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted May 25, 2011 Author Share Posted May 25, 2011 Thanks for the comments. Boards. The 3 baseboards have now been built. I've used some 12mm MDF which was lying around in the loft for the tops and 20mm x 15mm strip to brace it. A bit overkill perhaps but I'm viewing this as layout building practice (I've never built a layout before). The two outer (non-scenic and technically not part of the challenge) boards feature sector plates. The left hand board has a 2 road plate allowing 2 trains to be on the layout at a time. The right hand board has a 1 road plate to transfer the train from the loading/running track at the rear to the weighbridge track at the front. The sector plate end radius was marked out using a piece of wood with 2 nails hammered in to form a crude trammel after working out the total length of the plate and the position of the pivot point. I will be making the main board into a box, fish tank like, using some thin MDF. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Not gotta name, Paul... Blwdwdda Stone? When all your friends have dissolved And you’re yakking on the phone You’re techno-grounded You’re..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Bevan Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Really looking forward to see how this will develop, good luck!! I'm a bit jealous of this one!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 Nothing to be jealous of here Pete! Like the name 'Chard, can't see me using it though... First building carcass. I've put together the carcass for the front left building. I've made up the carcass from 6mm black foamboard (from The Works) glued together with wood glue. It will be clad with corrugated iron, probably Slaters, apart from the base which will be brick. Some pics; I've never scratchbuilt a building before or worked with foamboard. The slope sided mineral at the rear is sitting about where the loading hopper/chute will be sited. Hopefully this will help to give the idea of big buildings/small trains that I'm trying to achieve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Hilton Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Good luck Paul - size seems manageable and concept perfect for your collection of industrials! I look forward to following your first steps in layout construction! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Thanks James. Facia Boards I've started making the fascia boards, cut from 4mm MDF. I intend for the diorama to be viewed from the front picture frame style, so the front board will be cut accordingly which will probably be one of the last jobs to do. So far the boards have been cut to size with a jigsaw and the left hand board has had a hole cut into it so the train can exit onto the sector plate. The right hand board will be done when I figure out where the front track, which is slightly curved, will exit and decide on the final size of the right hand buildings. A pic; The weighbridge base can be seen, this is from the Coopercraft Pooley Weighbridge kit and will need re-gauging The rear board will need a hole cutting into it to feed the loading hopper, again I need to decide on the final size and position of the hopper. The building at the rear will be built around a foamboard carcass. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 Ends in place. The ends (4mm MDF) have now been pinned and glued to the baseboard. And a piece of 6mm foamboard has been cut to size to form the carcass for the main building. Ferrocrete van (recent ebay purchase, fate undecided, might be sold on) just for added visual interest. I've now worked out the sizes for the other two buildings, which will sit on the right. Next job will be to build the carcasses for those buildings and start on the loading hopper. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 Rear board and main building carcass. I glued and pinned the rear board in place today after cutting out a hole for the loading hopper (the wagons will be loaded from the rear of the diorama); The carcass for the main building also has a cut out where the loading hopper will be; I had to brace the rear with 8mm square stripwood as the foamboard had warped. The carcass will be fixed in place after its been clad and painted. The loading bay has been added; This will have girder supports added later. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bar Side Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 All looks good. I'll be keeping an eye on those corrugated iron covered buildings to see how they come out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 Right hand front building carcass. Again this is made from foamboard. It's main function is to help disguise the exit of the weighbridge line to the fiddleyard. It will be clad in corrugated iron and is meant to be the corner of a much bigger building. I may add a covered conveyor between it and the left hand building. The roof will be out of sight at the top of the diorama to suggest a massive shed. Between the tracks on the right hand side will sit a smaller brick built building, used as a workshop or stores. The carcass for this has been cut out but I'm waiting for some windows to arrive before I can glue it together. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 All looks good. I'll be keeping an eye on those corrugated iron covered buildings to see how they come out. And I'll be keeping an eye on yours Ivan! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mason Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 This looks a really nice build and a smashing idea looking forward to this developing Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 Thanks Neil. Loading hopper mock-up. Tonight I've made up a cardboard mock-up of the loading hopper; And in place at the rear of the layout; This will allow the wagons to be filled with stone or ballast. It will sit on a flat base which will give it stability and allow it to be glued in place. The next job will be to make one out of plasticard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mason Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Genius!!! love it, i think this is what is missed alot on layouts, or iv never seen it on layouts, but great work, should be fun to operate too Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share Posted June 18, 2011 I'm glad that you like it Neil. There are a few layouts on the exhibition circuit that feature this kind of 'live loading', although I can't name one of the top of my head. So I won't claim to be doing anything new or clever. Operation will probably be quite tedious after 5 minutes! However thats not the point, the point is that everything that I've done on this project so far has been breaking new ground for me and will prove worthwhile when I attempt a larger layout one day. The 4 sides to the hopper have now been cut out, I'm using .040" plasticard, and I've started glueing them together. Mocking the hopper up in cardboard has proved worthwhile, it took 2 attempts to get a design that I was happy with. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mason Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 Hi, I think thats what this modelling lark is all about, finding and doing new things and challenging your abillitys and learning new ones great work why not try some sort of motor or something, im no expert on that front but would tedious element away Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 Plasticard loading hopper. Using the card mock up as a guide I've made up the final version of the hopper in plastic; The hole in the bottom is for a short length of 10mm plastruct tube. Neil, I did think about motors etc. but decided that a spoon would suffice. Perhaps on the next layout though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonB Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 One model working hopper that I know of was /is on Maenol Mine here on RMweb. To get the hopper to discharge satisfactorily and, ISTR, to simulate the noise, the maker (can't remember name, and haven't gone to look for it!!) used a vibrator (ooh-er missus) from a mobile phone. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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