16mm scale means moving out into the garden, doesn't it? Not if you are building a shunting layout it doesn't, although trains aren't the main attraction here, as Phil Parker explains...
Wearing my Garden Rail editor's hat, I see a lot of large scale modelling, but out in the garden, the emphasis is on robustness and the ability to run over a slug rather than detail. There's nothing wrong with that, but a growing movement of modellers working in 16mm scale are now adding all the detail that you would expect to see in smaller scales, and more.
Campbell's Quarry demonstrates that it's even possible to build large scales in small spaces. The model measures 5ft 6in by 2ft 6in but packs in enough operation to entertain visitors at exhibitions where it's won several “Best of Show” awards.
Of course, it has to be said that the trains don't provide all the movement. Fundamental to the design is a pair of working excavators – a Ruston-Bucyrus dragline and Ruston-Bucyrus Crowd Shovel. Both work in the same way as their prototypes dating from an era before hydraulic power, fascinate viewers with their collection or ropes and pulleys all skilfully operated to scoop sand to load the skip wagon trains.
The red and cream dragline was the first excavator model built by John. Offered a real machine, but informed by his wife that he wasn't bringing it into the garden, a miniature version had to satisfy him instead. Modelled with the post-1954 cab, the model is electrically powered and plugs into the baseboard with an umbilical cable. This isn't entirely non-prototypical, as some real diggers are powered the same way, which massive cables connecting them to the mains.
Constructed as a removable unit for both transport and maintenance, inside the body is a complicated construction housing all the motors and gearing. This allows the machine to perform all the actions of the prototype apart from driving itself around the site.
Building a working dragline isn't a project for the faint-hearted. Being a very experienced engineer helps. There are quite a number of practical problems to overcome. For example, the bucket needs to be heavy if it's to sink into the sand, but there's nowhere to hide any weight. John's first attempt was far too light and wouldn't dig in, but a second attempt using 2.5mm thick copper with brass strapping has proved itself over many exhibitions. Copper works better than brass as in this sort of thickness, it's much easier to form without cracking.
All those ropes and pulleys must run smoothly and reliably too. The layout operates continuously at shows, scooping many scale tons of sand so temperamental machinery cannot be tolerated. Having met the operators, they aren't the sort to let the builder off the hook, no matter how much respect they have for his efforts!
With the dragline built, the design of the layout was worked out around it. Baseboard size was set by the space made available in the workshop by the removal of a lathe. If you have a working dragline, you want to dig something and tip it into skip wagons. These need to go somewhere to be unloaded and that somewhere needs to be high enough for the load to fall out into a pile. This means the design has to incorporate an incline and a pretty steep one at that to raise the trackbed up a few inches.
Loaded wagons hauled around tight curves on less than perfectly laid trackwork is the territory of the narrow gauge industrial diesel and in 16mm scale, there are plenty of kits available. Unfortunately, these normally only drive a single axle so don't provide enough traction for the job, so John scratch-built all his models, only using kit parts where they were appropriate and made the job easier. His formula used for all the models includes worm and wheel enclosed gearboxes driven by can motors and Delrin chainsets to make each model four-wheel drive.
Track is from the Mamod range. For those not familiar with this, it's made from cast metal with both sleepers and rail being a single item. The short panels slot together nicely and the result is durable enough to handle live steam locomotives. The only trouble is that it's not possible to use it to power locomotives.
This isn't a problem, all the locos carry their own power in the form of AAA rechargeable batteries. With four locos to chose from and only one required at a time for operation, the others can be on charge. As well as spreading the wear, this ensures viewers who return to the model during the day see a different engine in use.
Battery power requires radio control and like many garden railway modellers, John favours the Deltang system. As supplied, the transmitter looks a lot like a conventional handheld controller with its large operating knob, but no lead to plug in. John stripped his down and built it into the control panel, an easy job and this way, it can't be left behind when packing up for a show! A variety of receivers are available, some under 10mm square – although there is a short wire aerial to be hidden in the locomotive. Operating at 2.4mHz, the clever technology avoids frequency clashes that affected older 27mHz systems.
All operation is “hands-off” with points being changed by a “wire in tube” system – actually camera shutter release cables. Before these, servo motors did the job, but their gears didn't like coming into contact with the sand. Unloading the wagon is achieved using another cable, this one designed to work the choke for an MG Metro car to for tipping. The skip body is righted by a length of wire as the train passes by.
Both diggers are operated with nothing more complicated than a series of double-pole double-throw switches. Simple that is, until you realise they at least two switches need to be operated at the same time for some movements. Once you've filled the dragline bucket, it has to be raised up but if you don't let out the line used to pull the scoop towards the digger, the bucket tips forward, emptying it again. Novice drivers can spend a lot of time dumping sand where they don't want it. The experienced team makes it all look so easy.
Lister diesel sounds are run from an electronic unit supplied by Innovative Train Technology Products (ITT) in America. John is now experimenting with a Train-Tech unit to give voice to the Ruston 10RB with start-up, running, shutdown and of course, horn, noises.
Despite his engineering background, John is a dab hand with scenery. Considering this is his first scenic layout, that's even more impressive. All the techniques will be familiar to those working in smaller scales with plenty of electrostatic grass and poly fibre clumps from WW Scenics covered with scatter material from the same source. Some work has been contracted out – to his sister-in-law who is responsible for the dandelions and blackberry bushes. I this scale, a few bits of coloured scatter won't do, you can model plants, even small ones, properly. The tree is a commercial item bought at Warley from Ceynix models.
To keep fingers back from the machinery, along the front edge is a fence made from wooden uprights and steel wire rails. Strong enough to keep the hands one side and rolling stock the other in case of derailment.
Finally, the sand. Not an easy material to scale down but after a few experiments, it is a mix of block paving and sharp sand from a builders merchant. Obviously, you have to buy your material in big bags, but the layout does need quite a lot to operate and so some spare is a good idea.
No model railway layout is ever really finished and Campbell's Quarry is no exception. A year ago, Joe and Nyall, John's assistants at shows suggested he had too many locos and nowhere to display them so the ideal scenario was to build a repair shop come engine shed to store the spares.
The model has shades of the Leighton Buzzard railway. Looking at the original engine sheds that they put up at Pages Parkway then looking at the photos of the haphazard way they were strung together, John came up with a plan that filled the available space on an extension board nearly doubling the length of the layout. Being a sand quarry, Leighton Buzzard is an appropriate prototype, but if you look at any industrial railway complex, especially the narrow gauge ones, everything was a bit ramshackle but full of character.
More layout means more plant, so a Ruston-Bucyrus 10-RB was produced. Unlike the others, it's a static model from laser-cut plastic parts John designed. Because it's a static model, he went to town with gubbins inside – it's got the lot in there which you can see if you peer in through the inspection hatches left open in the sides.
At the end of the day, this Campbell's Quarry might be a technical marvel, but it's success as a model owes everything to the atmosphere it conjurors up. A world where hard-working little diesels bustled around doing an important job. Nothing is clean or tidy, but the decrepitude hasn't been overdone either. The models all sit well together and allow the viewer to enjoy a scene that has passed into history.
John would like to thank his regular operating team of Joe Pearson and Nyall Rudge for their help at shows. Digging dirt all day takes a surprising amount of concentration and as he says, he couldn't do it without them.
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