Barborough: Mucky Duck's 2010 Challenge

[Mucky Duck]

When the five points restriction was lifted from the 2010 Challenge I thought that my current layout in progress, Barborough, could be eligible. Ideally I'd have preferred to start a new layout but I would be financially stretched to do so, I don't have any more space and I'm reluctant to put Barborough on a backburner at this stage in any case.

 

So, here is my official entry. I hope it's not too far down the line to be considered. It's a freelance impression of the Manchester-Bury 3rd-rail electric line in the early sixties and its progress thus far has been documented on RMweb3

http://www.rmweb.co....hp?f=9&t=48840.

 

I was already in the process of extending the layout - which will be documented here in due course - and the final dimensions will be 104.5 inches long x 25 inches at its widest point and 15 inches at the narrowest, as illustrated. My maths is non-existent so it's highly conceivable that I made a gross error when calculating the size to be 1865 square inches.

 

So where's the challenge? As this is my first layout and it's already been more than a year since the baseboard was finished, it will be a bit of a challenge just to complete it in time. As for the the numbers, I've yet to come up with an idea for 2010 (maybe an actual or scale scenic dimension on the layout) and the 5th anniversary will be a fish 'n' chip shop owned by Mr RM Web on the corner of a row of terraced cottages, which will be celebrating its own 5th anniversary - with special offers! - well, that's the best I can come up with so far!

[ajdown]

A quick check of your maths:

 

Top part: 104.5 x 15 = 1567.5 sq in

 

Lower part: 59.5 x 10 = 595 sq in, halfed = 297.5 sq in

 

Total: 1865 sq in

 

Maths works out fine as far as I can see, and if I'm wrong too then my layout plan is also wrong as I used the same methods to figure out my space!

 

Leaves a small amount of space for a cassette system - 2ft x 3" at either end. But that's getting you very close to the maximum space.

[Mucky Duck]

A quick check of your maths:

 

Top part: 104.5 x 15 = 1567.5 sq in

 

Lower part: 59.5 x 10 = 595 sq in, halfed = 297.5 sq in

 

Total: 1865 sq in

 

Maths works out fine as far as I can see, and if I'm wrong too then my layout plan is also wrong as I used the same methods to figure out my space!

 

Leaves a small amount of space for a cassette system - 2ft x 3" at either end. But that's getting you very close to the maximum space.

 

Thanks for the dimension confirmation ajdown. However, I won't be doing cassettes as the layout already fills its intended space completely.

[ajdown]

ah ok, was just wondering what you were doing about stock storage that's all as it wasn't clear from your photos above, maybe I should go read the longer thread on the old forum

[Arthur]

Ryan, ? 

 

Pleased to see Barborough back on the horizon, good luck, I'll follow with interest.

 

 

 

 

Arthur

 

 

[Mucky Duck]

Thanks Aurthur!

 

ajdown,

I didn't even metion stock storage in the layout's original thread, probably because it's the office cupboard doubling as the loco shed syndrome I'm afraid??¦ at least until I move into my purpose-built mansion after winning the lottery!

[Mucky Duck]

Barborough: 10-inch extended remix

Further progress on my 2010 Challenge layout has seen an extension to the baseboard length of 10 inches,

making it fit more snugly into the available space above my desk and, coincidentally, moving it a lot closer

to the official challenge dimensions.

 

I know Barborough has operational shortcomings but I changed the track layout to improve that aspect

slightly

,

with a C&L turnout (under construction) leading to a new siding. Since then, most activity has been making and

accurately positioning the scenic bits from laminated wood.

 

I won’t bore you with details (but questions and constructive criticism are welcome, if interested) but I will let

the images and captions do the talking.

 

Next stage will be finishing off the scenic structure – mainly the bridge and the steps leading to it – covering

countless walls with Howard Scenic brick paper and laying the roads and adding the third rail to the track.

 

Finally, a word of thanks to Andy Y and all involved in getting the current RMWeb active again.

 

 

 

Barborough’s work surface – the kitchen table. Easy access, even easier to get a smack for being a pest!

Mild breeze defeats quality engineering, flattening girder bridge!

[Mucky Duck]

Looking down Broughton Road featuring RM Web’s own corner chippy

Black 5 – from ‘wrong’ era, crying out for a liberal coating of filth and renumbering – waits by old mill totally obscuring ‘mum’ making tea

 

Bridge yet to be built so any tall plate girder bridge kit or riveted ‘T’ section joints advice appreciated.

Small signal box to be placed on the right – is this a good position? C&L turnout still in progress

[Mucky Duck]

Termite’s view makes feeble old mill look quite massive

A window-cleaner’s view or a hooligan’s depends on whether the old mill will be derelict or not – still to decide

 

Back-street loading bays of the old mill and a bridge support boasting a genius feat of engineering… a perfect 2 degree lean!

 

View from mill roof. In the distance, there will be a second row of cottages backing onto the current row…eventually

[Mucky Duck]

A pristine (for the time being) Morris J looks less than enthusiastic about the prospect of wheel-spinning up the steep Old Mill Approach

 

A Stanier Crab emerges beside the horrific drop to the line-side path… further casualties will be avoided once steps are built

 

Sniper’s view

 

Very small old mill – I may add another floor

[Stubby47]

This looks stunning - great looking trackwork, nice gentle curves, impressively high buildings, lots of interesting viewpoints.

 

Wow!

 

Stu

[Allegheny1600]

Hello Ryan,

Lovely looking work there, just had a quick glance at your old thread too - smashing trackwork, i must say!

I thought some of it was Tillig, i recognised your single slip!!! Seems to go surprisingly well with the C&L - well done!

Love the old mill, is it made from thin ply?

Keep up the good work.

John E.

[Guest 30-something]

This layout is looking great, i'll be following the thread with interest. Keep up the good work!

[Mucky Duck]

Hello Ryan,

Lovely looking work there, just had a quick glance at your old thread too - smashing trackwork, i must say!

I thought some of it was Tillig, i recognised your single slip!!! Seems to go surprisingly well with the C&L - well done!

Love the old mill, is it made from thin ply?

Keep up the good work.

John E.

 

Thanks for the encouragement John (as with everyone so far). Yes, the Tillig pointwork does look really good and it's flexible yet sturdy,

which is why I just had to splash out for it.

 

The old mill is 3mm ply which I thought with some bracing would be slightly sturdier than foamboard but I almost regretted it whilst

cutting those windows… with a Stanley knife! What a devil of a job that was!

[Red Devil]

Fantastc, even at this stage it shouts 'urban east Lancs/north Manchester'. Sort of has the feel of Bury Knowsley St/Oldham Werneth/etc etc.

[Mucky Duck]

Some minor progress today.

 

I wasn’t 100% happy with the fact that the new siding disappeared off the layout sharing the same bridge as the main line, so in

a mini ‘Eureka’ moment I had the idea not only to give the siding its own bridge but to separate it further from the main line

by dropping the level a tad.

 

The layout needed quite a lot of hacking around to achieve this and had I known beforehand just how much, I probably wouldn’t have

attempted it. I’m glad I did though! That's the trouble with freelance projectts and only half-designing the layout before building it.

 

The siding will now be used by an industrial loco serving the

local

(as yet un-named and off-layout) dyestuffs and paints plant

(ICI Blackley being the real-life equivalent). Now looking to purchase a WD Austerity J94!

 

To create, sometimes one must destroy!

 

Before and after… Doesn't look much but I'm pleased that there'll be much more 'going on' in this corner

[Mucky Duck]

It's been a bit quiet on the layout front in the last few weeks but I partly made up for it with frenzied activity over the weekend, scratch-building

a bridge… shown here, somewhat randomly plonked… if that's proper English! Pics and description of amateurish construction shown here. My link

Despite this, I am now seriously beginning to doubt that my 2010 Challenge effort will be ready in time – to an acceptable level!

 

[skipepsi]

To be honest there are quite a few layouts nearly completed on here that will better than mine ever will but I havent built them, the only way to get better is by doing. An acceptable standard? it is your layout and only you know how much time money etc you have put in and what you consider good/perfect/excellent.

[Mucky Duck]

To be honest there are quite a few layouts nearly completed on here that will better than mine ever will but I havent built them, the only way to get better is by doing. An acceptable standard? it is your layout and only you know how much time money etc you have put in and what you consider good/perfect/excellent.

 

Yes, you're right in saying the only way to get better is by doing and I've done more this year alone than the rest of my modelling years put together. Generally, I've been

quite pleased with the way it's been going (when it has) so in that respect I'm happy with to show it – but by 'an acceptable level' I meant by what could/would be

considered acceptable in terms of being the 'finished' item… and it's a long way from being nearly complete. Perhaps it could be eligible for the 2011 Challenge!

[Mucky Duck]

Having seen that Olduddders and Toftwood, at least, have fallen by the wayside and withdrawn their 2010 Challenge entries, I'm following suit with Barborough. Well before the last post, back in May, I had already more-or-less given up on getting it anywhere near complete on time – but it's still quite shocking to be reminded of the cruel rate at which the months have flown by.

 

My excuse could have been 'too busy' trying to source work in my spare time but if I'm brutally honest with myself it was more down to p**s-poor time-management… not to mention the distraction of a Hornby Black 5 upgrade project which has taken far, far longer than anticipated.

 

Barborough was engineered into the Challenge in the first place by a stroke of luck in that it was already pretty close to the required dimensions and needed little modification to comply. When I've completed the aforementiond Black 5 I shall continue to develop the layout, retaining its current dimensions – as it fits snugly above the computer desk in my 'office' – and I shall continue to post updates in the Layout forum.

 

I'm looking forward to the judging of the Challenge. There really are some cracking entries – some of which have left me in awe – but in a way all entries will be winners because the Challenge has at least motivated their makers to create something unique and have fun (hopefully) doing it, which is why this is such an interesting hobby championed by such a great forum.

 

Thank you Andy Y (and numerous others) for inadvertently kicking my @ss! If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be just thinking about railway modelling.