MOVING COAL - A Colliery Layout in 0 Gauge

[kev69]

Would not a couple of well placed large trees help to disguise the corner ?

 

Martyn.

 

That's what I did on Mallingford, however on my latest project the backscene will be higher so this will not work.

[Shadow]

For the Chimney issue, what about using a round one, and cutting out a section so that it fits around the corner.

 

 

Even do the same with a square one I guess.

[garethevans1986]

Love the layout.

 

Thanks

GE

[Jack]

Minimum radius curve is 3ft on the line past the loco shed

 

Does the stock run ok on this kind of radii?

 

Absolutely cracking layout.

[PGH]

For the Chimney issue, what about using a round one, and cutting out a section so that it fits around the corner.

 

Coal.PNG

 

Even do the same with a square one I guess.

 

A round one would be nice, but there just isn't enough room:

 

 

 

So Plan A, a flat one, will have to do.  A little more forward planning would have produced a better result here methinks. 

[PGH]

Does the stock run ok on this kind of radii?

 

Absolutely cracking layout.

 

Yes it does, but you need to be careful propelling wagons, especially empty ones, round the 3ft. radius.  However with the normal method of working there is no need to do that.  All the locos go round OK including the 0-8-0T, although with the latter loco the point coming off the curve has to be taken slowly or the leading wheels will climb the frog.

Edited October 2, 2013 by PGH

[81A Oldoak]

Yes it does, but you need to be careful propelling wagons, especially empty ones, round the 3ft. radius.  However with the normal method of working there is no need to do that.  All the locos go round OK including the 0-8-0T, although with the latter loco the point coming off the curve has to be taken slowly or the leading wheels will climb the frog.

 

I presume the 0-8-0 is compensated or has some form of flexibility built in to the chassis. Do tell.

[PGH]

I presume the 0-8-0 is compensated or has some form of flexibility built in to the chassis. Do tell.

 

All wheels are sprung plus a certain amount of side play Chris, I'll give more details of locos later.

[alant]

I can't believe I have only just spotted this cracking layout.

 

Thanks for sharing and please keep posting your progress.

 

Alan.

[PGH]

BALLAST:

Ballast and groundcover is a mixture of coal dust, ash and pit waste (a light grey shale), the latter item being obtained from the vicinity of Bickershaw Colliery.  The mixture is varied - darker (more coal dust) in the vicinity of coal handling areas and lighter elsewhere. 

 

Any areas adjacent to the track that are regularly walked on are usually smooth, or, perhaps more accurately, well compacted.  I pity the poor scale model workers on some layouts who have to go about their business on a surface equivalent to a pebble beach !  The bulk of material used is a size that will pass through the smallest size sieve I could find - a tea strainer, and in certain areas I also use dust produced by part filling a jar with material, stretching a piece of nylon stocking over the top, turning the jar upside down and shaking vigorously.

 

I've tried three methods of laying ballast, with varying degrees of success.

 

1. The (perhaps) usual method of laying the ballast first dry, wetting and then dripping in dilute PVA.  This didn't work very well; the material was difficult to lay in a sufficiently thick even layer; difficult to wet without disturbing it and the water and PVA tended to settle finer material down, leaving just the coarse material on the surface or float the fine material into places you don't want such as round chairs and rail.

 

2. The method used in some areas is to build up the depth in plaster and then glue a thin layer of ballast on the surface.  This can be tedious, placing and levelling the plaster without getting any on sleepers, chairs or rail; sealing it so the glue doesn't soak in too much and then gluing and laying the ballast.  The plaster also has to be pre-coloured or painted in case it shows through the thin ballast layer.

 

3.  The most common method used is to glue and ballast in layers, as follows:

 

 

Glue applicators are old eardrop or similar containers with the caps drilled and empty biro ink tubes forced in.  The longer tube on the left is for harder to reach areas such as under pointwork.

 

 

First a layer of fairly strong PVA + water + wetting agent is applied using the applicators direct or a small brush for corners.  Any air bubbles should be burst or there will be a hollow in the ballast.

 

 

The ballast mix is applied and given about 20-30 minutes so it's started to harden but still fairly soft.  Excess ballast is vacuumed off - carefully so as not to lift the glued material. 

 

 

A strip of scrap brass is then used to level and compact the ballast.  Another layer of more dilute PVA mix is then applied, which should readily spread over the still soft first layer and more ballast mix applied and the process repeated.  Depending on the depth you are at and the depth you want, a third layer may be required. 

 

 

After the final layer is compacted and still soft, I apply very dilute PVA mix where required which should readily soak in and dust or dust/ballast mix to well trodden compacted areas alongside and between tracks.  The completed ballast is then left to dry completely before final vacuuming. 

 

 

Completed but not finished ballast.  Further compacting or 'smoothing' of the surface can be carried out when dry by rubbing with fingers, emery paper or even files.  Clumps of grass need to be added and fine coal spillage applied where required over ballast and sleepers.  Most colliery railways seemed to serve as unofficial public footpaths so any useable spilled coal wouldn't remain for long !

 

Over time I find that household dust tends to lighten these areas despite regular vacuuming, the very finest dust being difficult to remove.  I've had some success in reversing this trend by spreading fine coal dust and then vacuuming it off, the very finest coal dust like the very finest household dust tends to stick.  You need to keep the vacuum nozzle a constant distance above the surface - about ¹/₄" - otherwise you get very patchy results.

Edited September 12, 2023 by PGH

[PGH]

GRASS:

For basic grass areas I've used fibres from old carpet underlay.  This method may now be rather outdated, but the first areas were done before static grass became available and I wanted to keep the same effect throughout the layout.  From a normal viewing distance I think it gives a reasonable representation of the rough grass found in embankment areas.

 

 

 

The original underlay material

 

 

 

The material was torn into small pieces, bleached and then dyed.  After it was dry came the most time consuming and tedious job - removing all the unwanted material comprising bits of paper, string, wool, etc, etc.

 

 

 

After sorting a small amount of fibres were taken, formed into a ball about 10mm diameter……

 

 

 

part was cut off to expose the ends of the fibres and this was then 'planted' in a thick layer of PVA adhesive

 

 

 

The result after completing the whole area

 

 

 

After the adhesive had thoroughly dried a craft knife was run through with the blade upside down to cut any loops in the fibres, and the material was then raked, combed and trimmed, probably removing about ²/₃ of the material in the process.

 

 

 

The grass rake used - made from Peco track pins and a couple of pieces of scrap brass

 

 

 

After completion of raking, combing and trimming.  At this stage I thought the result looked quite reasonable, the fibres had taken the dye quite well (Dylon Amazon Green), but it didn't quite match areas done previously so I carried on to the next steps

 

 

 

The grass areas were then masked off and spray painted.  After painting with matt paint I thought the grass looked a little too matt, so I gave it a spray of gloss varnish.

 

 

 

Finally when the paint was dry I mixed a thin straw colour paint and touched over the tops of the fibres with a damp brush.

 

Compared with the more or less instant result with static grass, this may all sound rather time consuming, tedious and boring - it certainly is !

 

 

[C&WR]

This is the stage at which I think you're teasing us - you made a rake out of soldered brass and track pins?

[RThompson]

 

I did note a pilot model of a 7mm scale 'V' tipper at Telford, I think it was on the Agenoria stand.

Hi PGH,

 

was it one of these?

 

 

Note that this is a actual 7mm scale kit thats been available since march from myself

Edited October 16, 2013 by RThompson

[Nelson Jackson]

Hi,

Wow, for a moment I thought I was looking at real track and real grass. Your work is superb and an inspiration to all, keep up the good work and I will be following this thread with interest, to pick up tips.

Thanks

Nelson

[branchie]

Wow.

 

That is all.

 

[Ruston]

Hi PGH,

 

was it one of these?

 

 

Note that this is a actual 7mm scale kit thats been available since march from myself

I saw it too and it wasn't one of yours, Robert. It seemed to be a based-on/freelance design. I considered buying some but decided against it. Is yours available again? Have you fixed the 7mm brake gear etches? I'll be needing 5 or 6 for my layout.

Edited October 16, 2013 by Ruston

[PGH]

Hi PGH,

 

was it one of these?

 

 

Note that this is a actual 7mm scale kit thats been available since march from myself

 

Yes I think it was, with a note saying it was a forthcoming or proposed future kit.  I didn't take much notice as, while I would like to include some of these, they were not used in the Lancs NCB as far as I know.  

Perhaps another member who visited Telford might have noticed this item and could give a bit more information.

[RThompson]

I saw it too and it wasn't one of yours, Robert. It seemed to be a based-on/freelance design. I considered buying some but decided against it. Is yours available again? Have you fixed the 7mm brake gear etches? I'll be needing 5 or 6 for my layout.

I did have a look at the brake gear Following your comments about the distance between the brake blocks and the wheels but I feel if I make them any closer then a short circuit can occur with the all metal chassis.

 

The only thing I can do is to make the push rods as a seperate etch and grafted onto the existing brakes by cutting them otherwise this will increase the cost of the kit.

 

I've only got a couple in stock, only able to order the etches once I'm notified that the person wished to purchase them as its a lot of money sat around in the kits which I can't afford at the moment to do

[queensquare]

GRASS:

 

Compared with the more or less instant result with static grass, this may all sound rather time consuming, tedious and boring - it certainly is !

 

Static grass may be quick but in my view the results you have achieved are far superior.

 

Jerry

[Ray M]

Just going back a little bit,

What colour spray did you use on the grass.

I think it looks just grand.

[PGH]

Just going back a little bit,

What colour spray did you use on the grass.

I think it looks just grand.

 

When I've done it in the past I used a mix of 3 parts Humbrol No.80 grass green + 3 parts No.24 trainer yellow + 1 part No.34 matt white.

However last time I used this mix it looked far too yellow, so the mix I finally ended up with was approximately 6 parts No.80 + 1 part No.24 + 1 part No.34.

 

This looks too light a colour before you put it on, but I think the final result is OK, and it seems to match the grass round here at least !

Edited October 21, 2013 by PGH

[PGH]

On to the rolling stock, first the wagons

 

A colliery layout needs plenty of open wagons and there are a total of 46, mainly built from Slaters, Parkside and Peco kits with a few of the new Lionheart RTR.

 

 

 

7 plank wooden NCB internal wagons are Slaters (left) and Parkside (right).  The Slaters kits required planks scribing on the interior sides and ends and also interior strapping.  The floors had planks and bottom doors already moulded in, but no bottom door catches are included in the kit so they had to be fabricated.  The Parkside kits required slightly less work as interior detail is included, but the plastic brake levers and lever racks were replaced with Ambis etched parts.  Custom transfers were provided by Blackham. 

 

 

 

 

On both types of kit the brake gear was replaced by ABS white metal parts, which I thought was better detailed, it gets the shoes nearer to the wheels and gives the slight 'V' shape in plan to the push rods which I believe is more correct.

 

 

 

There is one solitary 10 ton wagon from a Slaters kit - a repainted early effort with original kit brakegear.

 

 

 

The NCB steel internal wagons are from Peco kits, with their opening end doors intended for use with the canal wagon tippler (when it gets built !)

 

 

 

The remainder of the wagon fleet are BR 16 ton minerals from Parkside (left) and Peco (right) kits

 

 

 

with a few RTR by Lionheart

 

 

 

[Jack P]

Wow. Just wow, the details are really amazing, and the work is so fine. Will have to gawp at the pictures once or twice more before going to bed!

[Osgood]

The quality of finish on those wooden 7 plank wagons is astonishing, very apparent in that close-up photo with subtle weathering. What shade of grey / black have you used on the body?

[PGH]

The quality of finish on those wooden 7 plank wagons is astonishing, very apparent in that close-up photo with subtle weathering. What shade of grey / black have you used on the body?

 

It's a while since I did them but it was probably just Humbrol matt black with a touch of grey or white to make it "off black".  After lettering they would have had a coat of Humbrol matt varnish which tends to add a grey tint - sometimes when you don't want it !

 

In all the times I've been at yours I admit I never noticed the underframe weathering. It is so well done and the camera picks it up well. Same goes for 'Manchester Collieries' just showing benieth the paint....

 

Stop - you're making me blush !