Lananta progress 1

For a challenge I have entered Lananta into the cameo competition launched in the Model Railway Journal recently. I have completed a lighting bar with LED strip which is mounted just forward of the front of the boards. I addition I have added a removable, roll up back scene to complete the cameo look. This brings the back scene higher up than the back frame of the boards. I shall use the back scene to set the limits of the scenery in front, In addition I have made two small trestles to raise up the level of the boards above the tables they will sit on together with raised supports fro the fiddle yards;

Track laying has started with the main branch line. The track is mixed gauge and is laid using 3mm Society Finescale track. Lengths of 14.2mm track were made up using the society track panels. The sleepers on one side were reduced by 2mm and then further lengths were made up and cut along the inside edge of the mounded chairs, This brought the third rail track gauge out to 21mm. Copper cold strip is soldered across between every other panel to hold the whole lot in gauge and was then glued down with PVA;

When it is all painted and ballasted the joins shouldn’t be noticed.

Finally I have realigned the sidings on the wharf to narrow it down. This gives a more pleasing look and allows the boat to be moved so it helps disguise the join in the boards. I have also moved the station to the left to avoid a join in the platform over the joint.. You  will notice that work has begun on the trestles supporting the quay as well as the bridge over the creek which had to be done before any track can be laid. There is much more detailing to be done later. 

Lananta-the boards

I have now made the basis of the boards. I have used some 25mm thick extruded polystyrene left over from a previous layout. The areas for the seashore and creek have been  routed and carved out(a really messy job!) and glued into a frame made of 6mm plywood and 12mm plywood for the ends between the two boards. The boards are connected using split hinges and aligned with dowels set into the 12mm ends. The track bed including the deck for a small bridge and trestles to the dock have been laid with 1mm plywood. The two boards have been designed to fit into a plastic box for transport;

Two supports for cassettes clip onto each outer end using interlocking clips designed for hanging pictures and mirrors;

The split hinges between the two boards and the clips on each of the cassette supports will be used to carry power across the joints, eliminating the need for plugs, sockets and cables. 

Here the complete layout can be seen;

The next stage will be to build the small bridge across the creek on the right and the treastles to go under the quay deck with some initial work on plastering the river bed before stating on laying track. The plan is to have cross sleeper track on the main branch and bulk road with bridge rail on the quay. The bridge rail has been salvaged from the dismantling of Bagborough West. 

Lananta- a new planned compact layout

Not another one you may say! Since I dismantled my first Broad Gauge layout- Bagborough West- I have no where to run my Broad Gauge stock. My permanent layout – Eggesford- is only standard gauge as is my small shunting layout- Shades of Grey. 

I decided to make a small, compact layout which could easily be run at home and be available for exhibiting. I have decided that this will be my last exhibition standard layout after over 30 years of showing.

The plan is based on Lelant sidings on the St Ives branch from St Erth to St Ives. This was the last Broad Gauge branch to be built by the he GWR and the first part as far as Lelant was built with mixed gauge to serve sidings to a wharf on the river. Lananta is the old Cornish name for Lelant. The inspiration comes from a layout built in 7mm by John Hewlett, the Trade Officer of the Broad Gauge Society. 

The two main boards are 700mm x 300mm and are designed to go in a plastic box for transportation. The inspiration for this comes from the layouts of Maurice Hopper which he fits in a smallish box which he can transport by public transport. For more information see his blog on RM Web. My box is a bit bigger and wont go on public transport but on the other hand it won’t take up all the space in the car!

Here is a picture of the actual station at Lelant;

Below I show a plan of the proposed layout and a picture of a half size model I have made to see if it will work;

The sailing smack ‘Mary’ (see my last posting) will be alongside the wharf. The wharf itself is based on one that used to be in the middle of Newquay harbour which is shown in a few old photographs of the harbour;

I hope to blog more on the construction as I progress,