009 Narrow Gauge Winter Scene (Heavy Bandwidth Warning)

mumbles · Post by **mumbles** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:30 pm

Welcome to another New Mumbles thread!!!

As you now know I entered the winter scene competition and for my entry I decided to do something I had been wanting to do for a while and build a narrow gauge layout.

Stupid choice for a competition on this forum, as far as I know there are no narrow gauge blue locos with yellow ends!

Anywayâ€¦ I thought of a plan almost straight away so set to sketching what I was thinking of building.
I was thinking of it being a Christmas fantasy themed layout that my kids would love and that I would enjoy building, learning new things and that I could convert after the competition to a more freelance realistic narrow gauge layout.

This was the pre production sketch I drew, and although the Santa Roof/Chimney training facility never made it to production, it is fairly accurate to the finished layout.

Track plan, which changed half way through to add a passing loop for better operational potential

So I got to workâ€¦ ordering some bits I would need.
009 crazy track and wood to get started... the basedboard was originally going to be 3x1 but I decide to extend it to 4x1 and Iâ€™m glad I did, just a bit more room for building onâ€¦

Also at this time Doc posted a great idea for mechanical point control which I really wanted to tell him I had used but had to sit on till now! It worked, nice one! I had some rail sat around but it was 00 and instead of filing it and bending it I soldered a nail at right angles for the bit to go through the baseboard.

OOO, look what came in the post!

So the main part of this layout and the biggest test for me would be the factory structure, in that, this is the first building I have scratch built. I started off with a shell of plasticard that would later have embossed plasticard sheets added.

I then moved onto the other end where there was to be a mine, a mine for what Iâ€™m not sure but either coal or silver! Maybe both!
This was again scratch built using plasticard cut into strips, slightly roughed up with sandpaper to give a wood grain effect.

I then used some plaster bandages to cover it and sculpt the cutting that the sidings were in.

I used the foil method to get the rock textures.

And an over view thus farâ€¦

Some extras came in the post, point levers and buffers-which you can see later!

In my original plan I had a series of lights in a rope/line between 2 points on the factory, when I looked to get these commissioned it was suggested that I have them on poles to aid hooking them up... I was very pleased with the result when it arrived and it was connected to the power:

Thatâ€™s it for this postâ€¦ I will continue in another post so if I hopefully it goes onto a 2nd page and this means less download for each pageâ€¦

Cheers
Michael

mumbles · Post by **mumbles** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:31 pm

Carrying onâ€¦
Embossed plasticard is now going on, it was around about end of October I think I was at this stage

In these next shots I have built a sliding door and done some of the paving as well. This was the slaters 4mm paving sheets

Parkside V hoppers built and painted

Shot of fiddly to pave pointwork

Ballasting was done with Modellers mate extra fine granite chips and weathered with sleeper grime, you can also see I have painted the plaster cutting and used various shades of grey to make a rock effect

So, at some point I had to get more of the wood panel slaters plasticard, and it turned out when I had ordered it originally it had got sent the wrong one, which I found out when they sent me the wrong one again.. Eventually I got the right stuff and this job was finished along with the roof tiles, which are the scalloped variety

Finishing up involved details such as drainpipes, more sliding doors, gables, hoist, balcony etc

I went for a walk one day and picked up some twigs to use for the log loaders a mate lent meâ€¦

And promptly went home and had a crash!!!
The engine driver gets a rollocking!!

On the mine end I used static grass to cover the hill top, I had read somewhere or been told that the best way to do snow is to do ground as you would normally and then cover with the white stuff

Still more to come.. ha ha, this is the quickest layout thread ever!

Cheers
Michael

mumbles · Post by **mumbles** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:32 pm

And more
More commissioned lights arrived and were fitted to the factory building, here above the reindeer stables and other places, also regular LEDS were fitted in the factory to shine through the windows and splash on the roof/paving

The mine at this point looks thus

Santaâ€™s sled was builtâ€¦

Wire for reigns

The lighting in the upper loft

Sled painted

First frost of winter arrivesâ€¦

Factory painted, this colour was inspired by Scandinavian fish smoking factories and the like! It was a very difficult colour to mix and Iâ€™m still not totally happy with it. Looking at Scandinavian buildings that are this red colour, they are all spotless, not a drop of weathering in sight [although Iâ€™m sure some smug git will come along and point out something different] so I will probably leave it unweathered.

Sled detail

One of the hardest bits of the factory build was getting the roof joined into one with flashes down the joins, bearing in mind it is about 2â€ long. I used very thin plasticard and scored and bent it for the flashing and the ridges tile effect.

The frosty buffers I said I would show you earlierâ€¦

Painted roof...

Finishing details such as painting gutters and door runners, more sled detailâ€¦

And a last shot before the winter snow

Cheers
Michael

mumbles · Post by **mumbles** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:32 pm

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW,,,

Well, I hope you enjoyed the pics of how I built my first 009 narrow gauge layout, it took the best part of 3 months and was certainly not built on a tight budget, but then I didnâ€™t set out to work to a budget as I was ultimately building a layout that I would have after the competition and not a disposable competition entry. I have many items that are not confined to this layout or gauge, and some that are, that can be taken forward into other modelling projects.

If I think of things I would do differently for this layout, I would probably not do much differently. If I was to think of what I would do differently for an entry to a competition on NRM, I would stick to just sprinkling some white stuff on a Blue loco with yellow ends on an existing layoutâ€¦

Once again a big thank you to Andrew [Whatnothomas] for organising the competition, it was a great end to the year to build this instead of stressing about my loft or garageâ€¦
Which leaves me to say: Happy New Railway Modellers Year, and letâ€™s hope we can all fulfill our modelling wishes for 2008.

Cheers
Michael

Ps Martin, yours sucked!

Blaqkaudio009 · Post by **Blaqkaudio009** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:53 pm

well done mate! are you keeping the layout or selling it?

m.levin · Post by **m.levin** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:53 pm

I wouldn't of guessed this was yours mate.
I love your lights

mumbles · Post by **mumbles** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:55 pm

m.levin wrote:I wouldn't of guessed this was yours mate.
I love your lights

i want a refund

mumbles · Post by **mumbles** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:55 pm

Blaqkaudio009 wrote:well done mate! are you keeping the layout or selling it?

keeping for now, unless i get any offers !!

Blaqkaudio009 · Post by **Blaqkaudio009** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:57 pm

well i was gunna say, if you are and the rolling stock is up for grabs, could i buy the vee tippers?

Raider · Post by **Raider** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:59 pm

As the layout is a working model, have you thought about the exhibition circuit?

mumbles · Post by **mumbles** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:00 pm

Blaqkaudio009 wrote:well i was gunna say, if you are and the rolling stock is up for grabs, could i buy the vee tippers?

if i sell the layout i would keep the stock, sorry
they are dead easy to make though and i can let you know how i painted them if you want

Chuffer Chuff · Post by **Chuffer Chuff** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:00 pm

Brilliant Layout Mr Mumbles! I love the lights!

Great Work!

Blaqkaudio009 · Post by **Blaqkaudio009** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:02 pm

ok then no worries, yeah the paint thing sounds a plan! they look great!

mumbles · Post by **mumbles** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:03 pm

Raider wrote:As the layout is a working model, have you thought about the exhibition circuit?

i have but i think i would struggle to operate it for a day.. i would start to rebuild bits while i was there! who knows, if i get someone that would want to help it would be a possibility if anywhere wanted to have it in their show
there is still more to do though to get it up to a standard suitable for close nerdy scrutiny!

Lofty · Post by **Lofty** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:29 pm

This is a cracking article about a stunning entry.

Having read through it, I think itâ€™s better than it looked in the â€˜entry picturesâ€™. There are certainly details I hadnâ€™t picked up on originally.

Lofty