Booking Hall Posted May 12, 2017 Author Share Posted May 12, 2017 (edited) Inspired by the picture in post 50, my canal bridge is pretty much complete apart from weathering. To keep it as light as possible it's mainly made from balsa covered by Scalescenes blue brick sheet. Even the girders are balsa and card. The steps are from the Airfix footbridge kit and the railings are Ratio. The bridge deck is cut from a piece of mounting board which has a linen backing, which I thought suggested chequer plate. Like a lot of the other stuff on this layout, the assembly is held in place by magnets. Now for the canal . . . Edited May 12, 2017 by Booking Hall 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 nice to see you have found that chap with the resin boats . I have a few myself, in fact that same one is on my British HO boxfile layout, along a few other bits from same supplier. Looking good. Obviously you wil have to assemble it all at exhibitions. I am at MRX (DCC group) in a week's time with my French boxfile layout working and my British HO one as a demonstration piece, plus loads of 3D printed items. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted May 14, 2017 Author Share Posted May 14, 2017 nice to see you have found that chap with the resin boats . I have a few myself, in fact that same one is on my British HO boxfile layout, along a few other bits from same supplier. Looking good. Obviously you wil have to assemble it all at exhibitions. I am at MRX (DCC group) in a week's time with my French boxfile layout working and my British HO one as a demonstration piece, plus loads of 3D printed items. Hi Simon, yes, I spotted this derelict barge on Ebay and thought it would do just fine, but it's a bit bigger than I was expecting! Still (just about) fits though. Hope the exhibition goes well next week. We (Pendle Forest Model Railway Society) usually have a layout there, but next weekend we're off to the Kyle Model Railway exhibition in Steventon, Scotland instead, so won't see you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBountyHunter Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Hi,excellent little layout, im a massive fan of micros and this one is absolutely stunning,very atmospheric.I am following with keen interest, have you found any difficulties in using set track points? as in the past i have struggled with the dead frogs. regards Glenn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted May 15, 2017 Author Share Posted May 15, 2017 Hi,excellent little layout, im a massive fan of micros and this one is absolutely stunning,very atmospheric.I am following with keen interest, have you found any difficulties in using set track points? as in the past i have struggled with the dead frogs. regards Glenn Hi Glenn, thanks for the kind comments! Glad you're finding this interesting. Setrack points, well, I haven't actually tested them much! They were really the only choice for a layout of this size, and I did quickly run a loco over the trackwork assembled on the desk before installing it, with no apparent problems, but I have to admit that I haven't tested it since installing it - which might be a huge mistake!!! It is possible that I'll get stalling and erratic running (which will rather spoil the operation of a tiny layout like this), in which case I'll have to look at adding extra pickups. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted May 15, 2017 Author Share Posted May 15, 2017 (edited) Before I start on the canal, I thought I'd better finish off the railings on the bridge section. I've added more railings and a sliding gate to secure the station at night, together with an electric swan-neck lamp standard. Edited May 15, 2017 by Booking Hall 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Hudson Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 Really well observed! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 (edited) I know I keep saying this, but most problems with dead frogs are caused by poor fixing down, the rail has to be level,and it is when one wheel is raised that it can upset the balance.That can still happen on electrofrog points. Newer models with either a flywheel or heavy wormgear(acts as a flywheel), can help. Also modifying the point so that the point blades are connected to the rails either side, continental style(and DCC) reduces problems caused by lack of contack on tips of the blades. Unfortunately you do need to add wires before fixing down, although those spring clip wires Hornby do, or used to do might work. You do then have to add breaks in siding rails to isolate them. This option is not possible with electrofrog points, which can still have problems with dirty tips to point blades. Edited May 16, 2017 by rue_d_etropal 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted May 16, 2017 Author Share Posted May 16, 2017 Really well observed! Thanks George, that's much appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 What an atmospheric layout. Great work. I will follow with interest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 What an atmospheric layout. Great work. I will follow with interest. Thanks Andyram, that's exactly the effect I was hoping to create! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 (edited) Having never modelled water and its containment before, I approached the canal with a bit of trepidation, and carried out a few experiments before finally deciding what to do. As I have no depth at all to play with, I decided to use the canal 'base' print from a Scalescenes canal bridge kit (which I downloaded thinking I could use the bridge but in the event it was too wide) and after firstly trying several coats of PVA decided that it just didn't look shiny enough to be convincing 'water' and went for the varnish option. In this case, a tin of pale Pine varnish from the £1 shop, which seemed to do the job but really does have quite a 'pong' Having printed out the 'canal' on some quality paper it was joined together and stuck down. Then I made the edging slabs from strips of pizza foam base scribed with a pencil and 'distressed'. After painting and dabbing with various shades of emulsion and acrylic paint (Java Bean and Nutmeg Spice from Wilkinsons, and Viridian and Lamp Black acrylic) these were stuck down and the first coat of varnish applied. I'm pretty happy so far and looking forward to being able to add some more coats to enhance the effect. Then the fun of adding weeds, debris, the half sunken barge etc. can begin! The plan is that the gap between the stone edging and the platform wall will be filled with a strip of teddy bear fur got up to look like patchy grass and scrub, which (hopefully) will fold away into the gap when the front of the box is closed - we'll have to see how well that works! The really tricky bit will be at the canal footbridge steps, which has a separate piece of canal 'wall' stuck to the base and which slots into the main wall, otherwise the front won't fold up. Edited May 18, 2017 by Booking Hall 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted May 23, 2017 Author Share Posted May 23, 2017 Well, the theory was fine, but in practice it didn't work. Having cut a strip of fur, trimmed and painted it, after sticking it onto the canal edging I found that the front of the box would only close to about 75%, no matter where I tried to fold the fur. Moving the hinged edge of the front would have given me more space, but then I would have needed a larger piece of fur - catch 22! For the time being I've 'unstuck' the fur and could just lay it in place (as it is on the photos), but the front edge looks unconvincing, so plan B is to try attaching it with Sticky Wax, so it can be removed and reapplied at will, but as I haven't got any Sticky Wax, that solution will have to wait until some arrives. In the meantime I painted and rusted the barge. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted May 27, 2017 Author Share Posted May 27, 2017 The Tacky Wax arrived and seems to do the job of holding the fur down neatly. The station building has had poster boards added and is now stuck down, just needs 'bedding in', I've added rainwater outlets to the canopy and the rear fencing has been painted, weathered and installed. The barge isn't going to be fixed in the position shown, as it would foul the fencing when the front is folded up, it's going on the other box front. Apart from adding some weeds, clutter and an odd person or two, this box is just about complete. I picked up some useful (and cheap!) 'bits and bobs' at a recent model railway exhibition. Still need to get some yard gates though . . . 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 It is looking fantastic. I love the station canopy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 It is looking fantastic. I love the station canopy. Thanks for the encouragement andyram. I thought I might have overdone the canopy dereliction, but looking at this photo from 'Railways in Lancashire - a pictorial survey', perhaps not!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 That's a great picture, really atmospheric and inspiring. Love the dereliction on your canopy Steve. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 I personally think you have the canopy spot on. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold nickwood Posted June 1, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 1, 2017 Just found your thread and have had an enjoyable read from the beginning. I love the dereliction, really nice work. One question regarding the canal surface. You say you used the Scalescenes printed canal base, did you do anything to disguise the joints before varnishing over the top and if so what? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge69 Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Your skill is outstanding, a real look of the Black Country about it. Brings to mind the Stourbridge goods, & canal exchange. The cut was rank there with couple of derelict barges, the goods shed had large sliding doors & bit of canopy over the cut. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 (edited) Just found your thread and have had an enjoyable read from the beginning. I love the dereliction, really nice work. One question regarding the canal surface. You say you used the Scalescenes printed canal base, did you do anything to disguise the joints before varnishing over the top and if so what? Hello Nick, thanks for those kind words, I'm glad you found the topic interesting. To answer your question, no, apart from ensuring that the cut edges were tightly butted together, I didn't do anything else. The joints were fairly prominent to start with, but as I added more layers of varnish they have tended to merge. They are still visible, but not obtrusively so. Possibly, colouring the cut edge with a felt tip pen before sticking them down might have helped. Here's another photo showing how they look now (of course, the one under the bridge is where the canal is cut between the two boxes!) Edited June 2, 2017 by Booking Hall 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 Your skill is outstanding, a real look of the Black Country about it. Brings to mind the Stourbridge goods, & canal exchange. The cut was rank there with couple of derelict barges, the goods shed had large sliding doors & bit of canopy over the cut. Wow!, thank you. I'm pleased that it is beginning to capture the 'look' of a geographical area. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owd Bob Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 I've really enjoyed looking through this topic, it really reminds me of the local area i saw as a kid in the '60's & '70's, the platform canopy reminds me of Manchester Victoria just as it looked and still was well into the '80's. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 I hope that one day I get to see this layout at an exhibition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKxGREENY Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 (edited) I love. The feeling of the image that comes though very inspired thank you for sharing Edited June 5, 2017 by UKxGREENY Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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