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BEIJIAO - a large Chinese HO exhibition layout set in the 21st century


TEAMYAKIMA
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Meanwhile, I have a considerable amount of time today trying to make the Herpa Trabant look a bit less like it has just left the showroom. 

 

Before.................

 

IMG_20211029_143628.jpg.284f914b21310b4d0260d4a04b774d6e.jpg

 

After..............................IMG_20211030_185130.jpg.bce9d3e6f2eaf1b0bd05d19ad11a9034.jpg

 

Edited by TEAMYAKIMA
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4 minutes ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

Meanwhile, I have a considerable amount of time today trying to make the Herpa Trabant look a bit less like it has just left the showroom. 

 

 

Well I think it looks good! I assume it came over with some of the East German Engineers who were there for the NY14's?

 

Luke

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So I am working on a new market area near the truck stop. Some time ago I bought this rather expensive Preiser market stall..... IMG_20211103_185956.jpg.4967479a9708fbbcbfec065e6cccef65.jpg

But when I actually put it on the layout, I thought that it was far too bright and cheery and so I stripped it down and here it is now...... 

IMG_20211103_185556.jpg.369d5fe584cc288fb4a468a26bd1827a.jpg

Edited by TEAMYAKIMA
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On 03/11/2021 at 18:55, TEAMYAKIMA said:

So I am working on a new market area near the truck stop ...

 

 

Looking good.

 

By coincidence, my continuing unpacking here has recently turned up a few more books, including a softback booklet by P B Whitehouse called 'China's Railways, Todays Image' (Published in 1986 by Millbrook House).  One page has a colour photograph of fruit vendors on the platform of Kunming Bei station ('... terminus of the metre gauge line from the Vietnamese border in south Yunnan'.) in October 1984.  The four are dressed mostly in the ubiquitous blue trousers and jackets (though one woman has red jacket on and a child in a sling on her back).  Produce is mostly apples and it is all in round wicker baskets and looks as if they are about to set off, picking them up with the traditional wooden pole 'yokes' (the baskets hanging off the ends on ropes).  My guess (although the photo text does not confirm this) is that they (and others behind them along the platform) have just disembarked from the local train that is described as just having arrived at the platform ('... ten bogie vans and a single wooden coach for the peasants and farmers'.)

 

Steve N

 

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One downside of the new lighting pelmet and the resultant higher fiddle yard screens is that it is more difficult (ie impossible) for the mainline operators to see the progress of their trains on the scenic section. This is particularly relevant at the right hand end of the scenic section where the Faller roadway interacts with the bi-directional at the level crossing.

 

So, I have installed a camera and hopefully this will help. It's a car reversing system, hence the multi-coloured lines either side - but it was cheap!

 

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IMG_20211105_091023.jpg.e64d247eae0df54264b899da006b8865.jpg

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On 08/11/2021 at 08:04, TEAMYAKIMA said:

Just four more days before we have to pack the van and head to TOLWORTH - the pressure mounts!

 

Those two new locos have come back from my favourite 'weatherer' and all I need to do now is get them chipped.

 

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Looking good!!

 

Out of interest how did you make the concrete fencing between the tracks?

 

Thanks 

 

Neil

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On 09/11/2021 at 19:36, Neils WRX said:

Out of interest how did you make the concrete fencing between the tracks?

 

Thanks 

 

Neil

 

It's a downloaded file from  Modelrailwayscenery called 6' concrete fencing. The file is OO and so I had it printed off at 88% to make it HO. I then added fine plasticard strips to give the posts a greater 3D effect.

 

The wall is not great and in the medium term I will re-do it. The problem is that the sheets were printed on different grades of paper on different printers and each time the colour came out slightly differently. So my advice is to print off as many sheets as you'll ever need in one go.

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So, the Tolworth show is over and done with. Did anyone reading this see us there?

 

If so, your photos would be appreciated as I was too busy to take any. There will be a video available shortly and I will post a link ASAP.

 

Positive comments are welcome. Any negative comments - please send me a PM:jester:

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The backscene, now painted smog yellow is a great improvement and it certainly drew a crowd when I was looking at it on Sunday afternoon.

 

My only complaint, if you will allow me, is that it suffered from roundy-roundy layout syndrome.  That is that the same train(s) is allowed to circulate continuously. 

But I think that the crew were having issues at the time.

 

Apart from that I remain impressed, the running was done at a convincing speed, the sound was good and I am looking forward to seeing it again.

 

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10 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

So, the Tolworth show is over and done with. Did anyone reading this see us there?

 

If so, your photos would be appreciated as I was too busy to take any. There will be a video available shortly and I will post a link ASAP.

 

Positive comments are welcome. Any negative comments - please send me a PM:jester:

 

I didn't go, but saw a video and thought the backscene really added to the atmosphere. Something that is hard to judge tho was how the layout and ambient lighting related to it, as I'd like to see how the layout looks with a peachy orange glow over it. It's a pity there aren't any exhibitions in suitably lit road salt storage domes near major motorway intersections that could oblige...

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12 hours ago, brightspark said:

The backscene, now painted smog yellow is a great improvement and it certainly drew a crowd when I was looking at it on Sunday afternoon.

 

My only complaint, if you will allow me, is that it suffered from roundy-roundy layout syndrome.  That is that the same train(s) is allowed to circulate continuously. 

But I think that the crew were having issues at the time.

 

Apart from that I remain impressed, the running was done at a convincing speed, the sound was good and I am looking forward to seeing it again.

 

 

Thank you for your nice comments about the backscene. The dark grey was my original concept and it got a (deserved) poor reception. The Lowery-inspired concept was from team member Gordon who took the new backscene on as a project and so he deserves the credit for that. We are considering one slight change. At the moment the buildings are one continuous block of grey and we are considering separating the different shapes slightly as seen in this shot of New York.

 

ny.jpg.b3bd0b79d4b5d5b151c130111667aec5.jpg

 

As regards the 'roundy-roundy' aspect, I agree that it should not happen, but as you say, there were some operational issues. The route selection was not 100% reliable and as a consequence the operators had to physically 'walk the route' to make sure it was set correctly and so it is perhaps understandable that by Sunday afternoon there was a tendency to keep a train in action for a few circuits before selecting (and checking) a new route. However, that route selection issue is top of my list of jobs to do before the next show.

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I agree the new backscene really sets off all the hard work on the layout, I found the grey a bit distracting bizarrely. 
Really enjoyed watching the trains on several stops over the weekend. 
All the hard work on presentation has been well worth it. 

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5 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

'... route selection issue is top of my list of jobs to do before the next show'.

 

On that subject (apologies if you've mentioned this elsewhere); are there any confirmed dates for the layout in the future (national circumstances permitting of course)?

 

Steve N

 

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5 hours ago, steveNCB7754 said:

On that subject (apologies if you've mentioned this elsewhere); are there any confirmed dates for the layout in the future (national circumstances permitting of course)?

 

Steve N

 

The team as a whole are currently reviewing our commitments and we will confirm dates ASAP.

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14 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

As regards the 'roundy-roundy' aspect, I agree that it should not happen, but as you say, there were some operational issues. The route selection was not 100% reliable and as a consequence the operators had to physically 'walk the route' to make sure it was set correctly and so it is perhaps understandable that by Sunday afternoon there was a tendency to keep a train in action for a few circuits before selecting (and checking) a new route. However, that route selection issue is top of my list of jobs to do before the next show.

I will look forward to seeing your solution in action.

Hopefully in the not too distant future.

It's a cracking layout.

 

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1 hour ago, brightspark said:

I will look forward to seeing your solution in action.

Hopefully in the not too distant future.

It's a cracking layout.

 

To give a little context: there are 4 main running sections: Bi-directional, China Rail clockwise, China Rail anti clockwise and the Industrial.

 

The two China Rail lines have 5 double ended tracks, the Bi-directional 4 (I believe) with 3 trains in one direction and 1 in the other. With a China Rail train taking the best part of 2 minutes to complete a full circuit to see all of the China Rail and Bi-direction trains should take about 10min, which is about as long as most viewers will stay. Watching the full Industrial operation will take much longer :)!

 

The longest passenger train is 19 carriages, the longest is 40 oil tankers. Unfortunately there isn't much ability to rearrange trains behind the scenes. When the layout is performing as intended there are somewhere in the region of 350-400 pieces of rolling stock in use.

 

Pretty much everything on the layout has worked properly at some time. We're hopping and planning that we can get it to an exhibition all working at the same time and repeat this exhibition after exhibition...

 

Luke (proud member of the operating team)

 

 

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My DF4B ‘Niu Zhaoxia’ missed Tolworth  due to me forgetting to bring it.


Since last time it was out it’s had DCC sound fitted and a further coat of weathering. It looks thoroughly filthy now.

 

Scrawled in the muck on the sides it says ‘I wish my wife was this dirty’ in Mandarin. But I think I’ve been a bit too subtle and you can barely read it. 

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