Real or imaginary?

Hi all,

I had an interesting discussion at the Epping exhibition yesterday, about the pros and cons of a layout which represents a real location, or one which is "fictional" - somewhere which never existed, but recognisably follows NSW practice.

I've always wanted to model a specific place, to re-create the feel of a location I like being at.  To do this would be a kind of labour of love; you would really need to know the place intimately to capture its character in model form.

The alternate view put to me, was that this is too limiting.  With the inevitable compromises imposed by space, time or budget, modelling a real location can be frustrating and difficult.

Furthermore, the public want to see layouts which have the "wow factor", and real locations are generally pretty dull, especially on country branchlines.  I can accept that, but my goal is to model a location on a country branch, dull or not!  Besides, I'm not really that interested in satisfying the tastes of the general public.  Most of them would expect to see trains charging around the layout (one every 10 seconds or less), with the KFC hard up against a bright green tunnel.

I'm not dismissing the vital role that exhibitions play in bringing new people to the hobby.  Nor am I criticising those who exhibit month-in month-out, which must be a pretty thankless task.  But I'm not building an exhibition layout.  It's for me.

Would a rose by any other name smell any different?  If I build a real location, with a few compromises, but give it a fictional name, what does that do to the perceptions of the viewer compared with the same layout given the name of the location it's intended to depict?  Does it attract a more critical eye, looking for those errors and omissions to expose the modeller as a fraud?

In my limited experience of building layouts (this being the first serious attempt in my adult life), I like building real locations.  I see the advantages of the limitations this imposes.  It constrains my tendency to add too much to the layout.  It prevents me from buying every piece of rolling stock that I happen to like.  I don't have to think too hard about what would be consistent with usual NSWGR practice, because I'm just building it "off the plan".

Anyway, it's a subject I think about a lot and am quite interested in.  A number of high-quality layouts over the years with fictional names have captured the essence of the NSW landscape and NSWGR practice; it was not hard to guess the location they depicted; would they have been perceived as "better" or "worse" if they  used the real name?  East Matelend, Warratoo and Hawkesbury River are examples.

Should I change the name of my layout to "Queens Vale" or "Kings Vail"?

Track re-alignment

Hi all,

Following a suggestion a few weeks back about the insufficient space between the goods loop and the passing loop (thanks Craig!), I have realigned this track to be more like the prototype, as the photos below show:

The line on the right is the goods siding, and I have enlarged the gap between it and the passing loop.  If you look at the image below and compare it with the Ken Ames photograph a the top of the blog, the spacing looks more correct now (it's subtle but prototypical, and definitely noticeable).

That Ken Ames photograph is very valuable.  The more I study it (each time I open the blog), the more stuff I notice.  For example, the pots in front of the station building, the signal pulley posts in front of the platform, etc.  Perhaps this is a good reason to put a picture like this in the dunny or on the fridge so that I see new details several times a day!

Tonight I have been wiring up the rails.  I am sure I have used an unconventional process, necessary because all the track for this module has ended-up as a soldered, one-piece assembly.  Anyway, it seems to be working so far.  For those interested, here is the process I have used:

1.  Determine the position of the track on the baseboard, paying careful attention to the proximity to the platform (rollingstock should be prototypically close without collision)

2.  Mark the baseboard with the position of the rail where "droppers" are required.  Droppers are the feeds to the rail from beneath the base-board

3.  Mark the rail to coincide with the markings on the baseboard, so that later the droppers will line up with the holes in the baseboard.

4.  Drill holes in the baseboard for the droppers, coinciding with the marks made in step 2.

5.  Solder insulated multistrand wire to the underside of the rail (so that it cannot easily be seen from above).  I have used wire with red insulation for one rail and black insulation for the other.  Areas which are to have switched polarity have mauve insulation (for example, the point frogs).

6.  Place the rail assembly in position and feed the wires (each of which are about 15cm long) through their corresponding hole.

At this stage, I now have the situation where the rail assembly is sitting about 50mm above the baseboard, supported by the droppers.  This makes the thing look a bit like a rollercoaster; rails in mid-air!  Very cool.  I will take some photos to show you the Kingsvale "Wild Mouse".

Tomorrow I can pull the rail down to the baseboard, finish detailing the points, install point motors and DCC and run a bit of a test.  Then I can paint the rail, put sleepers in place and ballast.

Tomorrow, it's the Epping exhibition - looking forward to that!  A new AJRM will be a bonus.

Until next time

James.

Some questions to the audience...

Hi fellow bloggers and enthusiasts,

I would be interested in your opinions on a few subjects:

1.  Lighting; what do you use to light your layout and why?
2.  DCC - which system do you use and why did you choose that one?
3.  Track - did you hand build your track?  Which method did you use?  what did you use for underlay?  Did you use an assembly template?  Have you detailed the pointwork and what parts did you use?

Hope to learn from others experiences and stimulate a bit of discussion!

In fairness, here are my answers so far:
1.  Overhead warm daylight fluoros, though I'm toying with the idea of some spotlights for a warmer light.
2.  I have an NCE system; dipping my toe in the water so far and limiting the expense.  But it's the way I want to go.  Will upgrade this once I'm running and need more cabs and controllers (that's probably a way off - prices and technology will change in the mean time)
3.  Handbuilding and detailing all track.  Code 70 and 55, but not P87 (yet).  It's only a little test module to try out a few techniques before I take on a bigger layout.  Cork underlay.  Using printed templates for pointwork (courtesy Data Sheets #6 point).  Stephen Johnson detailing parts, but when I run out of those, I will be hunting for an alternative.  US and UK parts might be an option, but they are probably either the wrong size or the wrong shape.  Don't know of a good supplier of NSWGR track parts...might need to do this myself.

Cheers
James.

Track detailing

Hi all,

A short post today, but there is some progress to report.

I have been detailing my #6 code 55 turnout from the loop to the goods siding.  I'm using some Stephen Johnson chairs I've had stashed away.  They're very nice and I wish I could get more!  (I really miss the Stephen Johnson range and Steve himself, for that matter).   I was contemplating making some new masters for code 55 rail, and code 70 rail (and for some other bits and pieces which are not available from anyone) when I remembered proto87 stores (Andy Reichart in the US).  I have some I bought years ago (when I was making sole plates for Ian Millard) so I'll give those a go, and if they're any good I can buy more.  Andy also has some very nice bolt and rivet detailing parts.

Photos and another update soon.

On another note, I've purchased the ARHS Bulletins on CD collection.  It's like porn for railway enthusiasts.  Do yourself a favour...

Pendon Museum

Hi all,
Been a while since my last post due to holidays, Easter and then a business trip to Europe.

Last weekend, I did get time to visit Pendon Museum near Didcot/Oxford in England.  This has long been an ambition of mine because I really admire the ability of the Poms to model their landscape and buildings and Pendon seems to be the pinnacle.

The highlight is their layout called "The Vale Scene", a vast layout based on an area known as The Vale of White Horse in the 1930s, on the GWR main-line. 

As expected, I was impressed and inspired.  I stocked up on Wild Swan publications and left with a very warm feeling indeed.

I attach some photos, from which you might get the idea.

Happy modelling

James.

Layout photos

Hi all,

Here are some photos of the layout so far.

This is the entrance to the yard, looking south towards Demondrille

Here is a view towards the station building; a "Workshop 5" ACS is at the "platform". 

Looking in the other direction.  A Stephen Johnson signal box (not quite right for the prototype, but hey) and an Ian Lindsay A4 station building.  Again, not prototypical for Kingsvale (which was a modification of the A4) but it will convey the right impression.  There are three roads in the station precinct; the main on the left, loop and loading bank loop on the right.

As you can see from the previous photo, this is my first attempt at a backscene.  It's painted on a flat piece of primed 3mm ply; there are a few imperfections in the surface I should have repaired after priming.  I'm quite pleased with this first effort, though there are some aspects which are clearly not right and I will try and correct these before starting a new one from scratch.  Too many mountains for this part of the world.   I couldn't get a recent photo of this scene because a number of trees have grown along the Kingsvale Rd boundary obscuring the horizon.



Here is my #6 scratchbuilt point so far.  This is code 55 rail, though I built the main line (at the top of the photo) in code 70.

I hope that gives you some idea of my progress.  The next two tasks (about which I'm procrastinating again) are finishing the detailing of the rails, painting and laying onto sleepers; and fixing the platform in place and completing the platform face.

That's all for now. 

James.







10 followers!

Hi all,
Thanks to the ten of you who felt it worth the while to "follow" my blog.  The pressure is mounting to make it worth your while.

I am holidays this week, and while this has meant no work on the layout, I have had some time to explore the closed north coast branch between Lismore and Mullumbimby, as well as an excursion to Kyogle and Border Loop.

It has been great to explore this picturesque line, but depressing that, despite what must have been a huge effort to build it over 100 years ago, it now lies in ruins.  I can understand the economic arguments, but I still can't see the sense in that.  Maybe there is no sense; perhaps it's just the march of humanity and our bondage to decay, but it does seem a pity.

It's worth exploring the back roads to Booyong and Nashua, as well as St Helena.  It's only seven years since the last train and most of the track and bridges look in reasonable nick, but already there are trees popping up in some areas and being an area of high rainfall, it won't be long before the whole right-of-way looks pretty much like it did before the line was surveyed.

Certainly plenty of modelling prospects for this line, and an opportunity to go wild with the scenery to capture the look of that lush north coast vegetation.