Great Chesterford Junction Part Two

Discussion in 'Members Personal Layouts' started by gormo, Dec 5, 2015.

  1. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Thanks Chris.......:thumbs:



    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  2. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Onto other things now.......no more buildings for a while , or until the weather turns nasty again.?
    I`ve started adding fascias to the front of Bamford
    This is a before pic, actually a long time before pic....:scratchchin:


    IMG20220616160453.jpg

    And this is an after pic taken today.

    IMG20220801152944.jpg

    And another, of the fascia between the two sets of control panels / terraces

    IMG20220801152930.jpg

    Of course, it goes without saying, that these fascias will be transformed once they have been painted Black.
    These fascias, I feel, are a necessary add on for model railways, as they hide all the doings, bits of wire, lumps of wood, sticky tape, cable ties and hot glue strings attached to that screw driver you`ve been looking for, that may be hanging down slightly under the baseboard.
    The distraction is removed by hiding it with a fascia or a curtain of some sort.
    The eye sees a clean line of sorts, or a blank, dull coloured, monotone strip that has nothing of interest for the viewer and consequently draws your attention back to the model railway.
    The model railway should be viewed, I feel, as if you were in a theatre and the stage is the model railway.
    In a theatre we usually sit in the dark, so all other visual distractions are removed and our focus is on what`s happening on the stage.
    Anyway, those are just my thoughts on the subject.........I shall leave you in peace now, dear reader, to ponder these quite thoughtful and significant observations and revelations.....I think.....:scratchchin:
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  3. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Folks,
    Fascias are complete with the last section going in just a short while ago


    IMG20220802151149.jpg

    Even a little narrow strip beside the lever frame is included to keep the theme going.
    I usually clamp a piece, if it`s possible, to hold it secure before putting in screws. You can get it exactly where you want it with hands free to operate the drill.


    IMG20220802151155.jpg


    Screws are in, Block instrument fitted and tested. We have our Bell Codes handy and I`ve also put a switch in for the sliding yard lights. The switch has to be wired up yet, but it will be nice to replace the temporary solution I had before.


    IMG20220802172655.jpg


    There is just enough clearance to retract the sliding yard fully without anything catching or fouling the operation.


    IMG20220802172706.jpg

    The unfilled triangular section above, plus it`s neighbor to the left, will be filled with removable scenery. I have to be careful not to block all access to hidden tracks. Occasionally I will get a derailment behind all this lot, so I still need to access the area without too much trouble.
    Derailments, mechanical issues and electrical issues, nearly always will happen in the most inaccessible places, otherwise known as Murphy`s Law.
    How do I know this...????? :scratchchin::faint:
    So.....all the fascias in my train room are now fitted.......admittedly I have to paint the new ones yet, but that is the easy part of the job.
    More as it happens
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  4. Gary

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

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    Nice work Gormo, on the signal box and the fascias.

    In the photo directly above, will you be adding a trim to the baseboard sitting above the hidden tracks ?

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  5. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Gary,
    No.....not exactly...there will be removable scenery fitted in that space.
    The scenery will sit on top of the fascia that supports the Block Instrument and spread back to that corner section you mentioned.
    I will fit some right angle brackets to the edge of the corner section for the scenery to sit on as well.
    Then , in theory, it will be able to lift off to access down under the top baseboard if I need to.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  6. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Folks,
    These pics below may give a better idea of where I`m heading with the removable scenery.
    The pic below shows the area Gary was curious about. Today I fitted two supporting brackets which will allow a section of ply to be placed in this roughly triangular space.


    IMG20220803133017.jpg


    The ply was carefully measured and cut to shape


    IMG20220803133023.jpg


    The ply is able to rest on the brackets and the fascia frame at the front of the layout. The plan is to now build on top of the ply base with polystyrene and a plaster skin. This section, hopefully will blend neatly with the existing baseboard.


    IMG20220803133038.jpg


    This area below, and to the left of the removable section, will be built up with polystyrene and plaster to create a hill which will rise from the baseboard below to meet the baseboard on the upper level. This will be fixed scenery with tunnel portals down at the lower track level.


    IMG20220803133046.jpg


    So some interesting shapes to be cut from the polystyrene to form this quite substantial hill, but I think the best way is to build it up in layers, so we`ll see how it goes.???
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  7. Gary

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

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    Nice infill and good to have it removable ! Looking forward to the scenery !!

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  8. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Folks,
    The fascias on Bamford have now had two coats of Black ( Blackboard Paint ) and the Block Instrument and Bell Codes sheet have been reinstated.
    The switch for Newmarket yard lights has been wired and installed.


    IMG20220804113651.jpg


    IMG20220804113709.jpg



    IMG20220804113715.jpg

    Today I`ve cut some polystyrene, to suit the triangular lift out section and that has been glued to the ply base and is under weights for the next 24 hours or so.
    At the moment I`m trying to work out a good set up for the tunnel portals. Dimensions are a bit tight, so I`ll have to get a bit creative down there.
    It won`t be hard to create something.....getting it to look good is another thing because it will need to be a custom size to fit the area, plus probably set at an angle etc.
    Anything you want to be different to the norm has to be carved out from the very basics, but I think it will be worth the effort.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  9. Chris Doroszenko

    Chris Doroszenko Lost in the spare room Full Member

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    That seems to have tidied up the corner a bit...still in ore of the control panel. So.cool.

    King Regards
    Chris
     
  10. Vinylelpea

    Vinylelpea Full Member

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    Painting it black makes a big difference . All makes sense to me now. :thumbup:


    .
     
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  11. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Thanks Chris....:thumbs::tophat:
     
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  12. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Phil,
    Well that`s good that it makes sense...........sometimes you make these decisions and wonder if it`s the right way to go or not...???
    But I`m afraid.....in for a penny, in for a pound.....no turning back now.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  13. Chris M

    Chris M If 2 wrongs don't make it right ... try 3 Full Member

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    Hey Gormo,
    I agree black (or dark) is best. The focus should be on the railway not the fascia. In this picture the bright green fascia takes over from the scenery (I guess this guy likes green).

    Fascia.jpg

    Anyway ... good job Gormo :thumbs:

    Chris
     
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  14. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Yes Chris......he must like green, or it was left over from when he painted his outside dunny.
    I have seen American basement layouts with a dull, darker green, possibly Olive green, that don`t look too bad.
    I think the bright green draws your eye away from the layout, which happens to be a very nice layout, so it`s a shame, but easily fixed with a coat of a different colour.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  15. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Folks,
    Still pressing forward and still decisions to be made on the best way to do that for parts of the build.
    That in itself can limit progress, so I`ve just decided to tackle one thing at a time, and one way or another, by hook or by crook, it will get done.
    This morning I released the lift out section from it`s heavy weight burden that kept things in check whilst the PVA dried......hopefully bonding two layers of polystyrene to the ply base.
    I then tidied up the front edge with a hot wire and applied some base coat colour with artists acrylics.
    Still not sure exactly how I`m going to scenic this section......but it will come eventually......:scratchchin:


    IMG20220805164541.jpg

    Now I need to tie in a hill to the left of this section, but before I can do the hill, I need to work out the tunnel arrangement down below at the Western end of Great Chesterford Junction.
    I have always wanted to do a staggered tunnel arrangement under the hill, but when I laid down the track fifty thousand years ago, I failed to leave a generous spacing between the four roads, to accommodate the bog standard tunnel portals available from the trade.
    So I have created a problem for myself......:scratchchin:
    I believe nothing is impossible, so I will plug away at problems until I solve them.....I`m a stubborn B*gg*r.......just ask my Kids and my Missus.
    Anyhoo......the simple fact of the matter is that I have to make my own custom portals and retaining walls etc.
    The first thing to do is some testing.....can I make a tunnel portal that looks passable .???
    I have some foam board that has been hanging around unused for years, so this is my go to material to have a crack at it. The foam board can be scored easily. it is 5mm thick and easy to cut....so I created a rough test piece.
    This piece below convinced me that this was a good alternative. I used a " Dry '' ( no ink ) ball point pen to score my lines in the board. The pen was fitted to a compass to score the arch. I used a white water colour pencil to do the mortar. The card surface was sanded to give a rough finish and any colour required was added with chalk pastels.
    This test piece gave me the confidence to go forward and build this project, so the next stage was careful measurement of the area, because the tolerances I`m dealing with here are quite tight, to say the least.
    Pardon me whilst I have another sip of Scotch.......Ahhhh...that`s better..... :cheers::thumbs:


    IMG20220805164525.jpg


    Here below you see the first proper portal ( still needs a keystone ) and retaining wall. There is no colour added to these parts yet. This is Black foam board sanded a little.
    The Orange bits of wood are 10mm square and are used to assess clearances and determine positions of parts.
    I originally wanted to do three portals.....two singles and a double. I will need to check my clearances again , because when I first started checking clearances I thought that one single and a triple was the only way forward......not so sure now....we`ll see..????


    IMG20220805164451.jpg

    These parts are literally just standing there..........no permanent fixing yet. I may reduce the length of the retaining wall in order to make a three portal system.
    Whichever way I go, the next portal will be to the left of the retaining wall.


    IMG20220805164439.jpg


    Anyway....the old eyes can not take too much more of this today, so I will continue another day.....time for another Scotch....or maybe Wild Turkey Bourbon...?????
    :cheers::tophat:Gormo
     
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  16. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Folks,
    I`ve just come in from the shed after doing a short running session with my trains. Basically just to make sure all is still working properly after nearly three weeks with no activity out there. I am happy to report all is good.
    The reason for the time off and not being on the forum though, is not so happy.
    My Father In Law passed away on the 9th Aug. He was 93 years old and had a good innings, however he has left a kind of vacuum in our lives and we are still trying to deal with that and come to grips with a new reality.
    My wife and Brother In Law are still in a rather stunned state, so it will take a while to find some joy again for them.
    I had known the old fella for 50 years, so it`s a bit strange without him around. He was a larger than life character that had lived through the great depression and world war 2. So a tough start probably hardened him enough so that he would never let things get him down. He would just put bad experiences behind him and move on towards a new thing or challenge with optimism.
    So I guess we can learn a lot from his attitude.......don`t dwell on the bad things or mistakes, just keep going and look forward to a new or better outcome.
    My interest in my hobby has gone for the moment, but it will return I`m sure, and I guess it won`t be long before I`m up here posting with new inventions and whizz bang ideas.
    The moderators already know about this, but I thought I would just let the general forum know as some of you must be wondering what happened to Gormo.?
    Anyhow, I will be back, as Arnie would say, and I`ll see you online in the near future.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  17. Vinylelpea

    Vinylelpea Full Member

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    Sorry to hear of your loss. Sending love to you and your family. Look forward to seeing you back in the shed. Take care.
     
  18. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Thank you Phil...:thumbs:
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  19. Gary

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

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    G'day Gormo,

    Thank you for your update and letting the members know of your silence of late. My thoughts go out to you, Mrs Gormo and her brother.

    Take care.

    Gary.
     
  20. Gary

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

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    G'day Gormo,

    Thank you for your update and letting the members know of your silence of late. My thoughts go out to you, Mrs Gormo and her brother.

    Take care.

    Gary.
     

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