BSC Attercliffe Works

[Locksley]

Well, in a completely unforeseen turn of events I've apparently started an N gauge layout. This will be pretty much my first dabble with the scale, brought about entirely by my utter impulse purchase of one of the stunning new NGS Hunslets. I had no real intention to buy one until I saw the OOB performance of them and it was literally an instant buy. I'm still awaiting its arrival, so in the meantime I thought I better get on with a layout for it...

 

I plumped for the BSC Yellow liveried loco so it had to be a steel oriented layout. The initial plan revolves around the Scale Model Scenery christmas tree box baseboard, and after sketching out a few initial track plans I've come up with one that I'm hoping will allow shunting of a few BBAs around a yard, and a few roads leading into buildings. The buildings themselves are a slightly more refined version of what I tried on my Hoo Ness layout - i.e. 3d printed shells clad in Scalescenes textures. Making it slightly easier on myself this time, I invested in some matt sticky back photo paper which has made the whole process a breeze.

 

This is the very much in-progress 3D model in Tinkercad, the area on the right is where a single track will enter the works site over a road, it'll then split off into various roads, some lead into the works itself, as well as a loop and a couple of sidings.

 

 

Though not based on any one real location, the gatehouse is a fairly accurate model of one that resides at the Outokumpu ASR Rod Mill off Stevenson Rd in Attercliffe, Sheffield, hence the name I picked for the layout. I've also been using the rest of the buildings there as inspiration. The real site did once have an extensive rail network when under ESC ownership, but this all disappeared by around the 1960s I believe. Though the gates that the track passed through from the goods yard opposite are actually still there.

 

So, I'll leave you with the progress so far  The gatehouse still needs a bit more work, tidying up, and a few more bits adding but I'm really pleased so far. I'm still very much thinking in OO terms so I keep being slightly taken aback by how small everything is 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sandhole]

Looking good.
Regards,
Chris.

[Sweet pea]

Alex it's great that you are going to build a layout in another gauge. If it's anything to go by your oo gauge layouts it will be an interesting build.

The gate house is looking great.

[Locksley]

Thanks guys

 

A little more done tonight:

 

[Sweet pea]

Nicely done Alex.

[2mmMark]

Those Scalesecenes papers are impressive.  What printer are you using?  There are times when I wish I was back at work with unfettered access to colour laser MFDs...  ;-)

What's your plans for track?  The British Finescale N track looks absolutely the business.

Mark

[Locksley]

22 hours ago, 2mmMark said:

Those Scalesecenes papers are impressive.  What printer are you using?  There are times when I wish I was back at work with unfettered access to colour laser MFDs...  ;-)

What's your plans for track?  The British Finescale N track looks absolutely the business.

Mark

 

Thanks Mark, I'm using a Canon Pixma T3350. I bought some sticky back matt photo paper which seems to print on nicely. The printer has a really annoying 'feature' in that it doesn't allow you to print using Glossy Photo Paper settings, and in turn the highest quality settings, on any paper larger than 10cm x 15cm so I was unable to use those settings with the A4 photo paper. Luckily the standard settings on High quality are still quite nice.

 

In terms of track, I did look at the British Finescale stuff and it looks superb, but I think for my first go in the scale I'm going to stick with Peco Code 55.

[Locksley]

I think I've pretty much got the CAD design nailed down, so track, baseboards, electrics etc were ordered on Friday evening. The track is due in today, and I'm hoping the Hunslet will be arriving alongside. I've now started the laborious task of getting everything 3d printed.

 

In the meantime I've added the signage to the Scalescenes texture for the side of the main works building.

 

[Neilgue]

This looks like a bit of fun. I’ll watch this with interest. 

[Locksley]

So the CAD is done, I'm pretty happy with the general look of it all.

 

 

The track arrived on Monday (superb service from Derails!), but still no sign of the Hunslet or the baseboards unfortunately. Over the last couple of days I've got the concrete hardstanding sections printed out as these will dictate exactly where the track needs to be laid. These will be glued down prior to being clad in Scalescenes textures as I'll need to ballast up to them and then weather the track work in. To make things easier in the long run, I've used the sections as templates to pre-cut the concrete sheets so I can just glue them straight down when everything else is done. I also treated myself to the container set for a bit more clutter about the place.

 

 

 

[Sweet pea]

1 hour ago, Locksley said:

So the CAD is done, I'm pretty happy with the general look of it all.

 

 

The track arrived on Monday (superb service from Derails!), but still no sign of the Hunslet or the baseboards unfortunately. Over the last couple of days I've got the concrete hardstanding sections printed out as these will dictate exactly where the track needs to be laid. These will be glued down prior to being clad in Scalescenes textures as I'll need to ballast up to them and then weather the track work in. To make things easier in the long run, I've used the sections as templates to pre-cut the concrete sheets so I can just glue them straight down when everything else is done. I also treated myself to the container set for a bit more clutter about the place.

 

 

 

This is looking good Alex.

[Locksley]

The baseboards and point motors have come in today, and I've got a majority of the main buildings printed out. I think I'm nearly at a point where I can start to get some of the hardstanding sections glued in place, and possibly even get some track laid. Still no sign of the Hunslet though

 

 

[Locksley]

Got the rest of the buildings printed out over the weekend, the only one left now is the low relief warehouse that will go on the back between the main works and the gatehouse. I also actually got some track laid! All the hardstandings are epoxied in place also, so the next step is to get the rest of the track laid, wired up and tested, then get the points motors in place. 

 

Unfortunately the backscene has gone a bit weird, it's a Premium ID one but I attached with with spray glue rather than the adhesive as I've found on Garnswllt it's started to develop bubbles and creases. The rough patches aren't as noticeable to the naked eye so I might leave it, but I'm a tad disappointed.

 

[Locksley]

Finally getting back on with this after a bit of a break for some other projects. 

 

Various bits and bobs done since the last update - the track has been fully laid, wired up, ballasted and painted/weathered. I did end up removing the old backscene and relaying a new one which has slightly reduced the rough effect I had with the old one. I've laid the concrete hardstandings (I still need to do the track inserts), finished the road surface off and added some Scale Model Scenery pavements. Next job scenery wise will be some grass around the track, then I need to finish off the final few bits of walling and get some more detaily bits added. Once that's all done I can get some LEDs wired up.

 

In terms of DCC operation, I've decided against going full DCC point control as I just can't face rigging up 8 servos for the job - it was bad enough getting 2 to work properly with frog switching on Garnswllt. Instead, I'll be sticking with manual point control, probably push rods eventually, with on-off-on switches along the front for frog polarity. This just means I can get the layout to a fully usable stage quicker. Of course I can always retrofit point motors at a later stage if I do decide I want to give it a go.

 

 

 

[Locksley]

Had the DSLR out so thought I'd try a few pics

 

 

 

[simonmcp]

8 minutes ago, Locksley said:

Had the DSLR out so thought I'd try a few pics

 

 

 

Beautiful layout, very finely made buildings. Is that the N Gauge society industrial diesel? Does it run as good as it looks? 

[Locksley]

7 minutes ago, simonmcp said:

Beautiful layout, very finely made buildings. Is that the N Gauge society industrial diesel? Does it run as good as it looks? 

 

Thanks! Yes it is, I had a bit of a duff one at first which had a really bad limp, but had no issues swapping it for another which runs beautifully. 

[Locksley]

Plucked up the courage to weather the Hunslet. Just a few dustings with the airbrush followed by some pin washes and streaking. I finished off my first pair of wagons for the layout too, both using Peco 10ft wheelbase chassis. One I just plopped a piece of thin brass on top as a flat wagon, the other has a 3d printed tub loosely based on one of @hmrspaul's photos of a  wagon at BSC Ravenscraig. The latter is still awaiting a hand painted number and a few other markings seen on the prototype. I've also refined my old ingot carrier CAD and scaled down to N. They printed OK but I'm still waiting on some wheelsets for those.

 

 

[Locksley]

Lettering/numbering added. Really makes a difference.

 

[Locksley]

19 hours ago, RailroadRich said:

Wow this layout is awesome!

 

I have some n gauge track stored in a box & I may use this as inspiration when I get round to building a layout later in the year!

 

Thank you!

[Locksley]

My order of Farish metal wheels came in today, they're a tad too long axle-wise so I had to file down the pin points slightly but now they fit and run like a dream. I've swapped out the plastic wheels from all the Peco chassis I have, and added some to the ingot carriers.

 

In other news, the point frogs are now all wired up to switches on the front of the baseboard so the layout is fully operational and actually runs really well. Next job will be planting some grass around the track, then wiring up some lighting.

 

I also regret to inform that a second Hunslet has been ordered  along with some NGS bogie bolsters and a bobol for more internal user wagons. The Hunslet is another BSC yellow example, but I'll be adding wasp stripes along the side and BSC branding to the cab.

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Locksley

[Sweet pea]

Alex I must say your layout builds are just fantastic. The thought and attention to detail in your builds are spot on.

Enjoying this latest layout build. 

[Locksley]

8 hours ago, Kevin Johnson said:

Alex I must say your layout builds are just fantastic. The thought and attention to detail in your builds are spot on.

Enjoying this latest layout build. 

 

Thanks very much Kevin!

[Locksley]

Grass!

 

[Locksley]

Busy weekend on the layout, tbh I'm about 99% done. I got the lighting wired up which was a bit of a nightmare but it all works well and looks great irl despite being very difficult to photograph. Each building has internal LEDs, floodlights, and entry signals which are switchable from a switch on the facia. I've since added a smoke wash to the signal lights to heavily tone them down as they were far too bright.

 

 

 

In other news, the Hunslet has multiplied 

 

 

And finally for now, I've finished off the area around the gatehouse. I found quite early on that there's a real lack of late 80s - mid 90s era vehicles in N scale, luckily I was able to find a decent selection on Thingiverse and with a bit of modification and scaling down they 3d printed pretty well. I think they look quite good now they're painted up. I've also added the rest of the general clutter to this area too. All that's really left now is to add some downpipes to the main works building and I think I'm ready to call it done.