dseagull

Thanks Mikkel - not sure about 4mm chickens, but we'll see!

Yes, the Station building is based on Hailsham - I have also borrowed the Goods shed from another station on the line, likewise the Water Tower. The reasons are twofold - firstly, it fits into the local area architectually, and secondly, I have the book with the plans in - it is a simple job to blow these up to 4mm, so makes sense.

Thanks Mikkel. Typically, I'm not sure now...

It does look good as is, and the picture shows the boards just butted close to each other, not held together at all - but I can't help but wonder (partially inspired by a conversation on another forum) if it is just complicating things for the sake of it, which is why I haven't done the second board yet. Instead I've been working on a couple of Vans and the Station Building. I'm hoping to find time for a blog update tomorrow

Khris;

True, hadn't thought of that! - Even better.

Sorry Job, I hadn't seen your post before I replied.

Thanks for the plan, it certainly looks very interesting - I'll have a proper look when I get home.

It's an Astra - 4' sections will fit very nicely.

The joins themselves will hopefully be disguised well enough not to be an issue, and there is only the one on the track, so everything else will just be scenic. I'll see how it goes - if the worst comes to the worst, I'll have lost two pieces of ply for a tenner each, and I'm sure I can recycle those.

Me too, Job!

First thing will be to photocopy the relevant building plans at 200%, to make them 4mm/foot. I was planning to do that today at work, but left the book at home so it'll have to wait until tomorrow. I do have a wide selection of various Wills materials packs 'in stock', so once I have the plan, I may well be able to get started - On this latest plan, the various buildings are drawn (pretty much, and on the larger size if anything) to scale, so they can be constructed 'off site' (before I've built the baseboards!)

Thanks Mikkel. I was planning on having a road cross the river (where it goes 'off scene' and vanish off-scene behind the trees, so I think you would see it - perhaps move the two bigger trees, next to the track, to the other side of the line to hopefully hide the fiddle yard exit?

As for eye level viewing - it will be, to a point - I am 6' 4", so if I set it for 'my' eye level, then a lot of people would just be able to see some interesting layout legs..! - so it would have to be less than eye-level for me I think!

Thanks Gents.

Mikkel

The issue with '3' (Both 3a and 3b) is that a point crosses the 4' mark, where there would have to be a baseboard join to enable the layout to be transportable. Rejigging it using a double slip and a small radius point does avoid this, however.

4 ticks nearly all the boxes, but loses the natural curve as you've mentioned. So what does '4B' on a curve look like. Best of both worlds, or an edit too far?

Job; I think you are right in that this plan would make it more suitable to go with the Jigsaw approach - but perhaps one slight amendment would make it even easier;

If I changed the point leading to the headshunt for the coal siding (marked on the plan as having the Goods Store and Yard Office alongside it) to a right hand, rather than a left, having it running parallel to, and curving slightly with, the lower of the 'loop' roads, it would make the track area a lot thinner, and therefore, (perhaps) easier to go with this method?

Thanks All - I like the way this one 'flows', to my mind it looks more prototypical than the previous ones.

Mikkel - Thanks for a useful couple of links! - I have the AC Elliott book on the Cuckoo Line, which has a drawing of the similar structure at Hailsham, so may use that, but if not and I go something more freelance, it would be like the one in the link! - Very characterful, and a lovely looking model by Pete Morris too.

The flexible layout as described above is not a jigsaw.

By a jigsaw the whole design/layout is cut in pieces.

The most natural way to do that is follow the natural lines in your design, in your case for example the river in the front.

Other lines to cut along the layout is to use the border of the roads, yard edges, hedges etc.

Think the idea of a mockup is very useful.

There was one I have seen on an exhibition and read articles in Dutch Railway magazines: http://www.scalefour.org/layouts/exhibflintfield.html

This layout is build by Vincent Bode a Dutch modeler.

True Job, but it is a similar concept - I suppose the Jigsaw theory just takes it a step further from Mikkel's excellent idea. 

Just been re-reading this Mikkel - I believe Iain Rice calls this principle the 'Jigsaw' layout.

It's something I'm keen to embrace on my Cuckmere Valley project - mostly for the practical reasons that it will be easier to store, and eventually transport, seperate modules rather than one long 8' x 2' lump, but also because the gaping chasms of baseboard joints tend to stick out like a sore thumb to me on so many excellent layouts - when I read the pages in question, it got me thinking 'there must be a better way'

I'm not quite sure where to begin, myself - but perhaps a mockup (quarter-size) might be the way forward, to see if it 'works' (Using, perhaps, Card and straws instead of wood and dowels)

Another fiddle stick here too, Job - so that trains to/from the shingle loading can run straight through, as well as allowing the passenger loco to run around.

Yes, I think it flows better too. There would be a 'fiddle stick'/cassette, and I agree, would be tempted to lose the trees (or move them to the other side of the river) to accomodate a signal box as well.

I looked at your layout. Nice plan with the water in front.

The only real problem I see is the siding to the brewery. I think that this would cause problems working the layout, because you have to use the siding to the goods shed for shunting.

 

regards,

Job

Many thanks for your thoughts Job - how about V2 (attached)

An interesting plan. Some years ago, I also picked on this area and chose Exceat for a station (and assumed that it was not a "lost village"). Which era do you plan to model? It sounds like an ideal last resting place for some of Mr Craven's finest products and some early Stroudleys (something from the EBM stable or 5 & 9). 

Best wishes

Eric

Thanks - As much as I'd like to model the early era (I must say I find some of the early Stroudleys in particular very easy on the eye!) - soldering is not at all my forte, so I think it will be early SR - the Bachmann E4, a Terrier or two, the Birdcage stock etc. Not set in stone yet, but this is what I'm leaning towards at the moment. 

And, very well researched and written ! My own very slow efforts portray Alfriston in the early 1950's in P4. The station building is a close copy of Hellingly, the goods shed a shortened version of Hailsham, and the signal box from West Drayton. I am assuming that the line continues to the river mouth for shingle extraction vis-a-vis the Crumbles line, but that this traffic ceased at the outbreak of WW11. I am also assuming that the junction was at Berwick.

Traffic would be the normal agricultural and domestic for an area of this size, plus the occasional holiday traffic, which has yet to reach it's post war height..

The loco stud will be as representative of The Brighton as I can make it, an E4 is slowly emerging. a Q1 has been converted, with a Bachman 4MT in line for conversion. On my wish list is a C2X............after that we will have to see !

As far as passenger stock is concerned, there is a three car rake of Maunsell courtesy of Ian Kirk, and a rake of birdcage stock on the wish list.

But, don't hold your breath !

 

gerrynick

Many thanks Gerry - your efforts, slow or otherwise, certainly sound interesting! - living locally I'm planning on a lesiurely drive around the area with the camera and the family (so no doubt stopping at the various tea rooms!) to take photos of 'interesting things' - modelable buildings/trees/general landscape shots, that kind of thing.

I've not quite decided which of the stations I plan to model first yet - but like you I plan to adapt architecture from elsewhere (the A.C Elliott Cuckoo Line book will, I suspect, prove invaluable!). 

What a beautiful piece of modelling. Sensational.

Just wanted to echo Bryn, that Saddle Tank is lovely!

That's absolutley stunning Frank!

That is stunning modelling - bookmarked!

That's lovely Frank, as has been said, the colours look spot on.

Wild Swan will be pleased. I've been umming and arring over whether to get this book, and now I've seen the results, my mind is well and truly made up.

Lovely!