bgman Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Pity I don't still live in Buckfast then Rod. Now that would be interesting ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Well Andy as I said earlier if anyone who os following this thread wants to see Ramchester just let me know. People do come on holiday to this area and hopefully enjoy it with TWO steam operated railways within a very short distance of each other what more of an excuse do you need? Add to this a potential visit to my layout and you have a really good package. Rod 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cklammer Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 "That German 2-10-0" is a German class 50 with the postwar-WWII Bundesbahn modifications and is actually a proverbial branch line engine as it has less than 16 metric tons of axle load and forward/backward top speed of 80 kmh; it was designed towards the end of the 1930ies to be used on branch lines with sub-standard trackage in "conquered territories" during WWII. (Sticking foot firmly in mouth) A good thing it never ran in real life anywhere on the British Isles! Together with class 23, 38, 64, 86 the class 50 engines were to run until the early 1970ies on Bundesbahn branch lines in then West Germany; East Germany too, but the engines there were reconstructed and were still running into the early 1990ies in some cases. Best Regards, Christian 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Thanks Christian for the info on the German class 50 loco and its history which I found interesting. It is a pity that in Britain we did not have the equivalent of this. Our 9F 2-10-0's were designed for main line use hauling heavy freight such as coal but as far as I know they did not run on branch lines. Now back to the problem of the light coming through the tunnel. I have been playing around with bits of black paper and card so here are the results so far. At this stage I am only experimenting and may come up with an alternative method as a result but we will see. The first photo shows the problem quite clearly with the lighting over the fiddle yard penetrating through the hole making the tunnel look more like a bridge in length. Evan with the black painted backing board (hardboard) there is still far too much light escaping through the tunnel mouth. This situation will probably get worse when Howard replaces the current one with the more impressive tunnel mouth as shown in my recent post. This new one is slightly larger in height than the existing one and may allow even more light to creep through. The next photo shows the back of the tunnel mouth and the supporting structure for the high cliffs through which the tunnel had to driven Next I cut a piece of spare plasticised sheet which could be curved around the track and wedged by blocks screwed to the baseboard. My thinking being that if this was painted matt black it would help. This was cut to length and notched where required to allow it to be slid into place and held by tension. Next I positioned some matt black paper over the top to see how much this helped. The result is encouraging as this last phots shows especially as my efforts so far have been purely experimental. As I stated in my earlier post the whole thing has to be capable of easy removal for track cleaning/maintenance even if it is in two or three pieces. Still a bit of a way to go but I feel that I am on the right track. Rod 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlwynut Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Hi Rod If you made end wall that was made to represent the tunnel exit at staging yard end. It can be cut with the shape of the tunnel mouth. Then do a small section of scenery just past it on the wall. So when you look through the tunnel from the layout side you see darkness with a little bit of light coming from the other end of it and scenery just past it. Hope this is of some help. Cheers Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Thanks Michael. I have had this thought flash through my mind but now you have resurrected it. I do not think it is possible to see any scenery near the fiddle yard when viewed from the layout side as the track curves quite sharply but I will mock up a dummy tunnel mouth to see how this would work. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlwynut Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Here is a drawing showing what I mean. Cheers Michael 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlwynut Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Here is a scene on one of my North American layouts where the tracks went through a wall into my staging area. I used a bridge to hide the opening but did a dummy wall paint the same sky blue and a building to give the scene depth and hide the lack nothing on the other side of the opening. I hope this is helpful Also I like to say that I admire your layout, very nicely done. Cheers Michael 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Thanks again Michael for your drawing and photos and for your kind comments on my layout. I do like the idea but the position of my tunnel mouth is such that you cannot see right through it without leaning right over the layout. From normal viewing positions the tunnel is already dark and it is only when placing the camera directly on the track that the resultant photograph shows the light coming through from the fiddle yard. If, when I have finished experimenting I find that the view through the tunnel needs some sort of scenery on the fiddle yard side then I will adopt your idea, so many thanks again for your trouble. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 I installed the new tunnel mouth this afternoon. It is a Noch Continental item which I originally bought for use on Brückenheim but decided it was a bit larger than I wanted. The height has been reduced considerably although is still plenty high enough to let Rod run all his German locos. I think it will look a lot better than the PECO one it is replacing which I was never entirely happy with. I now need to repair the rock faces around it. As can be seen any exit tunnel mouth would be hidden from view around the curve even from this angle! 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 Howard, I’ve seen black plastic bin liner cut into strips as a curtain and used as an effective view blocker, the trains simply run through the curtain. Not sure if it would help you, but it might be an idea? Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlwynut Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 Looking at the photo of the new tunnel mouth, I can see the black flat at the other end of the tunnel. If you put a printed back drop of a hill side even a photo of one in that area then when you take a photo as you have for this shot it would look like the other end of the tunnel. Cheers Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlwynut Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 Also ballast the track for another foot or so as well. Cheers Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 I should point out that I only got that last shot by holding my phone on the track - from normal viewing angles you can only see a few inches inside the tunnel! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 The tunnel mouth looks most imposing-very nice chaps! ATVB CME Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlwynut Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Hi Howard I realize that the camera angle is low and from an angle that normally would not be seen while looking at the layout, but I have seen photos taken by you and Rod of trains coming and going from the tunnel and as Rod has said you see to much light at the end of the tunnel. You have done a great job of the new tunnel mouth and I was just giving some suggestions that would improve the look when taking photos. Please do not take it the wrong way. You and Rod are doing a great job on the layout, I admire it and it has given me much inspiration and ideas for my own 7mm layout. (see attached photo) Cheers Michael 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 I am very pleased with what Howard has achieved with the tunnel mouth and when he has finally blended it into the rock face it will look as though it has been there forever. Today I have continued with my experiments by painting the white card seen in the earlier photo flat matt black. I have also given the existing rear sheet a further coat to freshen it up. Over the weekend I will lay it back in place and photo the result. I am considering putting a dummy tunnel mouth at the fiddle yard end to reduce even further the amount of light coming through. Also today while I had the black paint in my hand I have painted the rear of the back scene (it curves towards the baseboard edge) matt black to further reduce reflections. I do thank you all for your valued suggestions which have given me food for thought so please keep them coming in. Just to finish this post I am attaching MY photo of the tunnel mouth for interest (duplication?). And a shot of the Jinty and 4F side by side in the fiddle yard. Rod 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tove Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Not wanting to hijack rod`s excellent layout thread....... But do you have a very nice looking layout there Michael. Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlwynut Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Can't wait to see it all finished Rod, Those are two fine looking locos to go along with the fine looking layout. Cheers Mike. Thank you Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 Thank you Brian and Mike for your kind comments. Howard and I have worked hard over the past few years to achieve the results you see here. We still have much to do but one day the layout will be finished? In the meantime if we have inspired any of you then it has been well worth it. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Howard and I had a short session today with a view to filling in all the gaps around the newly installed tunnel mouth. I was the labourer on this task (as usual) so he could concentrate on the skilled job of merging the existing rock into the tunnel portal. Today the gaps were filled and when dry we (he) will do a finishing coat and then repaint/scenic the area to finish the job. Photo next time. Rod 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 Another quick post as I am waiting for my class 20 to arrive in about ½ hours time. Took a quick picture of the new tunnel mouth with all the gismos behind it and I am pleased to say that it seems dark inside. More soon. Rod 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alant Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 That's looking great now Rod. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 Thank you Alant for your comment. Howard still has to put on a top coat around the tunnel mouth and then paint and scenic the area. I am very pleased with the result so far and I know that when it is done it will look really good. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlwynut Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 Hi Rod The tunnel is looking good, nice and dark in side and once Howard is finished it will look grand. Look forward to seeing what you and Howard will do next on your layout. Cheers Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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