philiprporter Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 I thought it was time to begin a layout thread given that I have re-started construction of an n-gauge representation of the Marsden end of Standedge tunnel. The main feature of the layout is the striking canal overflow structure which was originally meant to be an entry for an RMweb challenge a couple of years back as it was to feature 'real' water - the original thread for my entry can be viewed on the old RMweb site here. Sadly a combination of health issues and insane pressure at work forced me to withdraw the entry, but times are happier now so the I'm carrying on where I left off Thanks to some help with electrics from forum members the track is now laid and working just fine after some teething problems getting the transition from superelevated curves on the scenic side to 'flat' track in the fiddle yard area right - hair tearingly frustrating given that only one loco had 'issues' with the transition! The track has been ballasted and weathered and the overspill structure is about 80% complete (a deceptively complex structure and hard to get looking 'right') - will post some photos later. In the meantime here is the track plan: 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted August 22, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 22, 2010 Hello Phillip, Glad to see this project going again - keep us updated! cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 Good to see this one back. If anyone wants three excuses to go to Marsden, there's the railway, the canal and the Marsden Jazz Festival 8-9-10 October 2010. (http://www.marsdenjazzfestival.com/). Some performances at the tunnel visitor centre. Of course, depending on musical taste, that might be an excuse not to go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philiprporter Posted August 23, 2010 Author Share Posted August 23, 2010 Thanks guys - its good to be back doing some genuinely relaxing modelling after a tumultuous year or so and great to be contributing to the forum again rather than just reading it and wishing I was doing some modelling! I hope progress will be steady now given that the track/electrical side of things is complete - using foamboard and styrofoam for the baseboards presented some interesting challenges there!! My apologies that I wasnt able to post any pictures last night - will rectify that this evening with a shot of the overall layout and a few other bits and bobs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philiprporter Posted August 23, 2010 Author Share Posted August 23, 2010 A few shots of progress to date - firstly the overspill which is almost complete - the 'steps' need painting the correct colour; I had no idea that Humbrol 'Matt Olive Drab' (number 66) and 'Matt Olive Drab' (number 155) were different colours hence the greeny shade on the lower steps (Matt Olive Drab 155) as compared with the correct shade on the bridge section (Matt Olive Drab 66!). The capping stones are almost done - they need toning down/weathering and those in the foreground won't proceed much further up the wall, as the upper areas of this side of the structure on the real thing are 'concreted' over as part of repairs made when the structure partially collapsed, I believe in the late 1940's. The large concrete supporting struts in this area will be added when the overflow is in place on the layout and sealed against any water leakage. This is a general view of the layout - the bridge over the canal is partially mocked up in the foreground while the 6 road fiddle yard is to the left of the photo. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philiprporter Posted December 18, 2010 Author Share Posted December 18, 2010 Managed to free up some time after a crazy few months at work - the overspill structure is now almost complete and the tunnel mouths have been erected (just visible in background) - apologies for poor photo quality; its a mobile phone image. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted December 18, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 18, 2010 The overspill looks very nice in place. I hope that your work becomes less crazy to allow you to spend more time on the layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike Posted December 18, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 18, 2010 Excellent work. I love the plan and I love the fact you are using real water - that is something I have always thought would be fun. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philiprporter Posted May 16, 2011 Author Share Posted May 16, 2011 A little bit of progress on the scenery: 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 This is turning out to be a far more interesting location and project than I imagined. It is years since I was there but I can see you have clearly captured the essence of the location. Unfortunately for railway photographers, the side showing the 31 passing a signal was shrouded out of view with trees. I note you have eliminated two track to the single bores under Standedge. It keeps things nice and simple. I too did this when modelling the other end of the tunnels at Diggle. Looking forward to seeing this develop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philiprporter Posted May 16, 2011 Author Share Posted May 16, 2011 This is turning out to be a far more interesting location and project than I imagined. It is years since I was there but I can see you have clearly captured the essence of the location. Unfortunately for railway photographers, the side showing the 31 passing a signal was shrouded out of view with trees. I note you have eliminated two track to the single bores under Standedge. It keeps things nice and simple. I too did this when modelling the other end of the tunnels at Diggle. Looking forward to seeing this develop. Many thanks for the kind comments Coachmann - capturing the 'feel' of the location has always been my intended aim which partly explains why everythiung is taking so long!! The overflow structure itself was devilishly complex to get looking right (and even now I'm not sure the proportions are quite right or how I can model the foaming white water without it looking unrealistic) and getting the hillside immediately above the tunnel mouths looking correct will be tricky and is the next job - but important to get this right as the 40-45 degree slope is not just an unusually steep slope, but also a distinctive feature of the location. Yes both the single bore tunnels will be modelled as disused which sets a time limit on the era and saves me time too! Best wishes, Phil. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philiprporter Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 Slow progress as ever, but have managed to get going with some of the hills other scenic bits and bobs...the green isn't as vivid as it looks in these images. I have temporarily removed the signal - kept catching it every time I worked on the layout! 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Hey this looks amazing!! I recently saw a picture of this location in a book I'd nabbed from work. A fantastic and unique scenic piece indeed Look forward to hearing more of your progress. Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bri.s Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 is it me or is there an influx of top notch n gauge modelling on rmweb these days great stuff keep up the good work 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted February 20, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 20, 2012 I'm glad to see that this is still going. Adding the greenery is brining it to life. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted February 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) Hi Philip, I had wondered how you were getting on with this! The scenic works looks really good - thanks for posting! As Bri says above, there are several fantastic N gauge threads running at the moment and this is certainly right up there! cheers Ben A. Edited February 20, 2012 by Ben A Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philiprporter Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Thanks very much indeed for the very kind comments everyone - am just sorry that progress and therefore updates are so painfully slow! Hopefully the improvement in appearance caused by growth of vegetation(!) will spur me onto greater efforts - as will the fact that I don't need to do any more hacking of styrofoam to make the hills and contours - that was not much fun and sculpting is not my strong point I now realise!! All the best, Phil. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
millerhillboy Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) The super-elevation which can be seen by virtue of the 101 really does look the part, you've got it just lovely. Can I ask what did you use as a basis for all the brickwork, it too looks spot on? Edited February 20, 2012 by millerhillboy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 It's this sort of layout that would seriously tempt me into N gauge. Very nice indeed! Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philiprporter Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) Many thanks indeed for the kind comment Simon - it was Graham Hedge's 'Hedges Hill Cutting' that inspired me to go n-gauge - and his Stoney Lane Depot just blows me away with the quality of the modelling. If I can get anywhere close to Graham's quality of modelling during my lifetime I will be very happy!! Millerhillboy - thanks so much! The superelevation was a pain in the neck to get right - shims of Styerene strip inserted beneath the sleepers on one side - the issue I had was with ballast swelling and forcing the other side up on one of the running lines - thankfully this only afflicted a short section of track between the aqueduct structure and the tunnnel mouth, so its not too visible. This swelling happened because I used 'scenic' ballast as opposed to good old fashioned granite chippings (which dont absorb water) and because of the folly of making the baseboards from foamboard which doesn't hold track pins firmly and therefore allowed the swelling ballast to lift the track. Foam board has many advantages, but I won't be using it again!! The stonework is Slaters stone courses (the OO/n-gauge sheets, not the really tiny n-gauge sheets) - painted Humbrol Matt 84, left to dry, then painted solidly in matt black which is quickly wiped off with kitchen towel (and left to dry again overnight), then cream acrylic wash applied to bring out the mortar (and left to dry overnight for the third time!!) then one light pass of some very fine emery cloth to remove the cream 'haze' from the surfaces of the stones and a final wash of dark grey acrylic to tone everything down. I add weathering powders to some areas as a finishing touch. This all takes a while as you have to leave overnight to dry between stages, but the effect is pleasing. The tunnel mouths are Peco (chopped about a little) and are treated in the same way. Edited February 20, 2012 by philiprporter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Wow...This really does looks the part. 2mm scale is so good at allowing one to capture open spaces such as this. So much harder to capture the essence of the location as you have done in 4mm scale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heruss Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 A simply incredible model. I've always loved Standedge Tunnel, ever since I watched Pennine Steam in the 60s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas G Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 This is fantastic stuff. I really like the impression of height in the last photo looking up the hill, and models of real locations always inspire me. How have you done the grass between the tunnels and the road up above? It looks very effective. Douglas Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philiprporter Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Thanks so much for the kind words Coachmann Herus and Douglas - really gives me some encouragement to crack on and finish the model!! The grass above the tunnels is a mix of two shades of static grass applied with a puffer bottle, but the effect I wanted to create was the ridges caused by slow soil creep that are such a feature of the 'real' slope. The styrofoam was covered with brown-painted cheap Wilko flexible filler and then covered in a layer of normal turf flock. Once that had dried I applied silly amounts of PVA to form ridges (to represent the soil creep ridges) that were liberally dusted in static grass with the styrofoam block angled such that this slope above the tunnels was flat to avoid the PVA dribbling downhill - then left it for a good 48 hours to dry solid before vacuuming the excess static grass. Bushes are coming soon and I have a LOT of trees to make! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Now that the hill side is coming along, I would really like to see a fuller view from curve to curve as in your second image dated 23rd August (when convenient). Been looking at these shot this afternoon and thinking it is a great location to watch passing trains. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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