4mm Chris' Trainsets

Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

Western Thunderer
Rather than tie up the gallery, it's probably best if I start a thread in here. I tend to flip around between my layouts. so might as well jumble them all together to avoid things getting stale.

My current attentions are towards Polbrock which will be heading up to Barrow Hill next weekend at Model Rail Live. Work has involved turning it from a diorama onto proper working layout. It has always worked, but required the twisting of wires under the baseboard to get things to move, but with the show pending proper controls and fiddly yards have been added.

Today I'll be building a few more cassettes....
I'll lower the drape a little to avoid the crease at the top of the hem. The big knob (insert jokes here) allows point operation from front or rear depending on how scary the audience are. The name plaque was still drying in this snap, the lacquer is now clear.

nevard_120914_polbrock_DSC_9143_WEB.jpg

After Model Rail Live I'll start on extending the layout to include the colliery in time for Railex next May. I'm really looking forward to that aspect. The layout drops out of the case with the removal of a few screws hopefully making the extension a simple process. I'll need to print off a new longer backscene and turn the fish tank into a grown up sized coffin.

nevard_120914_polbrock_DSC_9145_WEB.jpg
 
Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

Western Thunderer
Cheers, I'm actually quite pleased with that one :)
The extra growth is part of the slow move from Cornwall to Somerset with the pending extension to include a colliery. It will be firmly GWR too, which for me is dark side enough.
 
28ten

28ten

Guv'nor
I do like the little dip in the siding, its little things that make the difference. Are the shots taken with just the cabinet lighting?
 
Phill Dyson

Phill Dyson

Western Thunderer
Love the pic of the North British :):thumbs:

Do you find the layout interesting to operate?........I'm just wondering about operational interest, as I would quite like to build a small indoor layout at some stage:)
 
Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

Western Thunderer
28ten - yup, built in lighting.
Phill - boring as hell, but I'd be no more interested operating Clapham Junc to be honest.

Cement Quay has been dug out and popped under the lights, normally this layout is operated as a modern day set up, but next time it goes out I'll be winding the clock back 50 years or so as below....

nevard_120927_CQ_DSC_9595_WEB.jpgnevard_120927_CQ_IMG_0230_WEB.jpgnevard_120927_CQ_IMG_0239_WEB.jpgnevard_120927_CQ_IMG_0248_WEB.jpgnevard_120927_CQ_IMG_0257_WEB.jpg
 
Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

Western Thunderer
A little later on the day, the photographer climbed onto the roof of one of the aggregate screens and got these angles.

Nearly everything in this scene is ready to run and kit with a little scratchbuilding and kit-bashing. The track a mix of PECO (one must always write PECO in caps ;) ) and SMP. A big 3D puzzle really, but a layout that's given me lot of fun (though I'd build my own pointwork next time as I normally do, it's less problematic). Many of the steel 16 tonners are at least 30 years old and are Airfix ones.

nevard_121003_CQ_IMG_0588_WEB.jpg
nevard_121004_CQ_IMG_0568_WEB.jpg
 
ceejaydee

ceejaydee

Western Thunderer
Excellent set of photos which I suppose is in a way what we have come to expect from you; models and photos to a consistently high standard.
That said it does nothing to lessen the enjoyment of you models and photos for us viewers.

You mention in post 15 that you've had problems with points but do not elaborate ....So if you had the opportunity to start afresh in 4mm scale would you choose OO F/S again or go for EM or maybe even P4?
 
adrian

adrian

Flying Squad
Cracking photo's, very atmospheric.

Is it just me (probably!) but they seem very redolent of Vettriano.
 
Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

Western Thunderer
If I started again I'd seriously consider EM because in many cases with modern RTR it's possible to simply widen the wheels out. But 34 years down the road I'm not going to change now, and have no intention of doubling up on standards/stock unless I change scale totally (mmmm 7mm......). But I do firmly believe if every trick under the sun can be used to make the track look good (use C&L etc), in the real world at shows many are fooled unless they look at the trains head on.

P4 would be lovely, but I'd rather build layouts than chassis which I've never been able to get to run well - and there's only a certain number of times I can afford to pay the wizard Phil Hall to build chassis for me for the few kit built locos I have.

I've always built my own track (bar the flexitrack bits), but with Cement Quay I thought I'd have a mess about with PECO pointwork. They blend in just fine with SMP in such a situation where most of the sleepers are hidden, but I can get smoother running with handlaid pointwork because it can be tweaked to match stock. Peco flangeways are a little more 'universal' than I need. I'm very demainding with running quality.

120312_polbrock_DSC_2314_WEB.jpg

Below, all OO - my very first brass kit dating from 1982, chassis rebuilt by Phil Hall 3 years ago, it runs BEAUTIFULLY, the wheels picking up little if any dirt during a weekend show. Track C&L, running to 'NevardStandard' which is to make the crossing V and checkrail clearances as tight as possible for MY stock -I have no idea whether it's OO f/s but it works for me and gives smooth running.

At the end of the day I'm far happier with a pot and paint and Grasmaster - I don't really understand what rulers are for, but a thin one can be cut for chiseling buildings off baseboards and opening tinlets of paint.

nevard_110101_catcott_IMG_1728_WEB.jpg
 
P

PMP

Western Thunderer
Railway Bylines was there too and got this shot....
Click to expand...

Caption writers got the day off then, not flowery or wordy enuff for RBL! :0)

I'm much the same re changing from OO, though I'm likely to build my own track on an upcoming project to improve the appearance like you have above.
 
queensquare

queensquare

Western Thunderer
Beautifully put Chris. Pretty much sums up my approach to 2FS - it may not be right but certainly looks and feels so.

Jerry
 
Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

Western Thunderer
Removing the PECO latching mech' which sits on top of the sleepers like a squashed turtle makes a big visual difference too (it being no longer needed when the point motor is self latching). And of course to get reliable running with painted PECO points (the paint messing up the electrical continuilty with the point switch blade knuckle) and avoiding shorts as wheel sets briefly touch the rear of the switch blades you need to mess about totally rewiring the point. All this will take longer than building a basic copper clad point fom scratch, which I reckon I can do in just over an hour per point as long as I don't want chair detail as with thw one below.

Below is a new siding being grafted onto Cement Quay's new (ish) module to the right of the main layout, but this time going back to good old copper clad. Obviously it looks different, but once it's under a layer of DAS modelling clay and static grass it will blend in just fine. The new siding will be serving some spoil heaps and another screen. It's a bit of a tight one, so only short wheel base loco will be allowed over it if buffer lock between wagons and loco are to be avoided - all operatonal fun! But tests with the Super D and 16 tonners are actually OK here probably due to the smallish overhang.

nevard_120411_cementQ_DSC_3454_WEB.jpgnevard_120411_cementQ_DSC_3460_WEB.jpg
 
Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

Western Thunderer
CME & Bottlewasher said:
Hi Chris/Cynric,

<<snippetypoos>>
Cynric I agree the 'grade' really makes the scene - very prototypical:bowdown::thumbs:

<</snippetypoos>>


ATVB

CME
Click to expand...

Ta muchly, in fact at Model Rail Live I was able to do a little fly-shunting on Polbrock letting the wagons roll into the siding under there own steam - the nippers loved it!

This also appeared briefly, if only to show off the grade...
nevard_120923_modelrailLive_DSC_9401_WEB.jpg
 
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