4mm Polsarrett: BR(S) N Cornwall Clay, The Final Countdown

[Pencarrow]

Managed to get back into the train room today after 2 days of house and garden stuff.


First task was to pour more 'concrete' into the hardstanding outside the clay dries. More Das clay used here. I've deliberately set it slightly lower than the rail tops so they can be cleaned without trashing the paint finish.

The job was made so much easier by some idiot glueing the PW hut and tool shed down last weekend. Doh!


In the foreground is the concrete fencing that will go between the clay dries and the railway. Will need the 'concrete' edge neatening off before fitting. In shot is the dries which now has a 3 ½ bays fitted with a former against which clay will be stacked.


In this shot we see more of the offcuts from the KMRC clay dries being used. A wall for the loading doc and coal bin, plus a high level lean-to which is for who knows what but provides a view block.


A view along the area...

I'm quite liking the organic way that the clay dries have evolved over the last few months.

 

[Pencarrow]

And in other stunning news... I decided that, as I'm now adding colour to the layout, it would be a good idea to sort some lighting out for the layout.

Having seen the effects of building and painting a layout, then fitting lighting, then standing back and wondering why everything looks purple... I though this was a good idea.

After too much reading, I've gone for a 6m roll of LED lighting tape. It's the type you can get which has alternate LEDs which are warm white and cool white. The advantage being that, with the bundled controller, you can dim both, either or of the whites enabling a colour temp of choice to (hopefully) be achieved.

That's the theory. We'll see what happens when it arrives.

Should it be any good I'm going to set up another installation over my modelling workbench. Oh, and another for Pencarrow...

 

[GrahameH]

I decided that, as I'm now adding colour to the layout, it would be a good idea to sort some lighting out for the layout.

I've got a spare one if you want it mate ?

 

[Pencarrow]

I've got a spare one if you want it mate ?

View attachment 149105

Perfect, post them over.

 

[GrahameH]

Perfect, post them over.

I'm serious if you are !

 

[simond]

I wish I hadn’t looked at that again this morning, it’s too early…

 

[Pencarrow]

We'll, that's the lighting rig sorted...

 

[Pencarrow]

6m LED strip with alternate warm and cool LEDs. The remote, pictured below, allows the strip to be set at either 100% warm or 100% cool and 9 mixed steps in between. It also allows each of the steps to be dimmed, so hopefully I should be able to find a suitable setting!



Reading the manual, sorry, tells me the remote can be slaved to control just one set or many sets. Which will be useful for a larger layout like Pencarrow. The sets are available in 6m and 12m lengths.

Tonight I'll be knocking up a lighting rig using foamboard and the aluminium diffusers...

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

It's a shame they don't put the colour temperature in °K on the controls.

Ideally you would have the lighting set anywhere between 5500 °K (summer day noon) and 6000 - 6500 °K (overcast day) for temperate regions. Dawn and dusk temperatures are around 2500 - 3000 °K.

 

[Pencarrow]

Hi Dave, according to the specs of the LED strip the range is 3000K to 6000K.

 

[simond]

The "festoon school of illumination" ?

I like the control capability, and the effects on the layout are remarkable. I look forward to more.

You didn't go for the disco version then?

S

 

[Pencarrow]

The "festoon school of illumination" ?

I like the control capability, and the effects on the layout are remarkable. I look forward to more.

You didn't go for the disco version then?

S

Hi Simon,

Nope, sadly I decided against the music syncable RGB version. Tempting to go the full Gbloke but I have standards.

 

[GrahameH]

but I have standards

When did that all change then mate ?

Tempting to go the full Gbloke

I still have a DMX controller too !
You could have a very unique Disco layout....never seen before on any exhibitions.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

never seen before on any exhibitions.

Might improve the lighting currently afforded in some exhibition halls

 

[Pencarrow]

Not much time spent in the trainset this week but I have managed to sort the lighting rig out.



Took a reasonable amount of soldering wires on to tiny tags.

The base was made up using 2 layers of foamboard. One sits on top of the layout and the second was shaped to sit inside the front fascia and backscene.



And some colour temp variation...




Although you can't really tell in those photos that one is yellow and the other blue.

And in place on the layout...

 

[Pencarrow]

And a few shots under the lights...

 

[Pencarrow]

Something that is apparent is that the LEDs and the phone camera seem to be out of phase on the Hertz thingy, so there's banding in the photos. Can be cured though by setting a shutter speed.

 

[Pencarrow]

There's also another few feet of lighting to add into the fascia beam to light the front siding. That's a job for another day...

 

[Pencarrow]

Wouldn't be a proper job without some gaffa tape...

 

[Pencarrow]

A few from the little pictured right hand end...







(Further playing required to get the actual colour and phone photo colour to match...)