Jerry's random 2mm stuff

queensquare

Western Thunderer
Ok I know its a rubbish title for a thread but its the best I can come up with. I didn't want to call it a workshop thread (I may well start one of those at some point) because it won't be that well organised. The idea is that it will become a repository for all sorts of random (see what I did there!) pictures of my 2mm stuff, layouts, models, visiting locos etc.

I have two layouts, Highbury and Tucking Mill, which are regularly seen on the exhibition circuit and I actively encourage 2mm modellers to bring their latest project along to any show we attend for a spin up the North Somerset Light. Both are ostensibly set in the 1920's when the NSLR was just about turning a profit although the meagre passenger service was living on borrowed time. That said I have an increasing selection of Western region stock from the late 60's, early 70's period which is right at the start of my own railway interest and my earliest memories as a young boy. We are starting to do the odd day at selected two day shows in this later period.

In addition I am also very slowly plodding along (twenty odd years and counting) with my magnum opus, a model of Bath Queen Square (renamed Green Park in the early 50's) again set in the 1920's.

All three layouts will feature in the thread in a fairly unstructured but hopefully interesting way.

I've heard a rumour that there are one or two members of this group that like their WR diesels so I will start with a handful of shots of Highbury, all 4'6"x18" of it, from the camera of that fantastically talented Mr Nevard.

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Jerry
 

28ten

Guv'nor
Is that the dapol 121? The shot of the blue Hymek shows what I was saying about depth of field in 2mm. Is the Hymek lowered? mine looks as if it is on stilts :)
 

queensquare

Western Thunderer
Is that the dapol 121? The shot of the blue Hymek shows what I was saying about depth of field in 2mm. Is the Hymek lowered? mine looks as if it is on stilts :)

Yes its the Dapol 121, its very nice. Other than turning down the wheels, detailing the buffer beam and a light weathering its pretty much out of the box.

The Hymek is lowered, I've done two now, (two more awaiting, green and blue, both with full yellow ends), its not too tricky and well worth it. I lost the circuit board on top of the chassis block as I'm not interested in lights and carved some of the ribbing inside the plastic roof to make room. The most ticklish bit is the carving around the buffer beam needed to allow the body to sit a bit lower.

Overall I think its a nice model. The most annoying thing about them is the amount of slop in the bogies. If its not driven carefully there is a pronounced lurch as the bogies pull gently away followed a split second later by the body catching up!

The nice thing about the diesels is how quick and easy they are to finescale. I am managing to add about one to one and a half steamers a year to my roster whereas diesels take a fraction of the time. Awaiting final finishing and weathering is a class 14 Teddy Bear.

Jerry
 

Phill Dyson

Western Thunderer
Great layout & great photo's Jerry :)

I really like the weathering on the sides of the blue Hymek, that must take some special techniques to achieve in 2mm? ......lowering the body is very effective too:cool:

The 121 looks really good too..........a credit to both you & to Dapol :drool:

Phill :)
 

Steve Cook

Flying Squad
Nice work on the diesels Jerry, that 121 looks very nice indeed :cool:

The most annoying thing about them is the amount of slop in the bogies. If its not driven carefully there is a pronounced lurch as the bogies pull gently away followed a split second later by the body catching up!

Jerry

The Bachmann/Farish 24 does this too :( Not got as far as even looking for a solution (its not been tested on its new wheels yet) but hope there is something that can be done, it doesn't half destroy any illusions of reality when doing a direction change!
Steve
 

28ten

Guv'nor
I guess the gear thing is down to manufacturing tolerance in that size, I thought mine was broken until I powered it up. The lower body makes a big difference :thumbs:
 

queensquare

Western Thunderer
As some of you may know Highbury is inspired by Camerton colliery on the Cam Valley line and forms part of my fictitious North Somerset Light Railway. The eastern terminus of the NSLR is at Tucking Mill and this is the prototype for my latest exhibition layout which made its début at the recent Warley show.
The snaps below were taken in the workshop shortly before the layout was packed up ready for its trip north, hence the complete absence of trains - not entirely un-prototypical for the NSLR!!
The layout is far from finished with much detailing and work on the colour balance to go but its getting there. It is pretty similar to Highbury in terms of size and presentation and there are plans for further sections of the NSLR to come in the future.
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Jerry
 

Steve Cook

Flying Squad
Thats lovely Jerry, really nice to see some photo's of it fully clothed :)

The backscene works really well and I particularly like the viaduct in the distance, adds a certain something :cool:

How many more modules / layouts have you got to build to represent the whole of the NSLR?

Steve
 

queensquare

Western Thunderer
Thanks Steve,
I have definite plans for at least two more NSLR modules and there is a third that forms part of the home layout and links to Highbury. If they all get built it would be nice to link them all together.
We shall see, so many plans, so little time:)

Jerry
 

queensquare

Western Thunderer
To complete the trilogy below are some photos of the current state of the project which pre-dates any of that NSLR fantasy by a good decade and more - my long term dream of Bath Queen Square as it was in the 1920's with those lovely pre-group red and blue engines. To be fair I didn't touch it, other than collecting photos and building stock, for at least ten years but, since building a workshop big enough to house it in the garden, progress has again started.
The station building was completed many years ago but the roof was only begun this spring using some scratch aid etches from Bill Bedford and lots of bits of guillotined etched waste! The porte cochere has been drawn up by my good friend and ace 2mm modeller, Julia Adams and is at the etchers as I type. The track in the station is only led in place and is not fixed, hence its rather wobbly appearance!
I'm hoping to get some track properly laid and wired over the winter as, despite this project being more than twenty years old, a wheel is yet to turn in anger.

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Jerry
 

queensquare

Western Thunderer
The completed layout will be around 20' long. The section in the above photos, from the loco/goods yard throats to the station is about 13' and is pretty much scale length albeit much reduced in width across the goods/loco yard which is 2'6" at its maximum. The bulk of the compression is behind the camera in the first photo in the section up to Bath Junction. Bath bank will be modelled curving around the end of the workshop before disappearing into Devonshire tunnel and then emerging from Combe Down tunnel on the other side of the room - Lyncombe Vale is missed out completely. The line then crosses Tucking Mill viaduct, passes the exchange sidings with the NSLR before diving behind Highbury to emerge at the SDJ fiddle yard.
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The pictures above were taken some months ago on my phone but give some idea of what I mean. Highbury is immediately beyond the curving backscene in the upper picture, with the SDJ fiddle yard beyond that.

Jerry
 

Steve Cook

Flying Squad
Now you're just showing off :p:D
Seriously though, the station roof is unbelievable, I have got to salute you for that :) Bonkers and impressive in one photo...

Love the idea and execution so far Jerry, glad I'm not looking at building all that pointwork though :)

Steve
 

queensquare

Western Thunderer
Thats a huge project :eek: 20ft in 2mm is like 60ft in 7mm

Its an even more scary 70ft in 7mm. It is a huge project but I have deliberately kept it simple - once you leave Bath its pretty much all single track, trains in the landscape type thing. After all Bath is only a two platform branch line terminus!!

You could really go to town in that space in 2mm but I have managed to resist! For something seriously big in 2FS, have a look at this
http://2mmfencehousesmodels.blogspot.co.uk/2010_05_01_archive.html

Jerry
 
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