Gundah Junction

Discussion in 'Planks, Switching and Shelf Layouts' started by Dr Tony, Jan 1, 2018.

  1. Dr Tony

    Dr Tony Full Member

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    Only 2 weeks to go to the first exhibition. So much to do and so little time. Not helped by the fact that I am going to be away for all next week in QLD for work.
    One of the must do things is to make a proper set of legs for it. Originally this was going to be a kids layout, so i designed it to fit on three cut down saw horses. Since the change in focus a bit for the intended audience it needed to be raised. I have chosen Gary's standard height of 1 metre.
    I had not designed this layout to incorporate built-in folding legs so I have had to go down another route. I have made 3 leg units that will be joined by some horizontal pieces near the base and have some diagonals.
    This is the progress so far tonight, the very solid leg pieces.
    These will not be seen by anyone but me and anyone else who goes round the back of the layout, but I can't stand the plain pine colour, this will change by the end of tomorrow.
    Cheers
    Tony
     
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  2. Dr Tony

    Dr Tony Full Member

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    Some more action today. Assembled all the legs with their removable bracing pieces and a full assembly to check all the measurements so there are no surprises come friday night set-up.
    My right-angle drill got a work-out again, as I didn't plan it too well with the diagonal brace, but it has made for an overall stronger structure, and makes me gladder of the purchase of that fancy drill all those years ago.
    Then to put the top on. You would think, that being a surveyor, I would get my measurements right, well I added an extra 42mm in and it initially did not fit. That explains the slight bit of extra timber of the braces protruding from the frame on the right hand side, easy thing to fix. Still don't know how or why I added another thickness of timber to get to that stage.
    Have also added hidden adjustable feet to compensate for a dodgy floor if required.
    The whole thing once assembled is very rigid.
    Still have a heap of things to do, a whole page of my A5 size notebook. One of them involves using a sewing machine :eek: for the valance fabric. Today's other job was fixing my wife's sewing machine cabinet, so that should get me a free instruction in how to use the thing, or even an offer to do it for me :avatar:

    I'm thinking it would be good to get some PFM1 promo materials, or at least signage.
    Got a week in hotel rooms so should get some blurb knocked up at night about how it was built and how small layouts can work.
    Cheers
    Tony
     
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  3. Gary

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

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    Looks great Tony. :thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

    Don't forget the curtain surround ! ;)

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  4. Dr Tony

    Dr Tony Full Member

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    Less than a week to go. Thank you Gary for kindly dropping around the PFM1MRC banner last week, I'm sure I can figure out how to put it up.
    This week's tasks are all the little ones, stained glass for the church, place people, finish off signs and learn how to use my wife's modern and scary sewing machine to make the curtain surround. I prefer the old machines that stopped when you took your foot off the pedal, this one drives the motor on a bit so the needle is always in the up position, quite hard to get used to.
    Lloyd is the name of another trig station nearby to my place, so it has become the fitting name for the grocer of the town
    Cheers
    Tony
     
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  5. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    It’s all coming together Tony great to see
    Have a great Show I won’t be able to get down Saturday may get some time Sunday to get down to the show and say Hello.
     
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  6. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Looks the business. Good luck with the show and enjoy.

    Toto
     
  7. Gary

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

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    No worries Tony. Like Chris, I will try and get to the exhibition on Sunday afternoon.

    Cheers, Gary.
     
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  8. Dr Tony

    Dr Tony Full Member

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    More work tonight. Finally got the sizing right for the stained glass windows. For some reason the ones I made last week were scaled 50% of size. Also there is the quickest scratch build I have ever made, the church noticeboard. 4 pieces of styrene and a rattle can of paint that my wife was using to paint an outdoor seat is all it took. PSX_20190805_222539.jpg
    Cheers
    Tony
     
  9. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    The Church and Notice board look great Tony
    The Pre Exhibition list must be getting smaller now.
    Congratulations the layout is looking great.
     
  10. Davoetype

    Davoetype Full Member

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    Well done Tony...I need some tuition on the stained glass windows though.

    Cheers

    and happy modelling

    Richard
     
  11. Dr Tony

    Dr Tony Full Member

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    The stained glass windows aren't too hard to do. First use an image search to find some windows of the right shape, or take photos of some. The image search for patterns of a window will not have perspective distortion like a photo potentially will.
    I then trace the outline of each window onto paper or small bits of cardboard
    Scan these with a computer scanner and make them into a jpg or similar. I then inserted the tracing image into word, making it a background image, so I can move it around freely. Then I insert the image of the window. Make this into a background too. Then move it near the window tracing and get it to be the same size roughly as the window tracing. Then overlay the image onto the tracing and get the size right. A black outline to the window helps here to fill any gaps as the windows probably won't be an exact match for each other. Once the image is the right size, drag away the window tracing and print. You can use glossy paper to make it seem like a reflective window, but not all church windows are like that in the real world.
    One thing to save your eyes here is to use the zoom function in word, say to about 400%.
    Double check your sizes and then print, it's easy to resize each window in word if you get it a bit off.
    Hope this helps
    Tony
     
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  12. Dr Tony

    Dr Tony Full Member

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    Tonight's activity was one of frustration. Making the front curtain to hide the legs. This involved the sewing machine and a heap of pins. I have to say that ballasting and painting rails by brush is a preferable activity. I take my hat off to those who have sewing as a hobby, but it's not for me.
    Didn't really put me in the right mood for taking photos, but the layout has just about all the signs now and it is now populated.
    IMG_20190808_222136~2.jpg
    Cheers
    Tony
     
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  13. Davoetype

    Davoetype Full Member

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    Thanks for the info on the stained glass...something new to try. On the sewing side of things I am quite hopeless so it was left to Mrs Etype to craft the curtains for Dargan.

    Cheers

    and happy modelling

    Richard
     
  14. Dr Tony

    Dr Tony Full Member

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    I made it, the layout fitted in the car (as it was designed to do), and it all fitted together at the other end. Everything electrical worked, everything mechanical worked, and nothing broke in the car journey.
    I had made special ends for the boards where they normally join, so that the rail ends would be protected, this was easy enough to do with a couple of pieces of wood, a drill and a router.
     
  15. Dr Tony

    Dr Tony Full Member

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    Oops, hit wrong button on the mobile again, here's the pic of the board meeting the track ends.
    PSX_20190809_224418.jpg
    One of the boards in the boot of the car, on top of the legs and backboards, the other board sits on the back seat
    PSX_20190809_224515.jpg
    No photos of the exhibition yet, was too busy setting up and chatting, only remembered about photos on the way to the car, there's always tomorrow and Sunday
    Cheers
    Tony
     
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  16. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    Have a great show Tony if I get a chance may be down Sunday Afternoon
    However have family over this weekend and a celebration on sat, with visitors staying over, so will depend on if they go home early or late.
    Fingers crossed
     
  17. bobcom52

    bobcom52 Full Member

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    What exhibition is on this weekend?
    cheers
    Bob
     
  18. Dr Tony

    Dr Tony Full Member

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    Hi Bob,
    On my feet all day today, only got a couple of opportunities to look at phone, and that was for making/receiving calls (strange thing to use a phone for these days) so didn't get time to see your question here.
    It is in Thornleigh, still had tomorrow to run. It is the exhibition that used to be in Beecroft. It is a small exhibition, put on by the local Marlin group, but having said that there were only three Marlin layouts there, including the U-drive for kids. Additionally there were a number of N-gauge from UK, US, Japan and Australia, one more but I can't remember, but I didn't get much of a chance to look around.
    One On30 (I think) and a very large US HO from the Hills club. No O gauge sorry.
    It's a nice little exhibition with only a minimum of traders (3 to be precise)
    thorn 2019.jpg
    Cheers
    Tony
     
  19. Dr Tony

    Dr Tony Full Member

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    Spent all day talking and showing. The layout operated faultlessly all day, with just a smattering of user errors from the punters having a go, but that is how you learn.
    What I wasn't prepared for was that about 70% of modern kids have no concept of a knob to vary the speed of something. They have to be taught, guess they are just used to all volume controls and the like now being buttons. My son gets it, but he has been brought up in a house of old things, hey we still have a CRT TV and working VHS units.
    Didn't get to take many photos, but here's one just before the start, for those not on FB IMG_20190810_085807.jpg
    It's hard work having a shunting layout, can't just sit down and watch trains go round. I'll have to compare notes with Gary tomorrow on sore feet, mine are fine now...
    Cheers
    Tony
    Cheers
    Tony
     
  20. bobcom52

    bobcom52 Full Member

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    Thanks Tony, the ad wasn't in the last AMRM hence the question. However just now looking at the previous one it was in there.
    Hope you have a good time. Too far away for me to attend anyhow.
    cheers
    Bob.
     

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