Crofton - an N Gauge Modern Image layout

[grahame]

Great progress and super modelling work.

 

G.

[DJTrains]

Great progress and super modelling work.

 

G.

Thanks Grahame,

 

Dave.

[njee20]

Agreed, does look great. I'm deliberating painting sleepers on my points to match the plain track, did one 'on the bench' and it looked alright.

[DJTrains]

Hi,

Just spent an enjoyable 20 minutes reading this thread - what a wonderful layout, those smooth curves already make it look fantastic.  N Gauge has moved on a huge way since I was modelling (not all that seriously it has to be said) in it about 20 years back!  I've never understood why Peco make concrete flexi-track but not concrete sleepered points however, I'm sure the ECML/WCML pointwork is not laid on wooden sleepers .... is it? Whats your thoughts for weathering those?

 

Well done, it really does look great, and I am full of admiration for anyone who can hand paint the rail sides in 2mm!  Now you've got some running under your belt, how do you find the trackwork and lack of track joiners.  Is it working well, or does it cause any problems?

 

Rich

Hi Rich,

 

Thanks for your kind comments.   Re the wooden sleepers ( & points)  yes it is a shame they aren't made in concrete also,  but I can see how small a market that would be for the new tooling costs at Peco.   I'm starting to work on a light silver/grey blend to wash onto these parts to try and give it the effect of sun bleaching on the wood.   It's still trial and error stage and unlike the concrete I can't just spray it on as I still need to keep the base grain and darker colour -   anyway watch this space on that one !!  

 

RE the track laying,   I've had no problems whatsoever.  The track has stayed exactly where it was put,  and 'touch wood'  will remain to do so -  hopefully even more so as I'll soon be onto ballasting.  Its just over a year since we started and we've come through a winter (down to around 4 degrees) and a summer (up to 31 degrees) and no issues with expansion / contraction  (FYI the layout is in a thick walled log cabin).  

 

Thanks again,

Dave.

[MarshLane]

Dave,

Thanks for the reply and very interesting.

 

This might not work of course, but could you spray the points the same way as you've been spraying the trackwork, to convert them to a concrete look, or is the visible difference to much?

 

Rich

[DJTrains]

Dave,

Thanks for the reply and very interesting.

 

This might not work of course, but could you spray the points the same way as you've been spraying the trackwork, to convert them to a concrete look, or is the visible difference to much?

 

Rich

Thanks Rich,  I'm open to all suggestions,  so nothing is 'out' at the moment.  I'm going to do some test pieces to see how they look and will let you know.

 

Cheers,

Dave.

[njee20]

I can think of a few layouts that have done this - I believe Horseley Fields may have some painted points, and I think Hinksey Yard does too. Can definitely look good, the wooden sleepers always stand out unless you heavily weather the track (which isn't unprototypical after all!).

[Dave Searle]

I can think of a few layouts that have done this - I believe Horseley Fields may have some painted points, and I think Hinksey Yard does too. Can definitely look good, the wooden sleepers always stand out unless you heavily weather the track (which isn't unprototypical after all!).

Hi, 

 

Yes we used "weathered" paints at one end of Hinksey Yard: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/33440-hinksey-yard-c2010/page-10&do=findComment&comment=1678972

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

[DJTrains]

Hi, 

 

Yes we used "weathered" paints at one end of Hinksey Yard: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/33440-hinksey-yard-c2010/page-10&do=findComment&comment=1678972

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

Thanks Dave,   I'll have a look .....

 

Cheers,

Dave.

[njee20]

I even commented on that thread. I'm nothing if not consistent.

[Revolution Ben]

Hi there,

 

Yes, the crossover and access siding for the engineer's yard on the new section of our club layout Horseley Fields have points painted concrete by Paul ("Only Me") and look pretty effective, though I apologise for the terrible photo which was the best one I could find quickly. I think he brush-painted them, but they may have been sprayed.

 

 

If we accept that tooling up a base for "proper" concrete sleepered points is not financially viable, I did wonder whether a run of standard points moulded in Peco's "concrete colour" plastic would be an acceptable half-way house. That way the very keen could even rub down the "grain" to make them appear smoother.

 

Great layout BTW, loving your work.

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

Edited September 27, 2017 by Ben A

[DJTrains]

Hi there,

 

Yes, the crossover and access siding for the engineer's yard on the new section of our club layout Horseley Fields have points painted concrete by Paul ("Only Me") and look pretty effective, though I apologise for the terrible photo which was the best one I could find quickly. I think he brush-painted them, but they may have been sprayed.

 

IMG_6362.PNG

 

If we accept that tooling up a base for "proper" concrete sleepered points is not financially viable, I did wonder whether a run of standard points moulded in Peco's "concrete colour" plastic would be an acceptable half-way house. That way the very keen could even rub down the "grain" to make them appear smoother.

 

Great layout BTW, loving your work.

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

 

Thanks Ben,  I'd never spotted that on Horseley Fields so will defo take a closer look.    Good suggestion on the half-way solution using the grey plastic,   but then as we all know that Peco concrete plastic still needs a lot of painting too     I guess there's not much point as you'd still have the wrong colour and the wrong shape and texture     

 

Thanks again,

Dave.

[Revolution Ben]

...but then as we all know that Peco concrete plastic still needs a lot of painting too...

Hi Dave,

 

That's true, but it would suit some who find the Peco concrete colour acceptable; while for those who don't at least it would mean the same treatment as the plain track, rather than additional processes to match the Peco concrete track before then weathering.

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

[MarshLane]

RE the track laying, I've had no problems whatsoever. The track has stayed exactly where it was put, and 'touch wood' will remain to do so - hopefully even more so as I'll soon be onto ballasting. Its just over a year since we started and we've come through a winter (down to around 4 degrees) and a summer (up to 31 degrees) and no issues with expansion / contraction (FYI the layout is in a thick walled log cabin).

Hi Dave,

A quick query for you, given your comments about track laying, did you put any power sections in? In so, how did you go about isolating between the track, something I’d normally use isolating joiners for?

 

Rich

[DJTrains]

Hi Dave,

A quick query for you, given your comments about track laying, did you put any power sections in? In so, how did you go about isolating between the track, something I’d normally use isolating joiners for?

 

Rich

 

Hi Rich,   every piece of track has dropper wires soldered to the underside,  all connected into a single bus wire below.   So basically no piece of track relies on any other for power, and is independently stuck down  (so god forbid,  in the event of a point failure,  or having to remove a section of track,  it can be taken out without affecting its neighbours).

 

Thanks,

Dave.

[DJTrains]

In between track painting,  my next challenge is to make this ;

 

 

 

Look something like this :

 

 

If you haven't guessed already it's the road bridge at Eastleigh  -   which looks nice and flat looking at the underside,  however it has quite a curve to the top which you only really see from above ;

 

 

I'll be off to get more Styrene strips by the look of it -  so watch this space  .

[Revolution Mike B]

It would've been much easier if I hadn't put a skew on it for you. But then we don't like 'easy' do we?!

[DJTrains]

Whilst in Girder Construction Mode for the main bridge above,   I've made and fitted the four girders to support the track over the lower road.  This just leaves another 7 to make and fit by my calculations    ;   

 

 

 

 

I'm quite pleased how these have come out   .   I will of course be weathering / rusting these as required in due course,   but the main aim is still to get the terrain items finished off so I can get on with some scenery !

[5BarVT]

That looks nice. Shades of the old Manchester Victoria.

[MarshLane]

Whilst in Girder Construction Mode for the main bridge above,   I've made and fitted the four girders to support the track over the lower road.  This just leaves another 7 to make and fit by my calculations    ;   

 

20171010_162436.jpg

 

Hi Dave,

Very nice work, looks good! What measurements have you worked too for these, if you don’t mind me asking?

 

Rich

[Revolution Mike B]

Glad to see you've sorted out the photo orientation Dave 

 

Interesting to see Manchester Victoria mentioned as that's kind of what I had in mind when I explained it to you. Girders look top notch and once the walls are in it'll all come together.

[DJTrains]

Hi Dave,

Very nice work, looks good! What measurements have you worked too for these, if you don’t mind me asking?

 

Rich

 

Hi Rich,  Many thanks, 

 

The overall  thickness of the girders is 3mm (2x1 mm strip on 1mm plasticard)  -  but most of this will be buried  -  either under ballast or built into the walls & piers,  so will not be obvious once completed.    The height above baseboard  level is 12mm  (but this will visibly reduce to around 10mm with ballast etc)  -  so giving an overall height top to bottom of 21mm  (12mm & ply depth of 9mm).

 

Cheers,

Dave.

[DJTrains]

Another 6 girders down .....   not quite Angel of the North 

 

 

And the concrete piers ;

 

 

Which together make up my 'homage'    to Eastleigh bridge ;

 

 

I'm now in the usual chicken and egg situation where I can't fix it down until I've done the track weathering and ballasting,  and I can't really finish the pavement and road surface until I've stuck it down and blended it in to the road coming up to it.    The corner it leads to will be a completely removable scenic section so as to access the branch line running beneath it.

 

[sdw7300]

Cracking progress so far - looking forward to watching this progress!

 

Thanks for sharing

[DJTrains]

Cracking progress so far - looking forward to watching this progress!

 

Thanks for sharing

Thanks Sam.