Yet Another Demo Board (scale7)

adrian

Flying Squad
Sometimes I wish I'd just kept my mouth shut, I don't say much as my postings to this forum will attest to, however when I do I always seems to land myself in it.

So to explain, a while ago the Scale7 group were asking for volunteers to help with increasing our presence at shows, particularly in the North which has been barren over the years. I said I would be able to help out in the North West so I'm now manning the Scale7 Group Stand at the Wigan Show this weekend. I emailed Peter Mann to work out how he intended to get the group stand from Warley up to me in Preston. The answer was there weren't any plans! I was sent a few flyers and application forms and the rest was up to me. Fortunately a couple of other members have offered to help but if you are coming to Wigan please please please come and say hello. If nothing else you can man the stand for 10 minutes whilst I go for a brew!!

Anyway back to the thread, so a couple of weeks ago I realize that I don't have anything to demo my models so the idea for a demo board was formulating slowly. Unfortunately I didn't have much time but on the plus side I did have all the components in stock to get on with the job. I've seen various demo boards which seem to be a single track on a grassy embankment for photographing models. However my interest is more urban 1950's grot and I wanted something different but needed inspiration. Then I think it was on this group there was posted a few links to www.Warwickshirerailways.com which included the Birmingham West Suburban Railway and the 5 ways station, this was what I was looking for. Now I've used this as inspiration as I wanted a curved display for photography rather than the straight bit near 5 ways. So this image is the main inspiration but I've put it on a curve.

So the plan was quickly drawn out in templot which was then used to cut out the wood, 6mm plywood used through out. The various bits of plywood have been screwed together to form the following display board, about 4ft long and 22" wide. A quick slap of white emulsion to hide all the markings and errors. Exactoscale track components, steel rail and Perfect Miniatures sleepers gives me the following result.
demo_1.JPGdemo2.JPG

Still a lot of work to do - not finished the switches or upper level ballasting. Still tested the crossings and there is no wheel drop as the wheels go through so at least we can demo that at the show. The visible white panels will be painted black at some point and there is plenty of detailing between the two levels to be done, brick retaining wall etc. but I've run out of time so this is what will be going to Wigan. At least I'll have something to stand a few bits of rolling stock on!
 

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
Hi Adrian,

looks good and as Jordan says, certainly different. Will you be putting side and back boards on - if only for safetys sake?

cheers

Mike
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
I like the inspirations photographs, just need the rest of the (prototype) trackwork now.

How have you made the 7mm clips and padlock to set the switches out of use? Or have you now added the remaining switch rails?

Good stuff, Graham
 

Old Buffer

Western Thunderer
I agree with Jordan, curved display, pointwork and 2 levels looks a lot better than just straight bits of track.
I noticed you have either been to Islay or have a good taste for it.
Alan
 

adrian

Flying Squad
How have you made the 7mm clips and padlock to set the switches out of use? Or have you now added the remaining switch rails?
That's a negative on all that at the moment! Just not enough hours in the day, if I get a spare moment tonight (ha!) I might get the rest of the switch rails filed, but then again I'll have to fit the stretchers bars etc. so maybe not just now. More pressing things to be done.

I agree with Jordan, curved display, pointwork and 2 levels looks a lot better than just straight bits of track.
I noticed you have either been to Islay or have a good taste for it.
Alan
Unfortunately not visited Islay yet but it does help to generate some more loquacious postings.

looks good and as Jordan says, certainly different. Will you be putting side and back boards on - if only for safetys sake?
I'll probably be fitting sideboards just to stop stuff rolling off the end but I wasn't going to fit any backboards. The intention is to use it for photographing models. So at some point make a grassy embankment on the "inside" of the curve, at 5ways station it's actually a canal on the other side of the wall. So on one side I can have the grassy embankment shot and on the other the suburban brickwork scene. I was looking to make the backscene a completely separate board with an industrial sky line which I can then position where required for the photograph.
 

alcazar

Guest
Looks good.
I'm still waiting to see one showing bullhead AND flat bottomed rail/points.

Yours could have been it.........
 

adrian

Flying Squad
Looks good.
I'm still waiting to see one showing bullhead AND flat bottomed rail/points.
Well my pack of 20 lengths of 7mm steel bullhead rail from exactoscale seems to have included 2 lengths of nickel silver rail and one length of 4mm steel bullhead so no idea what they were doing in the packing department that day!

Also too late for the demo board but the Scale7 check rail chairs from shapeways were finally delivered today, so if interested they'll be on display at Wigan this weekend.
 

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Did you get the board back in once peice mate ? You'll be glad to know I managed to find my way out of the town centre much easier on the way out :)

ATB Mick
 

adrian

Flying Squad
Did you get the board back in once peice mate ? You'll be glad to know I managed to find my way out of the town centre much easier on the way out :)
Yep the board got back safely. I then emailed Peter to find out what he wanted doing with the 2 display boards for the S7 group, expecting to have to post them back to him or someone. Apparently some bloke called Mick needs them next for some little show he's doing in York next year!!
 

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Yep the board got back safely. I then emailed Peter to find out what he wanted doing with the 2 display boards for the S7 group, expecting to have to post them back to him or someone. Apparently some bloke called Mick needs them next for some little show he's doing in York next year!!

You're kidding :headbang::D Looks like a trip to the East Lancs Spring Steam Gala is coming on and i'll pop in on the way past mate. What are the seven P's again ?? In any case i'll sort something before Easter,

Cheers Mick
 
B

boxbrownie

Guest
I should really get around to producing a running board.......inspiration is all I need, keep it coming Adrian, BTW if your into Islay malt try the (no don't laugh) ASDA Islay 12 year old, it give Laphroaig a run for its money (£18 per bottle as opposed to around £26). I did a tasting with a very knowlegable whisky fiend and he was fooled......I don't think he has forgiven me yet! :D
Now then....back to modelling "hic"
 

adrian

Flying Squad
I should really get around to producing a running board.......inspiration is all I need, keep it coming Adrian, BTW if your into Islay malt try the (no don't laugh) ASDA Islay 12 year old, it give Laphroaig a run for its money (£18 per bottle as opposed to around £26). I did a tasting with a very knowlegable whisky fiend and he was fooled......I don't think he has forgiven me yet! :D
Now then....back to modelling "hic"
Thanks for that, hopefully over the Christmas break I'll make a little more progress. We had a good couple of days at Wigan, but having realised that I'd done nothing on my 4MT since Easter I've switched tack over the last few weeks so I've been working on that rather than the demo board.
Wigan.JPG

As for the Whiskey, fortunately I didn't have to pay £26 for the Laphroaig. Our local independent supermarket, Booths, quite often has discounts on beers and spirits. So I think the Laphroaig was a shade under £22 and today I picked up a bottle of Jura for £20. I'll try the ASDA malt sometime but at the moment there's a 2 mile exclusion zone round ASDA until the New Year.
 
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