Takahachikawa

[railsquid]

On 10/17/2021 at 5:13 PM, railsquid said:

Road crew has been alerted:

 

tram-route-left-end-2021-10-17_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

And done, for reasonably provisional values of "done".

 

tram-route-left-end-2021-10-19_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[bill937ca]

Is the tram waiting for "hell to freeze over"?  🙂

[railsquid]

8 hours ago, bill937ca said:

Is the tram waiting for "hell to freeze over"?  🙂

 

I photograph it when it comes through around the same time every day; if you look carefully, the other vehicles visible in the picture are different.

[railsquid]

So, an empty below-viaduct space:

 

playground-area-2021-10-17_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

A rummage in the scenic bits box brings this to light:

 

playground-area-2021-10-17_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Fits just nicely:

 

playground-area-2021-10-17_03 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

But needs a fence to keep the little kiddies from wandering out onto the tracks:

 

playground-area-2021-10-17_04 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

A few clicks on the internet, and less than 48 hours one is installed:

 

playground-area-2021-10-19_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

The same scene, ca. 55 years ago:

 

playground-area-2021-10-19_03 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[railsquid]

I should add that apart from de-plastic-ising the playground equipment, I will try and cut some of it down a bit, because per my measurements some of it would be terrifyingly high for N-scale children.

[railsquid]

The problem: a rather dull grey shed interior bereft of shed interior details:

 

tomix-shed-original-2021-10-22_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

The ideal solution: the Tomix depot expansion pack, but it contains various bits I don't particularly want, including two sheds I already have.

But thanks to the bounty of the interwebs, there are people who evidently want the sheds from the set but not the bits which go inside, so some duly purchased to discover that the floor parts don't seem to be quite right for the original shed, but no worries, have sharp cutting implement:

 

tomix-shed-modified-2021-10-23_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

tomix-shed-modified-2021-10-23_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

I also went to the trouble of removing the thick central column which is mainly there for the screw which attaches the roof:

 

tomix-shed-modified-2021-10-23_04 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Leaves a bit of an unfortunate non-safety-first gap in the walkway, but that can be addressed later after the criminal negligence inquiry.

 

From the book "101 Uses for a Kato Wall Wart":

 

tomix-shed-modified-2021-10-23_05 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

All down and tested:

 

tomix-shed-modified-2021-10-23_06 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

And looks more shed-like already.

 

tomix-shed-modified-2021-10-23_08 by Rail Squid, on Flickr[/i]

 

Still some more bits to add, weathering, lighting etc. but it's a start.

[gavino200]

What's with this explosion of productivity, Squid? Have you quit your day job or something? 🤔 I'm enjoying watching all this progress. Nice work!

 

[railsquid]

6 hours ago, gavino200 said:

What's with this explosion of productivity, Squid? Have you quit your day job or something? 🤔 I'm enjoying watching all this progress. Nice work!

 

 

Hah, I spent much of last year plotting to change the day job, which was getting me down for various reasons, then the company I was working for unexpectedly sold itself to a larger one, which worked out very well for me. A bigger factor though is that the Squidlet is becoming less time-intensive and I've got more quality free time at weekends etc. and the mental energy to creatively solve all the conundrums which present themselves :D.

 

Another thing I've finally done is the train yard/tram road "interface", which has been vaguely bugging me for years.

 

depot-yard-2021-10-20_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

general-overview-2021-10-22_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

The loco spur with the red tank is theoretically a diesel fuelling point, but electric kettles may take a well-deserved break there if needed.

[cteno4]

A good turn to life! Man the squidlette is growing up fast!

 

jeff

[railsquid]

I must post some pictures...

 

Anyway forgot to note that Tomix very thoughtfully included some parts to help disguise the base of the central column, which I've removed but I am sure something plausibly shed-interior-like can be conjured up to cover the hole.

 

tomix-shed-modified-2021-10-24_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[railsquid]

Yesterday's random fix was this level crossing, which had come off worse in an encounter with big pointy-nosed trains trundling unprototypically down the tram route, which diverges on a 280mm radius curve immediately to the right:

 

rear-level-crossing-1-2021-10-25_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Equipment now set back a little further, and some scenery which was slightly above rail height has been excised.

 

rear-level-crossing-1-2021-10-25_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[TimWay4]

10 hours ago, railsquid said:

Yesterday's random fix was this level crossing, which had come off worse in an encounter with big pointy-nosed trains trundling unprototypically down the tram route, which diverges on a 280mm radius curve immediately to the right:

 

rear-level-crossing-1-2021-10-25_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Equipment now set back a little further, and some scenery which was slightly above rail height has been excised.

 

rear-level-crossing-1-2021-10-25_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

I assume an equiry is underway for the barrier incident? 😛 Looks really good after having been repaired, you'd never know anything had happened to it 🙂

[cteno4]

I think since squid would be the investigator as well as being responsible for construction, maintenance, and operation of the railway there is a huge conflict of interest here and I fear a covered up or whitewashed investigation will happen… even an independent investigation by the squidlet or mrs squid would probably have undue influence put on them.

 

jeff

[railsquid]

The dispatcher responsible for routing several oversize trains along the tram route has been issued with an illuminated baton and a whistle and is now responsible for dispatching buses from the bus station.

 

Due to an intense working timetable, the crossing still has not opened for the blue van to cross.

 

rear-level-crossing-1-2021-10-27_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

rear-level-crossing-1-2021-10-27_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[railsquid]

"Vehicles queueing at the level crossing were sorely disappointed not to see a steam engine"

 

rear-level-crossing-1-2021-10-31_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[JR 500系]

2 hours ago, railsquid said:

"Vehicles queueing at the level crossing were sorely disappointed not to see a steam engine"

 

 

Time to bring Thomas out for a run!

[railsquid]

Yeah, he's been suspisciously absent recently...

 

In the meantime a short video:

 

 

[JR 500系]

What no Thomas lurking in the tunnel portal?  😛

 

Did you mention, bus station?  🤨

[Kamome]

Those wagons look fresh out of the paint shop.

[railsquid]

Sadly the Tachikawa Area Division Staff are too busy to keep their operational stock dirty.

 

3 hours ago, JR 500系 said:

Did you mention, bus station?  🤨

 

Umm yeah, this one:

 

bus-station-view by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

which will bring Takahachikawa's public transport facilities into the 20s (Showa 20s that is) once construction work has been completed (picture from former layout location).

[railsquid]

Oooh, where did the last few weeks go?

 

Slight progress - I hacked out an inlay for the 243mm tram curve:

 

tram-curve-2021-12-17_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Came out better than I expected for a first attempt, except slightly too short, but It Will Do™. To be painted, fixed in place and generally fettled.

[railsquid]

Let's see how well this works:

 

tram-curve-2021-12-18_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[railsquid]

Well enough:

 

tram-curve-2021-12-18_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[railsquid]

Zipping back in time a little, we see this rather awkward gap to the right of the concrete support column:

 

playground-area-2021-10-19_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

It needs to become "under viaduct generic dead space, possibly populated by some lackluster shrubbery" so:

 

road-underbridge-2021-12-18_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

road-underbridge-2021-12-18_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

road-underbridge-2021-12-18_03 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

road-underbridge-2021-12-18_04 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

I think I will extend the concrete fence to cover the gap, which ended up larger than I planned.

[railsquid]

13 hours ago, railsquid said:

road-underbridge-2021-12-18_04 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

I think I will extend the concrete fence to cover the gap, which ended up larger than I planned.

 

Fence extended and miscelleaneous weedery added:

 

road-underbridge-2021-12-19_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

road-underbridge-2021-12-19_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr