Converting Our UK Layout to Japanese - Yamanouchi Oshika

[Mudkip Orange]

Danke!

[KenS]

What are you using for the sidewalls on the bridge?  I have an elevated expressway to build, and how to do the sides is one of my unresolved areas (I'm leaning to 1-2mm styrene, which would be a prototypical 6-12 inch thickness).

[Claude_Dreyfus]

What are you using for the sidewalls on the bridge?  I have an elevated expressway to build, and how to do the sides is one of my unresolved areas (I'm leaning to 1-2mm styrene, which would be a prototypical 6-12 inch thickness).

 

 

Hi Ken,

 

I have used a mountboard, often used in picture framing, in this case. It is, to all intents and purposes, a very thick cardboard. This particular mountboard is about 1mm in thickness, so more or less the sort of thickness you are looking at as well. I find it really useful for all sorts of scenic jobs as it is very strong and does maintains a decent integrity when damp.

[KenS]

I'm quite familiar with mountboard, I've done a bit of picture framing. There's a sheet of it I use as a backdrop for my roster photos, actually.

 

But I hadn't thought of using it as a model-making material before. The stuff I'm familiar with would seem to have too much texture, but perhaps there's smoother stuff available.  Definitely an idea to consider. Thanks.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

We had our club open day on Sunday, which involved both our club layouts.

 

The intention was to both run trains and do some scenic work during quieter periods. Sadly (from a modelling point of view), there were no quiet periods and despite being situated in the middle of the countryside, we had a steady stream of visitors. A small amount of work took place on Yamanouchi Oshika, however for the majority of the time we were playing trains...

 

For this show, I brought along my Izu area stock - a class 185, a 251 Superview Odoriko, the 2100 'Black Ship train and the standard Resort 2100, as well as a couple of frieght trains. The Japanese stock attracted a lot of interest, as always, and I had a particularly interesting conversation with a girl who spent two years in Japan, teaching conversational English.

 

One notible arrival was the modified footbridge, brought along for siting purposes. Still a couple of things to be done to it before it is fixed down. It can be seen in the background of picture 1.

 

The 00 layout also had a Japanese visitor in the shape of a Tomix EF64-1000 in JRF livery. It spent the show being shuttled around the docks section of the layout, but still looked impressive.

[Bernard]

Claude - Where a lot of people surprised to see a Japanese layout?

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Claude - Where a lot of people surprised to see a Japanese layout?

 

Yes, the layout does draw a lot of comments along those lines. As mentioned before, a Japanese layout is a rarity in the UK, indeed Europe on the whole....unusual enough to prompt comments like, 'I did not realise they have model trains in Japan'!

 

Japanese N gauge...the world's best kept secret! 

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Quick update time...

 

Progress has been slow but steady over the last few weeks, however yesterday a huge step forward was made when the first part of the backscene was fitted. In addition the superstructure of the hillside has also been finished. We will be carving and plastering next week to get some sort of form here.

 

The backscene will be made up of a number of pictures cribbed from the internet. Additional townscape will be superimposed over the hills to give it a slightly more urban feel. The town pictures are of Nagano, so pretty close to where the layout is set.

 

Some finer detailing has also been taking place around the two office blocks to try to blend them in a little more. Also, the relayed section of track has now been ballasted...

[KenS]

Looking good.  I particularly like the arrangement of the Kato towers.

[Bernard]

It looks great, I like the airport cargo depot.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Thanks for the comments...

 

Another quick update on the scenery.

 

Yesterday evening was a flurry of activity, as the carving tool came out to attack the rather boxy hillside behind the yard. After nearly an hour some sort of form was arrived at, and out came the plaster bandages. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks, some signifiant progress will before evident as these huge white hillside take on some colour...and plenty of trees!

 

We also gave the Rap:t a quick demo as well...

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Just a quick update here, with a few more pictures of progress.

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully we will be getting the hillside complete by next week - more or less anyway - and then full attention will move to the station area. We have a photo session in the early part of next month, before we leave the N gauge layout for a few weeks to centre on the 00 as it is due to a show at the end of February.

 

We cannot leave Yamanouchi Oshika too much though...it's out at a show the following weekend!

[KenS]

That hillside really changes the tone of that end of the layout, making it look more rural. The rock faces have the look of real ones where hard stone has been weathered: mostly smooth, but with lot of small irregularities. And the curving bridge gives it a "contemporary" feel. I'm looking forward to watching the continuing evolution.

[cteno4]

Nick has just graciously posted a nice article on Yamanouchi Oshika on the JRM website. its a great piece and documents their efforts very well! thanks again Nick!

 

http://japanrailmodelers.org/pages/modelingjapan/yamanouchi.html

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Claude_Dreyfus]

No problems at all. Glad to have contributed...

[disturbman]

Interesting article. And I love this view. It really captures the layout and all its components. Do you think you could share one like that of the layont as it stands now? It will give us a better idea on how Yamanouchi Oshika looks like. :)

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Unfortunately the station end of the layout is still cluttered with bits of wood/cutting boards etc. The aim is, weather permitting, to get over tonight for some additional work and an attempt to get a few more overall pictures.

 

We do have a full photo session planned for the new year - official photos for the club as well as pictures for a magazine article I am putting together.

[HST.]

Great to hear that the layout is going out on the road, don't suppose it will be comimg up North, Bolton area, anytime soon?  Be nice to see it and a forum member in the flesh, so to speak!

 

Dave.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Great to hear that the layout is going out on the road, don't suppose it will be comimg up North, Bolton area, anytime soon?  Be nice to see it and a forum member in the flesh, so to speak!

 

Dave.

 

Depends who invites us really!

 

The show in March is at Abingdon in Oxfordshire, with one more 'serious' exhibition planned at present for Sussex. Hopefully there will be further interest generated in the new year. There is also an invite for a fathers day show in Guildford next year...not a railway exhibition as such, just as part of a general entertainment day.

 

Going 'oop north' may not be completely out of the question as my in-law's live in Rossendale; not sure though if the rest of the club would fancy trailing up there!

[HST.]

Good excuse to have a day on the East Lancs Railway when you visit the in-laws then! 

 

Dave.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Yes, I know it is stupid o'clock, however the last club night before Christmas has given us some more progress.

 

More work has gone on with the hillside, as the woodland has increased in size. Hopefully this will be complete over the next couple of weeks.

 

I have also been fitting canopies to the main platforms, as well as fixing down the footbridge. Passengers have also started appearing... The Nagano liveried class 115-1000 is the main-stay of the local services through Yamanouchi oshika.

 

Finally, we have had a few extra details added to the park area. Just one or two more bits to add here before this is essentially complete.

[ToniBabelony]

Now, that layout is starting to look really sexy!

[KenS]

It's really starting to come together.  Very nice.

[Mudkip Orange]

Ok NOW it looks Japanese.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Another set of pictures to add this time.

 

Some extra finishing touches were carried out before we set the layout up for a photo session. Below are a number of shots taken during this session.

 

An EH200 heads a heavy east-bound rake of oil tanks through Yamanouchi Oshika.

 

Travelling in the opposite direction a pair of EF64s - EF64 76 (in JRF livery) and EF64 58 - head down grade towards Yamanouchi Oshika with a west-bound container train from Tokyo.

 

A Minobu line livered class 115 threads its way out of the station at the start of its journey.

 

And finally a couple of overall shots.

 

These are unusual as they were taken by the son of one of the club members, who is a pretty good photographer - hence yours truely hanging around in a couple of the pictures!