Module: Bridge over the River Axe [under construction]

[cromptonnut]

Just a quick post to share details of my first module.  It is very simple and nothing earth-shattering at all but I thought it would be worth sharing here just to encourage people that "things are happening".

 

Prototype location: Nowhere in particular, open countryside.

Era: Can be set to anywhere by the addition or removal of road vehicles.

Length: 4ft long, straight.

Single track.

Module operator: Based in Horley, Surrey.

 

The name comes from the River Axe on the Somerset/Devon borders (although not based on any particular bridge) which is very close to where I grew up, plus I wanted to use a river beginning with A because it's my first ever module.

[cromptonnut]

Picture below of its current state about 15 minutes ago (7 August), with a Bachmann CEP placed on it as it happened to be handy.

 

 

The baseboard itself is nothing unusual, square-ish construction from plywood screwed and glued in the normal manner.  It's about 1/3 of the way complete at the moment - but not bad for a couple of evening's work so far.  Ballast is down, about half the ground foam grass undercoat is down awaiting drying then I'll add some variation followed by static grass, then there'll be the usual bushes and stuff.  The one good thing about modelling at this time of the year is that everything dries very quickly!

 

Things still to do

 

- Get some Peco fencing

- Make hedges

- Lay a footpath

- Define river bed

- Reeds and rocks along river

- lay resin river

- Paint edges

- Weather pillbox and concrete hut

- Static grass

- Bushes, more trees and undergrowth

 

I'll update this thread as and when.

[cromptonnut]

Trees are removeable to reduce the height of the board; I have a good quantity of trees which I am sharing between the OO modular and my O gauge layout, as I will only have one out "on show" at any given time (although theoretically I could power both from my Lenz unit but that would just be silly trying to operate two layouts simultaneously at a show...)

 

That should mean two boards can be stacked "face to face" in about a foot.  I've got plans for another individual board which is also standalone and can go anywhere in a modular set up.

[Kenton]

You have been keeping that one up your sleeve either that or we should be paying you to build them all. I am a little worried that we may misrepresent the British countryside a little with lots of bridges over and under. But then thinking about it THAT IS just what happens when a railway passes through the British countryside.

[cromptonnut]

Hi Kenton, didn't want to "peak" too early It really is nothing very technical or special, just using basic techniques at a standard most modellers should be able to achieve.  Future modules will be more complicated but I just wanted to make something - not aiming to "be the first to do so" but so I at least have a 'proof of concept' which I can then use as a benchmark against future module compatibility (or alternatively, they'll all be wrong...)

 

Been having a play with the static grass machine this evening, still need to do detailing and more undergrowth.  To the right is a piece of masking tape to make a straight edge which will be where a hedge is placed, with the aim of making a small pathway and foot crossing over the track to cover a small error which nobody has thankfully noticed.

 

 

It's getting a bit stormy here now so I think I might save the rest until tomorrow.

[Talltim]

You certainly are very productive. Looks good

[cromptonnut]

Just a little update with the ongoing scenery work, the fence and some undergrowth is starting to appear.

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

A nice start which will, I am sure, encourage many others.

 

But I hope that we don't get too many straight track modules. I think that DutchMaster is onto something with his idea of rhomboid baseboards so that there can be a succession of gentle curves.

[cromptonnut]

I plan curves, this is a 'proof of concept' starter.

[Corbs]

Such a great difference the detail in the foliage makes, transforms it from a train set look to a model railway IMO. Good stuff.

[cromptonnut]

The bushes/undergrowth is Woodland Scenics  "Poly Fiber" (FP178) pulled out and teased to an appropriate shape, soaked in diluted PVA (as you use for ballasting) and pressed into the place I want it, then either a bright green ground foam scatter I have (manufacturer unknown) or Woodland Scenics T1535 Fall yellow coarse turf to give a representation of flowers or gorse bushes.

 

The grass is a green blend fine ground foam scatter glued down, again soaked in PVA, with some 4mm static grass and 6mm in places to give some variety - again nothing unusual.

 

But you are right, it's those little details (and they're fairly cheap per bush) that take very little time, that do make a big difference.

[cromptonnut]

Just a little progress update from "the other side of the tracks".  Two different angles of the same part, with another CEP thundering past.  Interesting what a difference the black fascia makes.

 

 

A slightly more "lineside level" shot.

 

 

Once I have made the hedges (a trip to the supermarket tomorrow for some suitable pan cleaners) I will then work on the pathway that crosses the line (just beyond the edge of the black fascia paint in the first picture).

[Steve-e]

Looks really good and has the British feel about it.

 

The trick I see with modules is to make them kind of none descript so they could be any era which I think you've captured well it would have been easy to give it a modern feel by putting some graffiti on the Pill box or some high vis workers standing against the fence but if you substitute the EMU for a green diesel or a steam loco then it would still work.

 

The only thing I see sneeking in is the yellow BR van but if not stuck down you could also change as per era with a horse and cart etc....

 

My plan also is a straight single track over a bridge which I should get started in the next couple of weeks , but in the words of the song "over bridges, under bridges to our destination" you cant have to many in a british scene.

 

Steve

[cromptonnut]

I wasn't going to "stick down" the crew bus or the "men in orange" that are yet to be purchased - you are right, it does have that nondescript feel about it so although I am personally a modern image modeller (blue/grey late 70's early 80's to NSE period) there isn't a great deal that can tie it down.  In normal modular use (or when all of my eventual modules are complete as they will all be designed to create a complete functional layout in their own right) will probably have them on it but they can easily be taken off if anyone wants to use my board for a photographic background.

 

I did purchase a cattle creep that I couldn't fit into this particular scene but that'll probably fit into the next module which hopefully won't take too long to construct either - I plan on a fairly simple embankment type scene and hope to purchase some of the forthcoming Patrol tents for a little cameo scene reminiscent of my younger days in the Scouts, complete with working campfire and lots of smoke

[Steve-e]

I wasn't going to "stick down" the crew bus or the "men in orange" that are yet to be purchased - you are right, it does have that nondescript feel about it so although I am personally a modern image modeller (blue/grey late 70's early 80's to NSE period) there isn't a great deal that can tie it down.  In normal modular use (or when all of my eventual modules are complete as they will all be designed to create a complete functional layout in their own right) will probably have them on it but they can easily be taken off if anyone wants to use my board for a photographic background.

 

I did purchase a cattle creep that I couldn't fit into this particular scene but that'll probably fit into the next module which hopefully won't take too long to construct either - I plan on a fairly simple embankment type scene and hope to purchase some of the forthcoming Patrol tents for a little cameo scene reminiscent of my younger days in the Scouts, complete with working campfire and lots of smoke

I saw a good layout once where the little people had pins attached to their feet so they could be moved around the scene so it wasn't so permanent, perhaps thats an Idea with different era people for different set ups.

 

Steve

[cromptonnut]

They appear to come on a small grassed sub-base (presumably it's to do with the guy ropes) but it should be easy enough to blend into an overall scene.  Certainly many of us will have fond memories of Scouting in our younger days so hopefully it will be a talking point for many and a good opportunity to engage with people and explain about the modular system.

 

But they aren't available yet.

[cromptonnut]

I swa a good layout once where the little people had pins attached to their feet so they could be moved around the scene so it wasn't so permanent, perhaps thats an Idea with different era people for different set ups.

 

Steve

 

I'm doing a similar thing with my trees, partly because by removing them it means the boards can stack much closer together (hence getting more into a Fiesta without hiring a van), but also so I can share them between my modular boards and my O gauge layout - only one of which will ever be "exhibited" at a time

[Satan's Goldfish]

Wish I could progress this quickly! Where did the pillbox come from?

[cromptonnut]

Wish I could progress this quickly! Where did the pillbox come from?

 

I sorta cheated by recycling the baseboard - that's my weakest point as I hate woodwork.  But it's just a single line, a couple of kits, a Hornby viaduct, Peco fencing, and some scenic work.  I've probably spent more time waiting for glue to dry than actually working on it.

 

It's the Wills SS-74 Pill Box (very simple to assemble, just needs glue and paint), available from all good model shops and a few rubbish ones.  Hornby have recently bought out one in their Skaledale range too - R8787 - Pill Box.