grumbeast - In progress thread

[Krackel Hopper]

A thread for grumbeast to post weekly (or more) updates.  Questions or comments should be directed to the discussion thread.

Discussion Thread:
http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,3275.0.html

[grumbeast]

Well here we are at the start of this project party.

I've been itching to get it underway, so did a rough plan today

Basically 2x3'x18" modules for my future railway using the Kato Urban Station with Extension.  The buildings in the background are just approximate placements for now.

This is a short entry as I have to go celebrate my wife winning a Canada Council Grant for her current film YAY! (esp since I do sound and will get a cut for trains  Super YAY!)

will post more soon.

Graham

[grumbeast]

Have had a little change of plan, after seeing this youtube vid

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/-aBM2uPL2fY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/-aBM2uPL2fY</a>

I'm inspired by the way these baseboards are set up..  So I have purchased a bunch of 1'x4'x3/4" boards that I'm going to use for the layout.  If anyone has any experience with this method of building please chime in.  I love the way there are some tiny modules but they are part of a much larger whole.  I love scenery and small scenes such as these are things I can realistically see myself building and completing.

I'm still sticking to the station plan above but without the depth, so the town scenes will be at the ends of the boards (the station will now basically be on 2 elevated 4' boards with the station centrally.  Hope to get some pics of the board assemblies soon (I have to cut some supports, screw them together and paint them).

Next steps after that is laying the track and starting to ballast between the unitrack. (at the same time I'll be building the other 8' viaduct section for the backside of the layout.  Ambitious goals but I should get a little time soon

Graham

[grumbeast]

Well, here's a small progress update (no pics yet sorry)

I've bought the boards and cut the risers for the construction of the baseboard for the station module and the backside bridge modules.  The risers I've selected are 54mm high, so that the height of a board corresponds to the rail height of a viaduct section.

I've just done a quick rendering of the plan view of what I propose (houses and stuff for effect only, and please forgive the rather geometric tunnel on the other side.

Basically each of the sections comprise of 2x 4' modules.  as you can see the station occupies about 1 1/2 modules and by flipping the baseboards I can either have the layout at around 65mm height or 10mm height but they still connect at the ends fine (excuse the metric /imperial mix.. I was in school when they introduced metric in the UK so I know both poorly!)

[grumbeast]

A little progress this evening.. I snuck away from sound effects for the wife for 1/2 and hour and put my four baseboards together.  2 are for the station area, the other two are for the opposite side of the layout (for now at least.. eventually.. maybe I'll build another 4 and double the size of it :)

Here are some pics.. you can see its easy as pie to put together, I'm using commerically cut shelving so the width and thickness of the boards is constant, and the supports I cut using a table saw to keep things nice and even.  I figure the precision of placement for the supports isn't that important as long as they don't jut out from the board ends as this would interfere with good track connections.

The main station building lies over the joint of the boards so it will be removable, this way it does help to hide the join somewhat.  Also in the backgroud you can see an inverted board with some viaduct track placed.  I am going to use foam at the ends for form two slopes, the viaduct will cross a valley / low lying region with some farm fields / rice paddies and mabe a farmhouse

Cheers

 Graham