Keith Addenbrooke

My final offering is this one - although I don't have a photo to illustrate the idea, I'm hoping it's a well-enough known prototype not to need one:

Birmingham New Street Station in the blue-grey electric WCML / diesel era has been modelled successfully in larger spaces.

There wouldn't be room for much of the station on a bookshelf, but you could fit the two short loco stabling sidings emerging from the tunnel and in front of the signal box into the space we have, with a running line in front of them to represent the rest of the 12-platform behemoth.  The sidings were used for stabling overhead electrics, and would make an instantly recognisable model for anyone who knows the station, as well as giving the opportunity to practice modelling catenary.  It could be a valid 4mm modern-image model of a busy mainline prototype in 76cm by 26cm.

I've continued playing around with some 4mm scale ideas - though I doubt I can come anywhere close to the "Wow!" factor of the Hotwells concept above.

My first idea is called "Station Pilot" and models one end of a town station - to the left platforms disappear under the town centre, with an elevated road (carrying inset tram tracks and shops), while to the right there is a lower level road (or canal).  The lower level means that the station itself needs to be raised above the shelf, making it more visible from across the room.  Operation is made possible by a fiddle yard (traverser?) to the left, and consists of a station pilot shunting carriages / parcel vans between the two platforms and a bay.  There's a signal box and station building to model, along with a town backscene.

(Sorry, picture no longer available)

My second suggestion is for a smaller, seaside terminus on a curve.  There is a single platform station (again disappearing under a roadbridge) and a short quayside siding.  This has deliberately been drawn as a quick freehand sketch to encourage me to brainstorm away from straight lines.  This means the proportions aren't quite the 3:1 (length:depth) of Billy in this concept drawing, but I've laid it out with 2 Peco Streamline Curved point templates and it can fit.  Again, having the quayside at a lower level raises up the station itself, with the overbridge adding further height.

(Sorry, picture no longer available)

15 hours ago, BackRoomBoffin said:

Fascinating - I'm not sure you mentioned the tunnel mouth entrance to the station in the write-up, but that's another gift to space-starved modellers from this prototype, and for the ambitious structure modeller I guess a representation of the Suspension Bridge could be added to the right hand side as well (or for the artists - painted onto the side backdrop).  I've had a look at the map suggested, and if I'm reading it right, the track plan it's showing might even have a small engine turntable that saves space at the head of the station (the track layout looks a bit like Bembridge IOW in that respect, but with platform and buildings distinctively different).  It could certainly make a show-stopping model in a tiny space - though I doubt it would be a quick build: pre-grouping 2mm stock would be just one of the challenges!  What a wonderful idea.

4 hours ago, johnsmithuk said:

Dare I throw an idea at you?

 

How about an angled mirror on the bottom of the shelf above the layout, so that seated viewers get a sort of bird's eye view of the layout?

An interesting thought - if the shelf being used is like the one in my sketch earlier, then a mirror could be fastened to the underside of the shelf above.  It might not distract close up operators as much as we'd expect, because they'd be looking down. Some modellers use mirrors to see into hidden sidings / fiddle yards, as well as those used in the scenic areas of layouts and dioramas.

It would be worth testing such an idea before committing to it - I know I benefitted from experimenting with the mirrors I'm using in my current cakebox before I finalised the design, to avoid unwanted reflections in the final model.

8 hours ago, BackRoomBoffin said:

And one more ... coming tonight (when I get home from work) ... my last attempt: a prototypical GWR/MR branchline terminus based on an actual location in minimal space with passenger facilities, quirky shunting, entry road at the front of the layout, and something Keith could definitely see from sitting position if on an upper shelf.

 

This is fun.

I'll admit I've tried guessing where this might be since I saw the post at lunchtime, but haven't come up with a suggestion (might depend if MR means Midland or Metropolitan Railway - I know very little about the latter, and not enough about the former).

1 hour ago, Howl03 said:

 

Thank you Keith. All the stock is 3-link. Hand of God was cleaverly edited out.

 

Regards Paul.

Thank you - I've never been brave enough to try changing couplings before - I think you've convinced me the effect is worth it.

If I could ask the logical bonus question: where / who would you recommend as a source for 3-link couplings? Thanks, Keith.

Fantastic model and a lovely atmosphere in the photos and on the video - I think the 'extra' height (ie: ratio relative to footprint) works really well in the images shared on the thread.

Could I just ask how the coupling up works - the rolling stock looks to have 3-link couplings, but seem to couple automatically? My guess is that uncoupling could be done on the fiddle stick, with wagons then just pushed into place.

Thanks.

Returning to this thread, I think there are some wonderful suggestions in 2mm scale - reworked favourites and new ideas: it'll be interesting to see which way Mr Parker goes with his 3rd layout.

Having suggested two very conventional ideas in 4mm scale, I've come back to the question of viewing angles after reading a description of a Cameo Layout, where there is a reference to 'a "natural" viewing height'  ('What is a Cameo Layout?' in the relevant Special Interests thread on RMweb),  It's fair to say that my ideas take an operator's eye view as "natural."  What this means in feet and inches can vary considerably of course, and is a question of accessibility.

One of the potential aspects of a bookshelf model for home use is that multiple viewing points become available: as well as my operator (in this case the figure on the right below, who happens to be standing), I also have a seated viewer across the room (on the left below).  They are viewing the same model from a distance.  How might I best use this?  [At an exhibition there may be other people getting a close up view, creating an artificial maximum viewing distance].

(Sorry, picture no longer available)

As well as distance, the challenge for the layout designer in my example is that the green shaded area is invisible to a seated viewer - but at the same time is the area most easily viewed by the operator.  How might I make more of the "shop window" or "display cabinet" aspect of this project?

I wonder if there's space within the 26cm x 76cm space to be more creative?  In a larger space (and scale), one of my favourite BRM Layouts did just this, Macclesfield Model Railway Group's Hammeston Wharf (BRM Feb 2007).  They had four separate levels from front to back (including Narrow Gauge and trams), but I think they had a scenic area some 36' x 3' in total (in 7mm scale).

(Sorry, picture no longer available)

49th Street Bridge - painting track.

Before fixing the module's elements in place, the final task was to paint the track.  It's not something I've been looking forward to - I'm not much use with a hairbrush, let alone a paintbrush (and I've never touched an airbrush), but I think even my beginner's attempt has made a difference.

I've just used a standard modelling brush, and a simple mix of brown / red paint.  My first mixture was too bright (too much orange!), but I re-mixed it with a darker red after my test pieces were too bright.  These aren't the most exciting photos ever, and there's plenty of room for improvement of course.

The first two show the final piece side-by-side with a spare piece of Settrack - the rail and sleeper profiles are identical, which says it all as far as I'm concerned.

The next two show just the final piece.  It helps that I'm working in HO Scale, but I'm satisfied with how even this Code 100 Settrack has turned out.

49th Street Bridge - taking shape. 

Not so much about modelling progress, but testing the concept now it's coming together.  I've added a couple of pre-painted Preiser HO figures, painted my spaghetti (the bridge railings) and added capstones to the bridge and a small filler wall at the end of the fence (to stop people falling at the end of the bridge).  The main purpose of the update is to test some photos before detailing.  At this stage the elements are only loosely positioned, so there are visible gaps.

The first three photos are quite straightforward:

Taking photos from the bridge end is proving more difficult (I can see the view I want, but am finding it difficult to capture).  The track looks alarmingly wonky, as the mirrors aren't quite aligned - but for test purposes it show the reflections.  The final photo may not look obvious, but shows the concept: the bridge being looked at is the bridge from the where the photo has been taken, the tracks start to disappear into the distance - from where a train can be heard approaching.

With a bit of free time this evening I had a play with a couple of ideas for a 4mm scale / OO Billy shelf design.  The first was based on an unbuilt Metcalfe Brewery Kit I have (now discontinued).  There'd need to be a "fiddle-stick" added to one side.  Points were Peco Streamline Medium Radius.  A siding disappearing between the brewery buildings stopped at the end of the shelf - one end of the layout would have inset track, something I'm keen to try.  I've been given some old unused "Townscene" backsheets, which I included to see the effect, while some low relief terraces were ones I'd already made (Metcalfe again). 

I quite liked the scene, but it seemed a bit closed in given the narrow width (10") available.  I tried reversing the backscenes to show a plain white mock-up, and this seemed to open up the scene.  There's nothing radical here, but I was quite happy with the basic idea.  

My real interest is passenger operations, so I also had a very quick go at a GWR station too.  I used a paper template to represent the footprint of the Ratio Castle Cary Station kit (used by Phil Parker on the BRM Edgeworth Project Layout).  The point was Medium Radius Streamline again: there isn't room for the large radius that would enable the bullhead rail to be used instead.  This module needed two entry tracks to one side (unconnected on the layout) - one feeding the platform and one two short sidings.  There wasn't sufficient width for a run-round track serving the platform, but an Autocoach with the 14xx would work (rather than the Ratio 4-wheelers I used). 

My signal box (another Metcalfe kit) was probably too big for this station, but I enjoyed building it, and it has provision for point-rodding.  I put another carriage in the first siding, but in reality it would probably be a goods loading dock rather than a bay platform if it was a branch terminus.  

What did I learn?  There are options for a 4mm layout in 30", but for the kind of ideas I'm drawn to, an additional fiddle yard would be necessary.

1 hour ago, Alister_G said:

 

Given the radical surgery, I think anyone would look pale after that!

 

at least he's upright...

 

 

Al.

Another piece of impressive modelling - try as I might, you can't see the join.

I think I've heard that before somewhere...

A question for those who understand these things (ie: who've built layouts): is there something about a bookshelf layout that means there are multiple viewing points - close up (as usual) and from across the room (seated and standing)?

I'm currently sitting 8' away from Billy and 2' below the eyelevel shelf. That's over 200 scale yards (4mm) on an upwards diagonal.

What will be eye-pleasing at this distance, I wonder?  (I imagine few photos in BRM are taken from here).

Just a thought.

On 03/03/2019 at 11:32, Izzy said:

 But I do think that perhaps 'less is more' is the key whatever.

I think there's much wisdom in that observation - trouble is: I've already got too much.

Further progress on 49th Street Bridge (3 of 3)

I need an open railed fence across the railroad bridge to give the best viewing angle while waiting for a train, so I need a simple way to make one.  Parapets are card offcuts with printed paper from the Engine Shed Office kit wrapped around them, measured to be just over a scale 4' high (capstones for each parapet are to be added - if I remember - when I get to detailing).

In case I need more than one go, I used my original paper template for the bridge to measure the parapet spacing.  To give a bit of strength, I've glued the four parapets to a card base for stability.  The railings themselves: spaghetti, each end dipped in glue then lined up with the stones on the parapets using tweezers.

This will be left to harden before painting.  I'd not expected it to work first time - had I known it would, I could have painted my pasta beforehand!

___________________________

Finally for now, a first picture of the module with all the key elements loosely in place together.  I've already learned from basic kit building that there's still a lot to do to produce a finished model from this point, but with four weeks to go it should be achievable now.  And then we'll just be waiting for a train.

Further progress on 49th Street Bridge (2 of 3)

Next job, add a fence on top of the retaining wall, again with pieces from the BRM Engine Shed Office Kit.  Without a parapet to fasten the base of the fence to, I included a pavement inside the fence (in the alleyway).  This gives enough of a profile for the glue to take and keep the (thin) card fence suitably vertical.

Further progress on 49th Street Bridge (1 of 3, again)

With an improved track base, I've now re-painted the gravel areas to each side.  The first photo show my original, the second the revised module using a darker grey paint - and painting with a vertical brush for a stippled effect (rather than brushing over the underlay as I did first time, making it smoother).  The third photo shows the two board side by side - with the new and improved on the left this time.  Lesson learnt: the difference a bit of practice makes is significant.

8 hours ago, Neil said:

You could have one of these in EM, or four of them in N gauge.

 

 

 

 

Lovely to see Shell Island in this thread - I've never seen it in the flesh, sadly, but it is truly inspirational at every level.

In the context of this challenge / invitation, I wonder if one of many things that gives it such atmosphere is the additional width (15", I think I read somewhere). The length is fine for Billy, but the ratio of 2:1 (width:length) is quite different (Billy is 3:1, though was this a Barry Norman diorama recommendation at one time?). Anyway, keeping to the width (and straight) presents a further challenge, I guess.

One thing in the contributions is the choice between a self-contained layout and one which either removes for operation or has some other means of adding to the sides: hat's off to those sticking to the shelf-contained option.

With 23 pages of micro-layout threads to look through on RMWeb (nearly 600 topics) plus Carl Arendt's website (250 micro-layouts plus small layout updates since May 2002), there's plenty of expertise out there (oh, and over 60 million Billy bookcases worldwide per a 2017 BBC report).

12 minutes ago, sjrixon said:

Watching this with interest, but don't we need a full forum for them all

It is starting to look that way: I was thinking this morning of asking the 'powers that be' whether there might ultimately be a something in the magazine section, the layout planning section or the modelling section (with box files / micro layouts). I guess we need to demonstrate that the interest on this thread is turning into worked out ideas that'll be followed through first.

25 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

You've missed one salient point Phil, how many shelves has the Billy bookcase got and how many trackplans need to be rustled up?!!

 

MIke.

It's a modular-type system with available add-ons: I have one with 8 shelves (and different vertical spacing too).

You can buy the shelves separately, per the opening post's photo by the look of it.

As a further note: the inside shelves are 76cm, and the sides are 2cm thick each (hence a reference to 80cm earlier in the thread). A layout for the top of a bookcase could theoretically be a little bit bigger, I suppose (but that's not the challenge).

(I moved house last year)

45 minutes ago, Ian Stewart said:

Now, pay attention.

 

Bookshelves are for books, not toy trains!

 

Are the moderators all on half-term holiday?

 

Ian.

There's always a catch.

5 hours ago, Howard Smith said:

So.... who's tempted to build a bookcase layout? What would you build in a 76cm x 26cm footprint? Perhaps some of you are brave enough to sketch a rough plan of your proposed layout for the May issue of BRM? Share your thoughts below...

Definitely tempted - a logical next step from stand-alone kits via a cakebox towards a full layout. 

Is there a deadline for ideas? 

Is this developing into a challenge in its own right? (ie: with an end deadline too - I'm not worried about trying to win anything, but am finding the cakebox deadline helpful, though I might regret saying that at the end of this month)

With open track as the centrepiece of this module, the effect of having used oversized ballast was very noticeable.  I'd been hoping in my mind's eye for something looking like the neatly packed stones to the right of the path below - but ended up with something looking far too like the rocks on the left...

Taking heart from the conclusion that my rocky roadbed was mainly the result of using rocks (more than my lack of skill or experience), I've cut a new baseboard and tried again.  To reduce the size of the ballast granules I simply took a hammer to my bag of ballast - the photo of the re-loaded ballast spreader clearly shows the mix now includes some smaller granules that have shaken themselves down below the larger ones.  I've also left painting the gravel surround until after ballasting this time, so I can try and match the darker shade of the ballast after it's been sprayed and then glued:

Not every rock has been crushed, particularly in the ballast shoulder, but I'm happier with the overall effect this time, both before and after glue is applied.  With the generous gravel area to either side of the track in this model, I'm OK with the larger ballast shoulder I still have as a transition (as my track is modelled in an urban cutting, drainage would be key):

I'm not a great photographer, but I can tell the difference between three pieces of track and cakebox boards I've ended up with:

1.  My test piece (very rocky)

2.  My first board (still rocky)

3.  My second board (not as rocky)

_____________

Re-doing this stage has cost me some time, and I'm noticing that one side-effect of working on a cakebox is that my pile of unfinished BRM magazines is getting larger: actually attempting some modelling has seriously dented my available reading / daydreaming time! 

In BRM world it's already Spring, and now I find myself looking at the Billy bookcase beside my desk as well...

2 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

One point to note about ballast: think how big real stones would be under your shoe, then translate that to model scale size.

 

Your test piece has some stones which reach both sleepers,  these are far too big and give the rocky look, rather than a neat, smooth view.

 

Feel free to also ignore all that

Quite right - good point I should have mentioned. I'm using up the ballast I bought a few years ago: I've since learned that many 4mm scale modellers use ballast granules sold for N scale ballast, for exactly the reason you explain, so mine is really overscale, especially for 3.5mm scale.

The "shoe test" you mention is a really helpful explanation, thank you.

49th Street Bridge - Tracklaying 1.01

Tracklaying is important to the final look and feel of the module - not least because the theme means there's won't be a train to hide it!  I did try test ballasting a couple of 4' lengths of straight track a few years ago: it was fun to try, but the result was so rocky that it could only ever be used for very static displays (rolling stock just couldn't...).  I'm therefore producing two pieces of track - a test piece alongside the 'real' one:

The Hornby track I'm using is correctly spaced for HO gauge track, and while the sleepers aren't too obviously toy like in the middle, the end pieces are functional rather than realistic.  As with other pre-formed track, there's also a continuous webbing underneath I want to remove:

It was a simple job with a Stanley knife to swap the sleeper units from the ends of the final piece of track with some from the middle of the test piece, but I must admit I did get bored cutting the webbing from just these 2 x single pieces of track - I'm not sure I'd have the patience to do a whole layout!  Hats off to those who do (the thought crossed my mind that handlaying track suddenly didn't seem like such an onerous task).

Track was lined up (against a mirror from the final module) and simply glued to the roadbed for this basic model.  Next up was to lay ballast - using a dry brush to produce an even finish.  I don't have any HO scale rolling stock, so an unfinished OO gauge Dapol wagon kit was used to check the rails remained clear this time.

(The man between the boards in the middle picture above is not "waiting for a train" - he's just in the newspaper I'm leaning on!).

Once laid, the ballast is sprayed with a traditional mix of water + a drop or two of washing up liquid, before a 50:50 mix of PVA glue / water was applied using a clean medicine dropper.  The result will then be left to dry overnight: it's quite a lot darker at the moment, but the wooden planking on the railroad overbridge places the layout in the steam era, so that's OK: track would be blackened through use.

I've not painted the railsides at this point - I'll do this later if I have time: I won't worry if some paint gets on the rails - photos I've seen suggest that even rust spreads into the ballast over time.

___________

PS: If it all dries OK, then the test piece might even be useable for a later cakebox challenge too.  We shall see.