Sunshine, Palm Trees and a Food Industry...

Thank you Gormo.

 

So the layout has been set back up in the garage as it was when Gormo visited a fortnight ago. This didn't take too long, although there are a few things I need to repair...

Due to the help I had on Friday afternoon setting the layout up, one of the feeder wires were broken, luckily the layout operated without the need for this to be re-soldered.

Throughout the weekend an operator had broken two of the 3D printed ground throws... Of course nothing was said until I brought it up....

A telegraph pole was also snapped off at ground level... How the hell this happens when it is located at the rear of the layout I just don't know...

Then there was the pilot broken off my brand new Rapido GP38... Again, how that happened I don't know...

With quite a few damages occurring on the layout, I have decided to put a new rule in place when selecting an operator or operators...

The rule is : 'If you have never exhibited your own layout, you won't qualify to be an operator on my layout'.

Over the last 12 months, I have moved the layout from one room to another, taken the layout to the NMRA Convention, brought it home and set it back up again with no issues. I have recently relocated, set the layout up in the new location with no damage, moved it to the lounge room for testing with no damage and then packed it into a van with no damage...
One can't afford to have so many little things go wrong during an exhibition, whether it's during set up or operating. Care should be given at all times. Another words, it ain't hard to treat it like your own layout...

Cheers, Gary.

 

Your guess is as good as mine...
I give instructions to all that these are delicate and they do not throw the points... It really comes down to carelessness...

Cheers, Gary.

 

Thanks Jim, you have provided some wise words with your musings. I'll take all that into account and I will be around for quite some time modelling, no doubts about that !

Cheers, Gary.

 

The layout performed as I would expect at an exhibition. Had one issue with one particular engine that would derail for some strange reason on Sunday morning, where it was not on Saturday...?? In the end, it had something to do with the lead bogie and this will be something I will look at over this weekend.

The layout itself was received quite well from the public and other exhibitors. It wasn't the usual 'shadow box' or 'rectangular layout' that we are so used to seeing at exhibitions and it gave the public a lot of viewing options due to its shape.
Quite a few exhibitors came to look at it because their fellow exhibitors had said to them, "Go take a look at that Miami layout in the corner, it is incredible..." Now that was pretty flattering indeed !
One chap came back on Sunday and said to me, "I have not photographed any other layout over the weekend and I'm back here today to take more photos of your layout"...
Overall I had some very kind comments directed at the layout, which was quite pleasing, almost overwhelming with the responses I received !

Cheers, Gary.

 

Hi Geoff,

It was great to meet you too and it is always a pleasure to put a face to a name !
Thank you for the kind words and I did enjoy viewing Wansbeck Road, the sector plates on each end gave the layout some great operation.

Cheers, Gary.

 

T Gauge is the 'crazy scale' which is modelled at 1:500, it is possibly the smallest scale anyone would want to build a layout, or for those with awesome eyesight !

Cheers, Gary.

 

Back to scratch building again...

Although I have not completed the Trujillo & Sons, Bag Rag and Graulich International buildings, I thought I'd make a start on another few buildings...

So far I have only cut the card for Tropical Pallets (no photo) and started piecing together a version of Pan American Paper Inc...

The prototype Pan American Paper Inc.

The other building I have started on is the Produce In Paradise, formerly Miami Waste Paper Co. I am allowing some modellers license on this model as it is quite low relief and sits at the very front of the layout.

In the image above, you can see that the floor of the building is not very deep, so to add interest to this, I will not be putting a back wall (edge of the layout) on the building. Here instead I will model an interior.
This pic below shows an open door which will assist in spotting the car at the door as it is otherwise blind to look at without leaning up and over the layout.

The prototype building...

Not sure yet if I will model the larger section of the building that is in the photo directly above. I guess time will tell... Perhaps a smaller industry can be built next door...

Anyway, that's it so far, more to follow...

Cheers, Gary.

 

This weekend I have been working on the roller doors for Produce in Paradise (ex Miami Waste Paper Co) as shown in the photos in the post above.

As this building sits right on the front edge of the layout, the structure hides the siding that serves the industry so I have designed the building to be open, as shown in the previous post.

One of the interior details are the roller doors and the hardware used to hang the doors, ie brackets, roller guides etc.

These parts have been scratch built from Evergreen styrene.

The roller doors are corrugated styrene sheet wrapped around styrene tube. There are two doors to the structure, although only one will be in the open position.

As you can see in the photos, the open door has a larger diameter to the rolled up door compared to the door that is closed.

The brackets holding up the door is made from Evergreen styrene #291 1.5mm angle. These are 4' long and 2' deep with Evergreen styrene #101 (0.25 x 0.75) strip used as bracing. These were super glued to the wall.

Four 3.5mm lengths of Evergreen #262 2mm channel was drilled to take 1mm rod (Evergreen #211) and these act as the roller fixing.

I have used Evergreen Styrene #261 1.5mm channel for the roller door guides. These guides were super glued to the wall edge of the door opening.

On the end of the roller door axle (?), I made up two sprockets to carry the door chain. I used two thin slithers of Evergreen #225 4mm tube glued to the outside of a short length of Evergreen #223 2.4mm tube. I left a gap of approximately 1.5mm for the chain to sit in between the 4mm tube. Once the sprocket had cured, it was slide onto the 1mm rod axle carrying the roller door. The chain is an old bracelet I found in a park, hence the gold colour. (It ain't gold, as it is magnetic !)

Both doors were treated the same. A small loop of brass wire was bent up and drilled into the wall to act as a chain retainer.

Next up I'll add conduits and fuse boxes to the interior.

Cheers, Gary.