Narrow minded Neil

[Neil]

I've come to realise that over the years I've tended to tailor my posts to the particular forum I'm using at the time. Fair enough when it's Narrow Gauge Railway Modelling Online, they don't get to see my standard gauge interests, but here on RMweb I realise I've largely ignored showing my stuff which runs on lines less than four feet, eight and a half inches wide. I thought I'd better do something about it.

 

To get everybody up to speed I first started dabbling in 009 as a boy some forty years ago. A few tangible remnants of my childhood survive. To start with there's a brass bodied Corris Falcon, a plasticard Corris brake and a freelance workshop built from individual cast plaster blocks.

 

 

If I remember correctly I would be fourteen or fifteen when they were put together. Pre-dating the previous models are this plasticard box tank and pair of Roco tippers.

 

 

The oldest models are this pairing of Jouef/Playcraft tank engine and shortened Egger Bahn van.

 

 

When photographed the vans cardboard roof had come unstuck. These days it runs around with a plasticard replacement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Neil]

I left off yesterday afternoon reminiscing about my childhood narrow gauge projects. I maintained an interest in railways 'till my interest in beer supplanted it. Fast forward a few years into my early twenties, drinking subsided to modest proportions and model railways (standard gauge) bubbled to the surface again. Fast forward quite a long way and building this model brought me back into the narrow gauge fold.

 

 

It's an interpretation of a Kerr Stuart diesel, the one that was tested on the WHR, sent overseas and is now repatriated. It's built of plasticard atop a Bachmann mechanism. The loco which donated the chassis was an impulse purchase. I find that I'm perfectly comfortable with this loose interpretation/freelance style of model making for my narrow gauge efforts. It's had spin off benefits to my standard gauge practises too in that I'm more concerned that my model give an impression of 'rightness' less so that they are 'microscopically' correct.

 

 

[Neil]

It's time to bring the story up to date so I can stop rummaging through old snaps and memories and start dealing with the here and now. Seven years ago we made the move from York to mid-Wales. With me came the aforementioned models and many boxes full of books, magazines, tools, other trains, even a layout, but nothing that I could exercise my collection of narrow gauge items on. Fairly early on I remedied that by constructing a Welsh themed pizza layout. I described it on an older incarnation of RMweb here. I set out to build it in six days as a riposte to a group of gentlemen from Hull who put together a bigger layout in six weeks. Of course I failed. The archived pages show an incomplete layout, but it did get finished and it looks something like this.

 

 

Having a simple circuit to test trains on has been a real boon, though I've tended to stick to the tried and tested Kato four wheeled tram mechanism for the guaranteed success it brings. Here's a selection of items I've shoehorned it into.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though there are gaps, this should be the last of the historical stuff and I can get on to describe projects pretty much in real time.

 

 

 

 

 

[Neil]

If you've been observant there's every chance that you have spotted that the blue Kerr Stuart is posed not on the Welsh pizza but another creation. This is my rendering of the Little Point Tramway, the history of which I'm in the process of telling elsewhere. The layout has come on quite a bit since that early photo was taken. Progress is a bit fits and starts as the layout shares working space with my casting enterprise, but yesterday I tidied away the resin and got out the railway.

 

 

Yesterday's work was to apply some colour to the sea. As Little Point is a seaside postcard, Ealing comedy sort of place I was more interested in capturing warmth and whimsy rather than a super accurate rendition of the North Sea. Here I've painted the water with a limited palette of white, yellow ochre and cobalt blue. Many coats of varnish will follow.

 

 

[Claude_Dreyfus]

There are some super models on here. Your test track is very attractive, and the beach model has a great atmosphere to it...

[sir douglas]

very nice neil,

 

the station building with "TRAM" painted on it reminds me of the rye & camber

[sparks]

Love the TRAM building - would that be one of your Peco coal office conversions?

[marc smith]

Cracking modelling as ever Neil
Really like the Tram building too
But the Pizza layout is absolutely brilliant!

Not used a Kato unit - are they easily DCC'ed

Stunning colour on the sea at Little Point too

Marc

[Judge Dread]

 

 I set out to build it in six days as a riposte to a group of gentlemen from Hull who put together a bigger layout in six weeks. Of course I failed. 

 

pizza 1.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

I do hope you have not suffered any lasting damage as a result of this some what foolish endeavour of yours. Although we do try and make such works look easy, the truth is we are usually high on a mixture of custard creams, doughnuts and clocks that run at half speed. 

In an exceptional case we can call on other products to increase work speed!

[Neil]

Cracking modelling as ever Neil

Really like the Tram building too

But the Pizza layout is absolutely brilliant!

 

Not used a Kato unit - are they easily DCC'ed

 

Stunning colour on the sea at Little Point too

 

Marc

 

Thank you Marc. I'm not sure about the Kato tram mechanisms and dcc. There's no handy socket and the juice is transmitted to the motor by phosphor bronze strips rather than wires, but I'm sure I've seen mention of dcc conversions being done. I'll try to check this out and get an answer.

 

 

 

I set out to build it in six days as a riposte to a group of gentlemen from Hull who put together a bigger layout in six weeks. Of course I failed.

 

 

 

I do hope you have not suffered any lasting damage as a result of this some what foolish endeavour of yours. ..

 

 

I suspect the pressure may have unhinged me a touch; those closest to me profess to see no difference.

[Judge Dread]

 

 

I suspect the pressure may have unhinged me a touch; those closest to me profess to see no difference.

Those are your true friends, keep them close to your chest. (not the term I wanted to use, that would have been more in the old English)   

[Neil]

Little Point was conceived whilst on holiday in Belgium last year. It should come as no surprise that when thinking about the sea I was also thinking of one of these. Armed with plastic tube, filler and a few scarps of sheet I set to. After a short while I came up with this ....

 

 

.... which after refining, looked like this.

 

 

Further work has taken place, I'll point the camera at it tomorrow evening, but it's already begining to have a most satisfyingly realistic (!?) appearance.

 

 

[Neil]

Update on the Kato dcc question. Apparently it can be done and isn't too difficult as long as you're confident of hard wiring a dcc chip. The process centres around isolating the motor from the phosphor bronze contact strips then wiring up chip between contacts and motor.

[Neil]

Last night I broke out the scenic materials and added some bleached out summer grasses and foliage to Little Point. Because Little Point is an exposed sand spit pointing out into the North Sea I've kept the vegetation sparse and stuck to the areas where it might in real life have gained some sort of foothold. I've only attempted the areas to the front of the tracks in this pair of photos; more is to come to the rear, but not much more.

 

 

 

Also to receive attention last night was the shark sub, now sporting a dorsal fin and grey primer.

 

[Neil]

Today's task, a most pleasant pottering about sort of one, has been to add some platform fencing at Little Point.

 

 

It's Ratio cattle dock fence posts, with their tops rounded off, and soft iron wire for the rails. The gate is again a Ratio product from their spear fencing set. All the ingredients have been prepared and painted over the preceding few days, today was assembly and installation.

[backofanenvelope]

Yes, very much less is more.. lovely work Neil.

[Judge Dread]

In case you want to do a street scene on your "coastal" tramway, I hope this may help Neil.

Regards, John.

[Neil]

Cheers Your Most Regal Dreadship. Mrs R and I travelled on the coastal tram last year through Blankenberge. There was a section of single track running down the main drag with some natty lay over points to divert us onto the other line whist renewal took place. We were most taken by the pillars of the bridge over the railway as we left Ostend, reminded of this well known Magritte painting.

[Oldddudders]

Yeah, but the French do it better

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=catastrophe+gare+montparnasse+1895&biw=1280&bih=627&tbm=isch&imgil=mAwj3byWShBMVM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcQxr4EwbMBy4Z4_R0Y1JgfkrmWNY6tpuJQA4rA3pW1fhQSv3aFDDw%253B469%253B729%253BCn7H0ML6J5ApxM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.delcampe.net%25252Fpage%25252Fitem%25252Fid%25252C103468117%25252Cvar%25252CPARIS--GARE-MONTPARNASSE--ACCIDENT-DE-TRAIN-DE-1895%25252Clanguage%25252CF.html&source=iu&usg=__S24FQY38Z_AENxRRT88WbCNSM48%3D&sa=X&ei=8iVVU7fzI4ra0QXx0YAw&ved=0CEMQ9QEwBQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=mAwj3byWShBMVM%253A%3BCn7H0ML6J5ApxM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimages-02.delcampe-static.net%252Fimg_large%252Fauction%252F000%252F103%252F468%252F117_001.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.delcampe.net%252Fpage%252Fitem%252Fid%252C103468117%252Cvar%252CPARIS--GARE-MONTPARNASSE--ACCIDENT-DE-TRAIN-DE-1895%252Clanguage%252CF.html%3B469%3B729

[Judge Dread]

Cheers Your Most Regal Dreadship. Mrs R and I travelled on the coastal tram last year through Blankenberge. There was a section of single track running down the main drag with some natty lay over points to divert us onto the other line whist renewal took place. We were most taken by the pillars of the bridge over the railway as we left Ostend, reminded of this well known Magritte painting.

But did you clock the point work outside of the depot in Ostend ?

There is a wonderful section of track, which because the trams are single ended, leaves the depot crossing the road and makes several left turns to return at the rear of the depot. Just to reverse the trams if required! 

[Roger.s]

But did you clock the point work outside of the depot in Ostend ?

Entrance to depot.JPG

There is a wonderful section of track, which because the trams are single ended, leaves the depot crossing the road and makes several left turns to return at the rear of the depot. Just to reverse the trams if required! 

That looks as if it is trying to be a double slip, but I think it would need Leeds/Bradford type of wheelsets to work!

 

Regards Roger

[Judge Dread]

That looks as if it is trying to be a double slip, but I think it would need Leeds/Bradford type of wheelsets to work!

 

Regards Roger

Oh it is indeed a double slip. It seems that the system can only afford one point lever however!

[Roger.s]

Oh it is indeed a double slip. It seems that the system can only afford one point lever however!

A Double slip.JPG

You mean it isn't a 60 degree crossing ~ what a let down!

 

Roger

[Neil]

Oh it is indeed a double slip......

 

I'll see your double slip and raise you a double, an outside single and lots of other wiggly bits too.

 

Apologies for the link to gooooogle, but I couldn't fit all the lovely complexity into one shot. By way of compensation I offer a couple of pics of the heritage tram which I happened across by chance earlier this week.

 

 

[Neil]

Srill a little obsessed with Belgian trams I turned up this interesting photo of what happens when metre gauge tram crosses standard gauge heavy rail. Not quite what one would expect, I'd venture.