Small, Broad and Totally Pointless!

[allan downes]

Far from pointless John, beautifully made and a little gem.

 

Allan.

[BG John]

I've dug the layout out of the pile of jobs to be done one day in my workshop, and got out all the boxes of bits and pieces. So here is the latest situation, dust and all!

 

I'd started changing it from being operated from the back, to being operated from the front. The controller has been inserted into the baseboard, and the sector plate operating handle has been put on the other side. I don't like it though, as it means that only the right hand end will have any scenery, so I'm going to change it back. I think I'll add a point to connect the isolated piece of track, so will have to rename the topic to something like "Small, Broad and Mostly Pointless"!

 

The next stage will be to join the boards permanently, and get rid of the very obvious join, refit the controller into the plastic box and rewire it. Then I'll fill in the hole where the controller was, and build some more track.

 

 

 

 

 

[BG John]

Here are a few close up shots:

 

This is the end of the sector plate. As I think I said earlier, the microswitches act as stops for aligning the outer tracks, and the centre track is aligned by eye. The microswitches switch power to the appropriate track when on, and to the centre track when off. I can't see this causing any problems on such a simple layout.

 

The traverser that will be hidden under the train shed. The microswitches are the stops, and power is only switched when the track lines up. I'll have to make a removable piece of platform to cover it. The hole in the backscene is needed for the operator's hand, and may need a building to cover it. The operator will be able to see what's happening through the glazing in the train shed roof, and the viewing side will probably have to be in need of a visit by the window cleaner to hide it!

 

This is the underside view of the screw the traverser slides on (the sector plate has the same arrangement in a curved slot). The spring is adjusted to slide easily while applying enough friction to hold it in place. I think this arrangement will be ok for light use, which is probably all it will get.

 

 

[BG John]

These are the gauges I used for track building, but not in the order I used them!

Top left: Jig for cutting transoms to length. these are made from matchsticks, and are just cosmetic.

Bottom left: Tool for holding bridge rail for filing. The slot holds the base of the rail.

Centre: Two three point track gauges, made by my brother. The spacing of the two points on one side are the same as the length of the Broad Gauge Society gauge also shown, to give the same gauge widening on curves. Being made of perspex, so they are transparent, makes them much easier to use.

Right: Baulk gauges. These are used to glue the copper clad strip longitudinal baulks to the baseboard before the rails are soldered on. The top one has been shortened to also act as a spacer the transoms.

 

The transom gauge in place

 

It's now a few years since I built the track, and a quick check seems to show that it's still in gauge. I'll check it more thoroughly when I get a chance.

[marc smith]

Thanks for posting those latest pics John,

Nice job on the sector plate / sliding arrangement

the simpler the better, I say....

I do like that arrangement, with the footbridge and alley / lane as the viewblocker

So often you see these things which haven't been modelled well....
But it looks great here

 

Marc

[BG John]

I do like that arrangement, with the footbridge and alley / lane as the viewblocker

So often you see these things which haven't been modelled well....

But it looks great here

 

Marc

It's not easy in a small space, is it. Making a card mock up first helped. The bit that concerns me is the wide bridge spanning two and a bit broad gauge tracks. There isn't much, if any, room to place anything to partly hide the gaping hole into the fiddle yard. I think I've seen a curtain door type thingy (like this) made out of thin black plastic strips used on some layouts, but that may be a bit obvious too.

[marc smith]

No, it isn't easy John....
Maybe some well placed pipework & supporting gantry?

If there's not enough room behind the bridge, then maybe in front of it......

The black strips tend to work better with a smaller aperture;
a shed / depot building, or a single track overbridge....

I think if you continue the scenery, ie. ballasting, weeds, ground colour etc

you may be surprised just how much that helps take the eye away from the sector plate....

Of course, I'd have put a sliding mirror in there somewhere....
Mr Predictable lol

Marc

[Job's Modelling]

I looked at your layout.

Have you tried to set up a half relief building in the front, for instance a small factory or warehouse. You could model the inside.

An other possibility could be a wall with some trees and bushes in front of it.

Would create a nice view block at the front of the layout.

 

You could try this out with muck ups.

 

Regards,

Job

Edited May 8, 2013 by Job's Modelling

[BG John]

I looked at your layout.

Have you tried to set up a half relief building in the front, for instance a small factory or warehouse. You could model the inside.

An other possibility could be a wall with some trees and bushes in front of it.

Would create a nice view block at the front of the layout.

 

You could try this out with muck ups.

 

Regards,

Job

 

Going back to this photo before I cut down the width, you can see that connecting the siding in front of the wall will need track very close to the corner. So I don't think there's an alternative. I can't see how a convincing factory or warehouse would fit. But I'm open to suggestions! I'm only really going to have one siding and a headshunt.

 

I think I've made plenty of muck ups getting it this far

[shortliner]

John, the strip curtain idea was used on my Erie 149th street layout, and is much less obvious than it may sound when it is in position - I bought a packet of Silicone baking sheet from Morrisons, cut it into strips about 0.5cm wide, leaving them all joined at the top, and fitted it to the rear of the hole/ The strips impede the view without impeding the locos Theory says that a second "curtain" done the same way but with the strips offset sideways by 0.25cm and spaced about 1 cm further back would do an even better job - it seems to work by persuading the eye that it is simply a dark hole - Jordan used it on his O gauge Schiller Point layout too, very successfully.

 

Edited May 8, 2013 by shortliner

[Job's Modelling]

I tried to make more visible what I had in mind. Unfortunately I still have to learn more about my photo program.

 

 

 

 

regards,

Job

[BG John]

This awful bit of Photoshopping shows what I think will be the track layout. There isn't room for anything else! All I think I could do is put a building or a clump of trees where the X is, but that would block the view of the station. Its unlikely there would be trees on railway land.

 

 

I think the curtain behind the bridge is worth a try, and I could experiment with mirrors. Or maybe a combination! This is the widest access to a fiddle yard I've ever made, and the smallest space to disguise it!

 

 

[BG John]

This is my third broad gauge layout, but I don't exactly have a lot to run on it! I mainly ran stock borrowed from another member of the Broad Gauge Society in the past. I should really have built an EM gauge micro, as I'd have plenty of stock to run on it. So what have I got to run on this layout at the moment? Two wagons!

 

I've actually built a handful of these Broad Gauge Society whitemetal coal wagon kits,  but all but two have bits that have fallen off and need repair!

 

The loco situation is even worse. I have two, and neither are working at the moment!

 

This is IKB Models South Devon Railway 4-4-0ST "Corsair", built by Graham Bone, one of the original proprietors of IKB Models. A few bits have fallen off, and it's not running for some reason that I'll need to investigate. Note the working value gear in the lower photo. Something that wouldn't be there if I'd built it! Too much time out of use has resulted in some rust on the wheels and crankpins, and rather a lot of dust!

 

 

 

The other loco is rather more freelance, and the result of some butchery of a Hornby 0-4-0ST. It has a new compensated chassis, and effectively uses the chopped up Hornby chassis as a motor mount. The Hornby gear wheel has split, and needs replacing. I don't think I did much to the body except to add the dumb buffers for shunting narrow gauge wagons. My first BG layout was mixed gauge, and had a side step for moving the narrow gauge from the outer to the inner rail, hence the sliding coupling. Hopefully one day I'll add brakes, handrails etc, but I'm not good at finishing things! More rust and dust to be cleaned up.

 

 

 

I've got plenty of part built and unstarted kits, so have plenty to do!

 

I think that's it for now. Now the layout is out, and I've written about it, hopefully I'll be encouraged to get on and do something with it, but I also want to get started on my new, and larger, EM layout.

[Job's Modelling]

This awful bit of Photoshopping shows what I think will be the track layout. There isn't room for anything else! All I think I could do is put a building or a clump of trees where the X is, but that would block the view of the station. Its unlikely there would be trees on railway land.

 

awful_photoshop.jpg

 

I think the curtain behind the bridge is worth a try, and I could experiment with mirrors. Or maybe a combination! This is the widest access to a fiddle yard I've ever made, and the smallest space to disguise it!

 

What is purpose of the siding?

 

On the place of the cross you could create a low embankment, with a fence for the railway border. Maybe some sheep in front.

 

I like those nice little locomotives.

 

regards,

Job

[BG John]

What is purpose of the siding?

 

On the place of the cross you could create a low embankment, with a fence for the railway border. Maybe some sheep in front.

 

I like those nice little locomotives.

 

regards,

Job

The purpose of the siding is to fill the space in front of the fiddle yard!!!

 

A low bank is what I was thinking of, but it won't help to hide the view under the bridge.

 

The 4-4-0ST is probably in too early a condition to be contemporary to this branch line, and probably worked main line trains. The 0-4-0ST is probably a bit more suitable, but fictitious.

[Job's Modelling]

I looked again to your picture and used Google to find some information about Broad Gauge railways.

 

Then I found this interesting picture of Swindon. I think it is a small loco shed with a water tower. I think if it is possible, it would create a great scene and a purpose for your sidings.

I found the picture here http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/6816512500/sizes/h/in/photostream/

 

 

regards,

Job

 

 

[marc smith]

Hi again John,
I think if it were my layout, I'd opt for a pipe gantry,

an inch or 2 in front of the bridge....

the gantry could extend over the kickback siding,

and would offer some form of view-blocking

 

If you added plastic strip to the rear of your footbridge,

that might just work all the better for having the pipe take some of the attention from the plastic strip

 

I've seen plastic strips used very effectively on several layouts

 

Really like that 4-4-0
It may need some cosmetic work, but it looks lovely

I wouldn't worry about it being too contemporary - older stock often stayed longer on branch lines anyway....
 

as for the 0-4-0, it might be freelance, but it's just the ticket....
Looks convincing enough to me - I think the trick with this sort of conversion,
is to hide the origin of the loco as much as you can..

Re modelling in other scales;

Yes, you could have modelled an EM micro....
But I find when you have less to work with, you are more focussed....

I previously modelled in EM, and was very strict with what I bought etc

Then I reverted to OO, and I seemed to go around just buying stuff,
thinking "I know what I can use that for....."
Needless to say, I haven't used half of it!

 

Now I'm doing an EM project again, I've been far more "controlled" in my purchases

- just buying stuff as I need it, for EM'ing stock.....
 

So modelling a more obscure scale / gauge can have a positive side,

and I'm sure you are using ideas, designs & techniques you have to think about a bit more....

Cheers again

 

EDIT: Another thought, but rather than a bunch of trees,
maybe a small water tower in that position would also help take the eye away from the bridge aperture?

The overhead pipe would also then have a purpose....
Small scenes and cameos can help divert the onlooker, to what you want them to see,
and away from areas you don't

Edited May 9, 2013 by marc smith

[BG John]

Any ideas about what suitable sized pipes would carry in the mid 19th century, in a rural area? It seems like a rather modern or heavy industry solution to me, but I'd like to be proved wrong! A water tower might be worth trying. I don't think Job's Modelling's loco shed suggestion would work, as I'd lose the goods facilities. I'm busy until after the weekend, but may have a play around with some ideas next week.

 

As there aren't many broad gauge models available, it's difficult to model a precise date, which is what I'd like to do. A lot of 19th century layouts have tended to have a mix of stock from a wide range of dates and locations, that would never have been seen together. The broad gauge lasted for 54 years, so taken to the extreme that would be like running the latest trains with what was running in 1959! Can you imagine the reaction of RMweb members to that, let alone some of the people who frequent exhibitions? I saw this layout as an opportunity to build more stock, but not need too much to be able to operate it.

 

I started in EM about 40 years ago, with the aim of setting the layout in the early 1900s, but there wasn't a lot of stock available, so a lot of what I acquired was the usual 1930/40s RTR, and a bit of a mix of things that aren't really suitable for the type of layout I was building. So just picking out a few bits of stock that suit a micro layout should be no problem! The new EM layout will be bigger than a micro though, and I have enough stock to operate it. So it's probably a good thing that the BG layout is a micro that doesn't need much stock.

[chrismears]

I sure enjoy reading these updates. It's coming along nicely and it was neat to learn about the rolling stock you're using. That Hornby tank engine conversion is a neat idea. Looking forward to seeing more updates as you find the time. Thanks.

 

By the way, I realise how little I know about broad gauge railways and modelling them but thanks to this thread I've been poking around the internet and having quite a bit of fun learning about it all. Fascinating stuff.

[BG John]

You can't take an interest in the broad gauge without being a member of the Broad Gauge Society!

http://www.broadgauge.org.uk/

[marc smith]

Hi John,

Hmmm... I'm not sure what suitable sized pipes there may have been in the mid 19th Century....
I was thinking primarily of a water pipe, to supply the water tower, which I had suggested as a view-blocker

I must admit though, that I don't know what pipes would have consisted of,
or what sizes they may have been.....

Certainly, clay pipes were used further back, in times of the Roman empire - to supply their water / baths
They didn't have any trains though!

Marc

PS. I'm sure someone on here will know all about pipework!

 

EDIT: On watching a TV programme about canals, with Julia Bradbury
She talked about Telford's canal aqueduct in North Wales
I seem to recall that being cast iron, lined with hessian - soaked in Toffee!!
I kid you not

Edited May 14, 2013 by marc smith

[mikeandnel]

BG John

 

I find it very hard to understand how you could have achieved all this in a camper van, but more power to your elbow for managing it and well done.

Any chance we could have some future pics and info on the broad gauge stock and, as an EM gauge modeller myself, lots of info on what you are doing in EM please

 

Michael

[BG John]

With hindsight I would have built an EM layout while I was travelling. It would have been easier, and I have plenty of stock to run on it. There's nothing more to show on the BG layout, or the stock, at the moment, as life keeps getting in the way!

 

The new EM layout has got as far as one of the baseboards being built, and the first version of the track plan being printed full size. Nothing else will be happening on it for some time, but I am thinking of something smaller, and rather interesting/perverse!

[Colin_McLeod]

Love the layout. Its not often we see models of the GWR broad gauge.

[D1041]

Hi John

Do you have any close ups of the trainshed. I am thinking of building part of one in a bitsa station micro layout. Some key dimensions would be useful too.

Nigel