ENIGMA SIDINGS

[CourthsVeil]

Morning all!

 

Christian: " Or you cloud use the old Märklin H0 decoupler posts"  No no, nothing smelling like Märklin on any of my layouts…    

 

Thank you though for your comment. Will find something to indicate my uncoupling magnet's positions                     eventually!

 

 

 

Mock up: Bridge

 

 

Scalescenes and all the other designers of card’n’paper models (as nice as the­se may be!!) unfortunately do not provide an arched bridge spanning more than two tracks.

 

And as I wanted something else than the ubiquitous steel girder constructions (regardless whether plate or I-beam), I did a quick search and found the following (gooess who did help…?): a link

 

(Viaduct de Viroflay)

 

and an image:

 

 

 

This pic shows an over 100 yrs old bridge in Nürnberg-Muggenhof.

I like it!

On the other hand the combination of stone and iron exhibited in the french link quite appeals to me.

 

I think, I will combine both: the girder design spanning three tracks to the left, the Sca­le­sce­nes Single Width Arch Bridge to the right.

 

 

To see how it fits into my layout, I started with a simple mock-up. Drafted the contours with my old trusty PSP, made several prints until the length did fit onto the matchboxes I had “in­stalled” as piers.

 

Then I made (quite quick&dirty) the above mentioned brick bridge, put all together and shuff­led the parts around:
First: square on baseboard, middle: tilted & with double wide arch, third: tilted with single wide arch:

 

 

 

I think, one of these does fit the bill.

 

Wot du yu fink? (you know: many Germans have difficulty with your Th’es)

 

Watch this space - more to come…

 

  Armin

 

 

[Stubby47]

I like the 3rd picture best, looks more natural.

 

Stu

[CourthsVeil]

Thank you, Stu.

 

Agreed, this 3^rd is what I will do.

 

  Armin

[CourthsVeil]

Good evening!

 

Much achieved this week:

 

 

Decision: yes, the third of the above propositions is the fitting one.

 

I made the Scalescenes Single Arch Bridge again – now using strong card, the bricks printed on good paper and well secured with matte varnish.

Then I did the same with the self designed girders and glued them on really solid (i.e. two mm) artist’s card. Found a piece of styrene, made strips and glued them together to make piers for the girders:

 

 

 

To be honest: I don’t like styrene. As long as there are just straight cut (like above), I have no pro­blems; there it’s easy to break the stuff when deeply scored. But windows are a pain, esp. when arched…   And in this case I even encountered difficulties glueing the strips toge­ther. Don’t know why, but various makes of UHU didn’t hold, not even MEK proved reliable. Will use up just what is left of this st<yrene stuff and then forget it!

 

Back to the build: after covering the piers with “concrete paper” this came out:

 

 

 

I like card much more than this plastic stuff – an exception are of course these fine styrene strips (1 x 0.5 mm).

 

I cut and glued them to my girders, which I thereafter sprayed with an olive acrylic and weathered with a bit of artist’s pastel:

 

                 

 

 

Looks not bad – at least to me.

 

 

Next step was the concrete plate borne by the girders. Some 3mm foamboard foamCORE looked quite suitable for this; brings the left hand part level with the other part. Its edge covered with a strip of paper looking like concrete.

 

Then I dared to put this together with the already finished Scalescenes part – here we are:

 

 

 

The whole bridge spanning the width of the layout will bear a tramway besides a lane. Not yet sure whether macadam or cobbles…

 

 

I don't dare to show you the underside of the whole construction. It looks a bit ugly because of the various braces I installed…

 

 

To bring the road surface to rail head height I had to provide for a packing. I tried corrugated card, double thickness. That’s it, fits well to the sleepers – near perfect! But I glue it together crosswise, like ply is glued:

 

 

 

This gives a very lightweight yet surprisingly stiff and reliable sheet. Could well replace foamboard…

 

 

 

(I'd like to think it's my own idea , but most likely, someone else has done this before.     )

 

Since it is just a package there must be a cover; I chose a very thin card (in German: Plakatkarton). It’s coloured throughout and nice to use.

With this I did another “first” (for me, you know…): I made cobbles along the inner rail. This can often be found at German tramways.

Then I erected a rather old looking railing (etched brass, Weinert, no. 3356) and grabbed my camera:

 

 

 

I think it will be macadam, this card is looking quite suited; must only get some dark and light markers and dirt.

 

As you can see, there’s quite a lot still to do, at this bridge alone – fodder for the next week. But first I have to do some playing around testing the cleanliness of the railheads after all this bodging. Very urgent!!!       

 

Hope you like it.

 

  Armin

 

 

 

edit re. foamcore <> foamboard

[Stubby47]

The bridge is looking really good, I like the style of the girders.

[CourthsVeil]

Thanks for commenting, Stu, much appreciated!

 

Yes, the girders are what I was after: rarely seen but attractive.

 

 

 

Btw: the prototype bridge I showed at the top of this page has been part of the "Ringbahn" in Nuremberg. Ringbahn translates to Circle Line – only literally, in reality it is anything but alike the line Londoners are used to.
It was erected as a roundy-roundy connecting suburbs and villages at the (then) periphery of Nuremberg – freight only. It was begun 1890, finished 1910.

In the 1970ies, when trucks took over, even the little bit of shuffling goods wagons around (sometimes only a single train a week) became so low that the Bundesbahn stopped service completely .

In the 1990ies most part of the tracks was lifted – mainly such old bridges to give way for wider streets…

For commuters of course - in their automobiles, what else?

 

I lived some years very near (i.e. track directly behind our garden fence) the eastern part of the Ringbahn and remember well the puff and blow of the small locos when they barely coped with the rise in the terrain.

However, the bridge that serves as my prototype still exists and it even still has track on it.
 

These days certain politicians request to revitalise parts of this old line to serve commuters and thus prevent traffic jams… :mosking:

 

Hope you don't mind this rather personal waffling…

Cheers

  Armin

[CourthsVeil]

Quite a short progress report:

 

Ooops!

 

Grandson no. 2 seems to have successfully hijacked our little layout:

 

 

 

Well, there’s time, he enters his 7^th month now and is just learning to sit. But wait only three years…

 

 

Some more information about the making of the backstage to be found there. In the meantime I balla­sted the tramway on the overbridge.

 

Still much to do…

 

  Armin

 

[CourthsVeil]

Continuing the theme of short (because slow) progress reports:

 

Bedding in

 

 

Embedding belongs to the tasks I really do NOT like. Therefore I have pretty little practice with it. But it has to be done. (Well, Enigma Sidings is a layout I see as a part of my learning experience as a railway modeller.) So I made a start with the r/h end of the overbridge.

Fascias also do not belong to my favourites – but this piece, me thinks, doesn’t look bad:

 

 

 

And spent some time with ballasting the tramway track. This bridge now is nearing its completion:

 

 

 

Looks like hanging to the right – NO, that’s just an artifact caused by sloppy photoshopping.

 

Lastly a bit of detail of this unusual girder construction:

 

 

 

Hope you like it – still much to do – still much to follow!

 

  Armin

[CourthsVeil]

NewBridge

 

The original track plan by Jack = Shortliner (shown in my opening post) provides for two bridges. The r/h one now is finished; a few details are now added: parapet wall coping, buttress cappings, fully bed in, a fence from the little front wall closes the span to the bridge.

 

Now for the other bridge at the left end, the New Bridge.

 

I fancied something light and slim, in no way obtrusive, in two words: a truss bridge. Should bear a single track railway – disused perhaps? Something like this – if possible:

 

By Alethe at en.wikipedia, from Wikimedia Commons

 

Or so…

 

But I don’t think I’m able to make such a delicate structure in my workshop. So I searched for suitable readymade (or kit) bridges.

I found a nice design by Hack Brücken (no. BK30) – quite delicate and made of brass, ready soldered and primed. All this at a really reasonable (!) price. And its length (30cm) would exactly cover the width of my layout. But… see below.

Next I ordered a kit from Auhagen (no. 11365) - also not too expensive, it includes the abutments. Unfortunately I had misunderstood the description. When I put it together I discovered that it is way too short. I could continue its run by a levee, but its sloping sides would have obstructed the way from the outside world to/from the background buildings.

So I ordered another bridge: from Noch (no. 21310) a non-glue-put-together thingy. Bit oversize (36cm), but I have a nice selection of hacksaws in the basement…

 

Now have a look at these three beauties and tell me what you would prefer:

 

 

 

 

 

Well: the first one (Hack BK30) is quite fine. Were it not way too high for this little layout, it was my favourite!

The middle one is the Auhagen kit, provisionally put together with its abutments. Much too short…

And the lowest one – well, I consider it the lowest ranking. A rude design, much too crude with its thick trusses.

Should I though venture the big leap and decide for a self-soldered truss bridge ?

 

Now I tell you what: the Good Lady already has decided. And since we – at least in a lot of cases – agree…

 

See you later!

 

PS: it is the fundamental flaw of this track plan that I didn't let a little more space between the outermost tracks (i.e. front and back) to the edges. No room for macadam or abutments…

My fault!

 

 

edit = typo

[Merc435]

The First one, Hands down, it has dominance yet the steel work is more delicate.

 

Layouts looking good.

[cklammer]

Hi Armin,

 

I am for the second (Auhagen) bridge as you can build a levee leading up in the rear left corner of the layout. This provide something for the corner to be filled, the bridge is just rightly sized (and not too big as the other two bridges) and the levee side(s) will provide you with opportunity for some fancy vegetation work suitable to the locale.

[Stubby47]

I'd choose the first.

The second doesn't help with forming a backscene, and the third looks like it needs a central support.

 

The first one has neither of these drawbacks.

[gjhimages]

I would have the first and maybe remove a bit of the height?

[mjcampbell]

The third would need a central support - no doubt about it. And I don't think you have space for that.

 

I like the first best, but the second does fit well.

[CourthsVeil]

Kitbashing

 

Thank you guys for your comments – very welcome!

 

Well – three out of five opinions opt for the first shown. Difficult for me to argue…

 

Merc (& switcher):  Yes, de­licate steel work, as you say, but since the background buildings at its side are undersize (1:100), I feel it is much too dominant.

 

Christian:   See below, pls …
 

Stu: In this case I have to disagree (oh, mind you, not because the Good Lady does…! ). I think I found a way to use no. 2 without its drawback you mention (and SHE likes it too ). And no.3 is missing a strength­ening T-piece in the middle (I don’t deem it worth to finish for the time being).
 

Gary:   I'm afraid, but then I dead sure would com­pletely destroy it .
 

Michael:   Yes: first = favourite, second = fitting…   :jester:
 

At least the Hack bridge will find a decent place in a forthcoming layout, I promise!
 

 

My solution is to choose the second one and to extend it to the rear edge. The needed levee will not be a dam with sloping sides. Instead it has vertical walls: the Low Relief Arches by John Wiffen will quite fit the bill.

Of course then the plastic abutments shown above must be replaced by kitbashed ones (especially to tailor the left one where I have sooo little room).

 

Here is a picture showing the Auhagen bridge a bit more detailed, whilst I was waiting for the MEK to cure:

 

 

Mind you, the diagonal trusses are 1x1mm (your money: 40x40 thou) – sure not too crude.

 

Watch this space - more to follow soon

 

Regards

  Armin

 

 

 

Edit: to give you a faint impression of how it will look eventually I bodged together this morning a few Scalescenes parts:

 

 

 

 

 

[Jongudmund]

This is a really interesting thread. I like the idea of using a pivoting piece of track instead of a full sector plate.

 

Also the detail of German trains is not waffle. I love reading stuff like that.

 

Thank you for all the 'making of' photos. They are very helpful.

[cklammer]

Hallo, Armin,

 

 This looks right nice   (although I still prefer an embankment ... und wech   ).

 

 What do you plan regarding the gap between the arch and the next building .... ?

 

Best Regards,

Christian

[CourthsVeil]

Jon: Thank you for your comment – makes it all worthwhile!
Christian: Right nice germanitzed English there… Still no chance for an embankment, no room!

 

Not yet certain about the gap so prominent in the middle pic above… Just a fence? A gate perhaps? Over to you for ideas!

 

Now for the little progress made:

During the last week I put the levee together

 

abutment fixed:

 

later with deck and copings. I replaced the original plastic abutment at the left (i.e. layout front edge) with a scratchbuilt one – card and fitting Scalescenes brick paper. The girders primed and painted a middle grey, very cautiously weathered. Track laid down, also running boards, steel sheets between the rails and a railing added.

There are still quite a few jobs to do:
fascia still missing,
until now it’s only loosely put together, must be fixed,
ballasting to be done on the levee part,
hardstanding/street near the arch (CGTextures),
then bedding in.

 

Oohh – nearly forgot to make the rails rusty…

 

Here you get an impression:

 

 

 

Hope you like it.

 

  Armin

[CourthsVeil]

Thank you for the like buttons – appreciated!

 

 

Just a quick progress report:

 

Fixed the loose parts, made a small fascia, did the ballasting, glued some cobble-paper between levee and first building, closed the gap with a nice gate, covered the soil with rubble and gave it a water­colour paint.

 

Looking at my photos I discovered that I still hadn’t rusted the rails… (Meanwhile it’s done!)

Apart from that, this bridge now looks very much like I had fancied it a few weeks ago – I'm delighted!

 

Let the photos speak for themselves:

 

 

 

 

 

Next task: hit the home stretch, i.e. make a nifty signal box…

 

Will update with progress – cheerio!

  Armin

 

 

edit: typo

[gazmanjack]

G'day Armin,

 

This is coming along quite nicely. The bridge above does look good, an excellent choice in the end.

 

Cheers, Gary.

[CourthsVeil]

Gary, thank you – such comments lift everyone's mojo!

Reagrds   Armin

[CourthsVeil]

Signal Tower

 

 

There’s not much room on this tiny layout to place a signal box. By chance I came across this Faller product: the “Stellwerk Dahlhausen”. Even for German standards it is rather odd looking, but there IS a prototype: a Prussian signal tower on a slim truss construction (it still exists – see here! – in a railway museum in Bochum (Ruhr area)).

 

In my opinion it would fit nicely between all the pre-1939 structures I have on Enigma Sidings. And true followers of my threads know well already that I like unusual – yet still plausible – buildings etc.

Making a laser cut card kit was totally new for me, so after I had ordered it I was looking forward with some curiosity to what was delivered.

 

Then came the surprise!

A nice surprise, I must say!

 

This Faller kit is really well made, all parts, especially the glazing bars as well as the stair railings are very delicate, the card being of different (=appropriate) thicknesses. In addition the instruction leaflet clear and well to understand (not so common, you know…).

 

Next surprise: when I got to grips with this structure I made such a rapid progress that I had done most of the work within a morning. It all went really well together, connections well thought of – it was an easy task. Afternoon I did the internals (desks, chairs etc.), next morning I tackled the flight of stairs, even the railings were no problem.

 

^ Making sure that trusses are rectangular to the box bottom…

 

 

 

 

 

I hate the use of flash with photos of model railroads, but in this case it was inevitable:

 

 

 

After glueing it in position and embedding:

 

 

 

During construction time every bloke could enter Enigma Sidings without any obstacle. So fences were planted to close the gaps left and right of the central wall behind the controls:

 

 

 

 

Ooh, I see, one of those blokes has already mutilated our nice fence, should be readied as soon as possible… Would love very much if somebody could come to the rescue – Lt Colonel etc. Poshname prhaps…?

 

 

Still missing now are a couple of overview photos – have to wait until tomorrow, i.e. until the very, very dark clouds are gone (you see: I deem available light photography necessary).

 

See you – watch this space!

 

  Armin

[Saddletank]

That's a lovely little kit you've made there, I've got a box full of Japanese N gauge ones I found while on holiday a few months ago, the level of quality and detail is exceptional. Just need to get round to using them!

[cklammer]

Moin, Moin Armin,

 

 This is a nice kit you have gotten yourself there!

 

 The layout is really outstanding.

 

Best Regards,

Christian

 

Edit: forgot to sign 

[Stubby47]

Armin,

A great little signal cabin, but where are all the connecting rods from the levers ?

Stu