Flaxton Creek Railway Build Log

[Neil_Wiggins]

Slow progress…

Got the trial tunnel entrance in place last weekend. Not really happy with the proportions – I think I made the clearances too big. I measured up a friends B’man K27 the other night so I’ll make up a template to see if I can shrink them at all.

Happy with how the interior rock looks tho…

Bench is all stripped of the wonky roadbed. But, as all good rebuilds deserve, I’ve done a redesign.

The rear track is not going to connect to the others and will just be a mainline around the loop. The returning track will serve the mine and the main station will now be on some new benchwork yet to be revealed… I realised I was just trying to cram too much into the space I had.

Cheers
N

[Eric_Mueller]

Neil,

Oversized tunnels are OK, as you never know what other “equipment” your tunnels may need to support in the future! Our tunnels, built in about 2014, needed to support a Vegas-class 0-4-0 a couple years later:

• Eric

[Rooster]

I agree with Eric as oversized tunnel are ok ! You can put a portal on the front or make another casting of rock to go over the ends and make the opening smaller. That way when you decide to run double stack intermodels or Amtrak superliners you can pull off the front portal!

[Neil_Wiggins]

@Rooster

That way when you decide to run double stack intermodels or Amtrak superliners you can pull off the front portal!

@Rooster

It’s Flaxton Creek Railway (correct)?

Weekend progress – as such…

Tunnel clearance checks - as everyone should recognise, a B’Mann K27 mockup. I never realised how short the wheelbase actually is.

Front pilot & cylinders all ok, fail on the top rear of the cab.

Same at the other end (in case I had a wonky cast)…

Simplest answer (so far) is to lift it up 3/4”, and offset about 1/2 “ to the outside. Doesn’t look like I can narrow it any…

I do need to make another template for a 1:20 passenger coach to check the inside wall clearance. Measured up a brass AML (?) J&S coach as well the other night, 28” long, 5” wide and 8” tall. That thing was a monster!

Can someone let me know if one of those 1:32 double box carrier thingys are bigger?

Also some more roadbed got done.

Cheers
N

[Eric_Mueller]

Neil,

Your mock-up is ingenious, and, unlike a two-year-old, it stays the same size! In all seriousness, think @Rooster is right. You may be better off building a bigger than needed tunnel that you “shrink to fit” using removable portals. Perhaps you could save this tunnel for a spur that simulates an entry into a mine or underground storage facility that would only house low-sided cars.

Eric

[PeterT]

@Neil_Wiggins

those 1:32 double box carrier thingys are bigger?

I’ve never seen a 1/32nd thingy - are you thinking of double-stack containers? The only ones I know are 1/29th [even bigger]. 8 1/2" officially, according to this 2005 thread:
https://cs.trains.com/grw/f/91/t/33748.aspx

[Rooster]

@Neil_Wiggins

Simplest answer (so far) is to lift it up 3/4”, and offset about 1/2 “ to the outside. Doesn’t look like I can narrow it any…

Cheers
N

Yep, you solved your own problem as far as I’m concerned looking at the pictures? I think you can raise it even more and then add additional scenery around the 3/4 or 1 and 3/4 raise ?

Minor rock molds or possibly planters around the elevation blocking for sedum or something creepy other than a rooster?

Just saying?

I was advised that a 36" piece of rolling stock with body mounted couplers could never make a 4.5 RADII/ 9 diameter curve without derailing but they lied!

[Neil_Wiggins]

Thanks Pete, I think thats the one Rooster was talking about. Just trying to accommodate for when he pops over for a running day… My mistake on the scale.

I might need to backtrack a little and explain the vision… I’ve got a picture in my mind of a train snaking into a tunnel with a vertical natural rock portal (not cut stone or concrete) straight off a trestle with just enough clearance to fit. What I’ve made so far caters for a bobber caboose stovepipe (10.5"), and K27 cab roof corner. Still need to check 1:20 coach and the double stack. Something like this.

Uphill portal will be in a rock cutting.

This tunnel is about 5’ long, and will be fully open and accessible from inside the mountain - so what you’re seeing at the moment is only the downhill entrance.

Of course a bush loco will be dwarfed in this tunnel so I do have to be a bit careful. Here’s a pic of a 1:24 NZ Railways loco going into a tunnel about the same size as the casting on my old layout. Inside clearance was 12" x 12".

So, I’m going for as tight as possible at the entrance for the look, and have rock walls for the first foot or so, again for the visual look when there is no train, fading into blackness (somehow… ).

Hope that makes sense??

Cheers
N

[Neil_Wiggins]

All of that Rooster… More options on the table the better.

I’m fighting the urge to narrow the base a titch so the entrance looks a bit oval. Looks like there’s an easy half inch up for grabs if I shift it over some more!

Cheers
N

[Neil_Wiggins]

@Eric_Mueller

Perhaps you could save this tunnel for a spur that simulates an entry into a mine or underground storage facility that would only house low-sided cars.

I’m starting to imagine an old abandoned RoW on the uphill side of the tunnel with a smaller collapsed tunnel that FCR used to use in the olden days. More visions…

Thanks Eric!

Cheers
N

[Rick_Marty]

Neil, I love the concept of your tunnel project, make it happen just as you have it visualized!

[Eric_Mueller]

Glad to help, Neil. I think you will have far more creative fun repurposing this casting and starting anew with this particular project. Your new mock-up should virtually guarantee success!

Eric

[Korm (Korm Kormsen)]

@Neil_Wiggins

So, I’m going for as tight as possible at the entrance for the look, and have rock walls for the first foot or so, again for the visual look when there is no train, fading into blackness (somehow… ).

about the “somehow” part:

on my last three layouts i had tunnels.

if you want a “fading into blackness” use no open accesses. make removable parts of tunnelwalls/hatches.

if you ever want to have a camera in one of your locos, sculpted/modelled tunnel walls and ceilings are a real plus.

by trial and error i found out, that it is easier to first build the (inside) tunnel and later the mountain around it.

[Rooster]

@Neil_Wiggins

All of that Rooster… More options on the table the better.

I’m fighting the urge to narrow the base a titch so the entrance looks a bit oval.

Cheers
N

Don’t do it Neil!

Unlike upper clearance you need to respect lower clearance as well !

That elephant trunk stopped a USA trains GP9 dead in it’s own tracks!

Lets not talk about the passenger consist that kept blowing fuses on my RR back in the day.

[Rooster]

Upper clearance does matter at times as well!

Camper A/C units chewed off by hungry 11foot8+8 bridge

Just saying !!!

[Neil_Wiggins]

Merry Xmas everyone.

The FCR track laying crew threw caution to the wind, and risked losing domestic calm to get a train running for Xmas. Work started on 24 Dec at 6pm, and went through till dark, with a sly few more hours on Xmas day between presents and family lunch.

The first train ran to the loud applause of those gathered after lunch and was celebrated by a mid afternoon nap…

I managed to shoot this quick vid in the evening, for posterity.

FCR Xmas 2023

Cheers
N

[Rooster]

This particular screen shot of the video troubles me a bit as I’m not sure where the coach is headed but I figure you got that all factored into the overall evil plan!

[smcgill (Sean McGillicuddy)]

It’s missing the brick …

[Neil_Wiggins]

@Rooster

all factored into the overall evil plan!

Uhhh, plan? I knew there was something missing! I’ve just been following the visions.

But, as others have said in the past, if you read the whole thread from the beginning…

@Neil_Wiggins

…and the main station will now be on some new benchwork yet to be revealed.

Not revealed yet 'cause formal planning approval hasn’t been achieved. I got a ‘thats nice dear’ as I pointed and loosely waved my arms around a month or so back. So - proceeding, with caution.

Cheers
N

[Neil_Wiggins]

@smcgill

It’s missing the brick …

That was my ‘is it really flat’ test. So far so good.

Cheers
N