|
|
Post by kevsmithnkp on Apr 3, 2016 14:57:19 GMT -5
With Shasta now extended and full booked for shows this year I was planning on starting 'Fargo' my new Northern Pacific layout set in Stampede Pass (think load of trees and not much else apart from rain!) It was booked to appear at Cleckheaton show on Mayday bank holiday weekend this year and then... I got sidetracked So instead welcome to Republic Steel, a stand alone module based on the huge steelworks in Cleveland Ohio.  Now there is going to be a lot of compression involved as it is only going to be 56" long and 24" wide. It is a project that has been on the backburner for a while but was always intended to be an annex to Cuyahoga, my Nickel Plate road layout. To this end the high level line on Cuyahoga was put it to lead onto the 'Highline' at the rear of the blast furnace. Centre piece of the layout is to be the Marklin Blast furnace kit, which is a big kit but heavily simplified. I'm ploughing my way through a book called Steel Mills published by Kalmbach and written by Bernard Kempinski which has a wealth of info on the Steel Industry  You can see how compact it is going to be. The other thing I'm doing is using a lot of Marklin set track. I get asked at a lot of shows about track as many modellers are a bit scared of flexitrack in Z so thought I'd do a layout showing how you can progress on from the starter set oval to make an interesting layout. Baseboard is my standard construction with wood framing and 6mm MDF tops already given a ground colour of red oxide and black (car aerosols). The open hearth furnace building at the rear will hide the fiddle yard. I've extended the highline to the baseboard edge and started constructing the hoisthouse missing from the Marklin kit. The open hearth furnace is now clad in corrugated tin with two of the characteristic tall stacks  These are big buildings which will dwarf the Z gauge rolling stock as they do in real life. Now there is a cunning plan involved in all this. Steelworks look pretty much the same the world over and also look pretty similar down through the years so 1 it can be run 50's-60's with my NKP stock (GP7s and Mikados) 2 it can be run modern image as CSX or NS with AZL coilcars, bethgons etc 3 best of all it can also be run as a British layout with my class 47s and 56s and British coil steel carriers three layouts for the price of one!! Ill keep you updated on progress as I go along Kev |
|
|
|
Post by tjdreams on Apr 3, 2016 15:20:29 GMT -5
Very Nice Kev Looking good
I wish I had bought one of those Marklin Blast furnaces kits back when I had the chance
David
|
|
|
|
Post by cwrr on Apr 4, 2016 23:14:48 GMT -5
That is a serious layout there!! Well done!!
|
|
|
|
Post by kevsmithnkp on Apr 7, 2016 14:40:54 GMT -5
I've now added some more detail to the highline by putting some hopper bottoms in, added the hoist house and blower house and made a start on the ore yard conveyor. Going over the top of this area will be the ore bridge which will be yellow and start adding some colour into the scene. Two GP7s do some trial switching  I've just had some Stonysmith Iron ladle cars delivered from Shapeways which are sat in the Ultrasonic cleaning bath right now and will contrast nicely with the Roy Stevens designed 70 ton ore cars on the high line  More soon Kev |
|
|
|
Post by cwrr on Apr 7, 2016 23:33:56 GMT -5
Excellent work!
|
|
|
|
Post by markm on Apr 9, 2016 12:49:36 GMT -5
Looks great. Reminds me of a Bethlehem Steel unit south of San Francisco I lived near as a kid. I was wondering what thoughts you had for "accessorizing" the mill.
|
|
|
|
Post by kevsmithnkp on Apr 9, 2016 13:35:00 GMT -5
Hi Mark. Obviously it is early days yet but I'm very tempted to plumb it all up to a small disco smoke generator in the future and there are going to be lights everywhere. Some of my ex colleagues in the Sheffield '0' gauge group had used one of these generators to feed the chimneys on their exhibition layout and it looked really neat. I've also started to consider lighting the inside of one of the iron ladle cars with an LED and a watch battery to give it the glow, I'll keep you posted finalised track plan. All the buildings bolt on at the moment allowing this shot to be taken  I will use the picture above to do the schematic drawing of the layout  First ballasting now drying in the workshop Kev |
|
|
|
Post by markm on Apr 11, 2016 18:14:08 GMT -5
Kev,
Sounds great, looking forward to see the results. The smoke generator is a great idea. Don't forget the various warning flashers.
Mark
|
|
|
|
Post by kevsmithnkp on Apr 13, 2016 14:01:19 GMT -5
Starting to come together now but obviously going to need loads and loads of detailing.  The ore bridge is going to need the yellow toning down a bit as is the red crane as well. You can see where the ore and limestone are positioned for the blast furnace  This picture gives you an idea of how big the blast furnace is compared to the freight stock  A view from the end of the layout shows the relationship between the high line and the ore yard  More soon Kev |
|
|
|
Post by kevsmithnkp on Apr 13, 2016 14:03:26 GMT -5
In British mode a class 07 shunter positions an iron ladle car at the blast furnace  Kev |
|
|
|
Post by cwrr on Apr 13, 2016 14:20:17 GMT -5
Wow!! That's looking great! Lot's of details, I like it!!
|
|
|
|
Post by kevsmithnkp on Apr 23, 2016 7:55:35 GMT -5
Racing against time a bit now to get it ready for next week's show. I am going to use the plinth I use on Midsomer Mardy to support the layout at this show. Eventually the module will haver its own legs to match up with Cuyahoga so I can connect them together Still lots of detailing to do but it is lookin a bit more like it  The AZL Mikado has found some high bits of ballast that the GP7 seem to miss so there has been a bit more scraping  A Pennsy GP7 switches the high line  quite a lot crammed into 4 ft 8 " by 2 ft  more soon Kev |
|
|
|
Post by kevsmithnkp on Apr 30, 2016 15:52:09 GMT -5
So..Thrashing along quite well last weekend but thought I'd better make sure it fits in the X-trail. Doh! Couldn't get the layout and plinth in at the same time. Tried everything including putting the plinth in through the sunroof! A weather forecast for sleet and snow meant putting the plinth on the roof bars was not really an option. I decided in the end to display the module on two steel telescopic trestles I use in the workshop to support the layout.these were given a quick spray of satin black to tidy them up. Parts of Cuyahoga's lighting rig were pressed into service and I set off on Friday morning a lot happier than I was on Monday morning.
The layout worked straight out of the box.There were a couple of high bits of ballast to clean out but other than that it worked DC and DCC from the off. Sat in my hotel room tonight I'm listing jobs still to do but it is detailing mainly.
Have not had time to take any photographs as yet as I spent a lot of time explaining to show visitors how much Z Scale has come on in the last few years however did manage to shoot some video footage. I'll do a fuller report after the weekend
more soon
Kev
|
|
|
|
Post by kevsmithnkp on May 2, 2016 13:22:51 GMT -5
A cropped photo shows the whole of the frontage on display at the show this weekend. Would have preferred to use the plinth but the trestles are really stable  The despatch yard has steel slabs and coils ready for loading  A GP7 trundles past the blower house while the 0-6-0 switcher works the highline  The universal power pack that I use on all of my layouts sits at the rear. This also supplies the DCC switchable on the inner track.  The big blue light on the power pack indicates the inner is energised DCC as a warning NOT to put a DC loco on the track! I would have done more switching at the show but a couple of bits of high ballast on the approach to the furnace meant some locos stalled. A bit of 'Skrawking' with a scriber point should soon sort that this week I wasn't really going to take any bookings for it for now but Fleetwood show have asked for it and that show is one of my favourites. The organisers of Cleckheaton show also do a one day one in Brafdord in October so I'm going to take it there but in 'British' form with Class 47 and 56s running around hauling U.K coal and steel wagons. It means I'm going to have to start bidding for some of Laszlo's European cars as the Caddy's and Buicks won't really look right Keep you posted Kev |
|
|
|
Post by kevsmithnkp on May 16, 2016 14:48:29 GMT -5
Well I've kept busy since getting back from the show. A couple of magazine editors will probably be interested in this so I'd thought I'd try and get it more detailed. Now the basic Marklin Blast Furnace kit is a bit simplified compared to the real thing, it is nicely moulded but looks far too clean.  I started with the Dust catcher and gas washer. You'll see how I've used captive 8BA bolts to hold the building down onto the baseboard as there is a chance it might need to come off again at some stage. The stack has had the aircraft warning light added, the lift tower has been lit and access platform and steps installed. A few 50mm street lamps have been put on as well.  Installed  Moving on to the furnace itself the tower cried out for detailing and lighting. the tapping holes and inspection holes were drilled out carefully at the base, quite tricky as I had already glued it into place. I held my breath as I drilled them out using a 6 inch long 3/16" drill bit with the battery drill on the slowest possible speed! Krystal Kleer liquid glazing was used to fill the holes and then a bank of Flickering yellow and red LEDS installed inside. At the same time a high intensity red led was fitted into the top of the tower pointing upwards  More shortly Kev |
|
