Nixnie
At the start of this project it was known as 'the demo layout' - an idea born about 5 years ago when I thought it would be a good idea to build a small demonstration layout in 009 to promote 9mm gauge narrow gauge modelling for the Dutch 009 Group. It is only 80x55cms and features a midget-size station with a passing loop, and a siding to a brickworks. The theme of the layout isn't really fixed, but most of it is light railway/industrial, although it was built to accommodate some of the smaller C&DR stock if needed.
Nixnie is a name halfway Dutch and South African slang and could be translated as 'nothing at all'. The funny part of it is that the layout was thrown together using all kinds of cast-off bits and pieces that somehow came together. The baseboard is a sandwich of 50mm styrofoam between a sheet of chipboard and a sheet of three-ply. The chipboard came from the attic and the styrofoam from a spare sheet found under the ground floor of the house which I insulated against the cold over 20 years ago. In one corner I cut away the upper sheet of plywood and some of the Styrofoam, so a river bed and a short trestle bridge could be planned. When the plan evolved from its early shape, I had to widen it by about 4cm to be able to shoehorn the trackplan into the limited space. Here is the final plan which I started building last year:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F1nixniev4.jpg&hash=98fa705f7211e7adf58f88d8a3efb3ac4a3d5bb2)
After an appearance in its bare state at last year's Dutch Group meeting, Nixnie was put on show at Valkenburg last September, where I had a go at the river part of the scenery. Since then nothing much has been done on the layout - usual excuses... But today I took it to a small local show held at a revalidation home, where it drew crowds of children who take their swimming lessons in the pool in the home's basement. I felt rather motivated by that, so I decided to put something on the 009 Society forum to share the idea with you - a complete narrow gauge layout with a station, a scenic river area and industry, all on one small board. Here are some photos:
Overview of the layout before starting scenic work:
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Tram loco on the trestle bridge. The smaller C&DR stock looks OK on this layout.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F6DSC00727.jpg&hash=2318ad37e789d4cd2ffa829c7823a3d76085693e)
Ballasted track in the station:
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Overview of the station after the trees were added. The water tank is a Tri-ang TT milk tank.
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The attractive view from the station towards the trees, with a train coming round the curve:
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Overview of the layout showing the way the trees hide the 'source' of the river:
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And finally the shed wall with a sliding door hiding the access to a future fiddle yard. This structure hasn't yet been painted and weathered, unlike the Airfix goods van body. The edge of the goods platform has been glued in place:
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Perhaps I should have a go at the river bed soon, then flood it with epoxy... ::)
Very nice Ted, it realy is amazing how such an evocative scene can be created in such a small area, this is another to follow on this site, thank you for sharing it with us.
Kind regards,
BrianT.
Thanks, Brian, glad you like it. It's still early days though - far too much bare baseboard surface in view.
Another aspect of this layout is that it was made with kit-built plastic structures, some second-hand, many of which can be picked up at sales stands during various model railway shows. The idea is to show a model railway needn't be expensive or space-consuming. It would be a good project even in a bed-sitter. ;)
Thanks for sharing this Ted. This is a splendid little layout that can only inspire and motivate!
I'm sure I am not the only one to notice that you have used standard N gauge set track around the bends yet with clever use of techniques, this doesn't notice.
I look forward to more about "Nothing" ;D
Mick
Most excellent Ted! :) Also great food for thought.
At the very enjoyable get-together of 009 Society members at the Glasgow exhibition in February the very same topic of taking a small layout to general model railway exhibitions came up in conversation. The attractions of larger layouts are clear, but a small layout might be just the thing to encourage newcomers to take up the hobby. I forget who said it, but they quoted something overheard from members of the public along the lines of "you can have one like that in the spare room dear" (points to small layout), "but not one of those" (large layout).
009 layouts are rare at exhibitions in Scotland. On the east coast at least, many exhibitions are dominated by large even very large club layouts. Exhibition managers will probably welcome small privately owned layouts. It really is about time I got stuck in and made something to exhibit. Something like your layout is just the ticket! Are there any other members similarly inspired?
Thanks, all. I think if one really had a go at this layout it could be completed inside a few months. It is manageable and if one uses small 009/H0e stock (not the C&DR giants) it looks even better. For exhibiting it's ideal - I got together the layout, the rolling stock and some loose gear including the power unit in half an hour and was away with the car. I set it up at yesterdays show in 5 minutes and had trains running! Rae Bridge is a different kettle of fish, I can tell you!
The N gauge setrack curves are the best to ensure a clean radius. Some ballasting will remove the funny look. Even the setrack curves were second-hand. This topic could be re-titled 'layout on a budget'... should have thought of that before!
Tonight I did some work on the backscene of Nixnie, which is made of photo prints pasted on a plywood panel. I used wallpaper paste, but regrettably some brown dye in the plywood stained the paper of the backscene. This was especially noticeable in the sky, so something had to be done. I have a spare set of identical prints, so I decided to put these over the first layer of prints. In preparation I painted the sky of the existing backscene white, using artist's acrylic primer. A second coat of primer is needed as the first coat always shows the brush marks.
The photo prints incidentally were made from a 10-year-old VHS video I made in Ireland. I took video stills, blew them up to larger than life size and blurred the image, then printed it on a laser printer using ordinary paper. This makes a beautifully hazy distant mountain backscene.
I hope this repair method works as it's a bit of a gamble - if it does I'll show you the results soon.
Quote from: tedp on April 05, 2012, 21:29
using artist's acrylic primer. A second coat of primer is needed as the first coat always shows the brush marks.
It's throwaway lines like this one that help people like me who are at the beginning of the learning process and are wondering just how to make the paint job on the horsebox kit that I built look decent.
Thanks Ted... dunno what I'd do without this forum...
suppose you might have to if the Board of Directors decide it is unsuitable for the members
Perhaps it would help if you'd post a bit more about your own modelling, Peter! ;)
Thanks for your reply, Rod. I had a look at the coat of acrylic primer today and it has dried up nice and even. I think I'll put on the new backscene sheets today, hoping the brown staining has been contained now.
It would make a nice change from the backbreaking work on my boat, which is to blame for the lack of modelling progress... ;D
I'm happy to report the backscene refurbishment went all right. It was just like wallpaper pasting - all wrinkles when it's wet, then it smooths out nicely when it dries. Lovely stuff, wallpaper paste! The few blemishes can be hidden behind trees. Photos soon.
One reminder: the wallpaper backscene technique can only be done with laser prints as the toner isn't water soluble. Don't do it with an inkjet print - it will run with the moisture.
Ted
yes you are right. I have a permanent dual gauge layout, HO and HOn30 with so far twelve HOn30 locos, all DCC but no sound yet. I am trying to decide if I have room for a small layout like Nixnie that I can join to my layout for running sessions as mine is end to end and I would like a continuous run option. To be honest I would love to post pics etc but have never done this on our forum and I am not a technical whiz kid. Nixnie perhaps because of the buildings does have an American flavour (please dont be offended) and I like your efforts a lot. One ofmy key aims has been to get the HOn30 locos running as smoothly and reliably as the HO ones and at last I am getting there. I will master the posting problem and in the meantime thanks for your interesting layout and construction guide
Peter
Thanks, Peter - I expect running in H0n3 may be as critical as in 009/H0e, but it can be made to work OK with some care and experience. Regarding Nixnie you might say some of the buildings might be considered American in character - never thought of it that way but it's not impossible - but they are solid Pola and Faller and of German origin. ;D
I have now completed the backscene refurbishment as mentioned above. Here are a few photos.
After applying the white primer to the sky areas in the old backscene:
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Brushing on the wallpaper paste:
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Pressing the new backscene sheet into place:
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Wrinkles!
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F6PIC_1259.jpg&hash=ca30cbc4f3f084d89b6e5434092a10d3c047844e)
Cutting a sheet to size for the other side of the centre board:
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The new backscene looks much fresher than the old one:
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A few 'accidents' can be hidden behind more trees:
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New backscene smoothed out after drying:
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That's looking very good, Ted, especially the last shot.
Looking good Ted!
Mick
The colours have certainly brightened up, and the brown stains have gone from the sky.
After a long interval due to extreme modelling block ::) I have taken Nixnie out of storage to have another go at the scenery, as I'm due to exhibit the layout at Valkenburg in just over a fortnight. I plan to write occasional updates of work done on the layout, with photos of each modelling step. The first area to have a look at is the river bed, as shown in this photo made last winter:
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Note that the river appears from nowhere, hidden by the trees. The bottom level is a sheet of chipboard closed off by strips of thin ply which are a continuation of the contour boards along the edge of the layout. The river banks are styrofoam with a papier-mach
Well chaps, today I spent a few hours working on the river bed at Nixnie, and photographing the proceedings. Here are the results.
The river bed from above: bare chipboard and a few ply 'steps' for the waterfalls.
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No this is not what you are thinking it is! Messy, isn't it? But it doesn't smell. Mixing the plaster powder with water and black dye.
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Even worse, when the plaster mix is topped with a dressing of PVA glue. Mix carefully to get reinforced plaster.
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The mix is put on the layout and prodded into odd corners. I made up low dams on the edge of each waterfall at the top of the picture, but this doesn't show up very well. Note the colour is much darker than that of the dried plaster on the river banks. This is done deliberately because it dries up much lighter.
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The 'prodding' is completed and I have added some water to improve the flow and to spread out the ridges in the plaster mix on the river bed. Best done with your fingers. I warned you it would be messy!
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Using a paintbrush with water, I clear most of the plaster from the cork rock formations in the falls, so their texture becomes visible again. Note the wet pools in the soft plaster. The water will be absorbed quickly, if not by the plaster curing process then by the chipboard below.
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Next I add coarse gravel and boulders. This comes from a huge pack of aquarium grit I bought at a pet shop 20 years ago. Note the coarse stuff is accumulated at the edges of the flow, not in the centre.
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Adding fine gravel (coarse sand with fine rock dust) all over the river bed makes it look remarkably like a dry river, don't you think? The fine stuff is pushed into the wet plaster mix by tapping on the surface with your fingers. This enables you to flatten the river bed into a tray shape. The plywood edges of the outflow are about 2-3mm tall, enough to keep the epoxy in when it will be poured (I hope!).
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A few more views showing the waterfall area and a view under the bridge:
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Now we will let it dry out for a few days before we start the more serious work of pouring the resin. Perhaps I will do something about other scenic cover at the station side.
Will be continued!
EDIT, late at night: I just checked and found some of the large 'boulders' in the river bed were coming loose which is what I expected, so I flooded them with a solution of PVA in water and a bit of kitchen detergent, just like track ballast. I may have to repeat that a few times so they are fixed enough to withstand the epoxy resin as it is dripped in, epoxy being heavy enough to displace loose particles.
Ballasting is one of the jobs I like least of railway modelling, as it needs constant attention to prevent spoiling the track. Here is a short outline of the universal PVA glue method: (1) pile a little ballast inside and just outside the track, avoiding the moving parts of the points, (2) brush it even and remove the particles from the rails themselves, (3) mix a little PVA glue with water and a drop of detergent, (4) flood in the PVA glue mix from the side of the ballast shoulder to prevent it pushing the particles away.
Whilst waiting for the river bed to settle and dry out, and the loose gravel I flooded with PVA mix to stick to the plaster where it had come loose, I decided to tackle a large area of ballast around Nixnie station. I used two sizes of (I think Bush or Heki) ballast, and a bit of the rock dust mix used on the river bed. If you think the result is rather coarse for 009 you are right, but it won't be left in its present state, as narrow gauge ballast is often clogged with sand and ash. For the moment, here are a few photos:
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Note the balsa strips glued along the rails where a road will cross the track. There will be a small space beside the station building for a road vehicle to turn. This is indicated by the black lines on the baseboard. The station building, by the way, has been jacked up a little so it is on the same level as the platform.
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I also ballasted the curves leading out of the station, to hide the N gauge sleepers. Note the bridge, which still lacks a wooden deck. The N gauge sleepers still show up rather painfully.
To be continued!
the waters start to flow!
Yesterday evening I tackled another messy job which is not without risk. I poured the epoxy in the dry river bed made the day before. The risk is mainly in the epoxy mix, which has to be exactly right or you will end up with a gooey mess that won't cure. I use an epoxy resin set with measuring pumps which I use for boat repairs. The job can also be done with a simple repair set for surfboards etc without any sophisticated pumps, provided you measure the quantities correctly with pencil marks on the stirring stick. I use a clean glass jar to mix the stuff. Mind you need good ventilation and you refrain from inhaling the vapour. The two components are stirred for a few minutes until tiny bubbles form in the mix.
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Pouring the resin into the river bed is best done by using the stirring tool to drip the resin into place. Pour a small quantity from the jar along the stick and make sure it all lands in the right spot. Pour from the top of the waterfalls initially, so the resin flows naturally. It can be seen to flow down in the second photo. Later you can add resin at the bottom so the gravel flats in the foreground are covered.
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Using the same stick again, the resin is prodded into tight corners, until the surface has evened out. Gravity will do the rest, so it is advisable to put several layers of newspaper under the layout to catch any resin dripping through. I had to put a small wedge under the front of the layout to prevent an overflow.
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The resin is left to cure overnight and should be rock hard after 12 to 24 hours, provided it is left at room temperature. This morning I found a glassy surface with the gravel and boulders on the bottom showing through, just as I intended:
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The last photo shows the waterfalls which still need some work. The resin level has dropped a little, probably as it soaked into the plaster. Apart from adding some white water, the resin level at the top of the falls and the intermediate level has to be raised a little. That will be the subject of some experimentation.
Will be continued!
What a splendid tutorial Ted and what a result!
Mick
Excellent! It must take some nerve to pour the resin! As you explain, thorough preparation (and experience) is everything.
I have made only a little ditch and used layers of varnish. :-\
Thanks, both - right now I'm busy trying out waterfalls with cotton wool and epoxy, along the same lines I used for Rae Bridge. The idea is shown here (http://www.009dutch.nl/cdr/main/foto/raebridge/p3225410.jpg).
The cotton wool is first fixed with a bit of 10 minute epoxy, then it is soaked in the free flowing epoxy used to create the river. This has to be done sparingly to prevent the new epoxy flow from reaching the mirror-like expanse of pebbles and gravel. The result is a greyish waterfall which has to be touched up lightly by drybrushing with white acrylic paint. I'll now have to wait until the epoxy has set. First results are encouraging. ;)
waterfalls!
With the basic resin 'water' in place, creating white water on the tiny waterfalls is next. There are various methods to do so, probably better than mine, but here is my approach. First I glue tiny tufts of cotton wool on the waterfall faces, just below the start of the downward slope. The top of most smaller waterfalls is smooth, only when the flow increases, air starts to be sucked in which makes the white water everybody likes so much. The cotton wool is glued on using 10 minute epoxy:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F10IMG_0350.jpg&hash=9cd4e5efdfeb7f25695942c6683e70b0c8d9f122)
Next, the level of the 'water' above the falls is topped up with a bit of newly mixed resin, so it starts to flow over the brim and reaches the cotton wool. The resin is prodded into the cotton wool so it is saturated. The result is a greyish and rough patch of resin on the downward slope of the waterfall. Do not use too much resin, as some of it always collects at the bottom of the fall and we don't want a huge overflow to ruin the glassy surface below. In this case there was a slight excess of resin, but it didn't turn out too bad.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F10IMG_0352.jpg&hash=a348b5712abf7e207e6fa560a8e56be58ebbd2df)
This morning, about 18 hours after putting in the resin, it proved to have set so I could drybrush the falls with white acrylic paint. This has to be done very carefully not to overdo the effect. The semi transparent grey sheen of the resin below has to stay in place, and the (matt) acrylic paint only serves to brighten up some parts of the surface. The following photos show the end result:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F10IMG_0356.jpg&hash=a62a69c5b5f4facf93ad7382a4ce75a57b235b40)
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Well, this concludes the river story. I have now turned to the Nixnie station area, which is rapidly filling up with plaster scenic cover.
Will be continued!
With characteristic British reserve: not bad!........................ In fact, grrrrrrreat!
Will you be leaving the N settrack as it is on the bridge or have you a plan to camouflage it in some way?
Mick
Not bad isn't too bad a comment. ;D
Bridge deck: I plan to fit wooden planking. I still have a sheet of thin balsa that can be used to make cut-offs.
Ted, this would make a great how-to article for the NEWS. Knowing how images get culled from this forum after some space of time, there should be someway of making this a reference work. (Perhaps put it on the Dutch 009 site?)
Yes, Hugh, I had been thinking of turning it into an article series for the News. But there is still a lot more to write for the News which I haven't yet come round to, like a tale on Coronel Lopez.
All my photos are hosted on the Dutch Group site so they won't go. There has been a page on Nixnie on the Dutch Group site for some time, but it has to be updated with the latest progress.
For some reason, the foto with the station and the background made me think of an American station with a mesa in the background. Maybe you should branch out!
Actually the 'mesa' is the Gap of Dunloe, Co. Kerry, Ireland!
improvements to the trestle bridge
Well, it took less time than anticipated, so I took a few photos of the bridge which I posted below. To hide the N gauge sleeper web I put in a narrow wooden bridge deck and guide rails. The guide rails are Plastruct I section profiles slightly lower than the standard N gauge rail. These were painted rust colour and glued to the sleeper web. Then I added balsa planking between them and painted these a basic rust colour:
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The sides of the sleeper web were a headache as most trestles have the rail spiked to the deck. However, I found a few with the deck closed at the sides (above the carrying beams) with planking on top. So I compromised as shown below. Probably it is all wrong, but then using N gauge track is all wrong... ;) I completed the job by painting and weathering all woodwork.
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And just to annoy all Pug critics ;D , here is a close-up of the Pug and the bridge deck, and a low level view:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F10IMG_0371.jpg&hash=e92fedd76276f2157f79e1e3f59f81ba2286d13e)
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To be continued...
Ooh - that encasing makes a big difference! Looking good Ted!
Thanks, Rod - and here is the next instalment.
Hagrid's
Perhaps you remember the nondescript industrial gable end that disgraced the end of the siding at Nixnie. This was made up of old kit parts and scrap, and includes a gable end from the Pola brickworks, some ill-fitting windows, doors from the Ratio goods shed and various pieces of strip, even two lengths of N gauge rail:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F6DSC00732.jpg&hash=99874f40c8bd29f9a5005081f471a6109d2b9d9e)
As this is the last structure to paint and weather at Nixnie before I add bushes, trees and final details, I took the ultra-flat low relief 'building' from the layout and set to work. First the basic brick colour was put on, being Tamiya hull red:
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Next, I picked out individual bricks in other colours, and I painted the window frames, the 'steel' building framing and the doors dark green.
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After painting I put on weathering by flowing in various thin washes of acrylics: light grey, dark grey or black. And I found a sheet of crumbling rub-off letters to put on the door...
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I thought Hagrid & Co would be a good idea. If you slide Hagrid's door aside, there is what will be the access to the fiddle yard!
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F11IMG_0387.jpg&hash=32a62d85c83c6f46df33fa7b36ecf61470810022)
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To be continued...
Fantastic modelling Ted, and a very clever way of hiding access to the fiddle yard.
I love the way the waterfall/stream & bridge area really comes to life after the resin water treatment. The idea of using cotton wool worked out really well, and the deck timbers on the bridge is superb. I look forward to the next installment . . .
Thanks - I'm glad you like it.
About the fiddle yard access: Nixnie is really meant as a demo layout to show a working 009 layout can be made in a very small space. But it is rather small and has very limited siding space. So some sort of fiddle yard is necessary, not to run trains into or from in the normal sense, but to be able to exchange stock now and then and run a different train for the public.
So Hagrid's door was thought to be a good solution, providing a 'magic exchange'...
I really shouldn't be reading this, its encouraging me to have a go at a small layout, even if its just for my own entertainment! Its a very nice little layout and it just seems to work. Nothing looks out of place and the whole thing seems to flow from one scene to the next. The bridge is also very smart indeed, the boxed in trackwork really sets it off nicely.
Looking forward to more updates, and hopefully not stealing the trackplan!
Cheers
J
I have looked back over the thread. It is an inspriation Ted! The concept is excellent. It is a "beginner's" layout in size and track plan scope but executed with such skill and imagination. I like the way you have three distinct "rooms" (to steal a garden design TV programme term :laugh: ): the brickworks, waterfall scene and station. Also the use of the scenic break and a bold building in the brickworks where lesser modellers would dot small buildings randomly around the layout or have a station and a fiddle yard.
If there is any justice, Railway Modeller should be knocking at your door wanting to publish it as a short series as it definitely "shows you how".
Would you be able to reload the track plan again please as it seems to have gone missing?
Thanks, all - I don't know what to say as this tiny layout seems to have taken on a life of its own! The funny thing is most of it wasn't planned but just 'happened' due to what I had available in used structures or cheap kits. Most of the track is secondhand. The plan just grew naturally and actually the brickworks was originally meant to be the main scene, with a fiddle yard behind. Turning that into a station scene was an afterthought, but a successful one it appears.
Railway Modeller? Well, perhaps they may be interested but I don't have top class photos, only what I made with my HD video camera. For the moment I think the 009 News should have priority.
The track plan has reappeared - it had gone due to a filename change.
the grass starts growing
...and trees as well! Today I did a little detail work around the station, adding a fence, a station seat (bashed from a Faller park seat kit) and an outside oil lamp. I also made a small loading crane which has been placed outside Hagrid's (no photo of this feature yet).
The main work done today was adding ground cover, shrub and trees to the station area. As my Woodland's of a certain shade was almost gone, I went out and bought the nearest to it which I could find at short notice... I thought! A packet of Busch ground foam, which upon arriving home proved to be a very artificial green colour. I did a bit of landscape in it and then soaked some in a thin wash of ochre acrylic paint to improve matters.
First I smeared PVA glue liberally on the grey plaster scenery base. This is spread out with a fingertip (scenery building is messy!) then I sprinkled it with various shades of ground foam:
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After the glue has set, the excess foam is vacuumed off with a cloth over the suction mouth to catch the loose particles for re-use:
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By this time I was so fed up with the poisonous Busch colour that I soaked a large amount of the stuff in a wash of paint, spreading it out to dry on a wad of newspaper. Some of it was used wet, to complete the work, but this was exceedingly messy. It's better to wait until it dries and use it afterwards. I also had to tone down some of the foam that had already been put on the layout.
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Here is a first glimpse of the end result. I added rubberised horsehair and various dried mosses to create bushes and brambles, then drilled holes in the scenic cover to receive the Heki 'Meerschaum' trees I have used elsewhere. The down side of this stuff is that they are fragile and there is too little variation in colour, but the advantage is you have some sort of wooded area up within half an hour.
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I will now let the photos speak for themselves, showing that it is possible to create a Col Stephens atmosphere in 009, in a very small space. The area photographed is about 60x25cms, as the curve on the right hasn't yet been fully landscaped. Note the way the trees in the corner hide the aperture in the backscene where the track comes through. On the other side there will be a similar scenic block, trying to create the impression of a tree tunnel for the trains to move through.
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I hope you like this little transformation from an almost bare layout to a wooded scene, which took only a few hours!
To be continued...
Long live the pug! I've not done one since about 1980 but I have a kit and a chassis so maybe the time has come for 'Phoenix' to be born.
Layout looking good too!
John W ;D
Thanks, John - there is nothing wrong with a Pug and it makes an excellent loco for this kind of scene. I have two of them. Here is a side view (http://www.009dutch.nl/cdr/main/foto/motivepower/loco/pict0364.jpg).
Oh, I do so like that foto of the train emerging from the trees. I'm nearly finished on my little layout and hopefully will be presenting it to the brother-in-law fairly soon (just after I've made some foto's). I may just have a look at trying something like Nixnie next!
Thanks, Rod - the tree tunnel is a favourite of myself as well.
Yesterday night I spent some time wrestling with the brickworks. It had to come off to enable me to cut into the plastic baseplate so I can fit wagon turntables to line up with the plastic moulded track. I almost wrecked it as it had stuck so fast with only a few dabs of glue used last year!
The reason for the changed plan is that the single siding cannot have a string of wagon turntables in it as that would prevent its use for locomotives. I now only put in a single turntable halfway along the siding. This gives access to a light track parallel to the siding, which in turn connects with the moulded track on the baseplate.
One thing led to another, and with the building off I also installed lights in it. They are nothing much as the building has no interior, but they will add interest anyway. It's intended to be only a simple demo layout - at present there is no time for a lot of detail as it needs to be ready for the Valkenburg show. Only a week to go!
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F1nixniev5.jpg&hash=88b5e1486b0f2697e92b98ce908e9d479f7563d8)
more ballasting
A few moments ago I completed the ballasting process for the area around the brickworks. Some of the sidings will be treated with coloured plaster wash as the surface is still too coarse, but for the moment it will suffice.
First, the dry ballast is spread on the track. I start with the coarse Busch grain and fill in some fine grain ballast:
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The point is handled very carefully to avoid the moving parts. The baseboard has been painted track colour underneath and note this will not be ballasted at all. Also note there are some grains that strayed in the flangeways. These will be removed by flipping them out with a tiny screwdriver:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F13IMG_0441.jpg&hash=fe9980d0b31dea724b0a0d5464a3a8a30d7f4907)
Next, a stiff paintbrush is used as a bulldozer to clear most of the area between the rails (the 'four foot' in SG parlance). This has the effect of throwing the ballast outside the rails and creating a ballast 'shoulder'.
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Next is an image showing how the point has been cleaned up meticulously. A particle in the flangeway is lying too deep to bother us. Note some rock dust and sand mix has been added to the ballast, outside the track.
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The curve made up of N gauge Setrack sections is ballasted over the sleepers, to hide most of the N gauge look:
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The sidings and the wagon turntables have been ballasted as well. Here however, the initial surface will be filled in further using grey plaster, resembling mud and loco ash, and obliterating the sleepers and part of the rail, so it will look like much lighter track. Note I forgot to paint the rail of the track between the turntables.
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Now the glue/water/soap mix is flooded in, most of it from the side, but the kind of syringe I use runs very lightly so it doesn't squirt the particles away. So it can be dripped from the top as well. The mix I use is about 10:10:1 PVA:water:soap.
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This is continued until a milky solution is visible between the ballast particles. Add some between the rails as well, as the solution will creep in only slowly from the sides. And stay away from the moving parts of the point, wetting the ballast outside the stock rails is enough, and be very careful with the glue between the frog and the checkrails.
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Even with the wet ballast, the look of the area is much improved:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F13IMG_0462.jpg&hash=06861da425a7dd3152b514f6a57401fd54efecfb)
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To be continued!
On the NGRM forum the use of fairly coarse ballast on a narrow gauge layout, and the fact it is laid over the sleepers on the N gauge track led to some comment. The use of N gauge rail on Nixnie is unprototypical, but was resorted to in order to create a stable curve radius. So the track has to be covered to hide the sleepers. The ballast will be flooded with coloured plaster in order to tone it down and reduce its neatness. The end result will look somewhat like this, like ballast clogged with sand and ashes:
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A short session tonight with a coloured plaster mix resulted in a grey 'industrial' scene which, together with the track ballast, can now settle for the night. The plastic baseplate of the brickworks has been touched with the plaster mix as well so the texture will continue across the join. The colour is still a little uncertain as thinly covered areas always dry out quickly and in a very light colour.
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As you can see, similar to the station scene at Nixnie, the ground texture looks fairly coarse, rather like a slate quarry with all kinds of slate rubbish on the surface. Much of it will eventually be covered in vegetation, but the exposed parts and some areas of ballast will have to be smoothed by touching up with a thin wash of plaster. There will be pathways linking the buildings that have been trodden flat. The large open space to the left of the works may be used as a rubbish dump, or possibly as a storage area for brick. I'm not yet sure what would look best in the model.
More developments soon.
clogging the ballast with sand and ashes
In a reaction to my ballasting tutorial on the NGRM forum my ballast was described as too generous and unprototypical as it went over the sleepers and was unlike sand which is often used as ballast on NG track.
Normal H0 and even N scale ballast is too coarse and obviously will not do for a narrow gauge railway, unless subjected to further treatment. Badly maintained ballast, which I think is typical for at least some NG railways, will clog up with sand, ashes and weeds between the sleepers. So where ordinary 009 track is concerned, it has to be filled with something representing much finer material.
Apart from that, the N gauge track on much of the layout has to be concealed. In some prototype cases like the Isle of Man Railway, narrow gauge track was deliberately covered with sand and ashes over the sleepers, a relic from Victorian times. On some industrial lines a layer of rubble and mud covered the sleepers due to neglect.
So what is needed in both cases is a treatment that will clog up the ballast particles and turn them pale grey, with some gravel showing through, as can be seen in colour photos of the Isle of Man Railway (see Robin Winter's book on the IMR), or on industrial railways.
Using plaster and black dye, a very thin wash of grey plaster is mixed:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F13IMG_0474.jpg&hash=707899188792341eacbfffcc0468bc1bf44bd863)
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This is then applied to the ballasted track with a paintbrush, and subsequently flooded with water:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F13IMG_0479.jpg&hash=a1ad3a261b31727fae69880bad7a5a3ffb4ea1fd)
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F13IMG_0481.jpg&hash=9d297b893f36adeea033f3aac01f77323c283082)
Now we have very wet track which has to dry out. Note that in the sidings not used for normal running, the cover has gone up almost to the railhead, giving an impression of light industrial track. Some of the ballast applied earlier will come loose, which enables us to wash the particles away from the sleepers in the 009 track. In the N gauge track we will leave the mix to cover the sleeper web, but the flangeway has to be cleared. This is done with a small screwdriver as soon as the plaster starts to set so it still is pliable.
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Further cleaning is necessary after all has dried out, as the track will be unfit for operation unless all traces of plaster and dye have been removed.
To be continued...
EDIT - Something which I forgot to mention is that using a lot of water helps the dye to diffuse into the surrounding area so the boundary won't be so sharp. Also, it tends to make the underlying texture (in my case the ballast) come to the surface which enhances the effect of something clogged with fine matter. The last photo but one shows this effect. I expect it will be more pronounced when dry.
That is looking very realistic and very impressive Ted. The guy who criticised on NGRM had a bit of a cheek I think as I don't actually remember seeing any evidence posted of his own ballasting on his layout.................... ::)
Mick
Well, let's say I know him as a know-it-all and sometimes a pain in the neck. I checked and didn't find a single posting by himself showing he actually built anything himself. The only positive effect is he made me look at the N gauge track and decide it could be improved. :D
final scenic work
I should really say, final scenic work for the moment, as there is a lot of work to be done still, both on the scenic cover and on 'cameo' scenes. But for the Valkenburg show the present level of detail should be sufficient.
First, a close-up of the buried N gauge track with ballast particles showing through and the surface clogged with mud and ashes. The plaster turned out too dark (the colouring process is difficult to control) so I added a light wash of light grey acrylics and water:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F14IMG_0535.jpg&hash=0b1ecd4507645d5c97cb36d13ffd829a902ca1e1)
Here are two views of last night's situation, with some green cover added around the brickworks, but no trees and bushes yet:
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First I will show a number of improvements to the Nixnie station area. Some trees have been replaced by darker green specimens, and a lot of green ground cover appeared. The darker trees have been produced by spraying the Heki 'forest in a box' trees with Tamiya flat Nato Green. Here a railcar enters the station from the curve on the right:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F143IMG_0520.jpg&hash=ded3d33f249dc819c9e653edc7550e31537ca1f8)
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F144IMG_0533.jpg&hash=b90b11b88c9d6a81a9cd659e25928ce57a0fd3c3)
A diesel loco hauling a short goods train from the tree tunnel. Note how the backscene has been closed off more effectively by additional bushes and small trees. Again, some different leaf colours are in evidence.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F145IMG_0530.jpg&hash=49468f1467cba6288f69065909937b3b3175db6a)
Hagrid's has gained a small crane, but I now notice the base hasn't yet been sunk into the landscape. The building is now flanked by trees and bushes.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F146IMG_0526.jpg&hash=7fe9413891a659f22f987557cef9649f1527325d)
The other side of the tree tunnel through the backscene, with the steam tram passing through. Again, the backscene, which is very close to the track here, has been closed off by bushes at ground level. Note the creeper on the tower of the brickworks - it was made 30 years ago with sawdust flock. For the moment it will do.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F151IMG_0563.jpg&hash=8f2ec3510568ec97da1dda98db7dd53a381b020c)
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The tram loco and its little train crossing the bridge. More bushes and different trees have sprouted along the stream. The curve towards the shack in the station area has all but disappeared from view.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F153IMG_0558.jpg&hash=00a7f3adac6a0d64d89b4acbcbbd8e3f9f20d864)
Two more views of the brickworks. Geologically the presence of a brickworks near a stream with a waterfall is doubtful - where would they get the clay? Well, it's only a demo layout! The steam wagon has been borrowed from Dunalistair.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F154IMG_0560.jpg&hash=ad0d24d1b703773555e2050834270ecdb8b36e36)
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Finally, the mess left by two weeks of frenzied scenery building. I can well and truly say my modelling block is now a thing of the past! ;)
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F16IMG_0518.jpg&hash=4a71fb8037e1a6ca1be2b771353d992b31bb459c)
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Next week I will have a go at painting the layout fronts, and making a small fiddle yard so Hagrid can do his magic work...
Tonight I'm off to sea - have a nice weekend!
;D
I think it's really, really wonderful Ted. Congratulations on such a beautiful, inspiring piece of work. (https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fscripts.ringsworld.com%2Fchat-scripts%2Fg-shout.1.3.1%2Fg-shout%2Fimages%2Femoticons%2Ficon-applause.gif&hash=4741d9ed003a3ba75f1f03ad5975e38fdb84df66)
Thanks, Sven. Glad you like it. I only saw your reply after a weekend afloat which offered surprisingly good weather. Today I continued the work on Nixnie.
behind Hagrid's door
The fiddle yard behind Hagrid's had to be a very lightweight affair. It is suspended from the actual Nixnie layout using two beams screwed to the sides of the layout, but it shouldn't upset the balance. So the structure was made using lightweight 4mm plywood and light softwood about 40x12mm. Along the edges low ridges were added to prevent stock running off.
The fiddle yard is glaringly white, but like the layout front it will be painted black, including the surface with the track on it. The track again is left-over N gauge sectional track and two Minitrix tight radius points, all used before. Who said that railway modelling is expensive?
The kick-back siding at the front cannot be powered unless I add a switch to override the Minitrix point isolation switch. But I'll use that to store stock. Behind the sidings is ample space to store additional stock off the track and out of sight. Finally, I noticed it is easy to ram the sliding door when you don't see it's closed. Perhaps I should add a switch isolating the fiddle yard once the door is closed... ;)
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Here is another view of a train coming into the little station, this time made up of ordinary 009 and H0e stock: a Peco Jeanette with Egger coaches, and a Minitrains Baldwin with Roco skips in the siding.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F17IMG_0593.jpg&hash=3ed76d34735f4cf0cdeedb4b5acce2db04651eb8)
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F17IMG_0599.jpg&hash=0fa8a2afb4f40c9f4e0926c90f5b603a9fc1206f)
And two views of the brickworks with a train of Roco end bulkhead wagons and an Egger bash...
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F17IMG_0595.jpg&hash=9b593fe428e9afc7c6433240dd839fa60b0bafe1)
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some notes on operation
After installing the fiddle yard, tonight I spent some time doing operating trials, and I have worked out a few useful sequences. They can be done using H0e stock like the Egger coaches and Roco skips, and a few small locos I have, but alternatively using the short C&DR stock shown in many of the photos. I can put all I need onto the fiddle yard and shuffle some stock round. It's not a real shunting layout but a running layout to keep the audience amused. But it has some interesting properties despite its small size and awkward sidings which put restrictions on what you can do.
It is possible for instance to run a passenger train counterclockwise, hold it in the platform and exchange a train of skips at the brickworks for a train of bulkhead wagons through the 'magic door' giving access to the fiddle yard. The passenger train can do a bit of shunting and drop a goods wagon in the siding at Hagrid's. This blocks the access to the fiddle yard, but the train of skips at the brickworks can now run a circuit of the layout.
It is important to realise this is a minimum size layout taken to extremes. Not like a pizza layout, but still with very limited running potential. Adding a foot or perhaps two feet in the middle would create a layout 110 to 140cms in length, with space for sidings and more industry. This would still be a very small layout but much more interesting to operate. Building such a layout would take twice as long as it took me to build Nixnie.
To be continued...
Ted
you must not go on like this! I am already hooked and have drawn up a plan based on Nixnie on a spare board I have 1350mm x 750mm. I was worried when you added the fiddle yard; layouts really do extend into the space available plus 2 feet
Peter Smith
Ted,
This is really fascinating - thanks very much for sharing this.
It's really useful for me as a new modeller to see how to do things properly, as well as see what the possibilities are. You can read about things in books or magazines, but actually seeing how an expert goes about it in practice is much, much more useful, as well as giving you confidence to have a go yourself.
Its also getting very tempting to have a go at a similar layout instead of the terminus/ fiddle yard I had in mind!
Frank
Thanks, both - I'm glad the idea catches on. Peter: 130x75cms seems a lot bigger than 80 (110) x 55, but you would increase the planning and track possibilities by a huge margin. You can even add a proper halt and extra siding at the brickworks end. Frank: are you thinking of a continuous run or and end-to-end set-up with a centre backscene? I would suggest to also have a look at Wood End by Chris Ford and Nigel Hill, a layout built about 12 years ago. This was an end to end layout with a central 'spine' and a curve round the front. Nixnie is smaller and has a continuous run.
The beauty of "Hagrid's door" from the point of view of a demonstration is that different schemes can be tried, illustrated or explained.
A substantial fiddle yard is no doubt convenient at a busy exhibition, but simple cassettes might be suitable for home use. Looking at it another way, cassettes might appeal to the modeller who has a large number of locos he wants to see running in fixed trains/consists and a fiddle yard might appeal to the modeller who wants to shunt a variety of stock. Either way it is a good talking point to explain the options of fiddle yards, cassettes, possibly also traversers, train turntables....
Nixnie continues to give much food for thought!
Yes you are right. It is possible to run Nixnie as an industrial railway with skips and very light stock (Hudson toastrack stock comes to mind). The alternative is a Col Stephens type light railway with bigger NG stock serving the brickworks, the odd steam loco and a railcar. The skips then remain on the hand operated tracks in the brickworks yard. I could even change to a preservation scheme if I wanted. However, the main idea is to show you can build a working layout that can be stored on top of a closet, which won't cost you a packet. Initially it was therefore termed 'the demo layout'. I think I spent about 80 pounds in new items - most of it could have been bought at a swapmeet.
Most of the track is second-hand, some of the buildings are, and others are dead cheap kits. Even the baseboard is made mostly of offcuts I found in the attic. Some of the techniques I used are a bit more advanced than a new modeller would use. The ballast and the river could have been done with a more basic approach. Many years ago for instance I made reasonable waterfalls with watercolours and varnish (see this photo (http://www.009dutch.nl/cdr/main/foto/museum/7702.jpg)). If I'd used coloured plaster only as ballast the texture would have looked a bit less convincing, but still good enough for a starter layout. I know because I used it for years and indeed some of the C&DR still looks that way (http://www.009dutch.nl/cdr/main/foto/raebridge/dscf1151cs.jpg). I hope I will be able to explain that to the public when I exhibit the layout.
Regarding the type of fiddle yard, cassettes and even a sector table have crossed my mind but I had a few bits of track and the two points at hand to build it like it is. They serve the most immediate needs, and if I have to change some of the stock I use items stored off track. Curving the approach meant I could do with a 30cm lightweight extension fixed to the end of the layout. This was the easiest solution in the short time available.
Final work, and a small accident
Yesterday and today I completed the last work on Nixnie before the Valkenburg show. I painted the layout front and sides, and the fiddle yard black. In addition I fitted a switch to the sliding door at Hagrid's. This involved cutting a rail in the siding and laying wires under the door to a microiwitch glued on the backscene. The switch is worked by the door, which has a handle on the back.
When I wanted to lay the wires I accidentally cut through three wires running under the siding. These were a track link and illumination wires running to the shack at the other end of the layout. So I had to dig up all of the wires and repair them:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F19IMG_0617.jpg&hash=1aa3499ef676c3d9579b95059fc656d19fe12f26)
Here are two photos of the switch behind the door:
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(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F19IMG_0624.jpg&hash=6aa24865ef62da05b17176dcc8780e5795e55964)
This is how it looked after the ground cover had been repaired:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F19IMG_0632.jpg&hash=133fa38410ac72b41fc2bec037025551baef92cf)
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2011%2Fgallery36%2Fimages%2F19IMG_0629.jpg&hash=0a865805341d1ac386968028f894f0626d45e317)
And Brian M will undoubtedly be glad to see I followed his idea of a link between two rails in the fiddle yard so I can access the kickback siding under power:
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Finally a few shots in direct sunlight,made yesterday as the black paint on the layout sides was drying out in the attic room:
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I'm now performing running trials - I'm ready for the show!
Today I added the complete story of how I built Nixnie to the Dutch Group website, copied from what I wrote on this forum and rearranged in three web pages, in English and Dutch.
The link to the Dutch Group site is: http://www.009dutch.nl/ (http://www.009dutch.nl/)
- Enter the site by clicking on the 009 logo, then choose English in the index bar on the left.
- Click on 'latest changes and news' at the top of the page.
- You'll find the new page links at the top of the news page.
I love the track and ballast, perfect. I find there are a large number of non builders on NGRM forum who just like to tell those of us who actually get our baseboards dirty how we've gone wrong. Still I suppose if you put your head above the parapet people are entitled to shoot at it!
I shall have a go at your ballast technique on Underhill once the wiring is finished. Pics to follow.
Cheers
John W
;D
Looking forward to see your ballast, John. The guy in question on NGRM who had something to say about the ballast was right, you know. And it resulted in improvement.
I improved my technique by looking at the work of Henk Wust and Reinier Hendriksen. Some people manage to look at the real thing and reproduce it in small scale modelling. The coarse to fine texture approach in my ballast is inspired by their work.
Having done some detail work on the layout, I decided to revive the thread. I spent a few evenings painting figures and whitemetal castings. This morning I made a few photos which naturally reveal a number of things still to be put to rights. Anyway I won't hide that from you. Here goes.
I made a small 'cameo' scene featuring three boy scouts, a cat and two tree trunks, but I managed to overlook the fact there should be bushes hiding the lower edge of the cabin ::) :
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1709.jpg&hash=0f1f321ae0900c479acf73e1f55c11cb7f1f15a6)
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1712.jpg&hash=8ad026cc62dd6fbf62b1c536e86561068801df55)
Next, some views of the tiny station which now features some prospective passengers. Evidently there is more traffic than one would expect on such a sleepy line. Must be a bank holiday!
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By the way, the lady in green, next to the little girl, was painted by Reinier Hendriksen.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1718.jpg&hash=823f7dfd9e007e47c3797b312e98ff33563099a1)
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The train staff on this short train of Egger and Minitrains stock is pre-painted Preiser. These are small enough to fit in the tiny stock as opposed to the Roco H0 figures used elsewhere. I had a lot of trouble with the scale of the figures, as I want to run the big C&DR stock on the layout as well as these tiny H0e models. So I had to compromise. I hope they won't look too much out of scale. The cyclist is a very primitive plastic figure of uncertain parentage which I painted with some camouflage work. Its pose is very natural though.
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Some detail round the 'goods shed'. There are two ancient Preiser figures carrying loads, which I repainted as their overalls were in garish red and blue. There is a cat chasing the pigeons in the foreground, but this doesn't come out very well in the photos:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1728.jpg&hash=6615a513604a3929cc63f4fde8a32a0983f7da87)
The boxes next to the shed need to be painted better as there is still some plastic sheen on them.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1733.jpg&hash=6d8c9c945917b5f47adf26874944b728ca175882)
An overview of the brickworks showing a lot of activity. There is a tiny Gmeinder diesel and driver next to the kiln building, a skip is being lowered from the ramp - there is a chain and hook which it is attached to, and the man on the ramp is signalling to the winch operator. There is more detail there which I will show later.
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Some wildlife can be found if you look for it. A night animal, I know, but this one ventures out under cover of the tree trunk and the bushes:
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Finally a view of the river bridge, with someone sitting on the bank sketching the picturesque view down the river. He must be oblivious to the short train passing overhead!
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1742.jpg&hash=1716e5311910755173b1c765771f0c37df008e16)
More to follow.
Excellent photos once again Ted! Nixnie really has become a living example of small layout design and "achievability.
One tiny comment which I hope is constructive: The figure in the Minitrains "Koppel" steam loco looks very miniscule indeed in the photo. I know you are trying to keep a reasonable balance between 1:87 and 1:76 scale stock on the same model, but I personally think that a small 4mm figure (or maybe a larger 3.5mm one) would be a better match with the rest of the layout than what looks like a small 3.5mm figure. I don't think there would be any concerns about the loco looking very small with a bigger figure driving it as it is a small loco anyway!
I've posted here and not on the "other forum" as there are quite enough people there who will happily start a thread-drift debate without me firing it up for them!!
Regards - I don't know what further improvements are possible on Nixnie, but I await new reports eagerly!
Mick
As it is I had great difficulty in inserting a mutilated Preiser figure in the Egger replica (which everyone persists in naming a 'Koppel' although it doesn't look like an O&K at all!). So I hope you will forgive me leaving it as it is...
I will post a few more photos soon, including one of a new bogie carriage I'm building right now!
Great pics Ted, and as Mick has stated, a good promotion for small layouts. In that last batch of pics my favourite would be the last one. That water is superb and amongst some of the best modelled water I've seen in a while - I keep expecting a trout to jump out of the water. I look forward to the next batch of pics ;D
Hear Hear (or is that here, here?) that water does look wet!
Quote from: hughn on January 10, 2013, 11:32
Hear Hear (or is that here, here?) that water does look wet!
From looking at "Today in Parliament" I think amongst certain classes of people it comes across more as "Earrr, Yah", which is followed by a rather small moronic figure sat in the middle with a supercilious smile on his face, wearing fancy dress knickerbockers and a wig calling out "ordaarrr!". Not sure what it all means, some sort of tribal ritual I imagine.
Sorry for the digression.
Mick
ORDER! :police: ;D ;D
Thanks, all, for your kind words.... ;)
Mine's a pint! ;D
John W
I know what I should have asked - Does "Nixnie" mean anything?
It's more or less the same as the "nowt" that is commonly used in your part of the frozen northlands Hugh!
Mick
Aye;
'ear all see all say nowt, eat all sup all pay nowt (or tak' all keep all, gie nowt)
an' if iver tha does owt fer nowt, allus do it fer thissen.
As my old mam used to say
"If tha's nowt to say don't say owt"
Bob
And you all expect to fool a b....y foreigner with your Yorkshire dialect?
Mien moo komp oet Hengel. Now how's that for dialect? I bet you haven't a clue...
;D
Here is a photo of the almost completed layout with its light fixtures fitted, as I'm going to show it in a very dark hall next weekend. I used two telescopic photo light stands and a lightweight ply frame to clamp two spotlights on. These are fitted with LED lamps. Expensive, but they give a huge amount of light.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F400IMG_1766.jpg&hash=903b914c12260d78cc1421e6219d5f86328fd13b)
Ted
Your dialect won't translate from Dutch to English on Google so it must be obscure !
Nice picture of your layout...looks good.
I am (trying) to build an 009 layout for exhibition and was just wondering how you support the layout as I am having problems in deciding how to do this for mine, which will be 48" long and 20" wide.
Would it be possible to have a picture of the legs ?
Thank you very much
Bob
I thought that would faze you! It says 'my mum comes from Hengelo'. My mother, still going strong at 86, was born and raised in the east of our country. Hengelo is her birthplace. I grew up with her speaking Twents dialect with my grandmother, so I understand it although I don't speak it.
The support for Nixnie is a Workmate. It's heavy and collapsible, although a bit low down for some. The kids love it though. I put two screws through the holes in the worktop, with two large size washers, straight into the bottom sheet of fibreboard. If there is a table available at an exhibition, I simply put it on a table, although that would give me a challenge fixing the lights!
Here are the final scenic photos of the layout - I feel enough has been written on its construction!
The boy scouts at the cabin, with an overnight growth of shrub at its base!
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1773.jpg&hash=348e5bd314ec7364c2b65311444b49ea562c10d7)
The battery loco shunting a short train of end board platform stock into the siding:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1786.jpg&hash=ae20b58d0d4ec9303162da9def4be3eb61a7974e)
A better photo of the cat chasing the pigeons:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1787.jpg&hash=ad4b211533e65a83ff0b986ae84ed5982694840d)
Scrap at the end of the brickworks siding. The wagon is a whitemetal casting on an Egger chassis:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1791.jpg&hash=8f2cf5b164c34ce090f4ab5e5775a504a146e169)
A skip being pushed to the wagon turntable. It should really be loaded with clay:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1792.jpg&hash=d366157a5d0a18da93f6fa0d856d7b38a7d6bb79)
The Jeanette shunting a coal wagon on to the brickworks siding:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1796.jpg&hash=d5e609ecdf5839bca0d970fb65d551aa35592cd8)
Finally, a backlighted shot of the Minitrains Egger replica, with a Parkside Dundas DM61 carriage (still incomplete) and an Egger van, crossing the viaduct.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1799.jpg&hash=523788cfbac80926a6bd7527c1e4dd8d70f2d2cc)
That's nice Ted, very evocotive.
Well modelled and thank you for sharing it with us.
Kind regards,
BrianT.
Quote from: tedp on January 12, 2013, 10:29
Mien moo komp oet Hengel.
I've been here too long... I understood it even before I got to your translation :)
Thanks for the info on the supports Ted, I have a Workmate so might try using that, especially because the legs can be extended upwards by another 6 " or so.
Your latest batch of pictures are very good indeed and the detail on the layout is superb.....something to aspire to I think.
I actually live in the North East of England but can't class myself as a Geordie as I moved here from Manchester (god's own country !) some years ago. However some of the Geordie dialect is very difficult to understand but I do know a few bits
Yem = home
hoi = throw
divent = don't
gan = gone
ganzi = jersey (jumper)
toon = town
mackems = people from Sunderland
and so on....
Bob
...and so on - but
Thanks, all.
Rod: you have been disqualified for inside knowledge! ;D
Bob: it's easy to find the phonetic connection between Yorkshire and Scots Lowland dialect, which I heard spoken as long ago as 45 years. Although I think some would deny that! :o
Agreed - looking very good indeed.
Hopefully we'll see more about this - or should that me much ado about nothing? ;D
Thanks, David - and here is the latest addition!
Just to complete the tale (for the moment) here are a few more photos. Over the weekend I completed an EAMES whitemetal 1934 Albion 2-ton flatbed lorry that now occupies the open space next to the brickworks. This is a 35 year old kit that I picked up at the 009 Society second hand sales stand a number of years ago. It needed a bit of fettling, but everything went together without too much of a fuss. It should really be loaded up with bricks, but do I still have time to do that...?
The Albion is a nice 1930s vehicle that might have been around still in post-war years. I like the flat cab and the radiator flanked by two headlights. There was a choice in the kit to build it like a box van, but that would have been inappropriate for the scene as well as far too big. If the battery electric seems to tower over it, that's perspective, as in fact it doesn't - it's only slightly taller.
Anyway I hope you like this latest development!
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2012%2Fgallery44%2Fimages%2F300IMG_1815.jpg&hash=c766f42de5397ccfb7158425220272f4e9e8d871)
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Nixnie on Youtube
Tonight I published a short video (12 minutes) of Nixnie, showing various trains running and a number of shunting moves. Right at the start you will see Reinier Hendriksen's Bagnall at work.
Note this video doesn't show any C&DR stock, some of which can and will run on the little layout. All that is shown is the stock that has featured in the engines and rolling stock for Nixnie (http://www.009society.com/forum/index.php?topic=1014.0) thread.
Nixnie will be shown at the Expo Rijswijk model railway show (http://www.modelspoordagen.nl/) next weekend (19/20 January).
Have fun!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1KiAyVVaNM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1KiAyVVaNM)
I love the detail and the slow running of the locomotives.
Can I ask what controller you are using please? I am sorry if this is already mentioned in the thread.
Paul
Ted
I loved your video, sat watching it all night. It's amazing how much can be achieved in such a small space.
It really is an inspiration to all of us. Many thanks!!
Thanks, both - although much of the impression is due to the low level camera position.
The slow running is due to the KPC controller I use. These are no longer available although there has been talk of a re-issue from time to time. I have two of them, both of the switchable feedback type. It is possible to adapt the amount of feedback control to the motor type in your loco. Some require a bigger kick to keep ticking over than others. Modern Japanese motors usually require less feedback than a Fleischmann 3-pole job.
Some tiny motors like the ones in the Caramel chassis won't even be quite happy with the reduced feedback setting which is evident in the stuttering stop of the Mack truck conversion which uses a Caramel.
At the risk of being accused of thread drift and useless information, I use four ECM Compspeed F controllers which are well over 20 years old and have been out of production for many years. The relevant bit is that these have variable feedback (albeit only three settings, off, 1 and 2) and variable feedback is definitely worth having. (The Compspeed F also has a 'range expander' which, with the appropriate feedback, allows some incredibly slow running.)
I suggest if we're going to get involved in controllers, we move to a different Forum area... ;D
Ted,
Excellent video, thank you for posting it
Bob