z gauge Hakuho

[kevsmiththai]

I'd started to put bits of this on the 'What did you do on your layout today' thread but thought I'd split it off as I'm going to run a shadow thread on trainboard and modelrailforum as well as the layout develops.

 

So the back story is that my current most popular Z layout is 'Republic Steel', Uniquely because Steelworks and blast furnaces look very similar the world over can be run either as USA 1950's, USA late 90's, Railblue era British or Showa steam era Japanese!

 

Now I have had to ration the show appearances of this layout otherwise I would be out every weekend.

 

 

Although it look very good running in Japanese format with D51s pulling long trains of coal and limestone hoppers and C62s and C11s on passenger services I have always wanted to model a layout  more typical of rural japan, set in the mountain regions.

 

it is going to be small, just 1220 mm x 760 mm and the plan will be for it to be split into four scenes. First will be the small wayside station of 'Hakuho' itself. The two lines running through it are two different railways. The outer track will have OHL to allow me to run Electric locos and the inner one will be steam and diesel only. Both lines will be Bi-Directional. There are crossovers at either end of the platform to allow trains to cross over. This will be the nominal front of the layout at shows. The rear of the layout will be the hidden sidings except that, as I did with Shasta, they will be fully scenically finished as a large marshalling yard. At one end the scene will be a more urban setting with a row of shops flanking the railway and it is here that the main lines will start to diverge into the roads of the sidings. I'm still pondering about the other end but there is no rush yet.

 

to the horror of some of my fellow Southern Pacific Z modellers I took the decision to scrap the extension board on Shasta. The board featured the Dunsmuir depot at the front and a full extra four foot of sidings at the back so I could run four metre long freight  trains in Z but to  be honest it wasn't really working out. Transportation with the extra board meant borrowing one of the call-out vans from work and there are no show bookings for Shasta in its long form.

 

 

All of the scenery was removed (you will see these trees again!) and the track recovered using copious amount of warm soapy water to loosen the ballast. The board has the advantage that it already has a wheeled flight case and I have taken off the hinged legs used when it was inserted into Shasta. So for now it is sat on my usual steel trestles ready for its transformation.

 

Early days

So here is the initial layout for 'Hakuho' with just one siding and a small shed. Buildings are by Sankei except the overbridge that came with a resin cast C57 as some sort of collectable. Marklin points and a mix of Peco and Marklin track. At either end of this section will be overbridges to act as a scenic break. rising up from the back of the station will be dense woodland with just a few other buildings. The former turntable pit will morph into some sort of lake with a waterfall going into it and a stream coming out.

 

So the plan will be to fully finish the station scene first. One of the U.K model magazines are already asking for an article so I'll press on this summer

 

more in a mo'

 

Kev

 

[kevsmiththai]

So, some of you will already be asking about the name of the layout.

 

The average U.K modeler attending a British model railway exhibition will have no idea of the significance of the Hakuho name, those of you who know your Japanese culture will know exactly who I'm referring to. To add to the in-joke the station signs, which will be readable to those with good enough eyesight, will show the next stations in either direction to be Tamawashi and Endo.

 

So a start was made on the 'Kingspan' mountains after laying the station tracks. (Kingspan is the trade name of building insulation foam, off-cuts of which I acquire by rummaging through builders skips!)

 

 

Starting to take shape

 

The roadbridge is the left hand scenic break and the embankment nearest the camera will be an abandoned forestry line. from the road two tracks lead off. one will go up to a popular shrine hidden in the woods beside the twin waterfalls that will drop into the lake below. the other will drop down to the station and the timber yard

 

 

Tonight was mainly testing the completed outer circuit with a Rokuhan and a PRM electric which identified a couple of dodgy track joints. I sanded down the two paths  and built them up a bit more with tinted filler to dry overnight just before I locked up the workshop. At this time the workshop is just full of dust so I'll have a clean up tomorrow before starting again

 

I've taken the plunge and ordered a static grass applicator. On this layout I want a dense forest floor below the trees and the trees off Shasta will be replanted soon.

 

more soon

 

Kev

 

 

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Funnily enough, I had a similar idea for a layout station name...but not Hakuho, as I've gone off him over the last couple of years. I always thought Mitakeyumi and Takakaisho would also make good options.

[kevsmiththai]

Takakaisho is one to watch that's for sure, shame he's crocked himself for this basho.

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

So this was the scene this morning.

 

The dividing backdrop has been repainted as this will be the backing for the forest. the undercoat for the ground cover has been applied and the lanes up to the shrine and down to the station have been better defined.

 

 

The third layer of Gloss acrylic medium has gone onto the two waterfalls so all dusty work had to stop. Buildings aren't fastened down yet, just on to check clearances (the Tenshodo D51 valve gear was very close so I'm moving them back a bit). The weather has been good today for drying so I painted the rails rusty and was able to add the rocks and rubble to the bottom of the waterfalls before I locked up the workshop for the night. The Marklin Point motors have been painted track colour to tone them down a bit.

 

My local model shop let me down a bit this week so I still need to source some Peco N scale truss bridges for the forestry line.

 

My new static grass applicator arrived on Friday and its first job will be the forest floor in advance of putting all the trees on

 

It hasn't been all model  building this weekend. I had the wife's Merc in for its M.O.T annual inspection which wasn't straightforward at all and ended costing the thick end of £700 to get it through, but on a more positive side I took the youngest of our brood, Brooklyn, to see Saturday's 'Lakelander' steam excursion going past.

 

Now as young as he is I'm encouraging him to follow in my footsteps and have an interest in railways so he took his Granma's camera to have another go at taking train pictures. I've had to crop it a bit but not bad for a seven year old!

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

So with the weather still dry and warm I've pressed on with the scenics

 

Last thing today I've added the forest floor (Heki) seen here drying before the excess is carefully removed and collected.

 

 

This section has had the rails ballasted and the tops cleaned off and polished and the up platforms fastened down. I'm a little bit annoyed with the waterfalls as I've gone a bit overboard with the white 'Foam' look.

 

The temple/shrine is in the paint booth now. I've scratchbuilt it from photos and it looks a bit too tall but once it is surrounded by woodland i hope nobody is too picky!

 

I've started to fill all the old holes on the baseboard left over from its Shasta days, and like Republic Steel, it will have photo extension boards made soon. I've found over the years that with layouts with track near the front it is very difficult to frame pictures with the distinct lack of foreground to help composition

 

here is a case in point. Republic at a show running in BR Railblue guise

 

 

Now back in the workshop with the foreground bolted on. Nothing fancy just a flat board with hedges and scenic scatter. But it gives you a lot more scope and the magazine editors love it when you submit the pictures

 

 

 

 

So Hakuho will have a bespoke set made to surround it. The baseboard had its own section of lighting rig that tied into Shasta's full length one and this will be revamped to be a standalone bit for the layout. The photoboards and the lighting rig poles will use the same boltholes

 

I followed a link from Michik to a 'Brother' site with downloadable building artwork PDFs and printed off some apartment buildings last night (N Scale but I shrunk them down to Z) and these have already given me an idea for the urban section to be built round the back. They are quite good with a nice subtle bit of weathering. Unlike Michik I'm not going to cut out the windows and add interiors!

 

Kev

 

 

 

 

[MichiK]

That extension board really makes the difference - brilliant idea!

 

I've considered to keep the printed windows on the buildings, too. However, I wanted to depict the shops with open doors and interior, and once you are able to look inside, the printed windows look somewhat silly. For the appartment blocks there's really no need for cutting out the windows, unless you feel your oats.

 

[cteno4]

It is a great idea, especially for photography. Nice work!

 

When we do the cherry blossom festival here in dc we are in a tent and can only show one side and the ends of the layout (they are designed to be viewed all around). The old layout was donut shaped with a hole in the center to separate the two sides of the layout visually w.o doing a scenery backdrop down the center. The back of the shinkansen station was right along the back edge of one side and pretty blank with no scenery along it as it was right at the edge. So since you couldn’t see the other side of the station when in the tent, I was able to make a small 6” wide extension off the back of the station modules that faced forward in the tent. Great to do a long thin scene of a row of buildings along the station and a street with a festival going on (modeling matsuri at the matsuri!). Added a whole new scene.

 

jeff

[kevsmiththai]

Not quite

 

"Macbeth shall never vanquished be, until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him."

 

But the forests of Shasta has moved a long way across the Pacific

 

 

Still a lot more to add including the saplings. I gave up on the oversized shrine and made a new one more in scale and a small cemetery. Seen before I collected the scatter overspill where I've been tweaking the station yard. The abandoned Forestry line has come on a bit.

 

Anybody know the dimensions of a JNR semaphore signal arm and post or have a drawing of one?.

 

Kev

[MichiK]

http://219.116.74.209/tecs/shiryou/teshig.pdf

That's the 'railway signal data book 25.1 Mb 712 pieces Revised 1973 revision' - it's mostly about electric light signals, but still has a few sketches of semaphores, too (I hope the link works...)

[kevsmiththai]

They are spot on.

 

Going to try and get some etched

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

So. here is where I'm up to now. Nowhere near finished but starting to look the part

 

The footbridge is not on as I suspect the Sankei platforms, being card,  aren't strong enough to hold it in the rough and tumble of shows. I'me going to through-bolt it down to the baseboard with some M4 studding so the baseboard takes the strain. Telegraph poles adds that detailing that brings a scene to life. Still to add are the tablet catchers on the platform nearest to the camera for the single line block working. The C62 on the passenger train is on what will be the freight only line so the platform only has the tablet gear on it and no end ramps. All passenger trains will call on the other line where a D51 trundles through on a mixed freight

 

 

Still need to tone the access road down a bit more.

 

So the D51 has stopped at the station which made me think I might need to add a couple of water cranes. The C11 is shunting the single siding, picking up a couple of open wagons loaded with logs

 

So next priority will be figures, Some as pilgrims on the path up to the shrine and a few passengers on the platform. Semaphore signals are on the back burner but I have found someone to etch me some, I need to fill the rest of the artwork sheet up with something and have lots of thoughts about that.

 

I'm struggling to find Japanese cars and trucks for the right period in 1/220. One though was did the US army leave any stuff in Japan like GMC trucks? I can get them from Z-Panzer but would rather have Isuzu lorries and some Toyota cars.

 

I've shot a load of me waffling on about it for my youtube channel but I'm going to split it into a part-work as I develop each section. First part will concentrate on progress up to now and I'll shoot some train moves tomorrow and post part 1. Part 2 will look at the lighting rig and photo extension boards.

 

I'll post the link when it is on

 

regards

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

Forgot to mention.

 

trying to do the artwork for the station signs but does anybody know what the typeface for the english writing is? 

 

progress so far

I know I'm being picky( the finished sign will be only about 5mm wide) but I want it to look right in close up photos

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

Video of the build so far

 

 

I'm in Scotland for the next couple of days doing full size trains so doubt I'll get anything more done until the weekend

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

So I've been getting on quite well. Concentrating mainly on the photo extension boards.

 

These use the existing holes in the baseboard that hold it into the flightcase plus some smaller holes at either end. They are in three sections and are designed to increase the foreground. two main benefits are it gives me a lot more scenic scope and makes it a lot easier to take pictures for the magazine editors who like to have the ability to crop pictures to fit the text and the page. These will really only be used at home as they can be quite vulnerable. At shows the basic board will suffice with the lighting rig erected unless the show organiser twists my arm

 

So the front one is farmland basically with some rice paddys. I've gone a bit mad with the ripples in them but the next layers of vanish should calm them down. There is also a sort of a vineyard in full leaf and the empty area on the left will have a farmhouse on it when I get some.

 

 

 

The embankment for the forest line has been robbed out. You can also see that the right hand board carries the river on after it passes under the rail line in a culvert

 

 

Apologies for the aluminium block in the pic. It is holding up the tree while the glue sets!

 

The C11 is on the local stopping train as the C57 passes on a light engine move.

 

 

The C57 heads an express past the station

 

 

again apologies for the Picador block but you can see I've busied up the goods yard

 

 

No video as yet. The next part will show the layout fitted with the lighting rig, with the extension boards and how the flight case works

 

cheers

 

Kev

[Densha]

On 6/1/2019 at 10:42 PM, kevsmiththai said:

Forgot to mention.

 

trying to do the artwork for the station signs but does anybody know what the typeface for the english writing is? 

 

progress so far

I know I'm being picky( the finished sign will be only about 5mm wide) but I want it to look right in close up photos

 

Kev

 

You can find some JNR typefaces on this website. The latest link just above the second line is the most versatile JNRfont.tff, including both Japanese and western characters.

[kevsmiththai]

1 hour ago, Densha said:

 

You can find some JNR typefaces on this website. The latest link just above the second line is the most versatile JNRfont.tff, including both Japanese and western characters.

Thanks mate.

 

I'll take my time with this lot but it looks very useful

 

Cheers

 

Kev

 

[kevsmiththai]

Just mentioned to the lads over on trainboard.com that the last thing I've done tonight is add the Rip-rap rocks to the river and poured some more Acrylic varnish onto the river bed and then  shut the workshop door on it so I don't stir up any dust. We have got a heatwave predicted over the next few days  so it is a good time to do these big, slow setting jobs.

 

Got an idea for the rice in the paddies

 

results soon

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

The double headed C62s on the overnight train to Sapporor

 

 

The D51 on the Fish train passes the rice paddies as the KIHA 42 trundles into the station

 

 

Double headed D51s on the laden coal train pass a mixed freight

 

 

Part 2 of the video, lighting rigs, flight case and photo extension boards etc

 

 

Kev

[Densha]

Sorry, but can you maybe try to resize your pics a bit next time? They are files with a really big resolution that take a long time to load. Free storage websites like imgur also tend to remove files after a while, which would render all pictures in this topic completely blank. The file uploader our forum software uses is just a simple drag and drop system and resizes your pics automatically, which might be the easiest way to go at this.

[kevsmiththai]

Sure. I didn't realise I was causing an issue so I'll gladly trim them down in future

 

Kev

[MichiK]

Very nice, Kev!

In particular, the extension boards are super effective!

[kevsmiththai]

So in between a load of other jobs today I spun Hakuho around on the trestles so it faced the workshop door. It sits vertically like this as it is my preferred way of doing the wiring, with it stood on one edge secured to the trestles with 'quickclamps''.

 

i'll come back to the wiring and control panel later but the object of the exercise was to take an overhead picture of the baseboard to do the drawing of the trackplan for the magazines and show guides and also to do the masking template for the control panel using photoshop.

 

 

If you look carefully you'll see that some lower quadrant semaphore signals have appeared at either end of the station!

 

More soon

 

Kev

[Bob_NZ]

I agree with the others, that the extension boards do make a huge difference with how the layout presents its depth - very evident in the photos - its a neat trick on the eye.

[kevsmiththai]

So round the back I've drilled the mounting holes for the power pack and fixed M8 threaded mounting plates on the inside of the baseboard. This three Marklin controller powerpack is used on nearly all my layouts and supplies three 8V DC, three 15V AC and various LED power supplies. Built into the front is the NCE Powercab panel and the Keyswitch and DPDT switch and BIG Blue warning light all come into play when the inner track is switched to DCC so that I don't fry a non decoder fitted loco!

 

 

alongside is the basic shell for the control panel of which more later. The yellow cable hanging down is the feed to the control panel from the power pack which uses the good old SCART plug and socket. You can see how the photo extension board and lighting rig case sit underneath on the trestles safely out of harms way. This picture does give an idea of how small the layout is.

 

Probably not going to get much more done this week as we are leading up to our big Rail open day at our Kingmoor depot on Saturday (Big Toys!)

 

This was last year's held at our Crewe depot

 

Kev