Hiding the end of the line (Up-cycle pt.4)

Having settled on the brick wall along the rear of 'Up-cycle', I needed to consider how the end of the scene should be finished off.  Having rejected a simple fence I considered whether a building could fit in the limited height available.  Something flat roofed might just fit, but it will be a case of "mind your head"! Now what if the front line could go into a doorway in the building...

The corrugated iron/H-girder fence actually dates back to my OO gauge boxfile layout, it was a prototype for the scrap yard fencing but used 7mm scale corrugated iron rather than the 4mm scale material used on the finished article.  Here it attempts to provide some depth and hide the corner.

I was then asked if was worth having the building flat stepped so that one part sticks out more than the other.Ironically this thought had already come to me and I had made a suitably rough sketch, although this involved a drop in floor level and a caravan behind a fence:

Translated into a mock-up, this became:

The thought has occurred to me that the section with track heading into it could be an excuse for another attempt at the former Skegness Miniature Railway shed, as I think the last one was probably over-size this one can be a little under-size to fit!

In other news, the walls are now structurally complete, pillars have had their corners neatened up and mortar lines taken around the corners.  The gate has been completed with posts, planking and a latch:

Colin

All in all it's just a... (Up-cycle pt.3)

After experiencing a few issues with the right-hand point that led to the front siding (all due to it's slightly battered beginnings and my attempts to correct it) I looked again at what this Up-cycle should achieve in the way of being a test track rather than a micro layout. I set out the following new objectives:

• Some 16.5 mm gauge track to at least allow rolling road block testing (using DCC Concepts rollers).
• A length of un-ballasted 9 mm gauge track to allow rolling road block testing.
• Low-key scenic treatment on part of the board to use for photographic purposes.
• The ability to shunt a few wagons about as the mood takes.

So there has been a change to the track layout, the pit that accommodated the loco cassettes from 'Shifting Sands' has bee filled in, all gaps around the joins in the cork filled with decorator's flexible filler and the whole area painted with blackboard paint borrowed from the craft cupboard.  This area is the 'test' area, the other part will receive scenic treatment.  The area around the point could go either way at present, we shall see what develops...

I have also made some progress on a brick wall to sit along the back right-hand end.  Having had a wander around the canalside industrial area behind my workplace and taken a few reference photos on my phone (backed up with Google Earth) I had a good idea of what I wanted to build, I wanted a bricked-up gateway with a replacement smaller gate, plus a length of buttressed wall to the side - I didn't want a plain wall as it would be one of the main features of the scene.

This is actually wall v2.0 (the less said about the first the better...), using Slaters embossed brick in two patterns (in order to give some variety) mounted on 3.5mm foam core.  The majority is in Flemish bond, I found that the sheet I bought last weekend has little in the way of squareness in the embossed pattern, which was rather annoying to say the least...

The pillars of the gateway are built from a plain bond in order to make the corners easier to match up.  The infill section was recovered from the first attempt at the wall, but altered to incorporate a rebuilt upper section to add interest.  Capping is from the Wills 4mm scale roof/guttering pack.

Further along the wall is the buttressed section.  The buttresses are an overlay with a 40 thou piece of styrene behind, the top is tapered in to a slot in the brickwork.  The sides of the buttresses have the brick courses scribed in.  Again, there is a repaired stretch of wall along the top, capping is again from the Wills pack, the original capping is assumed to be the triangular pattern, the replacement is rounded.

Painting will follow in due course, I tend to find that I prefer yellow brick, but we shall see...

Colin

'Crompton' - In Numbers

Following correspondence during 2014 via the NGRM Online Forum I measured up the vital statistics of the 18" gauge Atlantic 'Crompton' at Cleethorpes for a gentleman planning a model of the New Brighton miniature railway in 6mm/ft scale.

'Crompton' was built to the order of Tommy Mann by David Curwen Ltd, notably after the founder had left the company.  An enlarged version of the 10 1/4" gauge Atlantics supplied by Curwen, it somehow lost the careful proportions of the originals in translation to the larger scale.

After many years in storage the remains of the loco arrived at Cleethorpes in 2005 for the centenary of seaside miniature railways and have remained in store there ever since.  After some time stored at the back of the shed they were moved in May 2014 to a more accessible location:

'Crompton's Dimensions - Locomotive:

• Front bufferbeam to rear of footplate: 147”
• Width of front bufferbeam/rear footplate: 40”
• Length of rear footplate: 26”
• Length of boiler (front of smokebox to rear of firebox): 114”
• Length of firebox: 21”
• Width of firebox: 20”
• Height of firebox: 33”
• Length of smokebox: 27”
• Diameter of smokebox: 23 ½“
• Width of smokebox saddle: 14”
• Length of smokebox saddle: 17”
• Depth of frame plates: 12”
• Driving wheel diameter: 21”
• Driving wheelbase: 30”
• Bogie (and trailing) wheel diameter: 11”
• Bogie wheelbase: 21”
• Wheelbase (front bogie wheel to rear driving wheel): 87”
• Cylinder length (external): 10 ½“
• Cylinder diameter (external): 8”

Tender (Frame):

• Length: 88”
• Width: 40”
• Depth of frame plates: 12”
• Wheelbase: 47”

All dimensions recorded at CCLR 11/05/2014 by Colin Peake

Sadly, due to change of ownership at the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, the remains of 'Crompton' left the railway on 15th August 2014 for storage at a private location.  Sometimes you have to be in the right place at the right time...

Colin