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Some time ago I discussed the height of my backscenes, now this was from the perspective of taking photos without having buildings or trees, etc. ending up with the garage wall behind them. Getting rid of those bricks and cutting around the trees can be an effort in Photoshop.
I was trying to make the decision about making the backscenes higher and was tossing up just how high.
I originally made the backscenes 14" (400mm) high which gave three strips out of an 8' x 4' (2400 x 1200mm) sheet of masonite allowing 2" (50mm) to be bolted onto the layout frame. I did this as I had some backscenes from Bylong in it's previous abode and in an effort to save money as we were in a new house and there were other things to spend the dollar on.
Well, I bit the bullet and over the last three days I have installed and painted the sky on 24" high (610mm) backscenes across the front of the garage part of the layout above Bylong station.
I have not blended the joins between the sheets as I had to make the backscenes removable for layout maintenance, up with the roller doors and off with the backscenes.
Here are a few quick photos showing the effect, a much greater sense of immersion as the top of the backscene is about 7' (2100mm).
The third photo dramatically illustrates the difference in height of the old and new backscenes.
The second last photo shows that I have got to do some work on the hill scenery leaving Bylong so that the 'lower' sky doesn't intrude into the hill. I will bring the hill forward along the backscene towards Bylong with the trees 'walking' up the new part of the hill and blending into the upper level tree line better. This will also allow me to improve the last photo by hiding the top edge of the lower backscene in this picture.
Multi-level layouts certainly give a nice long run but at the expense of some interesting challenges.
Of course I now have to replace the existing backscenes with the new high version and my hills that I painted have got to go, which leads to another painting stage, nothing like repeating your work.
When we are banking goods trains up the grades on Bylong the bank loco is usually a D50 with sprung buffers and no front coupler, so the load is taken on the buffers which is to allow the D50 to slowly drop away from the goods train when it has crested the grade, very prototypical.
However we occasionally have a problem when the loco buffers slip off and past the buffers on the guards van when on a curve. This of course causes no end of grief, bringing the train to a stop.
I have had an idea on how to fix this for several years now; no need to rush into things ;-)
I should mention that when the train leaves Bylong it enters a tunnel that is about 3 metres long and the track runs on a 100mm wide road bed with a 1200mm drop to the concrete floor so it is a little bit important. We have never had anything hit the floor yet, amazing how it focuses the minds of the two drivers.
I worked out that part of the reason for the buffer was problem was that I was using a Stephen Johnson LHG and although it has reasonably large turned brass passenger car buffer heads, I realised that when on a curve the longer the van the more the van end projects away from the track centre and hence the buffers on the loco.
I decided to use a shorter guards van to reduce the overhang effect and settled on three old Trax MHG vans that I had.
I cut the buffer heads off and replaced them with large cast brass passenger car buffers from L&C. Now I know you will say "but you can't get these anymore" and I will agree however I had enough to do the three vans which should be sufficient for any operating session.
Ian Lindsay Models also used to make some with a slightly smaller head but they aren't on his web site now.
I guess this doesn't help anyone trying to do something similar but maybe Ian Lindsay Models or Ozzy (available at Casula Hobbies) could be convinced to run them again.
Anyway are here some pictures to show what I did.
First I marked the centre of each buffer head and drilled a hole with a no. 59 drill, I then cut off the head flush with the back and drilled a slight recess with a no. 52 drill to take the thick shank of the passenger buffer. I then glued the heads in place with super glue.
A quick test revealed that it was successful and I then did the other two vans.
The buffer heads do look a little large but as they are now painted black they are not very noticeable.
The next operating session will be the acid test.
When I posted the videos of our recent operating session I had used the video option on my still camera so I decided that I should have a go with my actual HD video camera.
I give you this picture to ponder before you download the YouTube video of 6037 passing the colliery junction.
Just a short post tonight so here is the video, not perfect, I need to improve the clarity but that needs more light so that I can get the f stop to f8 and there is another small issue that could have been better:
6037 passing colliery junction.
I really have to get back to some modelling, life has many interesting distractions.
Well, I have been a bit quiet lately as I had been preparing for an operating night; now how long did it take?
I started about four weeks ago by wracking my brains about what went wrong last time. We always think we will remember or at least write down those little and not so little issues don’t we?
I remembered a point at the throat into Wollar that had sprung the straight rail during the recent summer but I had already ‘fixed’ that with track spikes and superglue (I hoped). So the next thought was to rolling stock some of which had been responsible for a few derailments. I should mention that my rolling stock is a mixture of the very old and the very new so a full review was in order.
After about $100 in metal wheels and new bogies I was reasonably confident that they would not embarrass me. I took the opportunity to replace the plastic 33” wheels in a number of goods bogies with 36” ones and also found some nice 2BR Andrews bogies made by AccuRail (0103) from The Model Railroad Craftsman at Blacktown NSW. Be aware though that I cleaned Gary out but he said he would be ordering some more, ring before going there if you want some. Also realise that they come with plastic 33” wheels that need to be replaced with 36” ones (I used Walthers 36” wheels as they have plastic axles and aren’t magnetic of course).
Here is a photo of the 2BR under an On Track LLV that I will be back dating to 1965, not much to do, just adding some hand rails on the ends really.
After the re-wheeling came locomotive and layout testing and I forgot, cleaning the ‘crud’ off the rolling stock wheels, a slow process.
Two days before the big night I thought it might be a good idea to put up a ‘fence’ on the aisle side of the upper staging yard as the outside track was right next to a big drop to the concrete. So a quick trip to Bunnings procured a length of cover strip with rounded edges which was nailed to the edge and painted black to match the rest of the staging yard. The top edge comes to the floor level of the rolling stock which I felt would stop any problems.
I also set up an old video monitor with a small (tiny) video camera which I temporarily mounted at the throat of the yard so that the shorter members of the Ramblers could see which track was empty etc.
Here are a few quick and dirty videos I took during the proceedings using my digital still camera, my HD video camera having a flat battery which was inconsiderate of it!
Bylong Operating Night 2009-02-26
AD60 on 87 Goods leaving Bylong
UP Pickup arriving Bylong
UP Pickup shunting Bylong 1
UP Pickup shunting Bylong 2
Cassilis Branch Mixed arriving Wollar
I will really have to try making some videos of the layout but it is not as easy as the still shots as you can’t remove the brick wall, garage doors, etc. in the background. Bob Stack has done some very nice ones on his South Coast Rail blog that I will use for inspiration.
The layout was run to a timetable that I have been slowly developing with an NCE DCC control system. Since the NCE radio throttles have had the issues with slow button presses, etc. solved I decided that this would be a full radio throttle night and with all sound locomotives. Now I only own two radio throttles but Marcus Ammann (6 throttles) and Ron Cunningham (2 throttles) came to the rescue. In case you get the wrong idea the layout only needs about six throttles at best it just shows how helpful friends can be. I also didn’t have enough sound equipped locomotives but that was much easier with several friends bringing along theirs to complement the roster.
James McInerney brought along a D50 equipped with a Tsunami suitably adjusted for drifting, with momentum and deep throated chuffs on starting and a 49 class with a LokSound decoder also set up with momentum. These two locomotives were quickly allocated to the two pickups, one Up and one DOWN, James taking the D50 and Terry Flynn the 49, very interesting to shunt with.
Well the night went reasonably well, we did manage to finish without too many errors, only one train missed its time slot but it was the branch mixed and they always ran late. I did notice though that there was an extra light engine movement back down the grade to bank the next goods train that required it (none) and an empty express meat back to the country that wasn’t timetabled!
Regarding the layout, I only saw one derailment and the offending wagons are being checked, I suspect a too tight bogie. There may have been others but I will ask for a post mortem at our next meeting.
The best part was standing back interpreting the timetable and watching my friends enjoy themselves, all in all a great night which finished a bit before 1am.
Recently I was asked by Joe Calipari to review a newly introduced range of detail parts sourced from the Rail Central Pc3 building kit. The review should be in the next AMRM but this post is to let people know that these parts exist and that they are available now.
The parts are of course suited to modelling NSWGR concrete pre-fabricated infrastructure and will be a real boon for those who are modifying the existing station buildings into the various iterations that were scattered around the state.
In my instance I have already done a double sided island platform version similar but shorter to Cumnock and Yeoval for Wollar on my layout. Pictures of Cumnock and Yeoval can be found on James McInerney’s Fotopic site.
Several of the parts are more than suitable for scratch building other Australian structures such as houses, shops, sheds, etc..
I figure that the double hung windows for would work well in a 1950’s ‘fibro’ (asbestos cement) house, the four panel doors could be hung either way up and the metal chimney can be used for a stove or a sewer breather pipe. I think that two windows or even three could be joined to form the classic front windows seen on those 50’s houses.
The goods shed sliding doors can be used for sheds, garages, rear shop doors and industrial buildings
Joe said that he would probably also release the diagonal station awning supports and he was kind enough to supply me with the extra supports I needed to complete the Wollar building.
While pondering if I should light the Wollar station (the answer being , yes) I resolved to finish a yard light kit that I had bought from Casula Hobbies at the October Exhibition last year.
This yard light is cast in brass and looks very nice when painted.
I started it last year and fitted it with a small Golden White LED (GV32) that I had reviewed in AMRM recently for Gwyder Valley Hobbies but like a lot of my modelling it had languished after I ran into a small hold up (how to mount it in the layout so that it was removable - for access to track behind it).
Anyway, I finished it off and mounted it with a mono 3mm plug and socket, the plug being soldered to the base of the post.
The LED is supplied with very fine enamel coated wires which I used to represent the lamp raising/lowering rope, one wire being soldered to the post at the middle of the post at the cross piece (see desktop pic on the sidebar) and the other was soldered to a fine DCC wire from TCS which ran in a groove cast into the rear of the pole. I am sorry if that is confusing but I didn't take any photos.
I have just noticed that I still haven't put the two 'power' wires that run from the top spreader above the lamp to the middle cross piece, just as well that it is removeable.
Here it is in the depths of night.
Here is a small update on progress on the Wollar station building. Wollar has an island platform for main and branch, the branch platform side being the closest to the edge of the layout. This of course puts the 'rear' of the Pc3 building in full view.
I decided that the rear was a bit plain and would require at least one door and one or more windows to be added.
A quick study of the window styles showed the lack of suitable windows in my box of structure parts (Grandt line, etc.) and left me with the conclusion that I could add one extra window by changing one of the windows into the required door. The door came from the box of bits and while not quite the same was close enough.
I also had to add a small window over the new door and make the corbels (is that the right name) that hold the bottom of the awning supports.
After this I had to reduce the width of the corrugated iron awnings to suit the platform width and move them inwards under the slate gable roof sections.
Where did he get the second corrugated awning from you ask?
Well, Joe Calipari came to my rescue when I first bought the kit and happened to mention that I wanted to make it into an island platform version. Now Joe doesn't have these as spare parts but did have a damaged kit that he took the awning from. Thank you Joe, you are one of nature's gentlemen.
If anyone wanted to make a similar building then it would very easy to scratchbuild an awning to suit.
Here is a view of the almost completed model, just the awning supports and the downpipes to go.
I have run into a small problem with the awning supports as I have to make another eight and it should be easy, but the ones in the kit are about 3" x 3" in cross section but this size is not available in Evergreen polystyrene strip or in timber. I suspect that they would be 2" x 4" in real life so it looks like I will have to make sixteen from 2" x 4" Evergreen strip.
Now regarding the downpipes etc. from the roof, I feel that a station of this size would have town water (or at least water from the loco supply) and drainage for the downpipes, so I will be eliminating the water tanks and filter system. The lack of water tanks leaves the ends of the building looking a bit bare so I will probably add some advertisements.
I am not moving as fast as I thought but it is the festive season after all.
