Just thinking...

[Mudkip Orange]

Need to add something so it's not just round and round though.

 

Run the Chuo-Sobu trains as round and round and run Chuo as point-to-loop with an auto reverser at the Tokyo Station end.

[mrp]

 

Also - I can't see the point of making the effort to build something like this only to run B Train Shorties on it ;-   To me, that only makes sense if you're going to compress the hell out of the scene so the whole thing becomes a caricature - say like this: ...

 

 

Or this:

 

[tossedman]

Todd,

 

damn you, damn you, damn you! that blog lead to others and now im convinced this is what i need (well want)! 

 

the CB09 blade holder allows you to use much more inexpensive blades and looks to be better ones!

 

I am thinking of going for the portrait now and start playing. if i feel like ill be wanting to do larger stuff in the future i can always scale up if and when i get that into it to that level.

 

other interesting thing is the pens have white and silver inks! that means you can do window mullions on acetate (if the pen works on acetate) and also do road markings on printed roads!

 

damn for $140 this is a great toy, err tool! I can see it really doing some great stuff with some heavier colored art papers, styrene, acetate! 

 

I stopped looking at these just before this sucker hit the market a couple of years ago or so. at the time there was not a simple and robust choice like this out there. i love the fact its mac compatible and there are alternatives out there for blades and such. this just looks too damn easy and will do most all i ever wanted to do from a lasercutter at a fraction of the price!

 

I started a new thread on the silhouette cutter chatter as to not muck up your current thread here with basic cutter stuff.

 

thanks, errr damn you very much again!

 

cheers

 

jeff

 

Damn! That's good news Jeff. Now I'll have some one else to bounce ideas off of. Good on ya! You'll love it. It's pretty cool.

 

 

Is this close enough?

 

http://tinyurl.com/lwzxgs3

 

An image search for "Kibri 37669" finds much better photos.

 

 

Unless you really want to scratchbuild your own Hijiri Bashi bridge, there's a perfect bashing candidate here:

 

http://tinyurl.com/k26jxgn

 

Granted that the outer surface is wrong, but you could use something like DAS modeling clay on the outside, or laminate thin styrene over this.

 

 

I use Lippe whenever I want stuff from Europe, as they have the best stock, best prices, and best service - in fact, I have a big box on the way right now.  The VAT savings (for non-EU customers) often cover the shipping (or more!), and I'd much rather go to the source than pay the outrageous prices U.S. - Euro dealers - like Reynaulds - charge.

 

One caution - I trust that your mock-up is just that.  If you want to model a prototype scene, you really need to use flex track, and ballast it - like the fellow who did the other model of Ochanomizu.

 

Also - I can't see the point of making the effort to build something like this only to run B Train Shorties on it ;-   To me, that only makes sense if you're going to compress the hell out of the scene so the whole thing becomes a caricature - say like this:

 

Velotrain, thanks for those bridge links. They're pretty close. Still just noodling around the idea of how this all may look. Won't be tiny like that one above but 8 car or longer B Train Shorties. We'll see. Nothing's written in stone yet but I do like the B Trains for some reason. I like that little layout you posted. I'm always blown away by the creativity we see in this hobby. Here in North America it tends towards bigger layouts and in Japan towards the miniature. 

 

Todd,

 

wow looks great. yes the fragility of 010 is tough. in reading thru blogs this evening it looks like 020 cutting will be at the outer limits. you may have to go to a 60 degree blade to do that and definitely 2 passes. wonder can it do 3?

 

could make another (or even a couple) thats just 010 or 020 smaller glue it to the back and then use the appropriate thickness strips to create the depth. and glue on the other side then with the same smaller form backing.

 

I pulled the trigger on a portrait tonight! this is going to be fun.

 

also going to order one of the CB09U blade holders as those blades look much better and cheaper and easier to clean. i think the silhouette blade is only a 45.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Graphtec-CB09U-silhouette-cameo-craftrobo-cutting-plotter-blade-holder-10-knife-/181413605762

 

http://paperpulse.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-better-and-less-expensive-blade.html

 

new world, new world!

 

jeff

Thanks for the links Jeff. I've ordered a blade holder myself.

 

Run the Chuo-Sobu trains as round and round and run Chuo as point-to-loop with an auto reverser at the Tokyo Station end.

Good ideas. Thanks Mr. Orange!

 

Or this:

 

A bit small for my liking but there are some ideas there I could steal. It's amazing what people come up with isn't it? That's a lot of action packed into a tiny area and it's instantly recognizable as Ochanomizu Station.

 

Still thinking about the cutter. A thin 0.010" styrene facade of a building glued to an acrylic or plexiglass box could make a sturdy building with built in windows. Might be hard to light but if that's not in the works it might look good.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

[cteno4]

Todd,

 

I too love the creativity of these compressed scenes, just a different form of the hobby, not to all tastes. I've been knoodlings on a small Btrain layout now I thin there needs to be a river and op homage to this scene somewhere in there!

 

Great you got the blade holder, they do sound superior and cheaper to boot, not often that happens!

 

I've always wanted to build structures this way, basically how the sankei kits are built with layers. For light sealing I think layers will help and could cut an extra interior layer that you could spray black on both sides and then white on the interior. Also thinking that the adhesive backed foil paper might also work in the cutter to be a good light block and also just paint the interior side white.

 

It's easy to add interior wall bracing to shore up the walls and roof more. For windows just use clear acetate as the final interior layer. These can also be run thru the cutter to add window mullion and frame details with a white or silver pen. N scale window mullions are actually to small to really cut anyway. If you do want a tougher wall you could line the interior with a clear 080 acrylic pieces.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[velotrain]

 

That's a lot of action packed into a tiny area and it's instantly recognizable as Ochanomizu Station.

 

 

Figuratively speaking - it's clearly a static display.

[Keikyu]

Todd,

 

I too love the creativity of these compressed scenes, just a different form of the hobby, not to all tastes. I've been knoodlings on a small Btrain layout now I thin there needs to be a river and op homage to this scene somewhere in there!

 

It's like those bonsai trees. The smaller and more detailed something is the more fascinating I find it.

[tossedman]

Here's what I'm thinking for the roads. Tomytec's Moving bus system roads. I'll need one road down each side of the module with intersections for three bridges. Should be able to get buses looping around from one side to the other over the bridges. Here's a twenty second mockup of one bridge.

 

I'm going to make a wider module as well. This ones 18" (460mm) and I'll grow it out to 24" (610mm) or so.

 

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited April 3, 2015 by tossedman

[JR 500系]

Looking good Todd! Nice to see the Tomytec moving bus system being integrated into your layout! Will be nice to see it complete!  :)

[tossedman]

Thanks to Velotrain I now have a bridge kit. My LHS managed to sneak my order in for it a couple of weeks ago and it's just arrived. Now to find the right colour of green paint...

 

This is gonna look something like....

 

 

this.

 

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

[tossedman]

Got some paint, got some plywood, gotta get motivated...

[tossedman]

Got the air brush out and started painting the bridge. Not much, but it's a start.

 

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

[velotrain]

Good match on the color Todd.  I'm guessing you'll be cutting off some of the ends where the two chords join, as they stay separated to the piers on the proto bridge?

 

Will you be bashing the turquoise bridge next, or going back to your laser-cut bridge at the other end?

 

I think having the "end-point" bridges will help you in planning the overall design of the layout.

[Bernard]

Todd - I wished I had starts like you've having with your bridge!! Looks fantastic!

[tossedman]

Good match on the color Todd.  I'm guessing you'll be cutting off some of the ends where the two chords join, as they stay separated to the piers on the proto bridge?

 

Will you be bashing the turquoise bridge next, or going back to your laser-cut bridge at the other end?

 

I think having the "end-point" bridges will help you in planning the overall design of the layout.

 

Thanks Velotrain. Like you say I'm trying to get the major parts together to see how much room I'll actually have to work with. I'll most likely be trimming things a bit on that bridge and I may end up cutting the piers out of styrene with the Silhouette cutter. As you can see below it's not an easy bridge to model. I think that my next step will be to lay out the river and then sit back and wonder how I'm going to make the next part of the bridge that goes over the water. Gotta learn how to scratch build some buildings too. Like those two under the bridge.

 

Todd - I wished I had starts like you've having with your bridge!! Looks fantastic!

 

Thanks Bernard. Couple more years and I might have something to show.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited May 5, 2015 by tossedman

[tossedman]

Well, I finally got the CB09U blade holder for the Silhouette cutter. It was supposed to be here by mid-April, but arrived yesterday. Good thing I procrastinate a lot so I didn't really miss it. I've realized I'm going to need some brick walls for the viaduct, like so:

 

 

 

One question though, does anyone know off of the top of their head the measurements of an N Scale brick?

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited May 14, 2015 by tossedman

[kvp]

Small ones are 1mm x 1.5mm (in 1:150), but those arches are avalaible as an N scale kit (from faller).

[tossedman]

Thanks kvp, but I'm going to try to cut some and see how they look. Found a small sheet of plastic bricks at the LHS and tried to cut them out using the Silhouette Cutter. First I drew this in Adobe Illustrator.

 

 

Then on to the cutter.

 

 

Here's the results. Need to trim a little closer. Wasn't too careful when I snapped this out. The cutter scores the styrene and you can just break it along the score lines. Unfortunately I did a double cut and the styrene sheet moved a bit for part of the second cut, hence the messy bits along the score line. Need to tape it down better when cutting I guess.

 

 

 

Some store windows will hide the viaduct supports.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited May 15, 2015 by tossedman

[Ochanomizu]

...

A bit small for my liking but there are some ideas there I could steal. It's amazing what people come up with isn't it? That's a lot of action packed into a tiny area and it's instantly recognizable as Ochanomizu Station.

...

Todd

 

Hello Mr Todd,

 

Stand on the bridge as I often do.  That insane amount of action really happens ... all day long !!!

 

But just off-model, to the left, is a peaceful temple where I sometimes seek refuge when the action overwhelms.  :D

[tossedman]

I know what you mean. I was there 25 years ago and still remember. It's going to take a while to get this all together. Too many ideas to try, don't know where to start some days. My random, abstract brain just jumps from here to there to somewhere else...

Edited May 15, 2015 by tossedman

[Mark]

From Wikipedia:

"In the United States, modern standard bricks are (controlled by American Society for Testing and Materials ASTM) about 8 × 3 5⁄8 × 2 1⁄4 inches (203 × 92 × 57 mm). The more commonly used is the modular brick 7 5⁄8 × 3 5⁄8 × 2 1⁄4 inches (194 × 92 × 57 mm)." (L x W x H)

 

I'm not sure if Japan uses the U.S. standard size or the slightly smaller size bricks but by the time you shrink it down to 1:150 or 1:160 I doubt the difference would be noticed.

[tossedman]

Well, this one's been put on the back burner as I collect buildings to line the streets with. I'm going to focus my energies on my Totoro layout instead.