Molinnis - Present Day Cornwall in N

[engage]

Hi Nick

........Thanks for the update,looks like you are making good progress.

Due to its comparatively large size I think that the warehouse will look

quite impressive when the smaller details are added......Yeah! I like it 

a lot...Keep up the good work.

 

Cheers

John

[stivesnick]

Thanks All

 

Discovered a problem last night. When I tried to put the two boards together and boxed up with the end panels, the road hit the bank behind the china clay works. Will need a larger spacing between the boards. Call for the Chief Carpenter! 

[engage]

Hi Nick

............I would put it all down to bad planning,....we could do one of two things, one lower the road...,two lower the bank

then the boards might fit as intended..... I think the Carpenter said he was going on a long holiday in the not too distant

future so I am not sure if you will catch him before he sets off........  Looks like we will have to buy still more plywood !

 

Cheers

John

[roundhouse]

I do like the slightly raised track bed and the large warehouse.

 

WIll follow the updates and construction with interest.

 

Ian

[stivesnick]

Hello

 

An update following a useful session at the Chief Carpenter's. Once a few wiring issues caused when I re-wired the connections between the boards were fixed, a range of services were operated, helping to define a draft timetable. Sorry no pictures but running were: Class 150, Class 221, 66+ CDAs, 66+ Silver bullets. Fellow N Guage Society group member Paul had the first vehicle of a MPV set. (see on the shapeways web-site)

 

The wagonload service will be added once I have fitted the Dapol couplings to some vehicles.

 

First exhibition - March, Cambs next March.

 

Nick

[stivesnick]

The final major building has been started! This is the 1960's style office block to go with the warehouse. The building is typical of that era using precast panels for much of the walls and a flat roof.

 

The windows are laser cut wood from Proses, available from OnTrack. They are OO scale domestic windows but work as N office windows.  

 

 

The main walls use a clear plastic sheet as a base, with the windows and cladding panels glued on. The windows were painted before gluing. With hindsight, I should have painted the brick piers as well before gluing. Each side took about an hour to do. Part completed and complete sides shown below.

 

  

 

Picture of building with walls stuck together. The roof is Scalescene's tarmac sheet.

 

 

Final picture showing added roof plant. The fans come from the Walthers modular series.

 

[Revolution Ben]

Nice job Nick!  You have a real eye for drab but authentic modern buildings! 

 

Can we put this on Horseley Fields instead???

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[stivesnick]

Hi Ben

 

You may have noticed some similarities with the office block / shop units on Horseley Fields - this is the mk2 version.

 

The building is 130mm long x 55mm wide. Ideally it needs to be a bay or two longer and additional floors. Not sure where it would fit on Horseley Fields b ut happy to do a mk3 model sometime. Might get away with a version on Dogsthorpe if we ever get round to building it!

 

With the building as it is, there is no boiler room at ground floor and the toilet windows are not right. I did think of adding a plant space extension, but no room on layout.

 

Nick

[stivesnick]

 

 

New trestles as built by the chief carpenter - thanks John.

 

Identify all the types of "proper" joints if you can.

[bcnPete]

Nice project

 

I thought that clay dries were often built in to the landscape (Moorswater/Wenfordbridge) so you might have to build up the landscape behind the slurry tanks flush with the top, perhaps making a cutting as you disappear into the tunnel/FY.

 

Just a thought - feel free to ignore

 

Watching with interest...

[stivesnick]

Nice project

 

I thought that clay dries were often built in to the landscape (Moorswater/Wenfordbridge) so you might have to build up the landscape behind the slurry tanks flush with the top, perhaps making a cutting as you disappear into the tunnel/FY.

 

Just a thought - feel free to ignore

 

Watching with interest...

Hi

 

You are correct - if only the layout was a bit bigger! The back of the tanks is just in front of the backscene so not much room for hills. There will be a small cutting as the branch line disappears into the fiddle yard. My thinking is that, as a mineral branch it would have been built as cheaply as possible so avoiding tunnels if possible. One of the reasons why the construction of the layout was delayed for so long was tying to sort out a scenic setting that was realistic ( not 100% sure even now that a railway company would a built this railway), ideally the branch would follow the river.

 

Nick

[stivesnick]

Despite the lack of rain, the grass and general greenery has started growing at Molinnis.

 

Two additional "structures" have been added. The first is the remains of an old office block at the china clay works. This is simply a sheet of card with some plastic strip to represent the remains of the internal walls. With the area becoming overgrown ( see below) there was no point in worrying about brick details. Job done in 15 minutes including painting.

 

The second structure is the pipe bridge to disguise the entry of the branch line into the fiddle yard. It uses parts from the Walthers conveyor kit. The truss is cut down to suit the layout. I add some concrete piers as foundations to the truss, made from plastic section. Finally some etched brass grid was added to stop people walking along the unit.

 

 

The track has been spray painted using beige car spray ( I have never seen a car this colour!) Ground cover started with the path alongside the old china clay works. This was a mix of light brown and grey fine ballast materials. A darker, more brown coloured mix with some grass added in was used in the works area.

 

 

 

 

Once dry, coarser material was added. I use self seal bags to mix the material, with generally 5-10 different scatter materials in each mix. I always mix far too much, and bags are labelled to allow for touching up any areas later on.

 

 

Next task, add bushes and trees, fences etc.

[stivesnick]

More scenery stuff added this weekend

 

First some power poles to provide power to the china clay works, (homemade poles but using Tomix transformer) and some lighting for the site (mike Howarth kits). I have added hedging along the track using 4D model black foam as a base and covered in scatter material. The black foam material comes in sheets 10mm thick which allows for the height and depth of the hedge to be adjusted.

 

 

One question, I need to add fencing between the works and the railway to meet railway codes about the railway being fenced along its route. But what about the works itself from the track. Anyone with some local knowledge that can say if normal / security fencing would be provided to protect these sites?

 

 

 

The level crossing gates on the branch line will operate as an Accommodation Crossing with telephone. Gates are from Cavey's Scale Models and are etched brass. They look a bit thin to me. The crossing signs are from Sankey Scenics.

 

 

Finally with all the rain we have been having, the river has finally started flowing. It will be a paint job with loads of coats of varnish on top.

 

[Will J]

Looking good! I have been watching Molinnis develop for a while and it is becoming a real inspiration. I suspect it is one of those clever layout designs which become well regarded to the point where lots of 'gentle imitations' appear.. I only say this with any authority as I'm sorely tempted to construct a similar setup myself! I look forward to seeing the scenics develop, maybe with the backscene added it could represent a dry, dusty summers day with a dose or rain just around the corner, something typically Cornish....

 

Thanks for the updates, look forward to seeing the finished layout some day.

[stivesnick]

Thanks Will for the comments

 

If anything is thinking of doing something similar, no problem, but it is worth understanding the basic ideas behind Molinnis:

• Simple track plan suitable for post 1970s/ 80s layouts  
• Multiple units only on the “main line” to avoid touching stock at exhibitions
• China Clay theme as trains generally shorter than other industries
• China Clay trains use covered wagons so no difference between loaded / empty trains.

Ideally the layout needs to be bigger which could allow for the following to be included:

• Include station  and rest of the town
• Longer trains to be run
• Spread the scenery out– ideally the china clay works would be on the other side of the branch line to give a more natural slope away from the river.  
• Worth looking at 1980s operation when there was more wagonload traffic and locomotive hauled regional trains.

Here are a couple of ideas using a similar track plan but with a very different end result.

Idea 1 – Based on Westerfield: A station just outside Ipswich on the East Suffolk Line where the line to Felixstowe branches off. On the prototype the main line continues as double track for another few miles. The main line sees flask traffic to Sizewell on top of the hourly DMUs (Class 170s, 156s) . The branch also has passenger trains (hourly Class 153) and up to 50 container trains a day as well as light engine movements. I would want to extend  the fiddle yard sidings to allow freight longer trains to run. If Sizewell C power station gets the OK, there could be an additional 4-5 trains a day on the mainline for construction materials.

 

Alternatively back date to the late 1980s when Sizewell B was being built and Class 37s worked the construction trains, class 101s on the passenger , class 47s on the container traffic. You could add a grain terminal by the station for a bit of shunting.

 

Idea 2 – Northern built up area. Replace river by a canal. Lots of terraced houses. Scope for large disused factory. Branch serving coal mine or power station.   

 

Over to you guys.

 

 

Nick

[Will J]

Some good suggestions there Nick. I guess the space, given a bit more of it, could allow for bigger HSTs or Voyagers (I'm sure I saw a double set of 8 cars in among the trees somewhere in the Luxulyan valley..*) or a 'top and tailed' excursion heading up to the 'Newquay' bit...

 

Though with the current arrangement for a bit of variety a long 'special' with an assortment of Mark 1s and the like could circulate around the freight line, taking in the sights!

 

A new Dapol Western might fit the bill nicely, with recent precidents set for everything from excursions to picking up wagons from storage. In fact, this is something that could add more variety to either the factory sidings or the freight 'loop' around the works.

 

http://www.westernchampion.co.uk/loco-d1015-mainline.php

 

A small number of redundant wagons (weathered!) might be stored temporarily in the factory sidings, the loco used to retrieve them could be just about anything:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/48675-class-56-clearance-trials/

 

Thinking about different locations, it might suit the other RMWeb perennial favourite, somewhere unspecific in the Black Country, with steel trains and little Class 139s in charge...

 

*On holiday in Bugle!

Edited July 29, 2013 by Will J

[stivesnick]

The house builders have been at work. I have some Muswell Models house kits but have finally got around to adding the windows.

 

The final layout of the 8 houses was marked out on a piece of thick card. Card level being pavement, and house datum.

 

 

The road area was cut out and some Scalescenes tarmac stuck onto the baseboard. I tried to file ramps where the parking bays would go with limited success. The card base was stuck down, then the parking bays and pavements added. Kerbs were 1.0 x 1.5mm plastic strip, with thinner section at the parking bays.

 

work in progress picture below. Next task work in the gardens!

 

[stivesnick]

A picture update. Thought you might like to see some trains on the layout for a change.

 

Overall view of layout. Since the last update the greenery as extended across the baseboard joint.

 

 

 

Class 66 and silver bullets passing the old china clay works.

 

 

Class 153 on the main line and the recently installed Peco signal box and PW cabin.

 

 

Top and tail 66s on a PW train

 

Have just returned from the N Gauge Show with some trees and fences

[engage]

Hi Nick

            Looks like you are cracking on now and the model is beginning to look more like

a railway. With the nights drawing in and with Autumn approaching you should make the

debut exhibition next spring with no trouble. Don't forget to tell your followers that we will

be at Newark on the weekend of  21/22nd Sept with  Horseley Fields  and invite them to

come and have a word.

 

Cheers

John

[stivesnick]

Some progress on the house gardens.

 

 

 

The roads have also gone in - Scalescenes on card. Not totally convinced by the affect. Rural roads are normally more even, also no sign of type wear. Any thoughts on how to improve the final appearance?

 

 

 

Nick

[DanielB]

Weathering powders or thin paint to fade the lines at the side and centre of the road, then try extending a bit of earthy scatter materials onto the road to break up the straight edges. Paint on very dark, brand new tarmac in spots to represent where pot holes have been repaired.

 

Give those a try and see how they turn out for you?

[Revolution Ben]

 

Hi Nick,

 

Nice job on the gardens. I think the Scalescenes road surfaces are more reminiscent of roads in urban areas that are forever being dug up for new subterranean infrastructure to be added.

 

For Ketton, which had more rural roads, I used very fine wet and dry paper. I cut it to width with scissors, then gave if a very brief spray with Halford's grey primer. I also used powders to add some notes of brown. The joints were hidden with thin strips designed to look like repairs, and odd repair patches and road markings were added using masking and dry brushing, and white gel pens.

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

[stivesnick]

Some local knowledge please about Cornish Wheelie Bins

 

I was going to make a set of bins for the front of the houses, but in checking the colour of local bins on the Cornwall CC web-site, I found an article on " why we don't do wheelie bins in Cornwall". Can someone confirm if this is the case.

 

If no bins, what - plastic bags, recycling boxes?

 

Nick

[winterbournecm]

Hello there

 

I lovely little tribute to clay country. It's alway nice when proper contours are added to a railway. The river being a great focal point. As a Signalman who covers Goonbarrow, I hope you wont mind me commenting on one feature of the layout. There isn't enough clay around! Believe me - it gets everywhere, on cars, on the wagons, on nearby properties etc... The roads in the complex should be bright white, and the ground white blended with grass (which looks great by the way). I can supply some photos to aid you. Please dont be disheartened - It's a matter you can attend to with little effort or change.

[Foo]

Some local knowledge please about Cornish Wheelie Bins

 

I was going to make a set of bins for the front of the houses, but in checking the colour of local bins on the Cornwall CC web-site, I found an article on " why we don't do wheelie bins in Cornwall". Can someone confirm if this is the case.

 

If no bins, what - plastic bags, recycling boxes?

 

Nick

Theres no wheelie bins supplied by the council. They prefer bin bags in round plastic bins. Some people in falmouth have bought their own, and commercial propertys use them. There is now however garden waste wheelie bins, which are a brown colour and you need a "kerbside licence" or some other money making scheme to use.