a multipliable use micro

[kevo]

A change in motive power  has arrived in the yard in the form of a 071 class  . or may be i should say has squeezed in the yard  number 086m has brought in a couple of cement  bubbles to shunt in to the loading point when all sorted the crew will run light engine back  down to the juction 

ooops i left the pics out 

[kevo]

Hi  all just a quick few pics off new loco 121 class  no 126  ime really pleased with this loco i have been thinking of getting one for ages  i am rurring it on anlog  as yet to get a decoder for it  but even on DC it runs brilliant  , it will not stay this clean for long it will get a good weather ing soon  

[Galteemore]

Great- looks right at home in that setting!

[murphaph]

Looking forward to the weathering. I love this layout. So much atmosphere in such a small space.

Someday I will model the Tegral siding in Athy and if I can capture even half the industrial atmosphere of this I'll be very happy.

[kevo]

Hi Murphaph   thanks its really nice to know you like the layout small or micro layouts are not every ones cup'a tea . i have managed  on sunday to  tidy up the whole out side of the layout  by boxing in the frount  giveing it a fish tank or old TV look  its had  a good coat of black to bring it all together  . i will post a few pics up as soon as i can  . i had a quick look at the tegral  cement  works you had metion i found some excellnt few pics of overgrown weed covered tracks  crossing gates etc  right up my street my kind of modeling . Murphaph  ime sure you wiill be able to build a good model of the sideings etc my tip is keep it as simple as possible and remenber your free to use modelers choice do your own version  if you like .  cheers all the best . 

[Galteemore]

Looking forward to seeing the pics- Iain Rice’s ‘Cameo layouts’ book talks about how we often neglect this ‘presentational aspect’.

[David Holman]

Indeed and Patrick's layout shows how well good presentation works on large layouts too; also why pictures need frames.

[murphaph]

Yeah the "presentation" aspect or theatre of the whole thing is also a main theme of his shelf layouts book. I want to follow this way so the whole visible layout is a stage with the actors being the models, entering, performing their scene and then leaving.

[kevo]

Yes i think it was Iain's rice's  book that gave me  thoughts about  boxing in my layouts . in fact  most of mine have been  . it makes you look in to the layout so you have to look around before you see every think . here is a pic of one of my micro's based on coal mine  that was all boxed in . it allso helps protect the layout  and a on30 layout  which was a bit bigger  .and its all just done in timber batterens  and hard board 

[Galteemore]

Now that lifts the game. One of the most neglected aspects of our little worlds are the vertical dimensions. Charlie Insley’s Caher Patrick grabs the eye with its street scene as it has an oft neglected scenic detail - telephone and utility wires crossing the road at first floor level. That wiring you have in the bottom picture hints at miles more offstage. The framing shows us what we should be looking at. Great stuff all round.

[kevo]

Thanks Galteemore  a good few of my layouts  have had telephone and power lines in them . i think i  started  include ing them after doing a ho american  layout  a few years ago .

[kevo]

Well i have managed to take a few pics after work to day  of the finished front  it was a bit to bright  outside so i only took one and had to do take the others  in doors  . one thing i havent shown so far  is the two track traverser  . just a real simple mdf construction one track gives access to both tracks the other is a storage  track or to use a 2nd loco  to bring in or take away stock . when all finised the traverser sits  on top of the layout  so can be packed a way 

[kevo]

. Right no more they screamed . promice  this is the last one . i found 2 pics  as its more or less  what i was trying  to show of how a slightly longer layout  can look with that case look . the top bar acts as a view block  so at eye level you can not see were the sky back ground ends . this one i made with a floating end  . just for the record its narrow gauge GN15  

[murphaph]

They're all great. The more pics the better!