4mm Morfa - The race is run.

Neil

Western Thunderer
Morfa - Victory from the jaws of defeat

Some of you won't need this, but some might, so here's a cut and paste from my blog that describes my favourite waste of time.

' I've been looking back through the blog and it appears that I've not made mention of my big trainset. I've either been very lucky or very good but the fate has smiled upon me in the shape of a large playroom which I'm free to fill with toys. In it I'm building a model of Morfa Mawddach, the junction of the Cambrian Coast and Dolgellau lines. Actually I'm building a part fact, part fiction version of the station; I might at some time be persuaded to divulge the back story but for now all you need to know is that I can cherry pick the bits I like and conveniently ignore those I don't. '

morfa hoc 1.jpg

Morfa has been on hold for several months whilst I've concentrated on some narrow gauge projects and whipping our cottage into shape for holiday letting. Looking back it started to stall due to difficulties caused by its reorientation in my playroom; thanks to a trip on the train up the real Cambrian Coast yesterday I can see a way past these problems, so more about my big toy should appear fairly soon.
 

28ten

Guv'nor
Morfa - An Introduction.

Wonderful location, one of my absolute favourite areas :thumbs: and a big project. I can understand how enthusiasm ebbs and flows, i think the key is to keep the momentum going, having said that I am the worlds worst procrastinator.
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
Morfa - An Introduction.

I've uploaded a panoramic shot of Morfa here which should illustrate the problem I faced; I should warn it's big and you'll have to scan from left to right to follow my description. Morfa will be roundy roundy, the section of baseboard missing at the moment is the fiddle yard, which from the start of the panorama at the left will be where Barmouth bridge starts. You should be able to discern a broad sweep into the platform at Morfa Mawddach, where the DMU rests, to the right of this is the junction where the freight only branch towards Dolgellau forks. To the right of the junction a loop headshunt parallels the running line, this is as far as the track goes at the moment. Past here there's some more straight baseboard, and at the right hand end you should be able to pick out that the line needs to curve back on itself to avoid spoiling the view from the window and getting in the way of my workbench. I'd put up with workbench compromise but the view is non negotiable. The width of board for the turn back towards the fiddle yard is just five feet giving a two foot six radius curve if I push the line to the edges of the board. The rest of the layout has gentle sweeping curves and to go straight from that to what is a pretty tight radius could easily wreck the impression that the rest of the layout gives. Thanks to yesterday's trip up the coast I've got the idea of separate scenes; Morfa will stop a short way past the headshunt end, the sharp curve round the end of the room will feature the line snaking round the Dyfi estuary taking a lot of the cues from Abertafol harbour and the line near picnic island.
 

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Morfa - An Introduction.

Have to say, I've loved everything that I have seen about this layout in, uh-hum... the other place...

Please keep up the good work.. Something I can't wait to see finished ! Going to be mega !

JB.
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
Morfa - An Introduction.

I've just returned from a rather splendid and productive day out. Instead of doing the shopping at Machynlleth we drove the extra fifteen miles to Tywyn. On the way there a stop was made at Abertafol, where a scramble down a steep path brought us to this inlet.

estuary 1.jpg

Found this gorgeous wooden yacht there in a condition that could head towards glorious restoration or creeping decay. In a lot of ways I'd be just as happy to see decay as varnished splendour.

estuary 2.jpg

After walking back up to the road I found this viewpoint that hints as to how I hope this section of the model will look.

estuary 3.jpg

Right, I'm off to find my tape measure and sort out how much timber I'll need to buy on Monday to complete the baseboards.
 

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
Morfa - An Introduction.

That looks like a beautiful part of the country Neil. I especially liked the picture of Abertafol Harbour - with the high ground behind the railway and a tunnel for trains to vanish into, it's purpose made for modelling. :)


Regards

Dan
 

28ten

Guv'nor
Morfa - An Introduction.

Dan Randall said:
That looks like a beautiful part of the country Neil. I especially liked the picture of Abertafol Harbour - with the high ground behind the railway and a tunnel for trains to vanish into, it's purpose made for modelling. :)


Regards

Dan
Yes, that is indeed modelling inspiration. I think the final shot along the estuary will be harder to pull off simply because of the depth and height required to do it justice, but given the space you have it should be possible to have a damn good shot at it :thumbs:
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
Morfa - An Introduction.

CME & Bottlewasher said:
.... Have you got a website for your holiday cottage? :scratch: ....


Not yet; we've probably got another weeks worth of work on the cottage to do (I'm a slow worker :rolleyes: ) sorting out the details, but I'll let you know when we're up and running.
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
Morfa - An Introduction.

No photos, but I've just spent the best part of two days mucking out my playroom, which has given me plenty of time to ponder the exact shape and disposition of the boards that will finally bridge the gap between the two ends of my trainset. Tonight I've made a start cutting wood, but it's a bit late for making loud drilling noises so it'll be tomorrow or Sunday before i join all this nice new timber together. Previous experience leads me to believe that the tidying up will prove to have taken twice as long as building the baseboards; it's hugely surprising how fast non portable baseboards come together.
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
Morfa - An Introduction.

Well perhaps I spoke slightly too soon about the rapidity of the progress I'd make. The main extra board is in place, but I've yet to start the box beam for the trackbed and likewise the non-scenic bridging piece.

morfa 002.jpg

The time taken (yesterday evening and this afternoon post grand prix) has also allowed my thoughts on the scenic presentation to further develop. I'd hinted previously that ideas were heading towards separate scenes and in my mind they would have been separated by by both backscene curving round and fascia extending up towards some form of lighting rig. An idea not mentioned was that the new board would show the Barmouth end of the bridge from toll cottage to tunnel. You can see the idea here with the near building standing in for the toll cottage and the far for the lifeboat house.

morfa 003.jpg

Now I'm no fan of the restricted viewpoint style of layout presentation; the real thing is expansive and set in a big landscape, diorama boxes feel very claustrophobic and work against any notion of space that one has managed to achieve. The mind is a brilliant tool, editing out all sorts of stuff we'd rather it didn't linger on, and I'd like to give it a helping hand to imagine that it's outdoors where there's no framing to a scene.

morfa 007.jpg

So at Barmouth I've concocted the idea that the bridge (which I don't have room for) will be replaced by a decent section of Cambrian timber viaduct which will give the right feel and won't look too unrealistic unless one becomes too aware of how short it really is. Photos really p!ss on the proverbial parade in this respect as they bludgeon the mind into accepting what's really there rather than what the mind would otherwise be happy to be fooled into believing. I reckon that snaps just showing one end of the bridge and the line leading to it will work ok. Thanks for sticking with the logic, have another photo of chipboard decking.

morfa 005.jpg

This is a view that I'm particularly looking forward to realising, the board here is four feet wide and six feet long and the view across the water to the railway in the distance is rather delicious in prospect. It's also a quick way of filling a scene, a broad expanse of water comes together really quickly.

The other join between scenes, Morfa and the Dyfi estuary, I hope to accomplish with a line side stand of trees (Morfa) that will blend into a rock outcrop (Dyfi) but there's woodwork to be finished before I start to get too excited.
 

28ten

Guv'nor
Morfa - An Introduction.

I like the idea of separate scenes, I think that could work really well. I also agree that you need to do everything possible to make it open with 'big sky' by the looks of it you have enough space to achieve that. I cant quite picture the bridge concept (but thats probably me being dim!) an old Cambrian bridge sounds nice though :thumbs:
 
A

alcors1

Guest
Morfa - An Introduction.

how did you do the chain link couplers on you loco and stock?
 

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
Morfa - An Introduction.

Neil said:
at Barmouth I've concocted the idea that the bridge (which I don't have room for) will be replaced by a decent section of Cambrian timber viaduct

Shame you don?t have room for the bridge Neil. I saw this rather nice 7mm version at the Telford show last year?.

[attachment=0:1n6k40bx]SNV32870.JPG[/attachment:1n6k40bx]
It was big mind and I can see even in 4mm scale, it would eat into a lot of space, especially given the need for approaches each side. :)


Regards

Dan
 

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28ten

Guv'nor
Morfa - An Introduction.

Dan Randall said:
It was big mind and I can see even in 4mm scale, it would eat into a lot of space, especially given the need for approaches each side. :)


Regards

Dan
I is more do-able in 4mm though....
Isnt Geoff Taylor working on something based on Barmouth?
 
B

Brinkly

Guest
Morfa - An Introduction.

28ten said:
[quote=""Dan Randall"":387vmztr]
It was big mind and I can see even in 4mm scale, it would eat into a lot of space, especially given the need for approaches each side. :)


Regards

Dan
I is more do-able in 4mm though....
Isnt Geoff Taylor working on something based on Barmouth?[/quote:387vmztr]

Oh Barmouth to Ruabon thats a nice line! Don't tempt me! :D

Nick
 

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
Morfa - An Introduction.

Hi Jordan,

I thought that you would be a Kadee man through and through and not worry about links and screws :laugh:

regards

Mike
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
Morfa - An Introduction.

I've been away for a few days visiting my children and parents so there's been no progress this week but I'll try and clear some of the questions up.

28ten said:
.... I cant quite picture the bridge concept .....

morfa bridge.jpg

This sketch might help. I don't have room for anything like the full Barmouth Bridge (if I did there's the risk it would be spectacular but dull), but I do have space for about three foots worth of Cambrian timber trestle with a walkway to the side. If one was to see just one end of the bridge and its adjoining land mass there'll be a reasonable representation of the Barmouth or Morfa ends, though the Barmouth end will be wooden trestle rather than the two steel approach spans to the swing section. Looked at as a whole the illusion will fall flat but it's a price I'm happy to pay to avoid physically splitting the scenes up into three. It gives a near forty foot sweep of railway with very little apart from plain running line, something I've always wanted to do. The alternative of splitting the scenes into three smaller diorama boxes just doesn't appeal as much.

alcors1 said:
How did you do the chain link couplers on you loco and stock?

The couplings themselves are mainly Smiths, three link, instanter or (locos and the odd brake) screw. I use a home made pole to manipulate the links on and off the hook. I'm fairly good once I get my eye in, but it can take a while to get up to working temperature.

Dan Randall said:
.... Shame you don?t have room for the bridge Neil. ....

It is, but if I had, I'm not sure I'd use the space for the bridge as other aspects of the Cambrian Coast interest me more. This is the advantage of not pursuing total fidelity, I can edit out bits that don't turn me on, add stuff that I think would be good and generally bugger about with whats there according to whim.

28ten said:
... Isn't Geoff Taylor working on something based on Barmouth?

He is, I've seen it and it's very nice indeed. His layout is focused on Barmouth Junction too, though set in the days of steam rather than those nasty blue tin boxes that I prefer. There's a bit about it on his website here.
 

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Neil

Western Thunderer
morfa trackbed 1.jpg

Morfa - An Introduction.


Here's what the trainset looked like this morning, with all the box beam trackbed in place, tools tidied away and the sawdust swept up.

morfa trackbed 2.jpg

Where bridges occur I've left gaps. I was tempted to run the chipboard from one side to another, but I've a sneaking feeling that it would be deeper than the bridge girders (and would look plain wrong for the long trestle) so there are three gaps waiting to be spanned.

It doesn't look as tidy now, as I've just finished fixing the backscenes. Ordinarily I'd advocate backscenes to the rear of all visible sides, but to do this for the new sections on Morfa would give a very dark and claustrophobic look to the Barmouth section in particular with a loss of interesting viewpoints. I'm hoping that the mind won't bother when viewing the layout itself and that by picking a low angle for photos it'll be possible to borrow those backscenes that are in place.
 
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alcors1

Guest
Morfa - An Introduction.

nice, i love those 24's, it because of this layout, and you 24's I fell in love with the 24's. Hopefully I will get mine soon, Royal Mail says they have handed mine over to the US postal service.
 
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