QRModeller Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Thought it was about time I put something up on RMWeb that lives up to my avatar name and what better way to do that than make a Queensland Railways diorama for this years challenge. Here's the (very) basic plan. Sorry it's a mix of a hand drawn image that has been scanned and MS Paint, haven't quite mastered XTrakCad yet! As the plan shows from left to right, there is a single track main line running over a trestle bridge which crosses a dry creek bed, through a level crossing and past a ground level station building and Moreton Bay fig tree. Other features will be a ruined bridge from a previous flood, a run down shack and cattle loading area. If the plan showed the line continuing further past the station, the cattle loading siding and run-round loop would connect back onto the main line and it would continue on as a single track. It may not look like much but in my mind, I have a pretty good mental image of how it will look and there will be smaller buildings and other cameos that are not shown on the plan. Oh yeah. Did I mention it will be in HO but as QR lines are narrow gauge, the track will be HOn31/2. Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 Right, managed to bodge together a mock-up of my diorama today. The livestock loading area and run-around loop are going to be much shorter than intended. It seems I underestimated how long the points are which means the whole lot may begin to look cramped. The attached photos show progress so far. One thing to note is only the white paper indicating where the track will be is exactly how it will appear on the finished model. All of the buildings and the tree are not to scale which is why they have not been fixed in place. The tree will probably not be as large as I had hoped otherwise it might overpower the model. I'm yet to find out if there is a suitable kit for the desired type of station building or if I'm going to have to scratchbuild it. The road has been marked out at the maximum width but I will most likely make it smaller. Finally, there will be a removeable backscene for photography purposes but I didn't include that on the mock-up because I ran out of cardboard. One other thing I forgot to mention in the first post, the diorama will be set from 1970 - 90. Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted May 22, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 22, 2011 When I first saw the plan I thought that you might run out of space. That having been said I think that it will work well as a diorama as shown by the mock up. As a thought it might be worth just showing one end of the station building to give a little more feeling of space. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 ... As a thought it might be worth just showing one end of the station building to give a little more feeling of space. Thanks Kris, that idea never really crossed my mind. I might actually do that because that corner does look a little crowded. Don't know how my mind will cope with only building half of a structure though. I seem to have a mental disorder where the whole structure has to be built!! Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisbane King Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Can't go wrong with Queensland. Also, with the time period you've chosen, plenty of wooden rolling stock still about along with the early Diesels still on the go. Can't wait to see the results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 ... Also, with the time period you've chosen, plenty of wooden rolling stock still about along with the early Diesels still on the go. ... Yeah, just got to find them!! You wouldn't happen to know anything about the old precast concrete station buildings would you? I can't seem to find anything about them on the net like dimesions or standard designs. Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 As I lived in Brisbane from 1974 until 1989, your diorama should jog a few memories for me. If I can help with any info, I'll chip in wherever I can. Keep up the good work; the card mock-up is a very good idea. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisbane King Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Yeah, just got to find them!! You wouldn't happen to know anything about the old precast concrete station buildings would you? I can't seem to find anything about them on the net like dimesions or standard designs. Matt. In HO, there are plenty of kits to choose from and even made up kits if your prepared to pay for it with a fair variety, depending on your budget and level of skill. I can have a look through my convention notes and other material I have about the precast concrete buildings, something like this: which is out at Bundaleer? You could always ring up the workshops rail museum or the ARHS guys out at Rosewood and ask them for access to their considerable collections of material. I've been told they are more than happy to help in research matters. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 As I lived in Brisbane from 1974 until 1989, your diorama should jog a few memories for me. If I can help with any info, I'll chip in wherever I can. Keep up the good work; the card mock-up is a very good idea. Thank-you for the comment SRman. In HO, there are plenty of kits to choose from and even made up kits if your prepared to pay for it with a fair variety, depending on your budget and level of skill. ... Thank-you Brisbane King. So kits like the ones from PGC, Black Diamond and Wuiske Models? ...You could always ring up the workshops rail museum or the ARHS guys out at Rosewood and ask them for access to their considerable collections of material. I've been told they are more than happy to help in research matters. ... Looks like a roadtrip may be on the cards. I've been wanting to go back to the Workshops Rail Museum for some time now!! Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisbane King Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Thank-you Brisbane King. So kits like the ones from PGC, Black Diamond and Wuiske Models? Yeah, also Caintode Flats do very good kits. Far North Hobbies stuff is also good, but their releases are few and far between, but you might get lucky with second hand stuff off Ebay or a trade stand at an exhibition or a bring 'n buy. I get most of my stuff from John up at Horizon Hobbies or from Adam at Wuiske's via the website. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 Yeah, also Caintode Flats do very good kits. ... Oh yeah, forgot about them! Just been looking for ideas about how the 'ruined' and 'new' bridges might look like. I think I'll make the supports (all that will be left) for the ruined bridge like the style shown in the first image. Would have rather used a different image but it's the only one I found with the type of supports I wanted. The supports for the new bridge will probalby be similar to one of the two styles used for the Merivale Bridge (Image 2) but obviously smaller. Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 Continuing on from the last post, after a bit more searching, I have found an image that closely represents what the deck on the 'new' bridge will look like. For my model, there will be no actual deck, just the sleepers of the track. Also, I'm not sure if I'll make the longditudinal supports like the ones in the picture (two sawn lengths of timber next to each other) or make them look like a representation of logs. I'm open to any suggestions on this or my idea about the deck (or lack thereof!!). Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 Finally, more progress on my challenge entry!! Firstly, to justify my use of this image in a previous post: I've decided to name the diorama Lockyer Creek (after the Locker Valley) and dedicate it to everyone who lost their lives, people who have lost family members and friends, all of the people who survived but lost everything and everyone who was and still is involved with the clean-up of the Queensland floods earlier this year. Progress on the Diorama So Far... Well, today I knocked together the baseboard for Lockyer Creek: As can be seen, the boards' dimensions are under the maximum 20 inch x 11 inch. I also cut the timber that will make up the backscenes but haven't attached them yet. They are also within the dimension limit as the two boards are 500mm x 160mm and 270mm x 160 mm (honest!!). Well, that's about all for now. Next job is to get the the foundations for the riverbank done and then I can get the track and ground cover(s)(the outback isn't one colour!!). Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Trainshed Terry Posted June 22, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 22, 2011 Looking good, I watch with interest. Terry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted July 8, 2011 Author Share Posted July 8, 2011 Hi, just a quick update. Yesterday, I was able to landscape the riverbank with plaster cloth. Incase anyone's wondering, the cardboard is a mock-up of the bridge abutment. Next job will be to paint the board. Matt. P.S. Thanks for the comment Terry, it's nice to know that people are following this thread. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Hi Matt, Looking like a good start there, interesting! Very comendable what you're doing too, I wish you well with it. Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisbane King Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Looking good Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 Just a quick update from me, today, I painted the board with undercoat, pictures to follow sometime later this week once the painting is complete. Brisbane King and Allegheny, thanks for the comments. Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 Looks like I lied in the last post about pictures coming later that week!! Update. Finished painting the board today but no pics - not really necessary at this stage, it's only a mix of light shades of red, orange and yellow!! Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted September 2, 2011 Author Share Posted September 2, 2011 Whoa, been nearly a month since I last posted here. And there's only a month left! Bit of an update today, I'm still waiting to get the track as I need that before I can really do anything else on the diorama but I have started building the station building and have built two ground throw levers for the points. The two levers are finished (and I have since neatened up the paintwork) and the station building just needs its' roof so I'l probably get some plastic sheet that looks like coragated corugated tin with squiggles in it when I get the track, which should hopefully be this weekend. Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted September 3, 2011 Author Share Posted September 3, 2011 Well finally got the track today along with a sheet of Slaters whats-it-called iron for the station roof and a kit for the level crossing. Pics will come tomorrow once I've got the track down and once it is, with a bit of luck I'll have this diorama finished before the end of September! Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted September 4, 2011 Author Share Posted September 4, 2011 Well, looks like there'll be no photos tonight, the multi-function printer's just given up the ghost! Not much happened on the dirorama today, only the track has been painted and the level crossing kit has been made up. Hopefully, the next update will include photos (plus the ones I did take tonight!) of track that has been laid, ballasted and weathered and of any more progress that may (or most likely may not have!) happened. Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 Hi everyone. Still not much done but I'm getting there! For the past few days, I've been working on the station roof and the structures related to the bridge. Here's the two photos that I was going to post in the last reply: And now here are the results of the past few days work: The board needs to be slightly modified where the bridge pier is going to go, otherwise it will look wrong, the station roof just needs painting, then sticking on and the track needs to be stuck down and ballasted. The sleepers may also need repainting (AAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!! ) because my attempt at representing old timber sleepers did not go at all well. That's about it for now, comments and feedback are very welcome. Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted September 19, 2011 Author Share Posted September 19, 2011 UPDATE!!! You're all going to hate me for this because there are no photos - yet. All of the track bar one section (the bridge) is glued and I have started on the ballasting. The bridge can only be placed once the 'structural details' are finished as they will actually be holding the track up! Also, I found a set of artists chalks the other day and went crazy. I attacked everything to do with the diorama so now it all has a reddish-brown tinge! Finally, I have made a start on the run-down shack. This will be the hardest structure to complete because it has to look like a sneeze could blow it down but at the same time, look realistic. So, with 12/13 days left however you want to look at it (I'm going with 13!), here's what I still have left to do: -Finish bridge structure so -The last bit of track can be glued in place and ballasted -Finish ballasting the other areas so -The road can be put in -Finish the station building and shack and try and locate a model Moreton Bay Fig tree so -The rest of the ground cover can be stuck down so -The backscene can be made (I'm going to try and use perspective to make the tracks and road disappear in the distance) -And finally, find final detailing items like appropriate vehicles and figures and stick them on It looks like a lot to do but I have Thursday off plus most of Tuesday and Friday off and a weeks holiday before this challenge ends. So that means the biggest problems will be sourcing certain required items and having enough cash to purchase them. Oh yeah, and not getting distracted from completing the diorama by other things (LEGO Indiana Jones on Wii, Top Gear and other shows). There may well be another update later today but don't hold your breath. If there isn't anymore today, you can expect a barrage of updates in a few days as I race to complete the diorama before the deadline. Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRModeller Posted October 1, 2011 Author Share Posted October 1, 2011 Well, looks like I will not be entering Lockyer Creek for judging. I knew on Monday that with 5 days to go, I wouldn't have it 100% complete as some items I am planning on using can only be made to order and would therefore take more than a week to arrive. So I decided to see how I went during the week and if I completed enough so that it looked loosly presentable, I would consider entering it for judging. However, during the week, I didn't really feel like working on it at all so it has come to this. I will eventually finish it and keep this topic updated as I go along or start a new one somewhere but I have no idea when that will be. So, with that, just mark me down as an also-ran who DNF. Good luck to everyone who has managed to complete their dioramas and are entering them for judging. May the best one win! Matt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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