‘The Old Quarry’ – a new small layout. Available for Exhibition

[Elmgate]

I recently (July 2021) attended the Amberley Working Museum's Rail Gala, with our local 009 Group. I was persuaded to take a small layout, which I have been working on for many years, to show there. As it was only partly finished, I had a couple of months to get it to exhibition standard. I wrote about it on the Narrow Gauge Railway Modelling Online forum, and have adapted the text to put here.


The Old Quarry

The layout was started many years ago, as an excuse to use up some Jouef track from the 1970/80's, which came with a set including the Contractor's loco. I disposed of the loco also a long time ago, but believe some of the small wagons are still in my collection. I saw the layout as a chance to run "heritage" Egger/Jouef and Minitrains (original) stock, where they may not be appropriate for my main layouts. I recall that my original design was a small circle, in the confines of an ex music centre record turntable box! I soon decided to add a slightly larger board on top, giving around 2ft 8in width and 15.5in depth. I soon obtained, and included, some early Egger points, to make a passing loop – the points leading to the siding on the left are dummy, hand-made. At the rear, the 'Fiddle Yard' comprised the curves, leading to a short straight, including a redundant Peco code 55 N point, which leads to a siding.


Fiddle Yard

This recent photo shows the rear of the layout. The FY point is operated by a slide switch, which in my time honoured fashion, also changes the frog polarity. The track to the right is isolated just as it enters the scenic area. Obviously, the siding is isolated by the points being set against it. The small silver toggle switch is single pole, double throw, centre OFF. Since the Egger points are dead frog, and permanently energise both routes, it has been necessary to isolate both loops, and feed these via the switch, so that either front or rear loop can be energised, or both left Off. In this way, I can run trains round the circle; swap them in the front loop; or exchange for a new train from the FY siding.

Photos of the layout under construction are all but non-existant! Here is one from July 2015 –


As you can see, the terrain has started, using plaster over expanded polystyrene. The next stage was to use "Hydrofibre" to produce an "earthlike" texture. I have no photos of this stage, but this is a picture of the result, once painted.


Start of Scenery

The micro remained in this state for some time. The river cascading down the hillside and entering the lake was next. This used Mod Podge and acrylic gloss medium, and was successful. I then attempted to fill the lake, using some clear resin. Whether I failed to mix correctly, or in the right proportions, or whether the resin had gone off with age, I am not sure. However, it did not set, leaving a sticky mess. I believe I alluded to this on the Forum, where someone else had the same problem. Having excavated the mess, I then returned to the mod-podge/gloss medium method, and found this totally satisfactory. I practiced my backscene painting with a nondescript scene, and added bridges over river and the exit to the right of the scene. However, progress on this was spasmodic. Until, that is, Amberley decided that their Gala Weekend would go ahead for 2021, albeit on a smaller scale, and requested our Sussex Downs Group, who usually put on a display on behalf of the 009 Society, to bring "small" layouts. I duly offered the micro, in bare state, and was accepted, so had around 6 weeks to complete scenery and make it presentable!  :o

At this time, it looked like this –

Progress by May 2021




I used the usual method of various flock materials to form the base of the greenery, then added static grass, in 6mm and 4mm lengths. The fibre material looked very like rock, so patches were left bare, and the grass/bushes etc. worked up around the scene. Here are some photos taken just before the exhibition, showing some of the people and animals added –

Cat


Farmer James Boots


The watcher


Water sport and fowl

I also added the proscenium and lighting, shown in the heading photo. Here are a couple of shots from the show –

Bagnall KAREN on goods train


Eggerbahn Railbus (remotored with modern mechanism)

In light of experience in exhibiting the layout, I made some changes in the following days. These were –

i)  Change the position of the fiddle yard point; the train lengths are dictated by the loop length in the visible area. As it stood, the space to shunt stock on the left of the 'yard (from operators point of view) was shorter than the optimum train length, so the train would poke its nose out under the bridge! The space on the right, and siding length, were more than necessary. So, I removed the point, and moved it to the right, by about 2/3 of the adjacent straight. The exact position was set by the siding, for which I moved the curve out by a portion of straight – the angle was of course unchanged. The operating switch/lever was moved to the new tiebar position.

ii) I also noted that the track in the 'yard was a little close to the edge (guess how!) I therefore made up a small extension in depth, from a strip of ply, attached to aluminium angle. This is hinged onto the side of the layout, so that it can be folded upward when stored.



iii) One of my colleagues suggested that there was a danger of the stock taking a plunge over the edge, where the right hand curve (from the front) enters the loop points. I am not sure how fast he thinks the trains will be going(!) but I agreed that a set of fencing would look good in this area –

New Fencing

Two fences were made, to fit either side of the points operating lever (both of which are manually operated). The first was formed from Slaters fence posts, with plastic strip and rod horizontals, at the edge of the bridge over the river linking two lake areas –


The second was a length of Ratio fencing, with bracing angles added –


The two side pieces of the proscenium are bolted to the layout with two M6 bolts each. The front is then attached to the sides, by 4 mm screws. The lighting base is some light "honeycomb" display board, with the LED's attached by their self adhesive tape; the rear strip is slightly angled toward the layout rear.

The lighting is two rows of "natural white" LED's with a 12 volt regulator. At the show, the regulator was independant, and plugged in to a separate mains socket. I have since fitted it into the layout, and connected the mains wire into the track transformer connector block, so that only a single plug is required to energise both power and lighting. The regulator has a low voltage terminal socket, into which the lighting is plugged; this is mounted on the side of the box. Here is a view of the lights, from the rear –


The layout has been packed away now, and be used when I fancy some fun time. However, although I am not in a hurry to return to the mad exhibition scene (having 'retired' in 2015) perhaps taking this simple layout to a small show would be possible? So, if any exhibition organisers fancy a corner filler, in the "London and South East" area, please get in touch. Email: tim@elmgate-models.co.uk.

Tim Sanderson

[Tom Haythornthwaite]

I trust this will all be appearing in the NEWS?

[B.Meldon]

...............The layout was started many years ago, as an excuse to use up some Jouef track from the 1970/80's,...................


Cat

Tim Sanderson

I do like this little layout and modelling quality is first rate.

Just for your information.

This is not a Jouef point and it is not from the 1970's or 1980's.

It is an Egger-bahn point made in Germany at some time between 1963 and 1967. (I can not see the sleepers clear enough to narrow down the year.)
You can see photos of the various versions of Egger-bahn track via these links. (There were a lot of changes!) You should be able to identify your version using these photos.

1963 to 1965 Egger track with thin sleepers, with nickel silver rail: http://www.egger-bahn.nl/smalspoor%20rails%20oud.html

1965 to 1968 Egger track with wider sleepers, with steel rail: http://www.egger-bahn.nl/smalspoor%20rails%20nieuw.html

You will find that the Egger-bahn track does not have the same geometry as the Jouef track that was made in France from 1966 to 1971 and again in the 1980's when they sold it in sets marketed under the Egger-bahn name.
All the Jouef track has the word 'Jouef' moulded on the underside. All the Egger-bahn track has no wording on the underside.

In addition the fishplates are on the opposite rail. Egger track has the fishplates fixed on the right hand rail, that can be hard to remove, Jouef track has the fishplates fixed on the left hand rail, that are somewhat easier to remove.
The rail profile is also not the same, Egger track the rail is 1.8mm high, Jouef rail is 2.1mm high and Peco rail is 2mm high, this will give you a step in the rail head when connecting the two types together that can cause running problems.
Perhaps surprisingly you will also find that the Egger-bahn track is set at just under 9mm gauge, Jouef track is exactly 9mm gauge and Peco track is just over 9mm gauge!! Again this can cause issues at joints when mixing the makes.

Brian Meldon

[Elmgate]

Brian,

Thank you for the clarification. Since the rails on the points are "non magnetic" I conclude these are early Egger. They had both lost their covers, presumably for the electric motor, so cannot say what colour that was! I will update the text accordingly.

[Elmgate]

I trust this will all be appearing in the NEWS?

Tom,

Sorry for delay in responding - I will work on it!

Tim

[Elmgate]

The Old Quarry is due to appear at Doncaster Racecourse "The Festival of British Railway Modelling", 12 - 13 February 2022 (Organised by Britsh Railway Modellling magazine). [Michael Campbell will also be there with "Loctern Quay"]. We hope to see some of you there!  :)