Newtz1981 Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Whilst I am building what has become known as my 'first' 7mm layout, I have a spare few boards at home which I've always said I would get around to doing something with. Well, recently I have been giving some thought to what I could do and the conclusion has been an MPD layout. There are a few reasons for this, the main one being that I have many main line locomotives and frankly, they will look out of place on the single line layout that is being built. I've always wanted to display my collection of locos and an MPD is the best way to do this. Inspiration has come through layouts such as Cardiff Canton, which really opened my eyes to showcase what is possible with 7mm and in such a small space. I have always been drawn to steam sheds too and I seem to constantly be on Google looking them up. In particular, the main ones are Rose Grove 10F and Newton Heath 9D - with some Lockstock Hall and Holbeck thrown in too. In fact you can probably work out now where the name of my MPD layout has come from - Newton Grove 19F. The last inspiration comes from working as a locomotive fireman on several preserved railways in Victoria, Australia and how the loco depots appear on them too. Clean, yet dirty at the same time with the right amount of clutter spread out across the yard, puddles and patches of oil and spilled coal. The space available is 9ft long by 18inches wide, spread over three boards. I've drawn up a few plans in RailModeller and have come up with one that I am happy with (see below). The boards are finished and ready to have the track plan drawn out on to them and then I can start to lay track. So I'm looking forward to seeing this layout come together, which I have a feeling might be sooner rather than later. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 17, 2015 Author Share Posted January 17, 2015 (edited) And here is the flavor and atmosphere that I am looking to create. A 1960s steam shed in the North of England. Edited January 18, 2015 by Newtz1981 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Today has been spent (between going out to the shops, working in the garden and doing things with the girlfriend) fixing the boards down on to the framework, printing out the track plan and attaching it to the boards ready to mark out. Photos below show the progress so far. The single road that is not connected to any others is actually at the front of the layout. I'm just building it from the operators point of view for the moment. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 (edited) I've just ordered fish plates and chairs from C&L and I'm guessing that given I live in Australia they will take at least two weeks to arrive. In the meantime more pieces of Peco flexitrack will be purchased and I will make a start on cutting out the loco pits. The C&L chairs will be laid on top of 3mm ply, which will also have the holes cut in it for the pits. 3mm ply matches sleeper height perfectly, after doing a small test today. I have a feeling that the track will be in place with a few weeks and ready for testing, then painting. This will be a great project!! Edited January 18, 2015 by Newtz1981 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I shall enjoy following this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 (edited) I've drawn the track plan for the MPD onto the boards and I've positioned a few locos around to show what can fit where and how many in each road. This is going to be a cracking layout!! An overview of the shed entrance. 48773 comes On Shed. Two Black 5's are waiting in other roads for their next call of duty. The Black 5 on the left is numbered 44871 and the brass one will eventually become 45000. A Crab and a 2MT stand outside the shed entrance. The 2MT is destined to be numbered 46519. The plates have been acquired from Severn Mill, it's just a matter of painting them up and applying them to the loco. Edited January 18, 2015 by Newtz1981 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Looking good, following with interest. Thanks for the compliments about Canton. I'm glad it inspired you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Looking good, following with interest. Thanks for the compliments about Canton. I'm glad it inspired you Thank you Steve. Yes, Canton has been an inspiration to me, as you will no doubt see as I progress with this model. Thank you for choosing to follow my posts. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 (edited) Today's work has involved cutting out the pit holes for the three roads of the shed. I retained the off cuts from the 3mm ply I used on the top of the base boards and I have used a sheet of this as the raised area around the pits. First of all the track was marked out on the raised sheet of ply. The location of the pits was marked out and then the pit holes were cut out with a sharp knife - which I must confess did take some time. Once the pit holes were cut out, the sheet of ply was placed on top of the boards and the pit holes were marked out there too. The pit holes were then cut from the base board tops in the same manner as the top sheet of ply. This technique was inspired by what I saw being carried out on Cardiff Canton. The sheet of ply was then placed on top of the base boards. They line up perfectly. You will see here in these two photos that the 3mm ply lines up perfectly with the sleeper height of Peco track. Again, this is inspired by Cardiff Canton. All I have to do now is glue down the ply to the base board and then wait for the C&L order to arrive so I can lay the rails over the pits. All other track was purchased today from my local hobby shop and I will make a start of laying it soon. Edited January 19, 2015 by Newtz1981 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobster Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Look forward to following this - Nice loco's. Cheers, Bob. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Pannier Tank Posted January 19, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 19, 2015 I like your choice of loco's; will have an excuse for a Scot or Duchess? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 I like your choice of loco's; will have an excuse for a Scot or Duchess? Hi David, I actually have a Scott, I just haven't put it on display yet. I also have a Jubilee too. As far as a Duchess goes, if I can afford it I will purchase a kit for one from Gladiator Models before they close in April. I have two of their kits already - one is a Stanier Mogul and the other is a Patriot. The tender of the Mogul has been started however construction is slow as a friend of mine is building it for me in his spare time. Kit building is not a skill of mine just yet. I have also put a reservation in with Fine Scale Brass (UK) for a Britannia and a 9F. They are due out around Dec '15/Jan '16, so I'm looking forward to them. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Pannier Tank Posted January 19, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 19, 2015 Excellent choice of locomotives, just as I remember them in the early sixties at Bletchley. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 (edited) This method for doing the pits is a lot better than cutting the sleepers out of the Middle. Here's Canton during the construction process. If your track is going to covered in dirt which I expect it is that's fine but if you have any sleepers on show its worth chopping the webbing and respacing the sleepers to match C&L track. It's a tedious job but worth the effort. Edited January 19, 2015 by steve fay 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 image.jpg This method for doing the pits is a lot better than cutting the sleepers out of the Middle. Here's Canton during the construction process. If your track is going to covered in dirt which I expect it is that's fine but if you have any sleepers on show its worth chopping the webbing and respacing the sleepers to match C&L track. It's a tedious job but worth the effort. I agree with you Steve. This method has been easy and simple and fairly rapid too with the use of a sharp knife to cut the pits out of the ply boards. I've been having a good read through your Cardiff Canton blog and have what you did with the track, which is exactly how I am going to do it too. I agree that removing the webbing from the Peco track does take quite some time to do, however the test piece of track I made up for my other layout proved to me that it is more than worth doing, to achieve a realistic finish. A question for you though - you mentioned you used sand that had been heated in a kiln? Is that correct? How does one go about getting that, or is there a substitute that could also be used? Regards, Jonathan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Hi Yes it's kiln dried sand as used in block paved drive ways, you can also use kids sand box play sand. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 I'm debating over what to use to join the track together. Would it be best to use the regular rail joiners, or shall I go for brass fishplates from C&L instead? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I'm debating over what to use to join the track together. Would it be best to use the regular rail joiners, or shall I go for brass fishplates from C&L instead? I would use the brass or plastic ones, if your going DCC then you just take a feed to every piece of track. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Getting started slowly on the track for the pits. I've cut away the sleepers from one length of flex track just to see how it looks - and I think it looks fantastic! I'll cut the other two pieces today and get them ready for the arrival of the C&L order of chairs and fishplates. After these three sections of track are ready and in place I can start to lay the rest of the layout, as these ones are all straight pieces. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 I'm getting the track in place (not attaching it with glue yet) to see how it looks and how the curves flow. So far it's looking great! What do we all think? 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobster Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Nice work there Newtz, looking good - You can't go wrong following Steve's Canton layout, I am sure this will be in the same league. Cheers, Bob. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 Nice work there Newtz, looking good - You can't go wrong following Steve's Canton layout, I am sure this will be in the same league. Cheers, Bob. Hello Bob, Thank you for the feedback and wonderful comments. I am aiming to match the quality set out by Cardiff Canton, as it is something to aspire too. So we will see just how well I can do this. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 Right, that is all the track cut to length and rail edges filed down to a clean finish. Still waiting on the C&L chairs and fishplates before I start to lay the track down permanently. The pit roads will be the first to be laid, as I feel this is critical in getting everything else perfect. Once that is done and the rest of the track is in place I will spray the entire layout in matt back and prepare to start 'ballasting'. When I say ballast though, I intend to use kiln-dried sand and talcum powder to represent how a locomotive depot really looks. At the local railway I am a fireman at (Puffing Billy - http://puffingbilly.com.au/)the track around the loco shed looks like it is covered in nothing but coal dust and ash, hard build up of oil spillage, with the odd scatter of coal too. No trace of ballast or even crushed rock can be seen. Actually, I'll take a photo or two today when I'm there and post them here to give a visual representation of what I'm talking about. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Here are a few photos I captured at Puffing Billy, where I volunteer as a fireman. This is the look I am aiming to achieve on Newton Grove. It will be a great challenge for me to achieve this look, however using photos and the real location as a reference I'm sure it will be immense fun also. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flexible_coupling Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 The sound of the NA's shunting coaches back up the incline to the sidings by the station at Belgrave is very impressive for what a relatively little loco! Certainly one of my favourite spots to visit when I still lived in Melbourne. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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