Train Track

After many distractions, I have been able to make some progress on 'the layout', Sutton Grange. Since the most recent post, I have weathered the sleepers and laid some track. The track (Micro Engineering) is laid to 18.2mm gauge, using Code 55 and Pliobond cement. Fish plates (Model Etch) have been added to the track immediately around the first set of points. However, they will eventually be fitted everywhere. Eventually...

Hostage to a Sleeper Cell

Just a brief update. I have been laying sleepers like a fiend. The benefits of having smaller modules (1.2m x 0.6m) is that they can be easily dragged out and worked on as individual sections. Therefore, I typically drag out a section to the lounge room every ‘other’ evening and lay some sleepers. In this way, I never miss my favourite TV shows (obviously an important aspect of every modeller’s life), nor a minute with my wife (she told me to write this).

The sleepers (Kappler and Micro Engineering sugar pine from the USA) are affixed using PVA glue. After a light sand to get them all the same height, everything is given a white undercoat (heavily thinned), and then a base colour is added of Tamiya FX-1 (Flat Black) and FX-52 (Flat Earth) (thanks Darren http://gunnedahandbeyond.blogspot.com/). This is done in a relatively ‘patchy’ way, so as to replicate the prototype. They will receive another filter of red-brown, followed by some random dry brushing of white to gain the ‘grey effect’, so often observed in aged wood. Until then, I have plenty of more sleepers to lay. One at a time...

Jules  

Ballasting the Way God Intended: Quick, Easy, and Effective

Some of you may have heard many modellers (of all kinds) using ‘Johnsons Klear’ floor polish for various uses, including (but not confined to):

• Preparing surface for decals (used by the model aircraft fraternity).
• Improving clarity in windows (particularly aircraft model canopies).
• Ballasting track.

While I’m yet to use it for windows and decals, my main interest is in ballasting. I contacted Jim Smith Write (of P4 New Street fame) as I knew that he loves it – as do many other modellers. See here for a photo or two featuring ballasting using the ‘Klear method’ on Jim’s layout:

http://jsmithwright.demonweb.co.uk/layout/track.html

The product and its ‘cousins’ have many different names, which vary from one country to the next. And some lines have also been discontinued. In short, I found it all very confusing. I then came across this web page that runs through all the different uses (there are many) and the names and places to source the product, including Australia:

http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html

With this in mind, I went to Bunnings, and there on the shelf was Pascoe’s Long Life floor polish, as suggested in the link above. I purchased a small bottle and took it home to try. Wow! I can now understand why everyone raves about it as a brilliant ballasting agent.

The big attractions to this product are;
• It has very low viscosity, so the capillary action in the ballasting grains is truly amazing, and therefore requires relatively small amounts of liquid.
• The super low viscosity also means that is won’t ‘float’ fine ballast away (as I can attest to, when using very fine sand in my test last night).
• It’s odourless.
• Dries fast (in about two hours or so)
• It sets very hard.
• It’s cheap.

If one was to spray it on (pump bottle or airbrush) then apparently it may result in a shine (it is, after all, a polish). However, I have read that this is simply overcome by a blast of your favourite matte finish. All this said, I used an eye dropper, which resulted in absolutely no ‘shine’.

And it is so easy to use; pour on and position the ballast, gently release the liquid (neat) beside the track with an eye dropper and let the capillary action do the rest. A few hours later you’re ready to weather the track.

I’d strongly recommend that you have a go. And I haven’t even thought about its other alleged uses...

Jules

Some progress

I have commenced the process of laying track on Sutton Grange. It can be seen from the previous post that I have laid a 'surface' into the baseboards. After much consideration, I decided that the layout required some sort of 'sound deadening' material. I'd considered cork but felt it was too expensive, and I had some serious doubts about its effectiveness.

 

I was ready to lay the track straight onto the plywood top, when another modelling mate, John, suggested that I try up-side-down lino (or 'linoleum' in old speak). After helping him stick some to his new baseboards, I was converted. He kindly gave me the remaining lengths of his lino supply, and even came around to my place with some mutual modelling friends to help me apply it. Several tins of adhesive, some beers and a BBQ later, it was done.

As you can see, I have started laying the sleepers and a point template (actual VR plans reduced on a photocopier). I also 'staged' a small scene in an effort to see what the finished product may look like. It's a good start, but there's a long way to go...

Jules

Sutton Grange

And so it begins.

Attached are some pictures of my burgeoning layout, Sutton Grange. Located in central Victoria, just outside of Castlemaine, Sutton Grange is a small farming town. While the VR never actually laid a branch line to the location, I am modelling the ‘branch that may have been’ and placing it very much in its final days in the late 1960’s to early 1970’s. The primary commodity of the line is dwindling tonnages of livestock. Minor quantities of grain are loaded into GY’s with the assistance of a mobile auger - the low harvest tonnages did not warrant the construction of a permanent loading infrastructure.   

The layout will be a point to point operation and constructed in broad gauge (ie 18.2mm track gauge). While fictional, the branch line terminus will be run using ‘typical VR’ designs and practice. 

I have decided on a track plan, using actual VR track designs that have been reduced on a photocopier. Given the use of prototype point templates (around 7.5 size) the very simple yard will be over 4m in length (the overall layout being constructed of six 1.2m by 0.6m modules). Track laying will commence soon.

Stay tuned.

Jules

MC Cattle Container

I recently purchased several MC containers from SDS Models. According to their web site “In 1974 the Victorian Railways trialled several WAGR 20' cattle containers, this trial was deemed successful and the railways placed an order for 50 MC Cattle containers with Loadmaster at Woodend. The versatility of this design meant the cattle containers could be loaded individually onto four wheeled flat wagons like KQ and KMQ or loaded in threes on longer FQF bogie flat wagons.”

The MC featured in the photo above has received a light weathering, courtesy of some ‘US Army Field Grime’ and ‘Sepia Ink’. They should go well with the KMQ kits from Model Etch that I’m currently constructing.

Aussie Cars

Just a quick post today. I recently purchased two Road Rager models; a 1962 Ford XL wagon and a 1966 Ford XR sedan. These models are two of a wider range of Australian cars of the 1950’s to 1960’s. Produced in HO scale, they are nice reproductions of some iconic Australian automotive history.

The models have been lightly weathered, as they will be relatively ‘new’ when appearring on my circa late 1960’s to early 1970’s VR layout.