Deliberately Old-Fashioned 0 Scale - Chapter 1

[Nearholmer]

What I'm trying to do, Don, is build a layout that could, at first glance, be taken for one built in about 1938 or 1950.

 

Of course, at the time, modellers were, as they always have done, striving to achieve ever greater fidelity ....... I'm not, I'm stopping the calendar of 'progress' around these dates, because I like the level of Impressionism, the aesthetic, that emerged at this time, and particularly like being able to run both genuinely old stock, and modern stock in the same spirit, together. And, yes, shiny things are encouraged, because realism hadn't got as far as the unpleasant bits at that stage.

 

Actually, at the moment progress on this front is nil, it being the school holidays!

Edited August 10, 2017 by Nearholmer

[Edwardian]

A great philosophy.  I occasionally yearn to recreate - so that I can appreciate in full colour and 3D - some of the OO Gauge model railways that enthralled me in my Father's 1950s Railway Modellers. 

 

Travel on Hornby Dublo to Bilteezi Land!  

 

It would be hard, though, to resist the temptation to attempt greater realism and fidelity than was considered necessary at the time.  Even if one restricted materials, it might prove hard to shake off the modern mind-set and its 'finescale' approach.

 

The advantage of O gauge coarse scale is that it is a 'thing', with modern products maintaining the character, aesthetics and standards of the originals.

 

Long may it continue!

[Northroader]

Looking back to the coarse scale "look" in those days, I didn't get to see any layouts, but got the picture from the magazines I took. The Meccano Magazine was first call, and we're lucky that you can free download the copies today, and browse through them (highly recommended, as it does give a good sense of the age for all transport / engineering) Each month there was always a Dublo layout and a Hornby O layout. Thinking back the O line was usually an oval with some spurs off, taking up a fair space. Probably these days things are better, in that the operating plans have improved. Certainly Kevin's "Paltry Circus" has the old look, but is a compact unit, capable of satisfying operation, and also portable, so in this way it is modern. (O.K., the old lines were "portable" if you ran them on the carpet) All the Hornby items I came across ran on four wheels, locos, coaches, wagons. Compared with the output from ACE trains, say, again you're getting an old look but much closer to a "proper" trains appearance, and very good smooth performance.

The other input was from the Railway Modeller, the first issues serialised C.L.Frys Irish Internationl system, which is still on view in Dublin. Over the years this has become much more refined, and its present appearance has moved forward.

The other layout which was serialised soon after was Norman Eagles Sherwood section, very much a coarse O scale classic, and working on Clockwork. (How in the hell did he do point to point trains with spring-drive, any thoughts on that, Kevin?)

You'll see that a typical period look is given by the bare baseboard and sleepers, no ballasting, although in this instance I gather the extra weight would be a problem, also interfere with the thread operated signals, Should a "classic" line have painted rails or ballasting?

[Donw]

It always seems to me that these trains capture something of the glamour and dash of train travel. When the pace of life was slower and ordinary folk didn't have cars it was walk cycle or bus most of the time. A lot was lost when people had cars which could match the speed of anything on their local branch. Much of the finescale modelling is aimed towards the quieter byways of the lines whereas the toy trains where often trying to capture the feel of a mainline and expresses. True with a three coach express setting off from a two platform Euston a fair bit of imagination was needed. Trains were also run fast and round and round no limping from a fy round a curve and stop in the station before limping back to the fy. It was also fun.

 

Don

[Simond]

Point to point clockwork required accurate winding. 3 and three-quarters turns.

 

I recall a contributor to RM who had reversed full size practice, in making his garden railway stations a little lower than the track between them, such that the initial urge was somewhat tamed by the climb, and the run into the station recovered a little of that energy.

 

(Most/many tube stations are above mean track level, to reduce the energy lost to braking, and recover it when accelerating)

 

Best

Simon

Edited August 11, 2017 by Simond

[Guest Isambarduk]

Point to point clockwork required accurate winding. 3 and three-quarters turns.

The stations at Brambleton Model Railway Club for boys were originally set out in the early 1960s at a distance that was reachable by one full wind of most of the stud of about fifty clockwork locomotives (they weren't referred to as 'spring drive' in those days). 

 

Each station was a block post on the double track mainline and on the double track branch.  The younger boys, usually just gone up to 'big school' aged eleven or twelve, were given the job of winding and sending on trains, in that way, they learnt from the older boys how to offer on and accept trains on the real (ie ex LMS and GWR) block instruments ... we even had signalling exams with diplomas ... we were exceptionally fortunate in our formative years to have learnt from our older friends and it was not just signalling, we had a tented camp above Boston Lodge to work on the Festiniog Railway each summer.

 

The club is still going (www.brambleton.org.uk) but the boys are much, much older now, the old coarse standard hand-built track has long been replaced with PECO, the block instruments have mostly been replaced with wireless electronic analogues and the locos are battery driven.  But, in its own way, it is still deliberately 'old fashioned'.  Smile :-)

 

David

[St Enodoc]

Point to point clockwork required accurate winding. 3 and three-quarters turns.

 

I recall a contributor to RM who had reversed full size practice, in making his garden railway stations a little lower than the track between them, such that the initial urge was somewhat tamed by the climb, and the run into the station recovered a little of that energy.

 

(Most/many tube stations are above mean track level, to reduce the energy lost to braking, and recover it when accelerating)

 

Best

Simon

City Road terminus on Jack Ray's Crewchester was like that I believe.

[Northroader]

Thanks for the explanation of how to conduct the proper operation of clockwork lines, gentlemen. I'm afraid my experience is limited to around 74 years ago, a Bing OO 0-4-0 running on a plain circle of pressed clip- together track. It had already seen fair wear and tear before my parents bought it for me (this was the middle of ww2, after all) and I'm sorry say I didn't get much use out of it before the spring went on me. Going on to secondary school and clothing cost an arm and a leg, nothing left for models!

[Donw]

One of the things about clockwork was you had to know your locos to reach from A to B with three coaches was say four turns of the key for one loco but five for another. Rather different to be able to just turn a knob. On the other hand there were no dead spots where power was lost due to dirty track. No funny shorts. One could just clip the track together with no worries about wiring. 

Of course it lacked the dangerous excitement of using a ballast lamp to drop mains voltage down to 20v as used with some early electric trains.

Don

[hartleymartin]

I remember reading many articles on the Norman Eagles layout "Sherwood Section" over the years (mostly from old back-issues since I was born in 1986). I recall that whenever anyone criticised them for not ballasting the track, they were invited to do it themselves. I think they must have just figured that it would be too much bother to try it.

[Nearholmer]

Don said that there were "No funny shorts". ......... Well, from what I've seen in pictures, boys wore very funny shorts, and Scout Masters even funnier. There was a Scout Master who adopted deliberately old fashioned shorts in the small town where I grew up, but all the boys knew that he was a Man Best Avoided.

 

Anyway, I would have contributed to the clockwork discussion, but somehow I managaged to select "ignore this topic" for my own thread, so didn't see it until now.

 

SWMBO and offsprings have gone to another seaside (Norfolk this time, would you believe?) for a few days with aunt, cousin, and grandmother, but without me, so, immediately the car left the drive at 1200 hours yesterday, Operation Broom Cupboard swung into action.

 

Readers should now synchronise watches, smear blacking on their faces, and imagine the sort of music that went with 1950s films about WW2, or perhaps Indiana Jones music .......

 

First move was to empty the cupboard (of junk belonging to me; it has never seen a broom), remove the cupboard, and dismantle the part of the layout on that side of the room. Duly completed by 2100 hours yesterday. First photo taken from the place where the cupboard now isn't.

 

0900 hours today work resumed and, despite a routine visit to dentist in the middle of the day, by 1700 hours, a new worktop-height cupboard had been fitted, the basic boarding for the revised FY was in place, and Paltry Circus had been test-fitted in its new location. See second photo.

 

That the easy stuff done, because the next bit is to replace the lifting-flap, which is quite an awkward thing, because the door is in one corner of the room, so the flap has to accommodate track on ninety-degree curves. Further cogitation, measuring and calculation this evening; cutting wood to the wrong dimensions, and a lot of swearing, tomorrow.

Edited August 17, 2017 by Nearholmer

[Edwardian]

somehow I managaged to select "ignore this topic" for my own thread, so didn't see it until now.

 

 

 

Truly outstanding effort there!

 

 

Readers should now synchronise watches, smear blacking on their faces, and imagine the sort of music that went with 1950s films about WW2, or perhaps Indiana Jones music .......

 

First move was to empty the cupboard (of junk belonging to me; it has never seen a broom), remove the cupboard, and dismantle the part of the layout on that side of the room. Duly completed by 2100 hours yesterday. First photo taken from the place where the cupboard now isn't.

 

0900 hours today work resumed and, despite a routine visit to dentist in the middle of the day, by 1700 hours, a new worktop-height cupboard had been fitted, the basic boarding for the revised FY was in place, and Paltry Circus had been test-fitted in its new location. See second photo.

 

That the easy stuff done, because the next bit is to replace the lifting-flap, which is quite an awkward thing, because the door is in one corner of the room, so the flap has to accommodate track on ninety-degree curves. Further cogitation, measuring and calculation this evening; cutting wood to the wrong dimensions, and a lot of swearing, tomorrow.

 

And that's pretty impressive, too!

 

Cheering you on from the side-lines here!

[BG John]

Is this with, or without, permission? If we don't hear from you after the next couple of days, should we get the police round to dig up your garden?

[Northroader]

Questions, questions, where has the mysterious "item of gym equipment" gone? Is your big oval line going round the outside? How did you circumvent the high cupboard which had to stay vertical? How many turns of the key does no.88 get? Is your wife briefed to take piccys of Much Shaggingham for our legal pal?

Glad to hear you've got a blitz on sorting it out, good luck with it all.

[Nearholmer]

BGJ

 

Funny you should mention digging the garden, since that was one of the several 'before we get back' suggestions/instructions ........ if you can persuade the local constabulary to do the job for me, that would be brilliant.

 

(Notice that I'm avoiding answering the very direct question that you posed .........)

Edited August 17, 2017 by Nearholmer

[Metropolitan H]

Cor! - I shall look forward to coming round to see the revised arrangements. but that must wait till some of our immediate tribulations are more settled.

 

Once you have Paltry Circus and the new FY in place, you must get the Birlstone platform(s) in place, along with at least one overbridge - for the positioning of an omnibus or two etc. Then we need a timetable operation session with other friends, or are you going for the garden extension first? - I assume that is what R's gardening instruction alluded to?

 

Chat soon.

 

Chris H

[BG John]

BGJ

 

Funny you should mention digging the garden, since that was one of the several 'before we get back' suggestions/instructions ........ if you can persuade the local constabulary to do the job for me, that would be brilliant.

 

(Notice that I'm avoiding answering the very direct question that you posed .........)

There's a joke about that! You haven't got any close family members in jail by any change, have you?

[Donw]

This sort of fits with what I call stealth modelling. When it has been declared there are other tasks to be done and modelling will have to wait. You can switch to stealth mode. All the required materials and plans are assembled in a handy drawer in a room where you can justify regular visits. Ideal is a spare bedroom where your clothes are kept hers having commandeered all available space in the bedroom. So need to change into garden work clothes would allow a few minutes of modelling. A few lines drawn on plasticard, change back into clean trousers for a meal and the marking out is complete. Change again to take the dogs for a walk and a few cuts can be made etc. Obviously superglue is ideal.

 

Anyway I don't think we hear of a grizzly find under the patio that would let you off far too lightly something with more enduring pain would be expected.

 

Don 

[Northroader]

It's funny we have to go to such lengths, but we do, we do...

[BG John]

It's funny we have to go to such lengths, but we do, we do...

I don't have to. My female companion doesn't care what I do, as long as I bribe her with Bonios .

[Georgeconna]

"C.L.Frys Irish International system, which is still on view in Dublin"

 

Not now it isn't. All packed up and in the Hands of the Local County Council so I don't expect anything to happen soon

 

More here if you care to Read about it.

 

http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/showthread.php/1273-Fry-Model-Railway/page20

[Donw]

Museums and Model Railways never seem to work out. I presume they do not generate the income needed to cover the maintenance housing etc. Pendon is an exception.

 

Don

[Nearholmer]

"Stealth modelling", yes, a not entirely unfamiliar concept hereabouts.

 

Good progress this morning, aided by an 0730 hours start, prompted by a forecast of rain from 1200, which is relevant because I do as much of the sawdust-production as I can outside. Rain arrived at 1208.

 

If the plan holds good, all the woodwork should be finished today, which then leaves me two days in which to complete the six days worth of domestic tasks that I was given to do in four, if that makes any sense.

 

K

[Nearholmer]

And, if you promise not to zoom in and examine the very poor quality joinery too closely, I'll show you how far we've got.

 

Woodwork done, and painted in standard grey primer. The lifting flap is quite big (understatement!) to allow for a further-future change of track-plan, and I'm thinking of creating some sort of lift-off bit of scenery to go on it for high days and holidays ........ sounds the sort of thing that I can enlist the offsprings to help with.

 

Who knows, I might even get some track laid, if I create some time by going at the domestic tasks like a man possessed.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Nearholmer

[Donw]

Important job done then. One of the most impressive solutions I have seen was by Mike Stanley who rather than a lifting section made it swing inwards with a caster on the outer edge for support. It had about ten tracks on two levels across it.

 

Don