Southernboy Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 I really like this: Quite distinctive, full of character, plus pre-grouping to-boot. I can almost hear the sea Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Hopefully when I exhibit it you will be able to hear the sea, just gently in the background. I draw the line at the smell of seaweed though! I was idly pondering the possibility of modelling a paddle steamer until I worked out the size of the hull....the only kit I could find was in 1/50th scale so smaller than 0 gauge and that was still over four feet long. I think I'll settle for a picture on the backscene if I can find something suitable, Peter 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 46444 Posted January 7, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2017 ..........I draw the line at the smell of seaweed though! I believe a Mr.York of this Parish may have committed this offence IIRC?...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 46444 Posted January 7, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2017 Hi Pete, I'm a bit slow on the uptake having missed Saltdean come to fruition. Just to say I'll be regularly looking into Langstone. Cheers, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 The white patch is PVA that hasn't dried yet Is this PVA merely a sealant on the plywood, or an initial rippling sea effect? (Love the wooden decking, btw.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 More than anything it was to stick down the pier to the baseboard, but I covered the whole surface because it would be inaccessible afterwards. There will be varnish over the PVA but that is thin enough to flow and cover the whole surface. The PVA does seal the surface nicely too of course. I've solved the paddle steamer problem; take one period postcard..... and hey presto! I still need to add the flags and rigging when I'm feeling brave enough. Peter 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) Finally I've been able to pour on the first layer of water, and suddeenly it really looks like a pier. I've begun the structure on the second baseboard too so that should develop now. It's amazing how different the unpainted wood looks. I've put a strip of plastic card between the baseboards so hopefully they won't glue together with the PVA and varnish. Fingers crossed! Two men are passing the time at the end of the pier waiting for the steamer to arrive. I've replaced the chain with some ready blackened which looks a lot better. A wider view showing how effective the cut out paper steamer looks. I've added the first figures from Omen and Detailed Miniatures on the platform though a lot more are going to be needed. The water is just two large tins of Polyurethane varnish poured over the board; it will take weeks to harden and then will need more coats, but it will end up looking good as the layers build up. I've learned the hard way that varnish is the best thing to use; it's cheap, flexible and looks effective. I put a little Woodland Scenics foliage between the layers to look like seaweed, and some green weathering powders can look good to as they mix into the varnish. I've got some ducks but they will have to wait for a while yet. The final job will be to add ripples and so on using propriety paste, but that's a long way off yet. The Tichy Trains NBW's transform the wooden uprights; they are ready coloured and were just glued in place. A few streaks of rust running down need to be added. The end of the line with three LBSCR buffer stoops from Ragstone Models. You wouldn't want to fall in!Peter Edited January 10, 2017 by kirtleypete 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big James Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Amazing doesnt do this art justice. But it is looking absolutely stunning. Big james Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 The water is particularly excellent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 Don't forget that the varnish was still wet, I'd only just poured it on so it does look like water. The hard bit is keeping that look after it's dried. The other problem of course is that it won't move so it will always look better in pictures than actually looking at the layout. Fortunately Langstone isn't on the open sea so I don't need waves but there would be some movement of the water especially around the wooden uprights which I'll have to try to suggest. Then there's the join between the baseboards but that can wait until everything is dry. I suppose I could have a row of ducks all swimming in a straight line................... Peter 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big James Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 The water reminded me of the Medway after it had been churned up on a particularly rough day. Big james Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 I've got the rest of the pier in place now and bedded it in to the adjoining wharf area. I can get on with laying the track while the PVA dries, but not until it warms up a bit in my garage! Peter 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted January 11, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 11, 2017 Brilliant stuff, the rate you're going there'll be trains running by the end of next week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrkirtley800 Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Stunning bit of modelling. The pre grouping period does add a lot of interest. Derek Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 The whole idea was to build something that wasn't going to be just like the layout next to it at exhibitions...after all it's really just another 20' long terminus to fiddle yard layout, but it looks different. Peter 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spannerman Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 The whole idea was to build something that wasn't going to be just like the layout next to it at exhibitions...after all it's really just another 20' long terminus to fiddle yard layout, but it looks different. Peter "Looks different" looks blxxdy amazing to me. Great to see such another fantastic layout after Saltdean, and going ahead at such a pace. Atb Nik Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted January 14, 2017 Author Share Posted January 14, 2017 The track on the second baseboard is coming on; I hadn't planned to have a point half on and half off the pier but I rather like it now. The point onto the wharf sidings in an A5, the others are all B6 which I hope will show when it's finished...the wharf shouldn't see anything bigger than a Terrier. The platform will end at the end of the pier, with the ramp on 'dry land'. I will line up the rails properly at the end of the A5 point! The varnish water on the first board is almost dry so I'm hoping that on Monday I can give that a second layer to build up the depth. Peter 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted January 14, 2017 Author Share Posted January 14, 2017 (edited) While I've been working on these two boards I've been thinking about how to control the layout. We use a Lenz 100 DCC system in an aluminium camera box that is just plugged into whichever layout we are exhibiting, and that isn't going to change. However, I can't do things as I've done in the past because of the pier....up to now I've used Hoffmann point motors but I can't use them under the pier because they'd show and would be inaccessible if something goes wrong. I'm going to use servo's to operate the points on the pier, surface mounted in the buildings and powered using Megapoints circuit boards but still operated from the DCC handheld controller. Well, if I'm operating the points on the pier like that it seems logical to do the others the same way, as well as the two signals. That means using a lot of the buildings to hide the servos inside, which means making the roof removable. That's not a problem, though, because the low backscene means that many of the buildings will have to have a removable upper portion anyway which will be taken off when the layout is transported. The 'light came on' moment was when I realised that there was no need to put anything under the baseboards at all other than the busbar and wires connecting the baseboards. The Megapoints units are small enough to go in a building as well, as are the frog juicers I'm using to change the point polarity. That would mean no more lying on my back at an exhibition trying to put a wire I can't see back into a tiny hole that I also can't see! After all, the only moving parts are the servos, the rest of it is just electronics which should be fit and forget. I'll need a 12V DC power supply which will probably be best fitted under the board with the main control units on, but that's it. It will be much easier installing everything with the baseboards the right way up, and I can also do it without having to wait for the varnish water to dry! There is one downside of using servos for the points, I can't wire the crossover points to change together on the same number as the servos have to be set up individually. I can live with that. Unless I've missed something really obvious this seems to much more user friendly way of installing the control system; there's one way to find out, of course, and that is to do it. Peter Edited January 14, 2017 by kirtleypete 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgundy Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 There is one downside of using servos for the points, I can't wire the crossover points to change together on the same number as the servos have to be set up individually. I can live with that. Unless I've missed something really obvious this seems to much more user friendly way of installing the control system; there's one way to find out, of course, and that is to do it. Peter Peter Is there any reason why you cannot use one servo to drive both ends of the crossover, using angle cranks to reverse the thrust on one end from push to pull? Vintner's Yard is worked by wire in tube, but the cross over has a single switch to actuate two sets of wires. Best wishes Eric Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted January 14, 2017 Author Share Posted January 14, 2017 Yes Eric, in one case at least - the two points are on different baseboards! I'll live with changing each point separately, it's not ideal but it's worth it for the advantages elsewhere.. Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 I've started surface mounting all my electrical and mechanical bits. Two of the layouts I'm building are on old doors, so there's no framing underneath, and I didn't want to make holes in them. It makes life so much easier, as I can do everything from the top, with no back problems. I'm seriously considering radio control for my O gauge layout, with hand operated points, so there won't be any wiring at all. Time will tell if a backache is a required part of layout building, to make everything accessible for repairs and maintenance! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Humbling. Kevin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 No pain no gain, John! Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 No pain no gain, John! Peter There's enough pain trying to motivate myself to get on with the modelling, without getting a bad back too . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 (edited) I've made more progress, so here are some new pictures; The pier joins the shore and the platform has been completed. The electronics will all be hidden in a building, probably the harbour office. From left to right there is a servo motor driving the point, the Megapoints unit which controls twelve servos, the Megapoionts DCC unit which enables me to control the points from my Lenz 100 handheld, another servo and finally a Duo Frogjuicer. Putting all this on top had been much, much easier. Where the station building will stand are two more servos, another Frogjuicer and a small DCC busbar; putting all this on top means just two wires need feeding through to under the board. The tubes to the tie bars are fairly obvious, but as the LBSCR fed signal wires through tubes when they passed under the track I'm not going to worry too much. Peter Edited January 17, 2017 by kirtleypete 19 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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