Cule's Quarry - exhibition presentation

[009 micro modeller]

After building my cake box quarry layout ( http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/130099-009-quarry-micro/ ) I wanted to make it more suitable for exhibitions. The main problem with this is the lack of a scenic break on the layout itself, due to its small size. I therefore decided to have a go at the picture frame style of presentation, with the layout appearing as a 3D moving (or static, as a static cake box diorama could fit in the box) picture in a frame. The perspective means that from certain angles the side walls can be seen, but instead of attempting to add some sort of scenic break I'm going for a more 'theatrical' method of simply painting the side walls in matt black. So far I have a pine frame and the side walls in MDF.

[009 micro modeller]

The quarry was exhibited at Leighton Buzzard in the completed presentation box.

 

While the box itself worked, the accompanying 'stick' didn't, being the wrong height and a bit of a lash up from plastic tube, wood and MDF.

 

After failing to rebuild this, I decided to start again, this time using only wood and MDF. I was helped in this by actually finding some that was exactly 46mm high. Previously I'd only been able to get 44 or 45 which would have required a layer of card (or the base of plastic tube on the old one, which with glue and the flexibility of the plastic ended up being too high). The cake box board itself is 25mm high to trackbed level, and 21mm is added by the pine frame it sits on inside the presentation box. Annoyingly the new wood is 70mm wide, while the hole through which the trains enter the box is only about 50, so a little bit had to be removed from each side at one end. This is slightly asymmetric for reasons which will become clear.

 

The MDF is used to create a board which will be attached to the front, with the usual information about the layout. Also, the stick requires a short tunnel at one end, through which the train passes immediately after leaving the scenic section. The tunnel will be matt black inside, as will the board and the box, and will prevent the light from outside shining through the hole in the box, making the hole less noticeable. The rear tunnel wall will attach to the side of the stick, but the front one will actually rest on top, being glued to the front board, yet still providing a ledge for the tunnel roof to rest on. The track must now be off centre on the 46x70mm pine section, hence the asymmetric cutouts at the end.

Edited August 20, 2018 by 009 micro modeller

[009 micro modeller]

Front and rear walls and board nicely glued and screwed in place, giving a much stronger join than the previous attempt.

[009 micro modeller]

The tunnel roof is now glued and I've applied the first coat of paint.