Modular French Branchline Network

[SNCF stephen]

Modular French Branchline Layout  -  Part 1

Introduction.

I have decided to start a thread in this part of the forum for the new layout I am starting and keep the blog for rolling stock and buildings. I do like the blog but I also like having a thread in the forum.

My old layout Neuvic Entier was dismantled during the Christmas holidays and taken to the skip. I thought that I would be sad to see it go but in reality I was glad to be rid of it. I had made far too many shortcuts and it was taking up far too much space in my hobby room.

Some of you may have been aware that I had been toying with the idea of going modular. Following SidMadogs thread in the Overseas Modelling section has been a huge push for me and I believe I can achieve a lot of things that my old layout just could not do. I finally got a bit of wood for the modules to sit on last weekend:


Where am I modelling?

Well I love the Limousin region of France. The line that links Limoges to Ussel via St Leonards De Noblat and Meymac is an incredibly picturesq route that runs through small mediaeval settlements and gorges that are only accessible via rail.



A lot of the railway infrastructure has not changed in a great number of years and it was only in 2009 that the semaphore signals were replaced.



So this is the line I am going to try and get the feel of on my little Reseau (that is the French for layout although it literally means Network which is actually what I am trying to achieve). There will be a principle station (more on that in following posts), a Gare Bois (timber loading sidings), a viaduct over the Vienne river and a disused halt. There is likely to be more because the joy of modules is that each one can be done separately and feature a different scene.


How am I modelling it?

The modules I am using are a cross between T Trak standards and SirMadog’s mini module standards. I was not that impressed by the T Trak standards because they did not allow for much to go on below the level of the track. Therefore I increased the height of each module to 100mm. This will allow for rivers and gorges to be modelled.

I have obtained a number of different sized modules for different purposes. There is a long module for the principle station and some mini modules for the Gare Bois sidings.


I have experimented with the track layout and created a solution that I think will allow a variety of trains to operate with interest.

What period am I modelling?

I am going to model the line as it is presently, however there was a significant amount of works undertaken on the line over this winter. Therefore I may decide to model it as it was in 2011.

What stock am I going to run?

I am going to run a variety of stock dating from the early 1950’s to the present day. Since most of the structures on the line have not changed in this period then I believe that this will work quite well. It may look out of place to have an early 1950’s railcar next to the new cycle shelter but I will try and ensure that it can be photographed for most periods.

My current stock list is as follows:
X3800 – 2 of these plus another needing a chassis. These are being repainted.
X3900 – Inspection saloon for the Executive Officers. This is being converted from one of the X3800’s.
DU65 Draisine’s – I currently have 5 shells sitting in front of me which are the pre production test versions of the trains I am going to offer for sale in the future. These are used as maintenance vehicles.
X2400 – Currently needing painting, glazing and buffers.
X2800 – This is the older version but needs painting glazing and buffers.
ADX – This is a kit that I will make over the summer. It is a tad on the complicated side.
X5800 – This is a converted X3800 that needs a lot of work to get it looking nice.
X73500 – This Mikadotrain model is a superb representation of the main type of railcar to currently run on this line.
BB66000 – I have 2 of these locomotives in different liveries. They are made by Piko.
BB72000 – This MInitrix Model will form the basis of the Corail services on the line.

I have a wide variety of rolling stock to go with the locomotives and plenty more projects and wish lists for stock.

In the next few weeks I need to catch up on 3 months of no modelling. I need to put together the modules for this layout.

[Sir Madog]

Looking forward to see how your layout develops! Keep us posted, please.

 

The construction of further mini-modules is on hold at my side - I am making plans for a 2 1/2´ by 6`layout with 4 different faces in 4 seasons...

[Coldgunner]

Looks very much like an area in Limousin where a friend of mine has a house (former level crossing). Pretty much what you posted is quite typical, however there is still a once a week steam service throughout the summer.

[SNCF stephen]

Looks very much like an area in Limousin where a friend of mine has a house (former level crossing). Pretty much what you posted is quite typical, however there is still a once a week steam service throughout the summer.

 

It sounds like the same area. I am guessing the Steam Loco is 141 TD740 which runs along this branch.

EDIT - I found a picture of the locomotive on Bastille day:

 

I heard that it cannot run past Eymoutiers because the track cannot take the axle weight. However they were carrying out extensive works on the line from last summer to December. I am hoping it will be back next year!

 

I know one of the old station buildings is inhabbited by a railway enthusiast (St Dennis Des Murs) who has a nice wagon in his garden.

 

Ulrich - Your project sounds interesting. Keep us posted as it progresses. I hope you havn't given up on going modular. You were my main inspiration.

 

Stephen

[Coldgunner]

That loco's does look familiar. I took a photo of her going past the house once, no idea where the picture is though. Being in the middle of a quiet valley, to then hear her chuffing past is fantastic.

[Foulounoux]

Looking forward to this, as you might have guessed from my profile pic, albeit our hideaway is west of Limoges rather than east

 

Colin

[SNCF stephen]

Modular French Branchline Layout – Part 2 – The Principle Station

 

Thanks for all the comments about this layout. I am currently building up some of the module bases which involves gluing (and in some cases gluing and screwing) the joints to give a decent hold. I am using 15mm Birch plywood as the material for the modules. I have constructed 12 modules (including the 3 mini modules as inspired by Sir Madog).

 

The first module (pictured below) I have constructed is for the principle station on the layout. This module is going to be based on Eymoutiers on the line from Limoges to Ussel. Most of my modules are based on T Trak standards in terms of their width and length. However their height is based on Sir Madogs mini modules as more scenic elements can be incorporated into the layout this way. This station module is another anomaly being 4 standard T Trak modules in length and as wide as I could accommodate so that it had enough scenery to make it interesting.

 

Background

 

Eymoutiers is at about the halfway point on the line between Limoges and Ussel. The station is situated close to the centre of the medieval village. The village was built around a monastery on the banks of the Vienne River.

The above image shows the railway crossing the Vienne River on the right and the Monastery on the left.

The main trade in the area was the tanning trade which was built on the quality of the leather available from the local cows.

 

The station was built in 1881 by the Paris – Orleans railway company. The layout of the station has not changed a great deal since this time except for some of the sidings being removed and the trackwork being altered. The main features of the station are as follows:

• Historic station building (as shown below),
  

• Permanent way depot,
  
• Goods unloading facilities,
  
• Goods shed (now a builders merchant),
  
• Six sidings (there are now only 2).
  

The Model

 

I intend to model the station in its current form. Due to space limitations I have had to alter the layout slightly to accommodate as close to prototype track pattern. A map of the area as it was in 2007 can be found online below (two sidings are now a car park):

 

http://maps.google.c...France&t=h&z=18

 

Other features outside the railway I am intending to model are the old Tram Station which is just up the road from the railway station. This impressive structure is one of the last remnants of the Haute Vienne Tramway system in this area of the Limousin.

 

I am also intending to model a supporting wall and staircase that leads up to a car park/recreational space in the town square.

 

The track plan is going to be as shown below, although for some reason some of the measurements are slightly off so it may have to be tweaked.

 

EDIT - Forgot the track plan! Woops:

[JeffP]

Ah...the Limouisin, one of France's wetter areas, eh?

 

There is a nice cycle/walk to be had between Oradour sur Vayres and Chalus.

At Chlus it is possible to change to Velo-rail.

 

Very interesting.

[kintbury jon]

Looking good. All you need are some trailers for all those railcars to haul!

[SNCF stephen]

Looking good. All you need are some trailers for all those railcars to haul!

 

Indeed, I believe Transmondia did do a run of them that should be available about now. The price was £60 for a trailer which is not too bad for French N Gauge!

[Torn-on-the-platform]

I must say that I have little interest in N or non-British but this has really caught my attention. Both the concept and the prototype have interested me and I look forward to seeing this progress!

[A1X]

that poor 212 !!!!!!!!!!! needs to be back in germany

[SNCF stephen]

I must say that I have little interest in N or non-British but this has really caught my attention. Both the concept and the prototype have interested me and I look forward to seeing this progress!

Thank you very much for your interest. I am really hoping to push my modelling skills with these modules!

that poor 212 !!!!!!!!!!! needs to be back in germany

Indeed, I saw a fair few of them while I was over there last year. They were deployed on permenant way trains. There was extensive work undertaken on the line for 5 months of the year. These loco's hauled ballast and rail trains up and down the line.

Here is a shot of two loco's running light towards Limoges:

The grafiti made them look a little sorry for themselves but the driver seemed very pleased to be driving them (he waved and sounded his horn at me!).

[JeffP]

I love French railways.

My first ever visit was to the little quarter roundhouse at Autun, to see the ex-BR class 20's there.

There was a Citroen 2CV parked in one of the shed bays.

 

And the blokes at the shed COULD NOT understand my desire to find out where the other 20's were, there being only two at Autun.

 

They kept saying, "But the other two are the same as these...why do you want to see them?"

[SNCF stephen]

I love French railways.

My first ever visit was to the little quarter roundhouse at Autun, to see the ex-BR class 20's there.

There was a Citroen 2CV parked in one of the shed bays.

 

That sounds about right. I do like the way they do things, if the French had written Batman I am sure he would have driven a 2CV!!!

 

Kato Track Arrives!

 

Just a quick post while I wait for the paint to dry on some of my DU65's! I received 3 very nice parcels this morning containing almost enough track to complete the station area. Therefore I had a play around with the track layout. The resulting photo's show the outcome:

Showing the road in front of the station (currently being tested on the plank!)

From the western end.

From the eastern end.

 

I need a few pieces to make the track plan a bit better but at least I can have a play around with the trains now!

[MikeTrice]

That is looking really nice. Bet you are happy compared to your previous layout.

[Sir Madog]

 

Eager to see how it develops!

[SNCF stephen]

Modular French Branchline Layout – Part 3 – The first module

 

A nasty cold has held progress back by about a week but it has given me time to look at what I need to do to progress my first module. While I would really like to get cracking on Eymoutiers I think that I need to better understand a few modelling techniques before I take on such a large module. Therefore I have decided to make the first module which is a small halt called St Denis Des Murs.

 

Background

St Denis Des Murs lies approximately 12 miles west of Eymoutiers. The village is about half a mile up the road but the name refers to a wider geographical area that encompasses several hamlets.

 

The station features a single track with minimal facilities. However there are obvious signs of grander days littered about the landscape. The station used to be double track with a passing loop, however the second track has long since been lifted. There is a good sized station building that I presume is now inhabited by railway enthusiasts (there is a wagon in their garden).

http://g.co/maps/3rnnc - Link to the Google Streetview Image

 

Immediately to the east of the station is the old goods shed which is still fully in tact and I believe is used by the local farmer. Further to the east of the old goods shed is open ground where the goods sidings used to lie. In 2011 this area of land was used to store the replacement ballast for the works that were due to take place on the line.

http://g.co/maps/djhhr - Link to the Google Streetview Image

 

To the west of the station the line runs parallel to the D39 road and the Vienne river. The Vienne river is on the south of the line and unfortunately cannot be modelled on this module. However the road will feature on this and the next module.

 

The Model

This module is 310mm wide and 300mm deep which gives me enough room to model the station building and the goods shed (but not the land that was the former sidings to the east). The platform will be shorter than real life but should just about accommodate a single carriage train.

 

In order to try and get the elevations correct I have used foam board as the basis for the road. Over the top of the foam board I will glue a digitally self produced road surface. From the road to the station is a car park which is rough gravel so I will use DAS clay and use a wire brush to try and give it a gravelly look. The benefit of this is that the rise in elevation to the platform is more natural.

 

The platform is 2 layers of Foamboard in thickness. This is to compensate for the fact that the Kato track is higher due to the inbuilt ballasting. The platform will feature the small “bus stop†style shelter.

 

Luckily I have already constructed a goods shed that is very similar in appearance to this one. It was quite a relief to find a use for the shed. A small compromise in terms of the location of the shed has had to be made in that it is slightly closer to the station than prototype and the road is also slightly closer to it as well.

 

The station building is currently going to be from an MDK kit as I have this to hand but it is my intention to replace it with the ABE kit for Vereuil which is more detailed (although much more complicated to build, hence the fact it is still in pieces).

 

Workplan

I am trying to ensure that I do a little on this module each night so that I can make gradual progress. So in the next week I would like to:

• Primer the platform,
  
• Start work on the digital road,
  
• Add plasticard sides to the platform in the style of the concrete,
  
• Ballast the track.
  

[Foulounoux]

Hopefully we will be over in Chabanais week of the 9th April after Easter - Assuming I havent got the week tied up with mending burst pipes I could do with a reason for a trip out and about. Let me know if there are any photos you need taking

 

Colin

[SNCF stephen]

Hopefully we will be over in Chabanais week of the 9th April after Easter - Assuming I havent got the week tied up with mending burst pipes I could do with a reason for a trip out and about. Let me know if there are any photos you need taking

 

Colin

 

Thank you very much for the offer Colin, I will have a think to see if there is anything I need. Those pipes will have been suffering in the recent cold snap out there. -13 degrees on some days. I hope that they do not cause you any problems.

[Foulounoux]

Thank you very much for the offer Colin, I will have a think to see if there is anything I need. Those pipes will have been suffering in the recent cold snap out there. -13 degrees on some days. I hope that they do not cause you any problems.

I think our central heating will have paid for itself this winter - set it to 5C and to come on 4 times a day /night so should be OK

Once I get heat into our house with its 18-24" thick walls it keeps it warm so we tend to leave the heating set to a minimum in winter just to keep it ticking over

And for once this year managed to get the solar circuit on the pool filled with antifreeze so even that may not be its usual soldering job :-)

 

Got to do a swedish trip end of this month so hoping for evidence of global warming

[SNCF stephen]

Just a quick update, unfortunately the plan to work in the evenings did not seem to work so it is taking longer than hoped to make progress. I have made some progress though and Mike Trice's technique for ballasting the Kato track has worked wonders (many thanks for that Mike). I was hoping to have purchased a few new bits of rolling stock but my eBay luck was not on my side (and the one thing I do want is not available for buyers in the UK!!!).

 

Today I managed to construct the platform with the cable trough running down the middle. The platform is foam board with plasticard stuck to the visible side. The other sides are going to descend gradually away so they will be moulded into the terrain. The picture below shows the ballasting work, I have ballasted the alignment of the former passing loop here and I intend to make a small portion of the platform to stick on the front.

I am hoping to get the road sorted at the weekend and start work on the scenery. I may even have a crack at the new station building.

One thing I have managed to do is finally paint the goods shed platforms up in grey. They will have some vegetation added to them over the weekend.

 

I am wondering whether to take a module with me to France and picture it next to the real thing?

[SNCF stephen]

Modular French Branchline Layout – Part 3a – The first module ...continued

 

 

The module is not completed yet but it has taken a huge step forward. The terrain has all been added and sculpted, the second platform has gone in, grass has been static'd onto the layout and the surface for the car park has gone on. I have started to add a few details to the module including a telegraph pole and a fence.

 

Here are some of the shots as I was making progress:

And as it is now (with a Picasso in the station - this was the only train I had to hand):

 

 

On this module I still need to:

• Add the road,
  
• paint the car park a very light grey,
  
• landscape the garden around the station,
  
• add trees,
  
• add foliage on the slope furthest away from the station,
  
• place weeds on the disused platform and weather.
  

Just doing this module has shown me a few ways to get better results. Unfortunately I need a new printer cartridge before the road surface can be installed but the technique works and the next module is already being planned (more scratchbuilding may be needed).

[SNCF stephen]

Modular French Branchline Layout – Part 3b – The first module ...continued again

 

I have been tinkering with the module over the past few days and I have added vegetation and trees to the bank that, in real life, runs up the valley side away from the Vienne River. This has given the module a bit more charactor and although it needs more bushes adding it does make it feel almost complete.

 

 

Trees were also planted along the fence line at the rear of the Goods Shed and some more vegetation was added to the sheds platform. As well as this a package of Kato track and other goodies arrived which included a Kato bus shelter that I am going to use or adapt to form the shelter for passengers on the station.

 

 

The road still needs to be installed but it is ready to be printed, I am just waiting for the ink cartridge.

 

 

I am now pondering how to do the fine detail of the station garden? I might just put down some scatter materials to form a lawn with a pathway to the door. Maybe some flower beds but in N Gauge is it really needed?

[SNCF stephen]

Modular French Branchline Layout - Part 4 - Easter Weekend Work

 

With a 4 day weekend upon us I am excited to get to work on the layout. I find that I get more done in the summer because the light evenings make me feel less lethargic and it is easier to see what I am modelling.

 

Some of the final pieces of track arrived for the layout this week which meant that it is now all the right shape, I now just need to decide if I want to use some of Dapols new couplings (and therefore have some Kato uncoupling tracks)? Here is an image of most of the layout in situ before I got started on the main bulk of the work.

 

 

St Denis Des Murs

 

Just a quick update on this module. I have added the road surface on this module. It is currently temporary because my colour ink cartridge has given up the ghost too and I really want a specific type of grey on the roads. I have also cut some grass mat to shape to make it look a little more complete until I get some products to do the garden justice.

 

Here is a picture of the almost completed module:

 

Eymoutiers

 

To get cracking on the Eymoutiers quadrouple module I have been doing a lot of sketches to come up with a plan. The terrain is made up of a giant supporting wall in front of the station with a road sloping down to the front (this can be seen on the right in this image):

The terrain has been formed by cutting foamboard to shape. It has then been placed in situ with key bits not glued down as they will be scanned into the computer. This will give me the basis for the shape I need to create on the computer and fill with the relevant texture. This does mean I will not be able to complete some parts of the model until after my next visit, however it does mean that progress is being made.

As with most models I have had to make some minor amendments. In real life the slope leading from the station west has a gradual rise that does not begin until after the builders yard (the gradient has not begun yet behind the bus in this image):

Wheras in my model I have decided to have the gradient in to give the model a bit more interest. Here is an image looking east from the gradient:

I am going to use DAS clay to model the car park as it gives more of an unfinished look which is what I would like to achieve. The car park can be seen in this image, it used to be a pair of sidings until around 2005:

The station building I am using is the abandoned attempt for my previous layout. I based the design on Eymoutiers and I have printed the parts for the rebuild so it will be a simple project (I hope!). This has been very useful for gauging the size of the terrain.

 

So that is the progress I have made so far. It might not look like much but getting the scenic formers in situ will help me to sort out some of the other things I need to do. Anyway, my dad always tells me (in English) "Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour!"