[giles b]

I'll second Simon's comments. The typical NZ greenery of the mountain scenery (cue for song, surely?) at Frog Rock certainly contrasts with the other more arid modules.

Don't think we've seen that second smaller railcar before, have we? Any details regarding the power unit and what the "lorry bit" is, please?

[Blackcloud Railways]

The lighting helps with Frog Rock too Giles. I've used an old low wattage inspection light, which gives a slightly blueish tinge, mounted on a temporary frame above the module. This, and the storm clouds on the backscene, give the impression of recent precipitation. I was brought up in Glossop, I know all there is to know about wet weather. [insert smiley holding umbrella]

From the track up, railcar 14 is a Bachmann Underground Ernie bogie chassis with a Peco coach body, the cab from a Gnomy van and the radiator from a Matchbox Yesteryear van. I wanted to use the full front end of the Gnomy but the curved bonnet meant that it was too long to fit the mechanism without serious surgery to the coach and cab, as it is the motor and gearbox fit neatly inside the coach body leaving the cab seat intact for the driver to sit on.

I'll be working on the second half of the movie (the return runs) today and have just made my first stop frame animation, which is to be included in part two.

Coming to a computer screen near you shortly.
_________________
Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.

[Roger]

nice filming Bob - how about some Prog Rock for Frog Rock?

Roger
_________________
Goblins are less than helpful

The Lea Bailey Light Railway - follow us on facebook.

[Blackcloud Railways]

To stay on the right side of any potential copyright issues I only use the YT official audio swap system for adding music to my videos.

The second half of the film has now been added featuring return workings of the morning trains, so southbound steam and northbound diesels, to get the stock back to the starting positions. Watch out for the Wickham trolley!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=VnE24Q2S7pY
_________________
Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.

[giles b]

[Blackcloud Railways]

I sold my Bachmann tram with Tai-Fu some years ago, never actually tried taking the body apart on one though.
_________________
Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.

[Blackcloud Railways]

The passing loop at Perejil has never been used as such, in fact the points are pinned for the main line and the sidings have only been only used for displaying spare stock.

I have started this morning on converting the module into a small junction with the branch disappearing right rear into a tunnel. This will be long enough to hold a small railcar (4, 14 or 22) out of sight between trips.

The watering facilities have been removed and the station building will be resited where the tank was, freeing up the south end of the module for redevelopment.

An extended hillside will disguise the short branch.

_________________
Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.

[giles b]

That should make the timetable more interesting. Can the railcar run off to a very short fiddle yard for turning, I wonder?

Anyway, no longer Perejil Apartadero but Empalme de Perejil

[Blackcloud Railways]

The way the layout is set up at home there is room behind Frog Rock for a single track fiddleyard, just about reachable over the backscene. I was originally thinking of reversing the railcar by backing it out of the tunnel during the break in operations that is needed to turn the stock in the north and south fiddleyards halfway through the sequence timetable.

However, having broken through the end of the module with the branch tunnel and extended into the four inch gap between modules (whichever order they are assembled in) I can now fit a small loco and push pull trailer into the tunnel.


This train can start from the north fiddleyard in the morning and then work as a captive shuttle on the branch, connecting with main line services, until the end of the day when it will return home to the north fiddleyard.

The mainline has been relaid and ballasted. the link sections to Rio Paleta and Frog Rock will be reinstated once the glue has dried. The branch track has also been laid but requires wiring before it is operational. Expanded polystyrene loft insulation board is being used for terraforming.
_________________
Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.

[Blackcloud Railways]

Perejil has been removed from the layout shelf, allowing easier access all round. The module, like the others included in the CRM 2010 show, was originally wired for DCC (those who took part in that event can testify that witchcraft simply does not work with the modules, and that is why we now stick to good old fashioned analogue control).

To enable stock to be stored in the loop with DC operation I'd simply cut one of the feed wires so all that will be needed to convert the new branch to independent operation is to cut the remaining wire then connect both the old loop feeds to the branch controller. (The track already has insulation between the two sets of points because they are both live frog.)

Having had a look at the wiring the module was set back the right way up and the rock formation pinned in place using barbecue skewers. The expanded polystyrene has since been sealed with a mix of neat PVA and black poster paint, then (most of) the holes were plugged using a paste of PVA, paint and cat litter.

That's the state of play at the moment - still very wet - so it's unlikely that I'll have the main line reopened today.

Mañana... Maybe... But this is Sierra Oculta, my own little Latin American Marxist paradise, so there's no hurry.
_________________
Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.

[Blackcloud Railways]

The rocks at Perejil are very definitely metamorphic. They started off as a bright red colour, which looked wrong so this was toned down to a light grey (but the reddish tint still showed in places). This grey with a hint of red has proved too difficult to recreate in the rebuilt area with the paints I have to hand so the bedrock has metamorphosed again...

This time into limestone, a sedimentary rock!

Once the sound of my old geography teacher spinning in his grave has subsided I'll hasten to add that yes, I know, this is a geological impossibility... But we are talking about Sierra Oculta, and the country's history has been rewritten at least twice, so I see no reason why its geography should be any more stable.
_________________
Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.

[Andy in Germany]

[Blackcloud Railways]

I've been tearing up a hanging basket liner while the sprogs were having breakfast...

Just loosely in place at the moment, I'll start sticking and gluing if I can get time later today.

_________________
Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.

[Andy in Germany]

[Blackcloud Railways]

Dead easy Andy, nail their feet to the floor.

The line reopened for traffic this afternoon.

I've not finished gluing the grass down yet but this can be done with the module in situ on the layout shelf, freeing up a bit of room in the garage for another tidying up session.

Edit: After sprogs dispatched to bed...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzZeQ8N4Jck
_________________
Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.