durham light infantry Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Dunelm represents the remaining part of a much larger terminus station in Durham in the mid to late 1970's. The station has services to Darlington and Newcastle via it's connection to the Leamside line, and a surviving Parcels service in mostly Academic books and literature. Roads 4 and 5 of Dunelm stabling point are also visible, serving the yard of Dunelm Low Level and local colliery and limestone traffic. The layout is an exercise in minimum space modelling using 2 IKEA APA boxes joined together with integral IKEA low voltage LED lighting. It was conceived as quick project to provide somewhere to run and test stock, and to inject some much needed modelling motivation. I took a look at the construction of the APA box and have drilled and dowelled 2 sets of rails together to make the box 4' long. To strengthen the structure up I have cut and joined 2 lids together and screwed them to the bottom of the box. Joining 2 together also leaves a couple of spare ends, 1 of which I have used to make a partition to seperate the scenic part from the fiddle yard. I am also using the IKEA Ledberg LED lighting. After some thought (and measurements!) I realised it would sit nicely in the angle of scotia mould and light the layout well. The scotia mould is glued to the top front rail and reinforces it as well. This shows the scotia mould from the inside of the layout (and my messy workshop!) More to follow. Mike 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1041 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Hi Mike, good start. Have you decided on a track plan yet? How are you planning to raise the base to span the rail between the two boxes? I assume the scenic/ off-scene split is around 3ft/ 1.5ft. An APA box is about 27 inches I think. Good luck with the build. Nigel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 You'll have to be going some... 00?... EM?... P4 ... DC?... DCC??? Just asking as I might have some locos need running in... Porcy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Holmes Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Nice work in joining two APA boxes together. Really looking forward to seeing how this one comes together. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durham light infantry Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 (edited) Hi Mike, good start. Have you decided on a track plan yet? How are you planning to raise the base to span the rail between the two boxes? I assume the scenic/ off-scene split is around 3ft/ 1.5ft. An APA box is about 27 inches I think. Good luck with the build. Nigel Hi Nigel, pointless track plan shortly along with some more photos which will show the progress. The partition has been securely glued in and cut at the bottom and in the middle! All will become clear. I have raised the floor level by 15mm using camping mat foam topped with foam board, to keep it light but rigid. The actual sizes are; 4'5" overall, 3' 2 1/2" scenic and 11 1/2" for the fiddle yard. Mike Edited April 25, 2014 by durham light infantry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durham light infantry Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 (edited) You'll have to be going some... 00?... EM?... P4 ... DC?... DCC??? Just asking as I might have some locos need running in... Porcy It will be operable for 2 weeks time at Spennymoor show! Then at Hartlepool and Thirsk in July. It is EM, DCC. Mike Edited April 25, 2014 by durham light infantry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1041 Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 That's going to be a rapid build. Looking forward to seeing the progress in your next update. Nigel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durham light infantry Posted April 26, 2014 Author Share Posted April 26, 2014 That's going to be a rapid build. Looking forward to seeing the progress in your next update. Nigel Sorry for the delay, buggered by IE11 updates. The build has been ongoing for a few months, with work and life getting in the way. The layout will be operational for Spennymoor, just not completed scenically. It will be fully completed before Hartlepool in July. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durham light infantry Posted April 26, 2014 Author Share Posted April 26, 2014 The box in white primer. The battens have been removed. The layout is going to be on 2 levels, 4 pieces of plain C & L track, no points (the pointless comment!) they take up too much space on a layout this size. Having said that there is some subtle curvature here, it doesn't have to be parallel to the board edge. This is also one of the reasons for joing 2 boxes together, DMU's and parcels trains operating out of the station will at least have a small run before entering the fiddle yard. Also limiting the number of locos on shed to around 4 will stop it looking overcrowded The upper level is a tongue of platform similar to the old platforms 5 & 6 at Darlington Bank Top, before they were turned into a car park. They always seemed separate from the main station, no roof and you just walked onto them from the top of the ramp through a hole in the wall. Trains from here left for Bishop Auckland, which was at the time just using a small part of 1 platform of the remaining derelict station. It was like going to and from 2 stations which were forgotten but still in use. The lower level is a low relief stabling and refuelling point. The roads are numbered 4 & 5 which is designed to trick people that it is part of a larger complex offscene. Your mind (if it is logical!) fills in the 1-3 part for you without you even realising it. The 2 roads move apart slightly after leaving the front of the shed. Road 4 can use the fuelling point, whilst road 5 disappears under the remains of the station on a skew to give some seperation and interest. Some packaging from the boxes used to gain some perspective of what goes where. The fiddle yard. showing how locos just fit in, how the DMU's will fit will become clear, thanks to my wife! I will post the track plan tomorrow when I can get it resized. Mike 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted April 26, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 26, 2014 It will look good with a G5 and a set of clerestorys in the station and Q6s and J27s below... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durham light infantry Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 It will look good with a G5 and a set of clerestorys in the station and Q6s and J27s below... It would have to be a push/pull G5. But with steam on 2 levels it would look a bit like Consett. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Steve Purves Posted April 27, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 27, 2014 Looks good. You've used the same principle I have for my Apa box just in 4mm and 2 boxes! Good work so far. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durham light infantry Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 Looks good. You've used the same principle I have for my Apa box just in 4mm and 2 boxes! Good work so far. Steve Thanks Steve. I too have gone for the urban look. Not enough room for arches, so it will be plain Wills brick for the retaining walls but with a panelled brick for the upper level. Again common around this area. Like you I have gone for the Peco concrete platform sections, to give a slightly later look. Like this; Here is the track plan: Mike 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted April 27, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 27, 2014 I hope that fueling point will be removable so I can fill it with steam locos... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durham light infantry Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 I hope that fueling point will be removable so I can fill it with steam locos... You can come to Spennymoor and measure it up for some hardstanding with water cranes on! Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durham light infantry Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 While we wait for Paul to provide some steam era infrastructure, here are some updates. Scenic part of layout infilled with foam to bring the track level up. Showing the height difference In the fiddle yard. Cassettes will go in here. Upper level being tried for size. Track laid, showing how the far shed road disappears at a skew. Trying out the structures. Platform on upper level, removable fuelling point and shed front. The ghastly doors are to be replaced with plastikard to replicate a roller shutter. Upper level board showing it's not all parallel, and my size 9's! Mike 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durham light infantry Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted May 3, 2014 Further updates taken out in the garden a few weeks ago. Now with added exits for the cassettes. Showing the separation of the 2 lower level tracks. The underside. Showing how the 2 lids have been cut and glued/spliced together. Then screwed into the underneath of the main framework to give it rigidity. Mike 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted May 3, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 3, 2014 You'll have that finished by next weekend, no bother... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durham light infantry Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted May 3, 2014 Was going great guns until a slight miscalculation was discovered. Which meant I had to rip out the cassette alignment and redo the cassettes etc today. It WILL be operable for next weekend. Scenic wise it will be a work in progress. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWales Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Never mind Mike! The man who's never made a mistake never made anything! Keep the updates coming! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durham light infantry Posted May 4, 2014 Author Share Posted May 4, 2014 Cassette f***wittery sorted, inbetween household duties . So a few more photos for Martin and anyone else still following this. Polystyrene and camping mat foam glued into the recessess with border adhesive. This brings them out flush with the framework, and you only lose a few millimetres. But you get this; 1200 grade lining paper, again attached with border adhesive. To give a seamless rounded corner backscene, that hopefully hides that fact that it's a small wooden box. Mike 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-e Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 I like what you've done to hide the corner bits its looking good. APA boxes are a cheap way for people to experiment with a small layout and this is another one for inspiration great... Cheers Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparks Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Very nice work joining the boxes together, particularly in the use of the lid. Will be watching this one with interest! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddlejumper Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Looking good Mike, frantic work going on as I type no doubt?? Looking forward to seeing it in the flesh Doug Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durham light infantry Posted May 8, 2014 Author Share Posted May 8, 2014 Helen won't let me do frantic! There has to be some kind of life/marriage/work/hobby balance. As promised it is operable, civil engineering/scenic are work in progress and will be worked on tomorrow as we let the exhibitors and traders in. What has been done this week with the help/hindrance of my step son is the supporting legs and framework. Took some head scratching how to display a layout that you can't attach anything to, but I think we have a good solution. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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