Greengiant
Western Thunderer
I have started working again on a layout build that has been asleep for a few years, not helped by the Covid interlude! It is taking up space in the workshop which I need for another project! With an offer of a permanent housing for the layout when complete to be on display, it is this that has kicked me into action.
It will take me a while to get the thread up to speed, but if you can bear with me over the next few days I will do my best.
It will chart the concept, execution and evolution of the layout over a period of four years. I hope it will be of interest to see the thought processes and development as we as a small team went along with the build. Apologies if you have already seen it on another forum.
Here we go, back in early 2015...
What?
16mm to the foot (1/19th), fine scale model railway.
Who?
Three people (later to become four), narrow gauge enthusiasts, modellers, railway volunteers, all wanting to do something a little differently to the norm, bringing skills of draughtsmanship, engineering and art to the melting pot and hopefully coming out with something worthwhile at the end.
Why?
All three of us have 16mm live steam locos and enjoy the whole garden railway community. We are all modellers in 7mm scale, both narrow and standard gauge, the benefit of which has enabled us to exhibit our work at many exhibitions, an activity we enjoy. All three of us are regular volunteers on the Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway, giving us superb access to a whole array of narrow gauge railway items.
Our aim is to produce a finescale model railway in 16mm scale, scratch building virtually everything, using which ever production method is suitable, exploring laser/digital cutting, 3D printing, CNC milling, DCC control with sound.
The model
Will be a true scale representation of Stony Shaw station and approaches on the Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway, time stamp will be the first Sunday in June (hence FSIJ). Here will be documented the Warts-n-all process we go through in hopefully achieving our aim.
The beginning
Each Monday evening we met up and developed our ideas, some of which culminate in some test building to prove or visualise concepts. Between meetings there are projects we work on in readiness for the next meet up. Having a regular commitment should enable the project to keep momentum and progress at a regular rate. A timeline has been created to cover baseboard, track, scenery, signalling, stock and wiring, enabling parallel production to take place and give us targets to achieve.
The layout will be approximately 25 feet long plus a traverser fiddle yard, with the minimum number of bolts, if any, holding it together to allow quick assembly and take down for exhibition use.
To get going a site survey was made with a lot of measuring taking place.
Planning
This is the original concept sketch that started off the whole project.
The desire to produce a layout that gets away from the matt black front profile edge that is seen so many times at exhibitions. To find an alternative to the obligatory hanging curtain fixed to the lower edge of baseboards. Perhaps the inclusion of mood lighting to add variety to the presentation of the layout. I see many beautifully modelled layouts let down but ‘after thought’ presentation, a real shame. I strongly believe layouts should be designed as a complete package, to show them off at their best. There are some very imaginatively presented layouts out there, they draw you to them, encouraging you to take a look.
To this end, we have designed out the flat baseboard edge, FSIJ is to have a completed landscaped edge, to give the impression of floating in the air.
The presentation surround to the layout is a complete contrast to the popular black by being white.
Main construction materials to be thin ply, foam and PVC. Minimum use of bolts for assembly, minimum wiring connectors.
Further sketching refined the design. We also built an initial concept model, it was enough to prove to us it was workable.
This is the very first concept model and it convinced us the project had some potential and worth developing.
The figure is a 16mm scale figure, so a scale 16mm scale model of a 16mm model!
The original idea was for a 90 degree formation, this has now changed slightly.
To help fully prove the design further a 1/25th scale model of the model was constructed using balsa, card and foam.
The support formers were cut from card to represent the thin ply, balsa was used to represent inner timber framing, this may eventually be replaced by thin foam in the real model.
Initial assembly.
Representations of the main baseboards.
A board and two supports taking shape.
Now with two of the six boards in place.
Upper and lower facias making an appearance.
To be continued ...
Martin
It will take me a while to get the thread up to speed, but if you can bear with me over the next few days I will do my best.
It will chart the concept, execution and evolution of the layout over a period of four years. I hope it will be of interest to see the thought processes and development as we as a small team went along with the build. Apologies if you have already seen it on another forum.
Here we go, back in early 2015...
What?
16mm to the foot (1/19th), fine scale model railway.
Who?
Three people (later to become four), narrow gauge enthusiasts, modellers, railway volunteers, all wanting to do something a little differently to the norm, bringing skills of draughtsmanship, engineering and art to the melting pot and hopefully coming out with something worthwhile at the end.
Why?
All three of us have 16mm live steam locos and enjoy the whole garden railway community. We are all modellers in 7mm scale, both narrow and standard gauge, the benefit of which has enabled us to exhibit our work at many exhibitions, an activity we enjoy. All three of us are regular volunteers on the Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway, giving us superb access to a whole array of narrow gauge railway items.
Our aim is to produce a finescale model railway in 16mm scale, scratch building virtually everything, using which ever production method is suitable, exploring laser/digital cutting, 3D printing, CNC milling, DCC control with sound.
The model
Will be a true scale representation of Stony Shaw station and approaches on the Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway, time stamp will be the first Sunday in June (hence FSIJ). Here will be documented the Warts-n-all process we go through in hopefully achieving our aim.
The beginning
Each Monday evening we met up and developed our ideas, some of which culminate in some test building to prove or visualise concepts. Between meetings there are projects we work on in readiness for the next meet up. Having a regular commitment should enable the project to keep momentum and progress at a regular rate. A timeline has been created to cover baseboard, track, scenery, signalling, stock and wiring, enabling parallel production to take place and give us targets to achieve.
The layout will be approximately 25 feet long plus a traverser fiddle yard, with the minimum number of bolts, if any, holding it together to allow quick assembly and take down for exhibition use.
To get going a site survey was made with a lot of measuring taking place.
Planning
This is the original concept sketch that started off the whole project.
The desire to produce a layout that gets away from the matt black front profile edge that is seen so many times at exhibitions. To find an alternative to the obligatory hanging curtain fixed to the lower edge of baseboards. Perhaps the inclusion of mood lighting to add variety to the presentation of the layout. I see many beautifully modelled layouts let down but ‘after thought’ presentation, a real shame. I strongly believe layouts should be designed as a complete package, to show them off at their best. There are some very imaginatively presented layouts out there, they draw you to them, encouraging you to take a look.
To this end, we have designed out the flat baseboard edge, FSIJ is to have a completed landscaped edge, to give the impression of floating in the air.
The presentation surround to the layout is a complete contrast to the popular black by being white.
Main construction materials to be thin ply, foam and PVC. Minimum use of bolts for assembly, minimum wiring connectors.
Further sketching refined the design. We also built an initial concept model, it was enough to prove to us it was workable.
This is the very first concept model and it convinced us the project had some potential and worth developing.
The figure is a 16mm scale figure, so a scale 16mm scale model of a 16mm model!
The original idea was for a 90 degree formation, this has now changed slightly.
To help fully prove the design further a 1/25th scale model of the model was constructed using balsa, card and foam.
The support formers were cut from card to represent the thin ply, balsa was used to represent inner timber framing, this may eventually be replaced by thin foam in the real model.
Initial assembly.
Representations of the main baseboards.
A board and two supports taking shape.
Now with two of the six boards in place.
Upper and lower facias making an appearance.
To be continued ...
Martin