Now that the platforms are finished I needed something else to build. I have a Metcalfe industrial Unit Kit and also found online some retail unit store fronts, however these are too large to suit the Metcalfe one. So I took the idea of the walls and cut and built my own from 1mm grey board: The Metcalfe kit: My design: To ensure the corners were square, glued some 2mm board pieces: Then added vertical pieces along the side wall joints. Selection of retail store fronts to use: I've cut out the doors and windows and added clear sheet behind as I want to light them up. Then added the brickwork to the remaining walls, followed by the cladding. Other features added such as doors, vents and air-con units: Time to design the roof.
absolutely fantastic. So much better with real shop names than made up ones. but not much advertising space (window display) was my only negative thought. (I’m sounding like a strictly judge here) I love them. Great work.
No worries here Andy... Malc's work is through to the semi-finals I like the air con units on the back wall... really looks the part Malc
Cheers Paul, Her indoors wants me too add a 'Pets At Home' one so looking on the wibbly wobbly web for logos etc. Malc
Thanks Paul, ideal, just found that one plus the 'Vets4Pets' and the ' The Groom Room' Thinking of adding interior detail as well: Malc
The 'Pets At Home' Store in construction: I've also started on an 'ALDI' store, held together with clamps: The four walls glued together: That's all until after Christmas as we are away until 28th.. so Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to you all. Malc
Now that looks the dogs danglies!! Much better front doors for the store. loving these! I best get cracking with the engine shed! merry Christmas! Andy
Thought it was about time I did an update on my layout. Scenery wise nothing new built. I purchased the Kibri Container Gantry Crane for my docks area and after opening the box and checking all the pieces two were damaged and two were incomplete parts, so I messaged Viessmann in Germany and they sent me the parts, arrived after two weeks. I finally managed to buy the Cobalt IP Digital point motors and all twenty three are now fitted and working along with the two Cobalt SS surface motors. I've added an accessory bus to power the motors and have now bought the DCC Concepts Alpha Power and Alpha Box to upgrade the layout to 5 amps. At the same time I purchased the Alpha Central for controlling the points rather than using the PowerCab handheld and the Alpha Mimic Panel and green LEDs for my mimic board. I don't want these Alpha units visible on the layout so I've build a drawer under the baseboards that I can pull out when having a running session, then push back under afterwards, out of the way. The Alpha units just placed on the shelf: I'll fix a timber batten to the rear of the shelf to stop the units sliding/falling off.
At the same time I purchased the Alpha power units I also bought an Alpha Mimic Panel with green LEDs. I want to build a mimic panel and fix to the wall at the rear of the layout as this is where most of the loco operation will take place and I'll be able to easily see the settings of the points around the layout. I couldn't decide what to house the mimic panel in, then the other day in the loft I came across this display cabinet - that would do! The cabinet has a sliding clear panel that will help protect the Mimic board and panel from dust etc. First I removed the glass shelf from inside. My idea was to take a SCARM produced mimic panel, laminate it and fix to a sheet of 2mm grey board. I attached a small timber batten to the two long sides of the grey board to add some strength and rigidity. The bottom batten was attached to an identical batten by a pair of small hinges and this batten was then fixed to the inside of the cabinet. I now had a drop down panel that I could access the rear to fit the LEDs to indicate the routes though the points. A small timber strip was then fixed to the inside top of the cabinet and a magnet attached, also a magnet being attached to the top of the drop down panel. This means that the panel can be placed vertically and display the point directions via the LEDs and I can see the selected routes easily. The Alpha Mimic board was then fixed to the cabinet using nylon pcb fixings. This is the SCARM sheet showing where I will insert the LEDs. The final copy will be laminated then attached.
Following on from the previous post I fitted the cabinet that houses the mimic panel to the wall at the rear of the layout. The Alpha Mimic Controllers were then connected to the accessory bus and the two wires fed through some pvc sheathing that was then cable clipped to the wall. Next I completed the creation of the holes for the LEDs in my laminated SCARM sheet before attaching it to the grey board backing, again making the necessary holes. Then it was time to add the Alpha Mimic LEDs and connect them to the controllers and test the system. Finally I attached the laminated display to the timber battens in the cabinet. When I'm at my layout and operating the locos I will be facing the wall so will have a great view of the indicated routes. There are two loops that run through the station area which will be behind my position in the centre of the layout and I won't be able to see what track a loco may be running on, so the bottom of the mimic panel includes two additional tracks (these loops) and LEDs will light on either of these depending on how the points are switched. Malc
Thank you Andy. It's so much easier to see which of the two lower level loops is 'active' without having to keep turning round.
Update on my layout. Finally managed to purchase a DCC Specialities PSX-1 Circuit Breaker. I've installed this at the rear of the pull out shelf behind the Alpha Box. Did the recommended testing and all LEDs lit as should do. The PSX-1 default is 4 amps which is suitable for my layout as the Alpha units operate at 5 amps. The track power from the Alpha Box into the PSX-1 input terminals, track bus from the output end and where the output is to attach additional PSX breakers I've attached the accessory bus. As the shelf is pulled out when operating the layout I can see the status of the circuit breaker at all times. Now the power / electrics are completed I could start on adding some scenery / buildings to the layout and started with the Kibri Container Crane that SWMBO bought me from my Christmas list. I haven't added much detail to the kit, but did paint the crane operators cabin, walkway handrails, access step ladder and the rolling bogies. It was a bit of trial and error to get the boom/grab attachment pulleys and wire to lift in sync. The kit includes several pieces of running rails for the crane to roll along but they were too wide for my design, so I cut them to suit, then gave the rails a coat of rust. These were then built into the concrete hardstanding in the docks area Finally the crane was added to the layout
I have a couple of PSX1's although they are not currently in use. Sensible to add protection as the comp,exit of your layout and electronics grow. Dont want to fry anything. Good stuff. Cheers Toto
Been a while since an update. Have made some progress and erected one side of the viaduct. Until I fit the wiring for the LED lights I won't fit the other side. Couple of sections in situ. I also made some additional piers to hide the section joints and added some of my own design coping and pier caps. Finally, one side complete, faced inside as well Malc