This is a quick little side project for a friend - a simple 1/6th scale miniature railway for a OO Gauge layout. It uses one of the old TeenyTrains oval tracks with my controller and (slightly modified) 1:480 scale models. The controller provides some basic three-times-round-and-stop-at-the-station automation.
The main timberwork is now finished. This includes the track bed, backscene, and basic scenic supports (lowest level of terrain contours). The fascia boards and possibly a small lifting flap to hide the curve between the road overbridge and the backscene are still to be done. The electronics are also almost complete.
Some more progress on Malmsbury... I always like to pause for a couple of weeks at the mock-up stage, since that is the last chance to make changes to the design. The key take-aways from it were to angle the track slightly to not be parallel with the baseboard edge, and to push the track towards the back to maximize the foreground scenic area.
So, with the track plan adjusted accordingly, the 8 meters of track have been assembled and tested. The next tasks are the timberwork for the raised track bed, major landscape contours and the backscene, followed by installing and wiring the track. Here is the conclusion of this little experiment in tiny-scale slot cars.
One idea for the linear motor track that I have had from the beginning is to use it for a very small scale slot car set, but without slots. This little layout uses 4m of my standard road track, and the new control computer developed for Penzance. That has two sets of track outputs, intended for dual cab control, but is used here to coordinate the two lanes of a race track. The cars are Z scale (1:220), but I will try some in 1:300 or so along with a proper road surface and a bit of scenery.
Penzance is continuing to progress in fits and starts. The paper roads, footpaths, platforms and tracks are now done. Suitable artwork printed onto self-adhesive label paper is used to make the linear motor track look like something other than a circuit board, and also provides a protective layer for the trains to run (slide) on. The other man-made surfaces have been done the same way for visual consistency.
Scatter (grass, ballast and sand) will be done later. The next step will be finishing the buildings. This round of model-making experiments is finished, so it is back to Penzance.
Continuing the experiments with new scales and prototypes: Stephenson's Rocket on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway c1828 in 1:350 scale.
The 1:220 scale experiments are complete for now, with the G42 Garratt properly articulated and running, as well as versions of the NBH and NBHC carriages. They all run, so this scale and prototype is definitely an option for a future layout.
It has been a while since I have built any new trains, so here is the first of a few planned experiments: scaling up the Victorian Railways narrow gauge stock by 60% from 1:350 to 1:220 (Zn30). A few extra details on the 3D prints, a quick paint job, and they look reasonable. They do run, but this is about the maximum practicable size for the linear motor drive.
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April 2024
AuthorMartin Kaselis |
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