LUMSDONIA ¦Layout and Website

Discussion in 'Members Personal Layouts' started by Timbersurf, Jul 9, 2018.

  1. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    Taking inspiration from many layouts I have seen at shows and on the internet, I decided to break from the core design (I will hopefully incorporate the element in later) and have a road bridge at right angles to the track. This has the advantage that I can incorporate the station into the bridge at high level, saving space on the width of the layout. (no buildings at the back of the platforms). This also lends itself to a prototypical embankment at the back of the far platform, this will blend in as a lift of elevation to the later addition of a 1 foot baseboard that will hold the high level tracks and as it will be slopped, will also allow the road to do a right angle turn at the back and slope down the length of the platform to meet the ground level. The bridge is in reality two bridges, but it will be know as the 7 track bridge, as it crosses a total of 7 tracks!
    The plates are bought in, sliced in half and the rest is scratch built. As with all my buildings/structures, it is removable! So its base construction is of 2x1in wooden battens! The brick supports are of similar 19mm wood! Not a lightweight construction, but then it's a tough structure you can pick up in the middle with one hand, no worries. The brickwork is all Linka, I have been experimenting with making my own moulds, but I will write that up next. The brick is hand painted and the plates where rusted with sea salt technique.




    Still some way to go, touch up, missing centre wall, third lamp, yellow lines, tarmac and general weathering.
     
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  2. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    So as not to have a dozen threads all over the forum, I set out with this one for my layout and combined with my website (so I can keep track of what I am doing!) as they kind of run together. As I am in discovery land, learning new tricks with the lighting and animotion and economy modelling, what I learn as I go, I document and share in my website. If we call this my blog, then the website is the reference site.
    Due to the fact I did little modelling for several years (working away from home), what I could do was buy rolling stock on the net and lots of research. The net result is over 1.200 wagons and to many engines and coaches to mention! :eek:
    The upside was a spreadsheet of collected data and web links. Given I spent years collecting the links, it seemed self centred not to share, so I added the Lumsdonia links page to the website. It's a jolly good place to start if you want to find a supplier of a particular category of item (I am surprised how often I use it myself, it's quicker and easier than opening excel!) The reason I mention it, is that I am still collecting useful links and have recently added a new batch into the lists (over 20) including lots of 7mm specialists, mostly gleaned recently on here and of course P1MRC in the forums group!

    (for a small fee, I could put P1MRC in BOLD) :thumbup: :avatar:

    Do let me know if any links are broke'd :( or if you have any you think worthy of adding :D.
     
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  3. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    Wow! Fame at last, just notice a pic of the early layout on the side bar of the front page! Is it automatic or does someone choose them?
    Another 15 new links went into the links webpage today, still a few more to go to catch up with the most recent ones found, it's very laborious entering the hyperlinks, but I have not managed to upload via a database merge, as my website software has defeated me :mad:
    Did I mention the current build? Two 8 story high rise flats with individual control of lights on each floor. Constructed, part painted, glazed, LED's fitted and wire tails added. I am now soldering up the bus (10 way connector on ribbon cable with resistor at at each floor) to light tails.
     
  4. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Sounds very well thought out and the ability to control individual floors is great. You could put them on some sort of sequencer.:scratchchin:

    The layout pictures in the side bar are selected as new members provide suitable pictures to " resize " through their layout threads. They are inserted into a separate spreadsheet type database which is then used to select fresh images on a periodic rotational basis.

    We like to get as many featured as possible regardless of the stage peoples layouts are at because many layouts in progress can be identified by the members and quickly accessed to see how things are progressing. It also acts as an aid memoir to members that some of these layouts exist if they Haven't been worked or posted on for a while.

    We all deserve our five minutes of fame.

    Cheers

    Toto
     
  5. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Just spent the last 30 odd minutes reading this thread. Lots of interesting topics right throughout. :thumbs:

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  6. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    Wanting to premake buildings and develop the lighting system, I saw a cheap way of semi scratch building in the form of "outland". So purchasing two from China, they turned up and are in reality less than HO scale. Their construction (its just a box) does not lend itself to to being separate bits for scratch building deconstruction either. A bit disappointed, I realised that they could be relegated to the far back on a scene and used with perspective, perceived as "far away".
    Given I have the computer-controlled-compressed-time-cycle-layout-lighting system (yes I broke my rule and started a seperate thread! :oops:), it seemed a bit wasteful to use 16 channels off it for just these two little buildings, so I decided to design a sequencer with an arduino, that will just use one channel. When the mother system fires it up (at 8am) the floors light up in a random order (but with the ground floor always first) over the next hour. While mother is on, all floors stay lit. When mother drops the signal (at 5pm), the floors will randomly turn off over the next 2-3 hours. The intend is to run the compressed day over 1 or maybe 2 hours, so this sub program will be scaled by 1/12th or 1/24th in time, I will also put a switch to allow me to select a few compression ratio's so I can synchronise it with whatever the mother program' compression ratio is running. I always have several projects running on my bench at one time, this is one of the current ones. I will eventually write up all of my Animotion and lighting Arduino projects as a 'How Too', on my website and here.
     
  7. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    Glad you found it an interesting 'read'. There is lots more to come!
    Being a 'Contractor', I have worked away from home for nearly 20 years, as away from home during the week and frequently working weekends, I have had little time for practical modelling, I have however had endless nights sitting in a hotel with internet to do planning and research (and ebay bargain rolling stock! :giggle:). Thus the design is very advanced and the potential projects are very well planned and resourced. It's just a matter of implementing it now!
    A recent change in my work status means I can work from home, so this meant that about 2 years ago, I started to build the new modular layout. The 12ft by 2ft double module is nearly complete, I just need to catch up with it in this thread :)
     
  8. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    So having tried to "clad" solid wood structures with Linka, it did seem tedious for large walls. As I want a very long station and the land to be high behind it, I needed to build a long embankment wall. Lots of flat plastic sheets seemed boring and to add depth/relief to such a large structure seemed to be too much work. Linka takes ages to build up, so I thought I would make my own moulds. Careful build/join/sanding created the masters and a mould was made from that. As you may have noticed, I am not one for doing things in a 'normal' way and I like the process of discovery and reinvention of a wheel 'my way'. (I kid myself I am saving money!)
    So moulds 'a la Lumsdonia' are made with a bed of silicon sealand on a sheet of glass, a second layer is added to the set one by applying to the master, then inverting and pressing into the first. The edges are built up and smoothed to the same height as the master. Eh Voila, 6x6in panels can be cast. Same deal for buttresses. Also how I made the posts for the bridge.






    As you can see from the last picture, it is mounted to the back of an 'L' of wood, the bottom of which is the platform and strong enough to lift off the layout in one piece to build/maintain. The double sided parapet wall I intend to top it off with, was troublesome, several attempts have failed. It might be a limitation of using silicon sealant, but more likely I need to apply a more structured casing and not try to make it in a rush. Hence it has been dropped and I will come back to it later when I pick up my mojo for casting again.
     
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  9. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    Credibility is in the detail! So as I will have stairs down to the near platform and there is no room on the far platform to get down from the road to the platform, so there is an underground stairs built into the embankment.






    You can just see them start on the right of the (LED lit) white tiled subway entrance. Still a lot of weathering to do, but not until I integrate the parapet and pillars above whats built so far.
     
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  10. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    As the layout is narrow, it made sense to have a prototypical booking hall at the bridge level, thus saving space along the platforms. It also adds to the 3D element of the layout. At a model fair, I picked up three old triang booking halls for a £1, well worth it just as a resource for plastic, even though they were broken and battered. I thought it worth it just as a source of windows for scratch building! So by picking the best and repairing the breakages, one was salvaged as the basis for Sandycombe ticket office. A RSJ frame and base was added and a new flat roof constructed, internal painted cream and external painted and weathered. Four LED's were added for lighting.
    I developed an excel spreadsheet that produce any words and any size of roundel sign and printed the large one for above the roof.
    The print was glued to plasticard and a frame created from sprue pieces. A light bar was created by forming thin plasticard into a long through, suspended by brass bar that also act as the power conductors to four LED's inside the trough. Micro wire was soldered to two supports and leads off to the roof and a connector (to allow fully removable roof to access the booking hall LED's as the floor is glued on. A second hand footbridge was refurbished, repainted and broken apart to allow LED's to be added to the roof, then re-assembled. At a later point in the construction, the lighting circuit failed :eek: and I had glued it all back together so well, I was unable to get it apart to repair the circuit :hammer:. The solution was to drill holes in the underside and fit new lights by the side of the stairs and wire from underneath. You would never know of the booboo or the weird lighting position by looking at it, only by me telling about it now!
    The building supports were originally to be stilts, made from either round plastic lollipop sticks (impossible to glue), a Dapol water tower legs (just did not look sturdy enough) or plastic girders (structurally to weak for a removable building). I did try all, but none looked right, so in the end, Linka to the rescue! As seen below there is a seperate circuit for the office and stairs and another for the sign (to be left on at night when booking hall is closed).






     
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  11. jakesdad13

    jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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    Upcycling at its best! Well done a great result.

    Pete.
     
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  12. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    Although I have a preference for scratch built buildings, modifying plastic ones can be a useful base for "modding" into something not instantly recognisable as an off the shelf item, my dislike of card buildings will mean they will not be used.
    So I broke the rule :eek: and bought a metcalfe Engine shed :hammer:, more as expediency, for a quick build to try out an experiment, the building will be replaced one day with a scratch built. The idea was to add lighting that was invisibly wired.
    By using a cunning plan to solder strings of "Lumsdonia industrial shaded lamp" LED's then sandwich the wire in the middle of the roof braces, so not seen. Thus not seen either looking in the front or through the rooflight windows. All internal wiring is soldered to uninsulated copper wire until the corners were the resistors are and then via insulated wire to a connector that protrudes below the base board. There is also sodium lighting on the external sides, making three independently switched circuits. The building has brass "posts" on each corner (not this time, but the next iteration will use them as the electrical connection) that are used to locate the building into lined tubes (holes) that ensure its rigidity and position on the layout. Thus the whole building is easily removable. (The next scratch one, will just slot in as a direct replacement)






     
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  13. jakesdad13

    jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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    Nice work! I've done something similar in O scale, a single road engine shed for a discontinued layout. I have bought a plug and socket to fix in one corner for electrical supply and so I can remove it from the base board. One day I hope to be able to make use of it.

    Cheer's, Pete.
     
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  14. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    I went to the Craven Arms Model railway Exhibition on Saturday and picked up a few items (yes another 4 carriages {now 3 figure inventory! :redface:})
    I have been to this one for three years running now and to be honest it's been better in previous years (or is that a function of seeing the same layouts), but the star layout for me was one that actually had no trains! :eek: It features lots of people, neon signs, lights, a Faller road system, loads of Viessmann action figures and two items that blew me away. {that's exceptional on any layout, cause I've seen it all!}. They (two ladies) had HO scale, tiny strings of multicoloured sequencing lights on horizontal wires between poles and bicycles with working lights! The whole layout made my day.
    If anyone is interested, I can start a new thread about, it with pictures.
    I have spent most of the day writing content to the website, prompted by discussions with a certain two ladies who may benefit from the additional pages, regulators and dimming.
    I will post when they are uploaded.
     
  15. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    Now up and running

    www.lumsdonia.co.uk/regulator.html
    www.lumsdonia.co.uk/dimming.html

    And with a new front end as the list is getting long!

    www.lumsdonia.co.uk/guides.html

    Please let me know if there are any bugs or if you have any comments about the content, cheers
     
  16. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    With my cement mixer project well on the way, I have several other 'Animotions' in the todo list. So I decided to check stock of my vast vehicle collection, to see if anything is suitable for mechanical adaption. This meant emptying out a huge box that they are stored in, so it was logical to photograph them all, then I can catalogue them. I already have a spreadsheet for rolling stock, so sensible to do the same for the cars.
    The stock will serve four purposes. One to populate streets, car parks, driveways, two to fill all my car carriers, three to create a quarry scene and four to be converted to Animotion.
    I have yet to do the data input which will give me the total that I have (no clue), but although now I have seen them all in one place, I think I am woefully short of the required quota, but I am sure the final number will come as a surprise to most! :redface:

    A couple of noteworthy discoveries can be mentioned, I was on the lookout for a cement mixer for a long time, before I discovered one at a show recently, outrageously I discovered I had TWO in stock! :hammer:.
    I saw some very cheap cararama VW Samba buses on a stall at a show some many moons ago. They were so cheap, I bought the lot!
    The idea being I could have a Sales Showroom for them? I seem to remember that I bought dozens (maybe to sell on later in life for a profit?) Turns out there are just 8 :p. Oh well.
    So I guess it's time to turn the idea into reality, as the xmas competition calls for a diorama, this will fit the bill. I will make it on a piece of plywood as a diorama and will eventually integrate into the layout when the time comes (maybe many years). I need to check building stock, then I can formulate the layout and have a forecourt with a workshop (with working car lift) and sales department for VW's.
     
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  17. ianvolvo46

    ianvolvo46 Staff Member Moderator

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    That's impressive! :tophat::tophat:
     
  18. clive_t

    clive_t Full Member

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    Great lighting in the engine shed - very atmospheric!
     
  19. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    The lighting is great ...... they wouldn't be " we honest " lights from the bay by any chance. I bought a shed load of these from China and have yet to try them. I also have my o gauge extended engine shed ( for next year's layout module ) which is over a metre long that I was thinking of installing them in but did not want to set it on fire. :avatar:

    I'll give them a bash.

    :cheers:

    Toto
     
  20. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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