Cramdin Yard

[zabdiel]

Wow! The building is up to your usual high standards and it's great to see that you've got the traverser working. Have you though of sending some shots of it to Carl Arendt? I'm sure he'd like to publish it on the Micro Layouts site!

[eldavo]

Heck it's nearly a month since I posted any progress. I guess that's because there hasn't been a lot of visible progress and also that I've been distracted playing with other things. Anyhow after a bit of fiddling this weekend I think there is something to see. I have actually been doing odd bits and pieces on the new section in front of the fiddleyard it's just that they didn't make much difference but over time things are getting there.

This weekend I gave the backscene board a blast of colour and built a wall to try and produce a natural break. With this in place I've started to add some odd bits and bobs of vegetation to bed it all in. The traverser pit has also had some attention over the last few weeks and now has brick walls that have been painted and weathered. The bridge itself is still stark white!

Here's a pic of the general area I've been tinkering with.



Not sure about the pics on the backscene yet, the jury is still out. Closer up things look OK I think. My favourite Gronk has crept into the picture and this is one of the distractions having been fitted with a Howes sound chip.



Heck of a lot still needs doing!

Cheers
Dave

[yellowvanman]

Looking great ..may have some more pics of traversers at EH if required.

[mason]

looks great dave and the backscene looks excellent

[eldavo]

Blind panic has set in. Over the last couple of weeks I haven't done very much to Cramdin using the excuse that it was too cold in the garage to do anything serious. No problem, the first outing for the layout is in March so plenty of time. NOT! In a minor moment of madness I agreed to make the layout available for a Mid Hants Railway (Watercress line) freight weekend on the 16th and 17th of January! That's 18 days away! Oh dear.

This morning I decided I better get cracking and sort out a few things like making a list of the huge number of things that need doing. The first obvious problem is that the large half-relief works building sat at the front of the lefthand fiddleyard board is little more than a shell. Time to set to with some plasticard and solvent. It's now gained a roof, complete with rather decrepit looking clerestory ventilator...




It's also gained some concrete pillars in the main entrance way aloing with some concrete flooring and a hotch potch small store or somesuch building alongside.




Quite a lot of detailing work needs doing, some of which won't get done before the outing. Just as soon as I finish this post (and my cup of tea) it's back to the garage to put in some windows.

Stepping back a bit for an overall view there's quite a lot to do. The bright white traverser deck needs completing work and painting but more worrying are two completely blank bits of baseboard either side. I have some ideas but this may be a case of building it on the fly.




Sorry can't stop, a bit busy...

Cheers
Dave

[eldavo]

Bit more progress on the large works building and its surroundings. It almost looks as though it should be there now though there are still a lot of detailing bits needed. Here's a shot to contrast with the last post.




Windows have been fitted and the building has spent an hour or two on the painting table. Looking at this close up of the smaller section it needs a few minutes more of paint work as there are still bits of white plasticard showing!




A general view of the area shows a bit of greenery and odd bits of extra ballasty stuff have been added to try and bind it all together. I'm reasonably happy with it and it'll pass muster if I don't get round to doing any more but I will continue to tinker with it over time to mellow it and add details. The front of the main building is still rather blank/bland and needs some ventilation ducts and general clutter.




Todays challenge is the traverser. I got the files out and adjusted bits and pieces so it is now working but the bridge needs detailing and painting.

Cheers
Dave

[shortliner]

Dave - can I ask how you got on with the Chinchilla dust and Klear? I had dreadfull problems with the chinchilla dust cracking up with the Klear and then tried again after removing it, and this time used PVA/water/ drop of WU liquid mix, with exactly the same result. Even adding a thin topcoat of the dust to fill the cracks and using the liquid simply resulted in the same problem - within two days it looked like a dried up lake bed.

[Georgie!!]

WOW!! I really like this layout! I also read your layout in Model Rail it was a really good read!!

 

I like how you have made broken glass how do you do that??

 

once again really good layout!

[eldavo]

Jack, I've had the same problems with the Chichilla dust, if it is anything other than a very thin layer it seems to contract and crack. Adding extra layers/infill doesn't seem to help. It works fine when mixed with normal ballast products but on it's own it's tricky. I will always mix something with it in future.

The broken window effect is very simple, it's just jagged holes in the glazing which have been smeared with some dilute dark colour acrylic. The glazing I used is fairly brille so tends to crack when scored which helps the effect. In thiscase the broken panes are there to disguise a mistake! I created the glazing bars by scoring the glazing material and then rubbing white acrylic into the scores. On one of the windoes my hand slipped and I got a double score. Being one who can never throw anything away, rather than create a new glazing panel I tried the broken window effect to hide my mistake.


I've been sneaking odd few minutes on the layout over the last few days in between eating too much, drinking too much and generally socialising. Having done a fair bit of work on the main buildings I was left with a troublesome little area of bare baseboard where the fiddleyard board connects to the main board. It isn't very big in terms of width or length. The bit of white card has just been stuck down to raise the ground level a little closer to the bottom of the rear wall.




I toyed with the idea of a building of some sort in this spot but I really wanted something with some height to try and disguise, or at least take the eye away from, the transition in the backscene which causes a nasty rightangle corner at the baseboard join.

Various schemes were thoguht about and discussed with my local club buddies. I though about a semi-ruined plant room with a chimney and also a water tower of some sort was suggested. After a while the idea of an advertising hoarding popped into my mind. It would give some height, though probably not enough, and would be reasonably narrow and, probably more importantly, is something I could build quickly.

A germ of an idea, some cardboard and aselection of timber from the national coffee stirrer collection (Winchester branch) and we have this:




I also found an old Ratio GWR wagon kit knocking around in my bits box so this was hastily stuck together to add to the scene. Out with the paintbrushes and acrylics and then some fun with PVA, static grass and lichen and the result is this.




Looking from the other direction I think it might work. I have some work to do to repair damage that has occurred to the backscene edges but nothing too disastrous.




From a different angle, the operators eye view, you can see the site is fairly narrow. The gates have been refitted using a bit of masking tape so I can hinge them closed when the layout is taken apart for transport.




I'm quite pleased with the effect and I think it will pass muster for the next outing in 13 days time! I'll probably add some clutter and bits and pieces over time. In addition I have done some work on the traverser deck by adding cowls to the wheel assemblies. Trying to get smooth curved jobbies took bloomin' ages and I wich I had gone for a boxy rectangular design. Still need to create an operator cabin then it will be time for the paintbrushes again. A lot more to do but it's getting there.

Here's favourite Gronk sat on the traverser. You can't hear it but she's ticking away nicely.




Cheers
Dave

[yellowvanman]

Hi Dave ,layout is looking great..!..will have to try and see it in the flesh one day..cheers Keith

[Cornish_Rail]

Wow i must say its comming on great just wondered what type of ballast did you use ??

 

many thanks dave

[eldavo]

...just wondered what type of ballast did you use ??

 

In the new section it is a mixture of Chinchilla grit and Woodland scenics fine brown (I think). I wouldn't recommend using the Chinchilla grit on its own as it seems to contract and leave cracks but mixed with other stuff it is OK. On the main section it is Woodland scenics medium grey mixture but with Chichilla grit mixed in around the siding areas and lesser used track.

 

Cheers

Dave

[Trainsrgr8]

Looks wonderful as ever Dave! Very inspiring i must say!

 

Danny

[PhilH]

That looks really good Dave, the hoarding is just right. Any tutorials pre MHR or is it a learn-on-the-job jobby?

[Guest jim s-w]

Looks smart Dave

 

Have you considered mounting the wagon the other way up as if it derailed and was just rolled out of the way? would be a bit different and you could go to town on the underframe.

 

Cheers

 

Jim

[KevinWalsh]

Hi Dave,

 

I saw this layout in MR132 (July 2009) and the pictures and write-up were very interesting, having seen the work done on the fiddle yard behind the "wheels workshop" all I can say is you have done a fantastic job.

 

Kev

[eldavo]

... Any tutorials pre MHR or is it a learn-on-the-job jobby?

 

Could be a bit of both! I hope to have enough time to work out a rudimentary running sequence before the 16th. I'm pretty much done with (essential) scenery work so I now need to spend some time sorting out stock (half of it has no couplings!) and checking operation. Hopefully I will then know what we can and can't do running-wise for the two days at the MHR.

 

... Have you considered mounting the wagon the other way up as if it derailed and was just rolled out of the way? would be a bit different and you could go to town on the underframe.

 

Hi Jim, I did think about that but decided to leave it the right way up and skimp on the details due to the limited time available between now and the layout's next outing (16th Jan). I've gone with the story that they have either "roped" or propelled the wagon off the end of the traverser on to a bit of waste ground. That way I didn't have to build much, just use the body from a Ratio kit. Unfortunately the underframe wasn't separate in this kit but part of the floor moulding. I may revisit it when I have a bit more time.

 

Cheers

Dave

[Arpster]

Hi Dave,

 

I've really enjoyed reading this thread and seeing your ideas develop. Thanks for taking the time to catalogue and explain them so clearly. It's amazing how fast you've managed to construct something so believable and lifelike!

 

Looking forward to seeing the finished traverser,

 

Arp

[eldavo]

Still in panic mode as there are now only 9 modelling days until Cramdin goes to the MidHants Railway! My attention has turned to the traverser bridge which up until yesterday was just a few bits of white plasticard with some rails stuck on top. It's not much more now but it has had some initial attention from the paintbrush. It's gained a rather rudimentary control cabin and some walkways as well.




It moves although not particularly well at the moment. Fine tuning of DCC chip settings could probably improve it but this may have to wait.




Up close it's pretty crude but it will have to do. Elf and Safety have already banned its use until "appropriate handrails have been fitted to safeguard operating staff". A few warning signs would also probably help take away its blandness.




It's out with the soldering iron and some brass wire this evening to see what I can cook up.

Cheers
Dave

[eldavo]

Handrails and puddles duly added. They do improve things somewhat though it still looks crude to my eye. Things never turn out quite as I imagine them which sometimes is good and other times not. The jury is still out on this one.







At least Elfin Softy say I can now use the thing. I need to turn my attention to operational bits and pieces now and get the rolling stock couplings sorted out and magnets fitted in the new section.

Cheers
Dave

[mudmagnet]

Dave,

 

Looking great!

Can I ask a silly question - where do you get the Chincilla Dust from?

 

Cheers

[shortliner]

Dave - thanks for the info about the Chinchilla dust, I was begining to think it was me doing something silly!

 

Mudmagnet - Mine came in a big polythene screwtop cannister from a petshop in Inverness about a kilo I think (its out in the garage and it is currently minus 12C)- it is like a very fine sand that Chinchillas "bathe" in and it cleans their coats

[Lukasz]

Looks like your making some real tidy progress.

The traverser looks very realistic and proper so well done.

 

 

Lukasz

[Guest jim s-w]

Hi Dave

 

The railing looks OK to me. They are one of those things that on the face of it are really simple but once you get into the construction they are a PITA to copy the prototype.

 

Cheers

 

Jim

[LBSC123]

Looks very nice Dave,

 

I really liek the traverser and the shed, Its similar to my 2010 layout challenge.

 

Will