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Lisa

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Blog Entries posted by Lisa

  1. Lisa
    Hi All
     
    My challenge entry initially made excellent progress, but due to pressures of work I've done nothing on it all week. I fear that it won’t be finished or complete enough to allow entry.
     
    But I must say that the idea has started me thinking on new lines, quite literally and has enthused my modelling again, thanks RMWeb.
     
    Elisa
     

  3. Lisa
    Hi
     
    I not blogged about St Ouen for sometime, this is because I have felt I was going nowhere with the project. After much thought I now struck off in a different direction with the project.
     
    I have posted in the Boxfiles forum at
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/39667-the-apa-box/page-4
     
    I have now followed this up, with a new version of the St Ouen project as show below.
     
    This seems to be a much firmer base upon which, quite literally, to move the project forward.
     

     

     

     

     
    The last of the pictures shows the La Rocque layout, minus it's original fiddleyard, used as a scenic module. A sort of Micro APA box arrangement, perhaps MPA!
     
    Lisa
  5. Lisa

    Guernsey Railway

    By Lisa,

    Hi
     
    I am currently on holiday in Guernsey. On Monday, 26th August, bank holiday, I visited the only railway on the island.
     

     
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/guernsey/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8849000/8849444.stm
     

     
    2nd Picture posted from phone.
     
    Lisa
  6. Lisa

    The Knob Shop

    By Lisa,

    Hi
     
    No I NOT being rude. The name comes from the fact that they started trading selling door knobs. The shop came to my attention looking for different hinges to hinge, joint between two baseboards. The Knob Shop stocks a huge range of hinges, including ones with large hinge plate dimensions. One that I looked at have a over 7" between the rows of screw holes.
     
    They also stock a large range of door stops, window furniture, including units to hold them open.
     
    I think that they are worth looking at when looking for unusual hardware. Their address is http://www.knobshop.biz/
     
    Lisa
  7. Lisa

    Additive Manufacturing 2

    By Lisa,

    Hi
     
    Recently Steam_Julie posted a blog entry where she posted photographs of the cable clamps she made, to fix the DCC power bus to the underside of her layout.
     
    These were manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques, BUT not using a 3D printer, instead using styrene cement and strips of styrene sheet.
     

    Lisa
     
    Posted from andriod phone
     
    Knob Shop blog entry http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/941/entry-12889-the-knob-shop/
  8. Lisa
    Hi
     
    Why do model railway layouts have black facia panels? Before visiting the RM Modellers day, this is not a question which I would have asked.
     
    BUT following a discussion with the person on the design desk, the above is a question that I am exploring. He pointed out, and thinking about I agree, that when one attempts to take a close up photograph of say a locomotive on one's layout, it is difficult not to have part of the facia panel showing in the photograph.
     
    His solution is to have a sloping facial panel, the facia panels are often structural members, on modern plywood layouts. Hence you cannot do without them! BUT his suggestion was to give the sloping facia panel, a partial scenic treatment. SO that when one took the close up photograph, using the macro facility on your camera, the scenic facia would be not in sharp focus.
     
    Visually this would be similar to taking a photograph of a real train, in a landscape, where the foreground would be slightly out of focus.
     
    What do other's think about this subject?
     
    Lisa
  9. Lisa
    Hi
     
    Thanks to all involved in arranging the Taunton Event. The selection of Layouts was good, Atmosphere excellent.
     
    I always enjoy seeing Bridport Town. The town modelling is well observed, and the owner is an excellent communication skills and out his explanations are pithy and very instructive.
     
    The use of low tech sound effects, such as the wooden locomotive whistle gave the operation just that little something extra.
     
    The contrast between the high tech, with locomotives not properly run in of the Southern layout behind Bridport, and the well executed DC operation of Bridport are very instructive. Proving High Tech is no substitute for good old attention to detail and operator training.
     
    I was very impressed with the Staplegrove Steel Works module and the 2mm finescale demonstration was excellent. The Tree building demonstration and the 3D printing demonstration were very through provoking, for me on tempting me to take new directions in my modelling techniques.
     
    Those who missed the event missed an excellent day out.
     
    Lisa
  10. Lisa
    Hi
     
    Because I have Autism, I am unable to read between the lines of what someone is saying. Thus far more misunderstanding occur, for me that most people, who are 'neuro typicals'.
     
    I also have serious problems with equipment and software which are designed to be intuitive.
     
    Recently I have been having problems, with uploading files to RMWEB. Because of my Autism the help information provided is worse than useless to me. The only way I have of solving such problems is to experiment.
     
    This often lands me in trouble, because others think that I am trying, to misuse one of the sites options. My last blog entry on RMWEB, for some reason was viewed by the majority of the moderation team, within a hour of putting it online.
     
    The technique of making a 'test entry' draft, and not clicking the publish button is so that it will not appear on the blog list, but can be fully tested, before proceeding further. Incidentally this technique was suggested by a member of the moderation. team.
     
    I hope this entry, clears the air and will lead to there being less misunderstanding of me and my actions in the future.
     
    Lisa
  11. Lisa
    Hi
     
    Whilst travelling back home, from the 2FS Expo 2013 in Wallingford Oxon., I looked out of the train window, and what I saw started me thinking.
     
    Of course railways exist in a landscape, but many modellers build their models as if there are no significant vegetation between the boundary fence and the track. Pre 1985 that might have been more true, up to then the railway had kept their cutting and embankment etc. maintained as a grassy sward. This to prevent the exhaust from steam trains catching the vegetation fire. They cut the grass with scythes, grass cutting was one of the tasks carried out by permanent way staff.
     
    Post 1968 there were no steam trains, on the network, at least run by BR. There was a need to cut costs and so the vegetation management is let go. BR put a brave face on it, saying they were creating a liner nature reserve alongside their tracks.
     
    Then came the great storm of 1986, when many lines were blocked by fallen trees. As a result they changed track again, they started to clear fell areas which they considered to be vulnerable to tree fall. They went too far in the opposite direction, and they had embankment and cutting wall falls, blocking lines and costing millions of
    pounds.
     
    So now in the 2000's the situation has settled down, some areas are clear felled, but most of the track side estate is left to go wild. This can of course cause to farmers and householders as weeds from the railway know no boundaries.
     
    When you look over the railway boundary, or towards it, you will often be looking through a screen of trees, towards the trains. What are sometimes preferred to as a green corridor.
     

     
    Below is a map showing the locations at which the photographs were taken.
     




     
    There are of course examples on preserve railways, such as the Mid Hants in the Ropley area, where a long stretch has be restored to how it would have looked pre-grouping.
     
    Lisa
  12. Lisa
    To look at all the posting in this blog, place the cursor over the name and right click the mouse.

     
    Hi
     
    I also getting on with the baseboard construction. I now added the flap, to carry the off scene track, to allow the passenger trains to fully enter the platform. The buffer stops are off scene.
     
    This has to be detachable or hinged to allow the layout to fit in it's carrying case. The photographs below show the flap folded up from the layout front. The flap in the up position also from the front and the the underside of the the flap in the up position.
     



    I need to adjust the height so that it is inline with the top surface of the main board.
     
    There is a small gap between the main baseboard and he flap, to allow for the thickness of the backscene card!
     
    Lisa
  13. Lisa
    Hi
     
    My 1st attempt to paint a 2mm building. Before I applied any paint to the Smithy, I painted a sample piece.
     
    I been using acrylic paints. The roof is slightly shinny becuase the small quanity of white paint I used to paint the roof tiles, was not a flat white, ie it was gloss.
     
    I also had problems with splashing of roof colour onto the side wall. BUT since the paint used is acrylic it can be wiped off, and I can have another attempt.
     


     
    Lisa
  14. Lisa
    Hi
     

     
    Thank you for you helpful responses to my last posting about my Autism. The photograph below is my work station, which can either be placed on the kitchen table or on my knee.
     


    The second photograph shows where the model will go on the layout. It is designed to hide the back of the left hand, proscenium arch support, when you look at the layout from the front.
     
    The model of the Smithy represents an evenings work, from an initial set of sketches, draw from some not too good photographs.
     
    The photographs below show the back and side of the smiths and the final image shows the inside, so you can see the construction.
     

     
    I have also uploaded an updated copy of the Buildings EBook, the link to which is below.
     
    This has now been loaded and is caller Building Scratch Built Buildings V 2.0
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/52033-2mm-scratch-built-buildings-v-20/
     
     
    Lisa
     
    PS The libruary computer I am using is constantly crashing, and thus the edit process is CRAP!
  15. Lisa
    Hi
     
    St Helier Weighbridge was the terminus of Jersey Western and Jersey North Western trains in the town. St Helier Snow hill was the terminus of the Jersey Eastern trains and the site is the other side of central area.
     
    This below is a photograph of how the front of the station is today. There have been no substantial structural changes, just the addition of branding, the building is now the entrance to the Liberation Walk outlet shopping centre.
     

     
    This stone build building was completed about two years after the station was opened; there was a wood building on the side, in an area now occupied by the pavement of the Esplanade. This was on the sea shore, before the harbour extension including the Queen Elizabeth Ferry Terminal was build.
     
    The entrance area is still very much as it was when it was a railway station, If you look up you can see the remaining portion of the overall roof. The remainder of which was removed in the early 1920’s and replaced with platform canopies.
     
    Round the corner the station buildings have been replaced with a modern apartment block, but on the ground floor is the Liberation Bus Station, the main transport hub for the island.
     

     
    Lisa
  16. Lisa
    Hi
     
    Whilst building the building for St Ouen, I have been amazed about the lack of basic guidance available on the web about the design and building of scratch built buildings.
     

     
    The link is below:-
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/51729-2mm-scratch-built-buildings/
     
    If you are modelling a prototype location all of the buildings will by necessary require to be scratch built.
     
    Lisa
  17. Lisa
    The 1st Buildings - Back
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11543-st-ouen-jnwr-the-1st-buildings/
     
    Prototype for Everything Department
     
    The question that has been the buzz on the 2mm virtual Area Group has recently been how sharp can my curves be. Below is a photograph of a prototype with very sharp curves.
     

     
    If this was modelled in 2mm scale, the radius would be about 60mm, that’s 120mm in 4mm scale. Oh yes where is this photograph taken. The answer is the Jersey Steam & motor museum, in Trinity. Below is the link to their website.
     
    http://www.pallotmuseum.co.uk/
     
    The picture below is of the coach bogie, the wheels are very close together and the coach is a 5 compartment one.
     

     
    Lisa
  18. Lisa
    Prototype for Everything Department - Forward
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11591-st-ouen-jnwr-prototype-for-anything-department/
     
    My whole World is a Stage - Back
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11512-st-ouen-jnwr-my-whole-world-is-a-stage/
     
    This weekend I started building the buildings for St Ouen. I was demonstrating at the local show building buildings from scratch, using photographs a source material.
     
    The buildings in the photograph represents a days work, whilst talking to members of the public and explaining the project and the process from an initial thought to a design, then onto baseboard construction.
     

     
    My buildings need more work, include painting, fitting windows, doors, chimneys etc., but they give a more concrete idea of how the layout will look.
     
    I have looked at various ways of supporting a flexible backscene. I feel that the best way forward is to use a single support in the centre of the back threaded into a loop on the back of the backscene.
     
    The sequence of fitting would be fit the backscene at the front, put the support into the loop, and put the fixing screw in. As the screw is tightened, the support moves into the vertical position and tightened the backscene and hopefully corrects the droop.
     
    The problem of the droop is caused, by the tendency of a material, such as card when bend around the base of the layout will attempt to return to the flat state.
     
    Lisa
  19. Lisa
    Baseboard Design - Back
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11412-st-ouen-jnwr-%E2%80%93-baseboard-design/#commentsStart
     
    Best Laid Plans of Mice and Women - Forward
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11469-st-ouen-jnwr-%E2%80%93-the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-women/
     
    Layout Backscenes
     
    How much detail do you need to include in a layout backscene? Is there an advantage to using a photographic backscene?
     
    For St Ouen I planning on using a photographic backscene of trees and grass. I took about six photographs for this project, were taken in St Ouen, on a sunny afternoon last week. I am planning on superimposing photographs of buildings also photographed in St Ouen. Then in front of this placeing half relief buildings, then the railway and then some half relief building to frame the view, with their backs against the layout facia.
     

    Sample of a section of the proposed background
     
    The image is composed of a light blue colour gradient getting lighter towards the bottom, with the trees and foreground meadow superimposed onto it using Photoshop. The St Ouen area is very flat, very little of the grass and bottom of the trees will show on the layout. Any background buildings will be superimposed as required on a separate piece of card, to give slight actual physical depth, as with bas relief. I first saw this used on the N Gauge model of Buckfastleigh in Devon.
     
    I'm intending printing out the photographic backscene, at the local library using a colour injet printer onto a single A3 sheet. Do you think that this is a viable method of producing a convincing background for my layout.
     
    Bearing in mind that my scenic section is 230mm by 140mm with the scenic backscene having a height of 100mm. The layout is 2mm fine scale.
     
    The main baseboard is progressing nicely. More pictures soon!
     
    Lisa
  20. Lisa
    Layout Mock up - Back
     
    To see the animated layout mock up click on the link below.
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11391-st-owen-jnwr-layout-mockup/
     
    Background Design - Forward
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11443-st-ouen-jnwr-how-much-detail-is-required-in-a-photo-background/
     
    Baseboard Design
     
    The baseboard for St Ouen are made from a sandwich of 4mm plywood and 8mm softwood. The photograph below shows the underside of the main board. Removal of material, is usually carried out to make the baseboard lighter, but on such a small baseboard this is not a consideration.
     

     
    Photograph of the underside of the main board.
     
    The space created will be used to accommodate the wiring, including facilitating the attachment of track droppers.
     
    The animation below shows how the layout is packed away into it's carrying case, for transport. The next stage is to complete the building of the baseboard, including the platform extension and the cassette fiddleyard flaps.
     
    The nickname of the layout, down at the club is the 'Raspberry Ripple' because the carrying container originally came filled with Raspberry Ripple ice cream.
     
    Lisa
     

  21. Lisa
    The Best Will of Mice and Women - Back
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11469-st-ouen-jnwr-%E2%80%93-the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-women/
     
    The 1st Buildings - Forward
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11543-st-ouen-jnwr-the-1st-buildings/
     
    I have been converting my design of the main baseboard into reality. The main materials I have been using are 4mm plywood, small section of softwood, found in the moulding section of the local DIY superstore, and PVA glue.
     


     
    To cut the small pieces of plywood has required some ingenuity. I have used a saw which uses a hacksaw blade. It cost only £3.00 and comes complete with a blade. This cuts the thin section leaving a very clean cut edge. I have required to hold the plywood when sawing, and sometimes the only way has been to clamp it to the work surface, with several clamps.
     
    Following the removal of a 9mm strip from the back of the board, The back required to be strengthened to prevent it warping. This done I proceeded to making the fixings for the proscenium arch. The nuts for which will be made captive as they will be within the smithy and the Railway Arms Pub respectively.
     

     
    The final view is from the front, as the viewer will see the layout. There will of course be the fiddleyard on the right hand side and the track extension board on the left.
     


     
    When it came to attaching the backscene, I had a problem, but this was not unexpected. I am currently looking a several solutions. The problem is that the flimsy backscene requires being kept in the correct position. It naturally takes the wrong shape, because of the springiness of the material from which it is made.
     

     
    One of the sources of inspiration is a layout build by Paul A Lunn, of a Forest of Dean goods yard.
     
    Lisa
  22. Lisa
    How Much Detail is Required in a Backscene? - Back
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11443-st-ouen-jnwr-how-much-detail-is-required-in-a-photo-background/
     
    My Whole life is a Stage - Forward
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11512-st-ouen-jnwr-my-whole-world-is-a-stage/
     
    All right I admit it, I have made a design mistake! BUT you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. I have now reduced the baseboard width by 9mm so that I can close the travelling box.
     

     
    The baseboard top was cut to the initial design size of the layout. Then the front and back pieces were added the layout was increased in width by 6mm, hence the travelling case would not close. BUT these parts are within the scenic section of the layout, so the reduction of the width of the scenic section is only 3mm.
     
    I can live with this. The finished baseboard will be a snug fit, and hence it will not move in transit. So I am making progress with the project. One can only learn things, by making mistakes!
     

     
    Lisa
  23. Lisa
    After building the sequence, the next stage was to build a mock up of the layout to check that it look OK.
     
    Firstly I took the design of the layout, within Templot and added the flap that carries the track for the end of the platform and the coal wharf roads. Then I added a cassette and the cassette support flap to the design.
     

     
    The design for the complete layout
     
    Next I built the mock up of the layout, including the proposed backscene. This was examined in a great deal of detail, and changes were made, until I was satisfied with the result.
     

     
    St Ouen mockup
     
     
    Baseboard Design - Forward
     
    To look at the design of the baseboard, click on the link below.
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11412-st-ouen-jnwr-%E2%80%93-baseboard-design/
     
    Building an Operating Sequence - back
     
    To see how the operating sequence was built, click on the link below.
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11376-st-ouen-jnwr-building-a-sequence/
     
    Lisa
  24. Lisa
    Answer when it at St Aubin in Jersey, see the diagram below.
     
    St Aubin Level Crossing
     

     
    Signalling on Jersey railways
     
    The only signals on Jersey railways was the two protecting the Level Crossing at St Aubin on the Jersey Railway and two signals protecting Green Street Level crossing in St Helier on the Jersey Eastern Railway.
     
    The signals at St Aubin were lower quadrant, the one at the end of the platform has mounted on a short wooden post, the one protecting the crossing for trains to St Helier was bolted to the tunnel wall.
     
    All points on Jersey railways were operated by hand levers, which were weighted to prevent them moving whist a trains is passing over the points.
     
    Telegraphic Dispatch
     
    Trains were controlled by Telegraphic Dispatch, the Jersey railways were not sleepy branch line, but operated ½ hourly services, except in the early morning and late evening. The lines were single line, with frequent crossing loops.
     
    The Line Controller, based at St Helier (Weighbridge) station, had a diagram of the line painted onto a blackboard. The position of trains was shown, by recording the Train Reporting Number using chalk.
     

    Train Reporting Numbers
     
    JU15 describes Jersey Railways Up Train number 15
    ND05 describes Jersey North Western Railway Down Train number 05
     
    When a train arrived at a crossing loop the Station Agent would telegraph the line controller. The Line Controller would the move the Train Reporting Number to the loop. He would also record the telegraph message in a ledger. When it was safe for the train to proceed, the Line Controller would send a telegraph message to the station agent.
     
    The Station Agent would then write a driver ticket, hand this to the driver and and when safe, give the drive a hand signal to proceed. He would then send a telegraph message to the Line Controller, who would record the message and update the position of the Train Reporting Number.
     
    The next day the the ledger would be reconciled against the tickets issued to the drivers. From St Helier Driver Tickets could be issued to Millbrook, St Aubin as appropriate, depending on train path availability.
     
    The Jersey North Western Railway, was operated as One Engine in Steam, once the train had left the loop at Pont Marquat and outside the station limits of St Ouen.
     
    To return to the main St Ouen blog, click on the link below.
     
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1283/entry-11391-st-owen-jnwr-layout-mockup/
     
    Lisa
  25. Lisa
    My micro layout has to fit in a footprint of 230mm by 150mm, i.e. inside a container that came filled with Raspberry Ripple Ice-cream. I want the operation, despite the small size to be prototypical. On Jersey railway the engines always had their chimneys facing west. Because of the small layout footprint the fiddleyard has to be single ended.
     
    Below is a picture of the track layout and building on the main board.
     

     
    The video, link shown below shows the sequence required to keep not turn the coaches around and keep the locomotive facing the correct direction.
     

     
    The members of the local club have christened my layout ‘The Raspberry Ripple’. There has is another 2FS micro layout called ‘The Pizza’, obviously there seems to be a propensity to name 2FS layout after food items!
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