2015 Display Table Design Thread

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ShaunW
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2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by ShaunW »

As the title says, this area is to cover discussions regarding the actual design of the table area. The builder's thread is becoming very busy and, no doubt, will continue in that vein and it is better, therefore, that the table design is separated otherwise will we end up with a heck of a jumble. And we don't want that.
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beany
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by beany »

Here is the first (hastily) produced draft of what I have in mind for our display. I have bought a program called AnyRail which allows me to use standard pieces of Hornby track on a grid to produce the layout so I have used that as the core in the centre of the 12 foot by 4 foot table area as you can see. (The grid is set to 12 inch squares, with 1 inch subdivisions). I am still on a sharp learning curve with this program so bare with me!
Several people are interested in building locos so I have dedicated some sidings for these, as well as the station area which will have the expected accessories and associated building, kiosks etc. We will probably have to incorporate a level crossing or even two, (otherwise you are bound to get some smartarse saying "how do the cars get in there then?") but I am struggling to see where to put it (them) as they are design for straight track and there are not may straight bits available in the right places for the crossing - perhaps some brave soul will volunteer to customise the Airfix one for a curve track section for us?!

Image

So, over to you guys and gals for comments/discussion. Everything is available for change, including the track layout and the positioning on the table relative to the other spaces - e.g. more airfield and less harbour or vice versa if that's what people would prefer. I may have to reserve part of the front of the table (the front is at the lower edge of the diagram) to position the controllers for Joe Public and a signboard for the CBK cordially inviting them to drive the trains.

Cheers
Al.
P.S. Ignore the colouring of the track sections, it is of no relevance (I think, I haven't reached that part of the learning curve yet!).
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TomW
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by TomW »

Well I can see a possible way to get the level crossings in if we reduce the harbour / villiage width by one square. We can then insert that to the right of the spur to the statics section (where the signal box is now) and that will give the requisite straight section for the level crossings (the signal box will need to move to the left of the spur).

Just a thought but otherwise I love the layout as is and I can now visualise things properly Al :grin:

Regards

Tom
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by fredk »

Put the level crossing on the extra sidings near the Tank museum just about the 'more' word place, reduce the extra sidings to only one track. Put splash's 9F being dismantled on the siding; have an Airfix Matador truck using the l/c.
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by splash »

Will the Airfix bridge fit one of the straights?
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by splash »

The water area could just be a canal.
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Something about the diagram / grid is confusing me. You say 1 inch sub-divisions, but they look more like 6/foot = 2in. I got concerned because at 1in/ the longest platform track is just 16-ish inches and that holds a single KM coach.

If the front of the display is the bottom of the drawing, then might we consider swapping the church & Remembrance Day so the former does not mask the latter.

From the other thread, I see a 60's-ish display forming and I think that good. We can put older engines/cars into a "heritage rail" piece of the display, even if that is just a restoration shop or something ....
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by beany »

jRatz wrote:Something about the diagram / grid is confusing me. You say 1 inch sub-divisions, but they look more like 6/foot = 2in. I got concerned because at 1in/ the longest platform track is just 16-ish inches and that holds a single KM coach.
You're not wrong John - what I had on the screen when doing the design is clearly not what came out of my printer and hence got fed straight back into my scanner in order to get it on to Photobucket - subdivisions are indeed 2 inches in the posted diagram..
If the front of the display is the bottom of the drawing, then might we consider swapping the church & Remembrance Day so the former does not mask the latter.
Totally agree - we can of course fine tune things on the day once we have all of the models in the flesh so to speak.
From the other thread, I see a 60's-ish display forming and I think that good. We can put older engines/cars into a "heritage rail" piece of the display, even if that is just a restoration shop or something ....
Agree again John - in my mind I have early-mid 60's but will not be tied to an exact date - it is a display of similar themed kits as we have already discussed, not a model railway layout depicting any particular day in history. That said, I think Shaun, Tom, James, Iain and I will have a secret score board going whilst manning the table for every 'expert' who opines "very nice I'm sure, but you would never have seen Evening Star on the same shed as xxxxxxx (insert relevant engine type/name here)".

Cheers
Al.
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beany
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by beany »

splash wrote:Will the Airfix bridge fit one of the straights?
Probably, but to honest I wouldn't be heartbroken if no-one actually brought that kit for the display :ha:
The water area could just be a canal.
...and that coming from a Navy man! To be honest Splash I am really not sure the best approach here - I love the idea of dockside cranes but then the dock would really need to be raised above the level of the waterline. However, if someone would be prepared to lop the bottom off of a Matchbox HMCS Snowberry to sit in the water then we might have to give it some serious thought - assuming Snowberry is a CBK, I'm not sure what year it first appeared?
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ShaunW
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by ShaunW »

This looks excellent and now we can start to visualise the scene. Village or dockside, each has its merits. The dockside brings possible difficulties with making water effects and, as has been pointed out, raising the dockside and constructing a vessel to fit etc. Would a village be easier to construct? did Airfix not make houses etc for their railway range? (sorry but if it isn't an aircraft or military vehicle I'm a bit clueless :oops: )
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by chrism »

This all looks good and exciting. Well done Al.
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by mattbacon »

...I thought we'd decided that the "Superquick" card kits were CBKs? I certainly built a bunch of them back in the day, which means they must be Classics...

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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by TomW »

mattbacon wrote:...I thought we'd decided that the "Superquick" card kits were CBKs? I certainly built a bunch of them back in the day, which means they must be Classics...

bestest,
M.
That was my understanding as well Matt, they would make creating a village for the left hand side of the table quite easy.

Regards

Tom
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2016 A:B = 29:11
2015 A:B = 38:14
2014 A:B = 25:9
2013 A:B = 20:17
2012 A:B = I didn't keep score
2011 A:B = 39:11
2010 A:B = 51:10
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Thanks, Al, for your responses. That makes the two platform tracks about 33-in if we don't block the switch. The KM coaches are each 10-1/2 long, so NMT 2 per track, with a small engine - or maybe cram 3 on longer track and engine + 1 on shorter track, assume the powered half grabs the rest on the way out ? A bit hokey ?

Just a few thoughts before you tell me to build all 4 :grin: And if you intend to pull any of them, we better chat about that so we match couplers and such - I have nothing but the bare kits.
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Re: 2015 Display Table Design Thread

Post by beany »

TomW wrote:
mattbacon wrote:...I thought we'd decided that the "Superquick" card kits were CBKs? I certainly built a bunch of them back in the day, which means they must be Classics...

bestest,
M.
That was my understanding as well Matt, they would make creating a village for the left hand side of the table quite easy.

Regards

Tom
Whilst I am a huge fan of both Metcalfe and Superquick kits and have been building them for years my main concern is that whilst they are arguably classics - they ain't plastic - as in International Plastic Modellers Society, the SIG being a branch of it. I know not everything will be 100% plastic models but I hope you can appreciate what I'm getting at if we have a largely "card" village as part of the display. I also fear (because they look so nice) they may detract from the plastic models a bit as well. Just my opinion, like I say I personally love 'em and own many, but I'm just not sure about using them in the display. If more people are in favour than against then I will of course concede the point.
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