Month: June 2018

SM 32 – WW1 Layout Busy Weekend

Kelvin Barnes Uncategorized

Since Graham’s visit on Friday, I have worked about 15 hours on the layout. In the order I did the jobs:-

1/ Added the joiners/alignment dowels between the two boards

2/ Glued and aligned the three tracks over the two boards

3/ Added the back scene boards on the rear and sides of the two boards

Sadly I was one track panel short, but on the photo’s I have placed grey blocks so that you can see the final lengths of the sidings. I also glued one buffer stop to the nearest track. Two more buffers and one track section to order. I have also ordered five tubs of ‘Army Dirt and Small Stones’, this will be used for ballasting, this is a war-gaming product, but looks ideal for the layout.

While I was track laying I checked the total track length, I calculated we can get about fifteen bogie wagons comfortably on the layout, this doubles if four-wheel wagons are used. In practice it will be a mixture of the two types.

The entry to the fiddle yard sector plates back-board is still to be planned, it could end up being a small bridge, an overhead pipeline or even a large brick wall.

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The final three photo’s are for Graham in Australia who wanted a close up of the parts of the sector plate.

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SM 32 WW1 Layout – track plan

Kelvin Barnes Uncategorized

Graham came to see me Friday to discuss the track plan, clearances and general scenic thoughts. He also brought along his newly purchased ‘Tin Turtle’, although only partly built is gave us thoughts on the general requirements to run such a loco. Graham also brought the finished WD Bogie wagon, mainly to test clearances, but also to work out how many wagons are needed to populate the layout.

Below are a few photo’s taken during our deliberations.IMG_5797 IMG_5792

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The Figures are Bachmann – We are using WDLR Album by Roy C. Link as our ‘Bible’ on the subject we are hoping to model – seen in the background of a couple of photo’s.

Over the weekend I hope to lay all the track and add the back scene. Sadly I think I will be one track length short! We also went for our pointless option so I have a Peco SM 32 ‘Y’ point spare – I will put it on my ‘for sale’ option on this website

Baseboards for SM32 Layout

Kelvin Barnes SM 32

I have now finished the baseboards for our WW1 SM32 Layout. It has lengthened a bit from the proposed size, in fact it has grown from 7′ x 18″ to now being 11′ x 18″.

It is now two baseboards, one is 6′ long and the other 5′ long, including the sector plate.

I would emphasis that this is not a ‘trench railway’, but a behind the lines narrow gauge railway, just beyond the range of the German Guns.

Both Boards are lightweight Laser Cut Baseboards.

Below are some photos of the finished boards – track laying next. The track has been obtained and we now have four wagons and a ‘tin turtle’ petrol locomotive.

We have a couple of ideas for the track plan, one with and one without a point. A bit of trial and error game to follow.

The Wagons, Loco’s etc. proved no problem to obtain, but I am struggling to get suitable G Scale WW1 figures, the only purchase so far being the Bachmann offering – any advice gratefully accepted. And yes, I am definitely out of my comfort zone – but this project is different and ‘not another diesel depot’.

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I hope to do at least a monthly update on this project.

 

 

Sector Plate fiddle yard – cheap option

Kelvin Barnes O Gauge Stock, Uncategorized ,

On Saturday Graham and myself visited the Narrow Gauge Exhibition at Bressingham Gardens. Although I do not do Narrow Gauge as such, with our SM32 WW1 Project about to start, we decided to see what was available. Well, most of the layouts were 009 and 0 16.5, there was even a 009 WW1 Layout and very good it was.

There were a few traders present and amongst them was ‘Norfolk Heath Works’ with the owner Stuart Hughes. Graham knew Stuart as he was next to Morlock Heath at the recent Great Eastern Models Scenic Open Day. Both Graham and Shaun did purchase some of the Narrow Gauge 15″ x 11″ Module Boards. Stuart sells these Modules at just £15 each for both Sector Plate and Normal Boards.

While I have no intention of going 009, I was rather taken by the Sector Plate Module, I duly purchased two. I thought these could be adapted for use in OO and even O Gauge.

I already had two 4′ X 15″ Laser Cut Base Boards by another supplier. These were already made up so I made the ‘Norfolk Heath’ Sector modules and modified then to my needs. Below are photo’s of the modifications carried out and the joining of a 4′ x 15″ to the 15″ x 11″ Sector Module.

The cost of making the now 15″/11″ x  66″ was about £55 each, including cork.

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I made two different size extensions to the original self-contained Sector Plate. The Norfolk Heath module is in 4mm MDF while the main board is Ply Wood. I would have preffered the Norfolk Heath Module to have been in Ply Wood, but that said it is very strong. I bolted and used PVA to join the Boards together.