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Claverton Engineering - 0-16.5 micro layout


Burkitt

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Thanks Mudmagnet. This evening I put together another wagon, a round-ended flat built from balsa.

 

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I also made my first wagon load - the remains of a travel paintbrush, I thought it looked a bit torpedo-like, so added a few fins and a stand to complete the effect. I've also got my eye on some old Loctite superglue lids as high voltage insulators on some sort of electrical equipment.

 

Paul

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtveuTRokuE

 

 

 

Having been idly planning long term extensions with loops to allow continuous running, I was wondering what the minimum radius my O-16.5 rolling stock would run on was. To find out I set up this little test with a bit of flexitrack on the dining room table. The radius is about 185mm to the track centreline, tight enough to fit a semicircle on a sheet of A3 paper.

Individual vehicle can run on track with radii of a couple of centimetres, so it is the couplings which determine the minimum practical radius for proper trains. I'm using the Greenwich type, which seem to be capable of very tight curves despite being fixed rigidly with no swing to either side. There is a fine balance between the distance from the axle to the coupling face, which must be kept as small as possible to minimise how far the coupling swings out, and the distance from the end of the chassis to the coupling face, which must be maximised to prevent wagons touching and pushing each other off the track as they turn the corner. In case anyone else is considering using Greenwich couplings on very tight curves, I have found that the optimum values for running around very tight curves seem to be under 20mm coupling face - axle centre and at least 4mm coupling face - chassis end.

 

Paul

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Two new flat wagons in different stages of construction. I like using real wood, I think it produces a better appearance than is possible by trying to mimic the effect on plastic.

 

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The bogie flat, now painted, just needs a number adding.

 

Paul

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An update on progress over the past few days. More wagons have been rolling off the production line at Blackheath Wagon and Carriage Works:

 

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I've finished painting the van I built previously, and assembled another one which is now awaiting priming.

 

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Two balsa drop-side open wagons, with styrene detailing.

 

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The current fleet. I now have twelve wagons compared with the five needed for a timesaver, so I probably ought to slow the construction down a bit for a while.

 

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Further painting work has been done on the stores building. The stone lintels, windowsills and cornices need toning down a bit, and the mortar between the bricks needs doing.

 

Paul

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks Jack, I had planned to send some photos of my layout to Carl once it was done, in hope of it appearing in one of his scrapbooks. Sadly of course that will no longer come to pass.

 

Roger, here're a couple more photos of the buildings for you.

 

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Today I've had to rebuild the bridge which links the two right hand buildings. I had built the bridge earlier with the intention of trimming it to fit between the buildings once they were fixed in place. However I simply couldn't get a neat join, so instead I'm having to make a new one. To ensure it fits perfectly I am building it in place this time.

 

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The two buildings are fixed down with screws, so I can remove them when needed. Once the overhead lines are up they'll be pretty much permanent though.

 

Paul

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Thanks Roger. Today I've started work on the third building, which represents a large heavy engineering hall, with a classic northlight roof.

 

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As with the previous buildings, construction is from foamboard with SE Finecast brick cladding. The building crosses the board join, so is split in to two parts, with the buttresses hopefully disguising the connection.

 

Paul

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Paul,

 

Your buildings are coming along very well. I like the way that they dominate the scene and trackwork, giving an excellent industrial feel (reminds me of the Yeovil Club's '0' gauge gasworks railway).

Keep up the good work - this is becoming a cracking layout!

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Thanks Mudmagnet. Gas Works has been a favourite of mine since seeing it in RM back in the nineties, I'll be very happy if my layout meets their standard when it is done.

 

I've now mostly finished the main structure of building three:

 

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There are quite a few gaps which need some filling and filing before it will be ready for the paintshop. I'm thinking of adding a vertical cable run by the buttress to the right of the middle window, to disguise the join between the two parts.

 

Paul

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Thanks Chris. I find that my biggest challenge in modelling is not rushing things and making a mess of them, so I'm glad it appears to be paying off.

 

I have now got the third building fitted on the layout boards. While this sounds simple, it actually took quite a long time, as it has to butt up against building two and the two parts have to meet up across the board joint.

 

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Getting all the joints lined up squarely and flush took quite a bit of fiddling, filing, and adding styrene shims. I have used screw to hold the building in place, two in the base of each section and one in each joint between them.

 

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The time was worth it though, as now the joint is close to invisible, and should easily disappear behind a bit of cabling.

 

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Now it's in place I think I will make I start on building four, so I can get it to fit exactly right. Then I'll paint both of them together.

 

Paul

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I really like this layout. My only concern is the use of screws and nuts to hold the building together. How often to you expect to pull the two boards apart? From experience, the holes for the screws will tear if not careful and open up considerably. Are you planning to add styrene washers glued to the foamboard to strengthen it? I recently was offered a never-ending supply of free 3mm rigid PVC foamboard which is used in the real estate signage industry. It is exterior grade, does not warp, rot or swell when wet and glues with PVA or super glue. I am now building everything with it because it is so much more capable than normal foam foamboard (which I also have access to a free lifetime supply). As long as you do not get the foam wet while working it should be fine but the screws will not work over time unless you create a more rigid structure for them to penetrate. Just my thoughts.

 

Wonderful modelling skills. I always look at your posts.

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Ian, you're quite right about the need to strengthen the holes for the screws. I don't intend to remove the buildings once they're finished, but I will need to split the two board sections apart for storage. I've already added some extra washers on the inter-board screws, but your suggestion of using styrene washers sounds like a good idea as they would spread the pressure over a much larger area.

 

 

Here is building four, so far just brick plastic stuck to foamboard, propped up in place to check the fit with the other building and board edge - I haven't even cut the windows through yet.

 

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There will be openable doors over the track so wagons can be shunted inside.

 

Paul

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Thanks Jack, I had planned to send some photos of my layout to Carl once it was done, in hope of it appearing in one of his scrapbooks. Sadly of course that will no longer come to pass.

 

 

Paul

 

Paul - we are hoping to do a tribute page to Carl, of layouts inspired by his ethos, and possibly continue to update the site further in the future. We would be delighted to include this, even in an unfinished state

Best

Jack

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Ian, you're quite right about the need to strengthen the holes for the screws. I don't intend to remove the buildings once they're finished, but I will need to split the two board sections apart for storage. I've already added some extra washers on the inter-board screws, but your suggestion of using styrene washers sounds like a good idea as they would spread the pressure over a much larger area.

Paul

Hi Paul,

I would suggest using a strip of plywood which in effect forms a VERY large washer. This spreads the force over an even greater area, and effectively clamps the two together, protecting the foamboard. In which case you only need one screw, and a captive nut araldited to the ply. The photo shows how I secure my foamboard buildings to the baseboard. Adding the occasional strip of ply leads to a slight increase in weight, but its not significant.

Cheers, Dave.

 

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Dave - your foamboard looks much denser than the stuff I can get. It looks like it is capable of being used for modelling. The stuff I have is very soft and needs lots of TLC just to keep it from denting and bruising in use.

 

 

 

 

Yes - the larger the "washer" the better the surface load is spread. I suggested styrene washers because I use 3mm rigid PVC foamboard now which would do the same job.

 

 

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Dave - your foamboard looks much denser than the stuff I can get. It looks like it is capable of being used for modelling. The stuff I have is very soft and needs lots of TLC just to keep it from denting and bruising in use.

I only know the stuff I get from my local modelshop, and I always use the 5mm thick. It seems much stronger than the 3mm and I usually laminate it for extra strength.

I found that the thinner stuff was getting squashed during handling and construction

 

Cheers,

Dave.

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