N Gauge Model Railway Layout Creating a Quarry on the layout Elvenhome EP 148 

Hi Simon. Social media can be a nightmare, but fortunately the model railway community on YOuTube is overwhelmingly positive in its comments and readiness to help. As you will have seen from these comments I have good sources for almost any colour stone facing that I could want to use. I'm only to pleased to be able to help others who are seeking views. Stephen

HI Arthur. You may have seen from the comments to this video that I am not alone in thinking it is a brilliant suggestion. Only too pleased properly to acknowledge the source of the idea. Stephen

Thanks Allen. I do like to have a reason why things are as they are. Stephen

Hi John. The idea of the quarry face was so good it really stopped me in my tracks when I read Arthur's comment. I've had responses to this video pointing me in the direction of various discussed quarries which have all three of the colours I had produced on the sample. I am going to be covering it in some foliage and the like. I think I am likely to go with the darker of the colours which also includes the weathering of the stone by 120 years of disuse. The J50 would definitely have to be a Rule 1 loco for your layout. Sonic are due to be delivering a GWR Large Prairie later this year (available exclusively from Rails) which would be absolutely right for Exehaven. It's a useful loco too being used both for local passenger services and freight. Mr Ireland does indeed need a preservation order slapped on him. Stephen

Hi Gemma. I prefer the darker section, but I have now seen real disused quarries, one just over the forth estuary from me, which are brown. But I think I am going to go with the darker colour as the base and then weather on top of that. It will have been disused for over 100 years so I can go to town with foliage and the like. Stephen

Hi Ian. The quarry idea is such a stunner. I’m so grateful to Arthur for suggesting it. The foam sheet arrived earlier this week. I did wonder about slate but I think in reply to this video I was warned about the difficulty of getting the fine layering in a slate quarry at N scale. I’ve fitted my first two couplings as a test before recording on the brake van. A useful exercise because I will change the order of doing things from that in the instructions in the light of the very first try which went badly wrong as I explain. It is as straightforward as others suggested. Stephen.

Hi Bob. Thanks for the suggestion about dry brushing. I have been pointed towards a number of places as sources for the colour. Just need to make my mind up before the foam sheet arrives. Stephen

Thanks Stephen. That's very helpful information about the colour of the rock face. I do rather like the colour of the darkest one, so I'll have t start looking again as some slate quarry. The Depot is getting rather full. I don't have all the locos out either. I am not sure they would fit. Stephen

Thanks Euan. I wonder what it is that so many of us just like seeing the Pullman run, when we never saw it in real life. There is something about the design that just makes it so appealing. I 've had some useful responses on the colour of different stone so I will spend a bit of time with google earth. You and the National Treasure were a great help. I am really keen to get the shunting working at High Elven so with luck the Brake Van will be converted in the next week. I was thinking of using super glue so that's useful to know that is what you use. Stephen

Hi Colin. I am intending to cover some of it with scenic material. I was more concerned with getting the base colour right. I've been pointed to a useful picture of long discussed quarry where the stone has been heavily covered in moss. So lots of choice with the weathering. Stephen

Thanks Graham. I'll take a look at ex-portland stone quarries. I seem to have a few votes for the brown stone, so I have some choices to make. Stephen

If only BR Blue was a good as Nanking Blue, but maybe it was a nod to the younger generation 😁. I have seen Gary's videos and I must go back and look at the them again. Stephen

Thanks Peter. That's a second vote for the middle colour. I'll need to do some work with google earth. The J50s are fine models. A pity that I can't use Zimo decoders, but a wee while playing with CVs should help with running. Stephen

Thanks Ed. Thanks also for the information about the stone colour. I fear you may be right about the slate. I think I like the darkest colour best, but it has to be right for the texture I can achieve. Stephen

Yes Dave, the quarry really was a great idea and I can spend a bit of time over the next couple of days finalising how I want it to look. Stephen

Hi Mark and thanks. CVs are still something that have only recently started to understand so I will need to read up on it again. From what I’ve seen the main two are CV5 and CV 6 (max speed and mid speed) but I may also need to look at CV2 acceleration. It’s going to be fun experimenting but I will show the result in a video possibly the next one. A couple of months ago I asked whether all my narrow boats were in scale because they do vary so much in size. It turns out they all are in scale but they are not all narrow boats. The larger ones are barges and were big hefty things. The narrow boats varied in length. Stephen

Hi Chris. The idea of a quarry almost took my breath away when I read it. Lots of issues I was wrestling with just fell away. Well done Arthur. The fleet is getting rather large, and the depot is almost full with 23 locos in it. I have 4 and the Pullman on the mainline or the station and another 15 are still in my storage boxes. So 41 locos and the Pullman in total. It's amazing how that has grown over time. Still have three on pre-order with Rails, two of which I expect in the next couple of months. Stephen

@@Elvenhome wow 41?

Hi Chris You haven't replied twice, at least RU-vid has only delivered one. I do follow Marklin of Sweden. The issue for me is really what colour I should go for. From all the responses it turns out the there abandoned quarries in various parts of the UK in each of the colours I tested, so I can go with the one I like the best. In any event it is only a base, because I do expect to weather over it and to put bushes etc on it some how. I was roughly right with the 5 inches being only 70 ft which for most quarry faces would be quite small. The new foam sheet should arrived tomorrow so with luck I can get started on it in the next week or so. Stephen

Hi Sion. There aren’t many producers of figures specifically for 30/40s especially painted. Farish do some and both Langley models and P&D Marsh Models sell painted versions of some of their white metal kits, and some of those would be fine for 30/40s. Apart from that it is unpainted figures, and the best by a long way are MODELU but they come at a price. I found that I could use the Preiser unpainted figures which are a German company I think, and are therefore 1:160 scale. Frankly it is hard to see the difference once on the layout even when stood near a 1:148 scale figure or vehicle. I used the PR79006 kit 125 figures, but I had to ignore the ones in lederhosen as not many people in the UK were wearing them in post war Britain. I kept the colour scheme simple in painting them. Hope this helps. Stephen

Hi Dave. Sorry to be slow in replying. I did write a reply yesterday but obviously didn’t press post. I bought mine on eBay. They were cheaper than Rails even and at much lower postage costs. You need to search Dapol 2A-000-009 for the starter kit, with the fitting jig, and 2A-000-014 for the set of 20 couplings. Stephen

Thank you

Funnily enough, that was my original intention. But it was pointed out to me that I would have to be abele to remove the buildings along the hinged side to be able to lift the board. The current solution overcomes that problem. I think it is going to work fine being semi permanent. Stephen.

@@Elvenhome Or perhaps a long winding loop ie an upper town and lower town like Bridgenorth

@@sailingschooners8668 I am not sure if you have seen High Elven in place before I made the changes to that end of the layout. It sits above the main town and the branch line goes around the layout up to it. I will be putting the next video out on Friday showing how things are progressing as I finish this last part of the layout build. Stephen

Hi Kevin and thanks for your comments. I've taken a look at the pictures. There does appear to be heavy moss and lichen coverage on the stone. I was going to put some bushes and the like but that is something else to think about. My WWS Green Moss weathering powders may get a run out. Stephen