Shadowlands and Tellynott

[Michael Hohn]

That group of structures looks very real.  Like what you see in old cities.   

[Mark Dalrymple]

That is truly a unique eye catching roof that you made look easy to build though I'm sure it's not. Great job on all the angles.

Thanks, Curt.

I think adding cool roofs to your structures is one of the best things you can do to really change their appearance and make them unique.

Cheers, Mark.

[Mark Dalrymple]

That group of structures looks very real.  Like what you see in old cities.   

Thanks, Michael.

Those little quirks, like stepping the building heights to fit in with the grade of the hill, really help personalise a structure and give them individuality.  It also makes them look as though they have been built into the terrain.  Sometimes it is quite a bit of extra work, but I feel it is always well worth the effort.

Cheers, Mark.

[deemery]

Part of the challenge for me, looking at the area I've set aside for 'town on a hill', is figuring out how to lay out the structures so they don't look like 'rows of buildings, each row at the same level.'  That would make the result look too compressed.  Mebbe I need to hire Mark as a "layout consultant" 

dave

[Mark Dalrymple]

Part of the challenge for me, looking at the area I've set aside for 'town on a hill', is figuring out how to lay out the structures so they don't look like 'rows of buildings, each row at the same level.'  That would make the result look too compressed.  Mebbe I need to hire Mark as a "layout consultant" 

dave

Hi Dave.

The transposing of suitable prototype maps with steep curving roads unto your layout town might serve you well.  I've used this technique a couple of times with great success.  It should be in my power point presentation on mockups that was in the Gazette a while back.  I then followed this up with curving roads at grade made out of wedges of polystyrene attached and gaps filled with expanding foam.  The land area between/ surrounding is then infilled with pieces of polystyrene board and the buildings either bashed or scratched to fit the sites left.  It really forces you to build much like they do/ did in the prototype.

Cheers, Mark.

[Mark Dalrymple]

Hi guys.

So after finishing the winter challenge I was really itching to get back to the layout build.  The next job on my list was to carry on with the removal of the polystyrene and ceiling tile 'sandwich' in Tellynott and replace it with 16mm MDF roadbed.  I'd taken a bit of a tangent during the challenge (necessarily) and completed another section, and so the next piece was the section that joined the two completed pieces together - the 'old port town' and the curved section in front of the original Tellynott diorama.

Photo 1 - It was a very tricky section curving around in front of the original Telltnott diorama.  I pinned all the track into position and roughly cut out a couple of pieces of brown paper.  I pinned these into position, taped them together and used a builders pencil to run backwards and forward across the trackwork at a low angle.  This clearly drew in the track arrangement. 


Photo 2 - The paper template showing how well this technique marks the position of the track.


Photo 3 - I marked a few other important lines and then marked and trimmed the paper to the track clearance, cut off the start and stop lines and the section to be cut for the start of the grade leaving Tellynott.  This template was then put on a sheet of MDF, the profile transferred, and the piece cut out using my jig saw and skill saw.  First fitting required only three small cuts to be 'tweaked' and then the fit was perfect!  I worked slowly and methodically and tried to think of everything.  It's not the sort of job to rush!  This photo shows the flat old wharf section in front of the original Tellynott diorama and the curved trackbed leaving Tellynott at grade.


Photo 4 - Shows the curved section continuing around in front of the Tellynott hospital (temporarily removed).


Photo 5 - Shows the tricky left end connection.  I was quite pleased and a little surprised to get such a good fitting so easily.


More soon, cheers, Mark.

[Mark Dalrymple]

Continuing...


Photo 6 - The track markings were transferred to the 16mm MDF and I then went about cutting and gluing down the the 3mm cork roadbed.


Photo 7 - Here you can see I have cut out a section for the river.  I have also cut the bridge section narrower, using my skill saw, for bridge girders.  The cork is still to be trimmed.


Photo 8 - Shows the curved section in front of the Tellynott hospital.


Photo 9 - Here is the connection to the J. H. Olson Chemical Co. diorama and the connection to Shadowlands, through the backdrop.


Photo 10 - A shot from further back.


More soon, cheers, Mark.

[Mark Dalrymple]

Continuing... part 3...

Ok.  It was about at this time I discovered a mistake.  The infamous 'S' bend!  I could think of three options.  #1 - leave it.  I've been trying VERY hard not to miss any S-bends.  I'm running very short rolling stock and there is a possibility that this will not be a problem.  However, this is the main line leaving Tellynott.  Imaging doing all this hard work and then having every other train derail when leaving your main town!  I quickly dismissed this option.  #2 was to replace the curved turnout with a small straight turnout.  Although this worked, it ate into the area where the hospital is, meaning some sort of odd tunnel/ cutting would need to be installed.  More importantly to me, the shape of the track lost its asthsetic beauty.  Option #3 was to leave the curved turnout as is, add an 85mm straight section (the length of my longest rolling stock) and then alter the curves to fit.  This would eat into the area I had reserved for roading to the sailmakers in front, but it didn't encroach on the sailmakers.  I decided this was the best solution.  I'll just have to rethink the road.

Photo 11 - I marked, cut and then added a new piece of 16mm MDF.  I added small cleats underneath the existing trackbed to sit the new piece on.


Photo 12 - This photo clearly shows the 'S' bend.  I had designed this section of layout years ago, and somehow missed this!  I laid the new track arrangement in position, marked, marked the offset, and then took the piece into the shed to be cut.  Here it is being glued into position.


Photo 13 - I like to add all my point work before marking and drilling holes for point motors and wiring to make sure everything is fine.  Its a fairly tricky piece of track work here and sure enough I discovered a few problems.  This is the first time installing this section using code 75 track.  I ironed out the first two problems, but the third was unfixable, at least not without adding an unsightly kink in the track work - which I couldn't have beared!  I had worked out the 12 degree angle between the yard and the runnaround tracks years ago.  Either I had got this slightly out, or my double slip was slightly off.  Either way, the continuation of the double slip through the strait exit of the three way turnout was off from the rest of my yard.  It was at about a 0.5 degree angle to the other tracks.  It had also moved forwards about 3mm.  As the photo shows, my coal tower fits between these two tracks.  The distance between these two tracks is critical for my half built scratchbuilt coal tower to fit.  The front track, however, goes straight into my turntable.  This was a real head scratcher.  The distance between the track running behind the coal tower and the first yard track was 55mm, whereas all the other yard tracks were 50mm apart.  I decided the best solution was to put a small, but deliberate sigmoid curve in the track running behind the coal tower.  The coal tower gave purpose to this curve, the track running through the double slip, three way turnout and then beyond a further few inches was perfectly straight, and after the sigmoid curve the track could continue on parallel with the other yard tracks, but 0.5 degrees out of parallel with the trackwork running through the double slip and three way turnout - which would now be completely hidden.  I'd just like to say that I remember being very careful with the original setting out of my 12 degree lines.  I'm not 100% convinced that the mistake is mine and not Peco's.


Photo 14 - A closer view showing the track curving behind the coal tower.


Photo 15 - A low angle shot.  The trackwork is only pinned at critical points, but has been checked for straight with a four foot metal ruler.


Photo 16 - The trackwork in the other direction.


More soon, cheers, Mark.

[deemery]

We're watching "The Brokenwood Mysteries", Season 12, Episode 4, with the "Brokenwood Flyer".  Where was that filmed?  The camera work seems to be determined to keep me from getting a good look at the wheel arrangement of the side of the locomotive, I think it's 4-6-2 tank.  Everything on NZ Rail was 42" gauge (or less)?    Interesting coupler on the passenger car.  (About 25 years ago, I did take the train from Aukland to Rotorura, but I don't remember many details about the cars.) 

dave

[PRR Modeler]

I'm watching the same show. Mark, great planning and track work.

[Mark Dalrymple]

David and Curt - I've not watched it.  Maybe sometime soon...

Cheers, Mark.