Jump to content
 

The Night Before Hogswatch


Recommended Posts

The Night Before Hogswatch

 

It all started with a trip to the new toy shop in town. They’ve recently become a Hornby stockist so I wander in for a look sometimes. As the lady who runs it knows that I know a little about trains there are often a few questions.

 

“Rich, what do you know about Z gauge?”

“Erm ….its small and expensive, why”

“I’m after a tiny circle to run around the edge of a cake for the food fair window display”

 

We had a discussion and I left with a plan and a deadline. A long addiction to the late great Carl Arendt’s site has left me fairly well versed with abusing the minimum radius of 00 so a yard length of code 100 streamline was bent round to meet itself and about 4 inches removed from the inner rail. Soldering it together was enormous fun as I’m not over skilled in this area of modeling and the track was less than keen to cooperate but we got there in the end.

 

A hoop of plywood was cut and the track stuck down and wired to a cut down Hornby power clip under the board so that it could easily be connected to a controller. Ballasting next, nothing in stock and its Sunday. After a quick search through the kitchen cupboard our lass handed me a packet of Chia seed. It’s somewhat overscale but that’s not really an issue considering the radii.

 

So we had a working circle, a couple of old Triang wagon underframes were hacked about and fitted with coach bodies made of DC kits spare parts and general detritus from the bits box. With my old Hornby Caly tank up front it looked about right. I dropped it all in my rucksack to show off progress on the way into work. In this somewhat unfinished state it ended up in the shop window for a few weeks though using their own stock.

 

I picked it up last week, we’d discussed doing something seasonal next. I’d hoped to do some sort of scenery first time round but hadn’t really had time so now’s my chance.

 

A mockup was made first, I wasn’t entirely sure how much space I had to work in so I left a space at the back.

 

Picture008.jpg.ca681d10b23bd26a0ff3b0c07b72e6f1.jpgPicture007.jpg.7d06bd26cf0ee8f971d350dfc19686ba.jpgPicture006.jpg.199359a34bf09fc1ad8a3ac6511634a6.jpg

 

Construction has begun. Track is 00 and board size is approx 18” wide by 24” deep. The whole theme is going to be fairly whimsical so I am exagerating height.

 

Picture010.jpg.11aa073f3baede9c9ce71674bad8e18d.jpgPicture009.jpg.d942a0bc98468ee674187eb5c64715ee.jpgPicture011.jpg.77571cc1be77fc904d547c8341e07ee6.jpg

 

If you havn’t guessed already Terry Pratchet’s “Discworld” stories have provided a great deal of the inspiration. Hogswatch is thier equivalent of Christmas.

 

Scenary wise I’m taking this as gospel http://tome.gn15.inf..._January_09.pdf

 

But I’m hoping to add a good deal of snow on top of it possibly like this http://www.009.cd2.c...how_to/snow.htm or possibly using plaster.

 

What do you think so far?

Edited by Hesperus
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I like the concept, why not go a bit more Pratchettesque with the train though, something Ponder Stibbons might have created along the lines of Hex? Lots of pipes everywhere, sort of a cross between Locomotion, a rack loco and a Crosti boilered one ;)

 

Hex pics under H

http://www.skyone.co.uk/hogfather/discworld.htm

Edited by PaulRhB
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I do like the concept - - it has something of the Emmett-esque about it!

 

Oddly enough, this came up today on my Small Layout Design yahoo group

watch the video - I doubt you'll get smaller in OO

 

Re: Minimum Radius

 

 

With some old 00 track I managed an oval on A4, 11.5 x 8.5 inches, just to see

what happened.

 

Result can be seen here:

 

Around 90mm is the tightest which with H0 amounts to around 25' in the real

world. As I have taken up tram/trolley modelling I have found that such radii

were used.

 

Look on You Tube and there are some old movies from the US of bogie trams

turning on a circle of around this size at the end of the line.

 

Extrapolating I would reckon 50mm or 2" should be possible with 9mm N gauge.

Best to stick with short wheelbases though.

Edited by shortliner
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Cheers for the comments guys

 

Emmett was certainly another influence here :)

 

 

I'm hoping to sort out something more interesting motive power wise. I've been sketching an 0-2-2T but haven't quite worked out what I want yet. That photo of Henry is a real help as its pretty damn close.

 

The scenery is priority though, I've undercoated the building in the photos with matt black primer. The building in the centre of the viaduct has been clad with foamcore and card. I've started the signal box cladding and the viaduct is well underway.

 

I did intend to just make wooden bases for the buildings so they could be screwed to the board from underneath. The full size wood blocks just sort of happened, makes for more enjoyable stress free construction when you're as heavy handed as me though.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Are you suggesting that Leonard of Quirm has discovered the harnessable power of steam?! I thought he had dismissed it as a frivolous no hoper!

 

Or is there an as yet unpublicised cunning artificer of self-propelled steam driven carts?

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Or is there an as yet unpublicised cunning artificer of self-propelled steam driven carts?

 

I was going to suggest that you placed a street name on one of the buildings, that being the Street of Cunning Artificers.

Or Treacle Mine Road.

Distressed Pudding anyone?

Regards an' all that, C.M.O.T. Dibbler

Edited by Western Stalwart
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Are you suggesting that Leonard of Quirm has discovered the harnessable power of steam?! I thought he had dismissed it as a frivolous no hoper!

Or is there an as yet unpublicised cunning artificer of self-propelled steam driven carts?

 

But surely finding some B.S.Johnson blueprints at the bottom of a drawer has some potential :crazy_mini:

 

Don't know if I could do justice to them though (or whether they would be covered by the shops public liability insurance when the safety valve was launched 40 feet in the air each time the train passed the level crossing at a minute with an 8 in :jester: )

 

 

I was going to suggest that you placed a street name on one of the buildings, that being the Street of Cunning Artificers.

Or Treacle Mine Road.

Distressed Pudding anyone?

Regards an' all that, C.M.O.T. Dibbler

 

Tenth Egg Street will probably appear, there are at least 2 more streets available and SoCA is tempting,

Link to post
Share on other sites

How I mourn the loss of the father of all things 'micro managing,' Carl Arendt. Projects such as yours were seen with a frequency of every two weeks before his passing - and rekindled my childhood dream of building a model railway. A 'rivet counter' I was and never will be - I love flights of fancy, or in this case, trips on rails!

 

You look like you're headed off to a great start. Look forward to seeing where this project takes you!

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Cheers for the comments guys, It all helps :D

 

A bit of progress

 

DSCF9832.jpg.d693faa91529670adf90ec45414b0247.jpgDSCF9831.jpg.9b626cb975866701858247bf68dca957.jpgDSCF9829.jpg.ed4f4ad8466183f1fc0112fcd09590de.jpgDSCF9830.jpg.52458c51881f44c371055e546347f807.jpg10.2011038.jpg.311a99b93987375e854e6ee104e337fd.jpg10.2011037.jpg.1705755de1ba85057f80713bac68e263.jpg10.2011036.jpg.5ee076f5de1914694f419de038797ba8.jpg10.2011035.jpg.22e4d6908d33d4a99cd63d1eda6db6f9.jpg

 

I downloaded one of these http://www.flickr.co...N02/5172445532/

for free a while back, I think a traced and hacked about version will be the station building.

 

That's all for now, If it comes on quickly enough I'll have time to replace the loco with an 0-2-0 or summut 8)

Edited by Hesperus
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Hello, time for another update, I took the opportunity of nice weather over the weekend to grab a few pictures

 

10.2011039.jpg.3d1c87c59db66fc0b099a2ad7b0beac5.jpg20_11.2011006.jpg.c6ca64e4ff590482623cba7ebef4aaae.jpg20_11.2011007.jpg.4229c68af0a885c282c9d537ea793165.jpg20_11.2011008.jpg.b079fc9b5a8dea7214f42f9c3eec28c1.jpg9_11.2011001.jpg.1080eb8e41e97fc6092e3be7e2f7ff42.jpg9_11.2011002.jpg.b74c48359d6d731bd2c10865191fc2d0.jpg20_11.2011003.jpg.af2244a04149bf7b1bb838871733b541.jpg20_11.2011005.jpg.17e695defb37c07f675a5618ae727801.jpg29_11.2011008.jpg.5cc010f081771e7d04418591852671c1.jpg

 

The first messy bits were started last night, I'm hoping for a snowy scene so lots of this to come. I would prefer a removable solution for covering the buildings in snow though. A couple of indoor pics as its raining today.

 

post-8493-0-84798900-1320747927_thumb.jpg

 

post-8493-0-59409900-1320747983_thumb.jpg

Edited by Hesperus
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello again, final update as I'm hoping to have this finished for Friday morning in time for the Medieval Fair in town.

 

The nearest thing we have to countryside on this layout is a steep embankment, as I was wondering what to use as a base a 'bag for life' failed so I used that, the poly filler is vaguely sculpted as drifting snow.

 

29_11.2011009.jpg.2d21c0b1d35265f072839c6dbe126249.jpg29_11.2011003.jpg.9edfa9f1e6cb31df3af5b7f0f7c4771f.jpg29_11.2011004.jpg.217a341466f0606b01c5b895a1883499.jpg29_11.2011005.jpg.1f1c60e00fd2478da163cbff8e4fd2e1.jpg29_11.2011002.jpg.67a10242bb936648de870f9e165fdea2.jpg29_11.2011010.jpg.4bcba32720a2c6196e1b5c69871e8901.jpg

 

I'm rather pleased how the buildings that I have made for the front this week have turned out

 

 

 

The wagon chassis have now been wired with pick-ups and connected to the loco (not pictured due to properly ugly soldering). After a good deal of stress with over stiff wires pulling the stock off the track we now have a train which will start at will and run smoothly around a constant radius. The drag from the pick-ups is helping to curb the enthusiasm of the HP motor.

Edited by Hesperus
  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I like the concept, why not go a bit more Pratchettesque with the train though, something Ponder Stibbons might have created along the lines of Hex? Lots of pipes everywhere, sort of a cross between Locomotion, a rack loco and a Crosti boilered one ;)

 

Hex pics under H

http://www.skyone.co...r/discworld.htm

 

Or something conceived by Leonard of Quirm, perhaps?

 

 

 

...Or Bloody Stupid Johnson.......?

Edited by The Evil Bus Driver
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 9 years later...

I've just dug this thread out as I have an exhibition invite for it (my first ever) at Bishops Castle Railway Weighbridge on the 4th of December.  It's only a little one but it would be great to meet a few more RMWebbers.

 

Needs a few repairs after nearly 10 years of storage but nothing too complicated and I've got nearly as long as it took to build.

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...