Kohlehändler

 Kohlehändler

Are micro model railways becoming increasingly popular, with ‘micro’ meaning no larger than 120 cm by 400 cm? In the distant past, my layouts were regularly featured at exhibitions, until serious illness and old age prevented me from continuing, and I had to change course if I wanted to carry on. The layout is very small, just a tiny corner plot on the western outskirts of Berlin in the 1960s.

 

 

The concept was inspired by Kidmore Halt, the only changes were the use of a slightly longer SMS BB017 module and the trackplan was 'flipped' horizontally, thank you David.

Operation

 Operating the layout

The unloading area is large concrete hardstanding for the local coal merchant, amongst others.  

The rules

• Only one locomotive 
• Only three wagons
• Magnetic auto-couplings 
• DCC turnouts

Hands free (mostly - thanks to a Kadee magnet hidden under each siding, in addition, a tiny 'off stage' area ‘A’ is sufficient to store two wagons 'off the track' when not in use.

  

Operationally there are just two things to do - either swap the loaded wagon, or swap the other wagon. The locomotive will be stabled in the kickback siding ‘A’ between moves, so operation always starts here before heading off stage to collect whichever is choosen from the 'hidden siding'. Swapping the stock over takes around 5 minutes. This sounds short to many of you I'm sure – but sufficient in between chatting to the punters. 

Move 1

Loco with wagon from 'A' to 'B' leave the wagon

Collect empty at 'C'

Move wagon at 'B' to 'C'

Move 2

Loco from 'A' to 'D' collect the van

Move wagon to 'A' 

The scenario is applicable to almost any scale or location, rather than a coal merchant, it could be an agricultural siding with sugar beet/potatoes, the only limiting factor is imagination. 

Building the diorama

Progress

This is the BBO17, the additional length is not readily apparent but it dispenses with the need for an extra fiddlestick. The height of the rear upstand is useful for a simple backscene.

The DCC gubbins underneath, MultiMaus CPU on the left

First test of the trackwork

 

The test is very successful.

In true Blue Peter style, the local freebie paper is used to make templates for the hardstanding. 

 

The first piece of card fitted perfectly, thanks to the paper template and only one layer is needed. Each piece of card was laboriously cut using old kitchen shears, my right hand will take some time to recover but that part is over.

Just need to apply some PVA to the edges, otherwise ready for whatever is next.

Added clouds to the backscene

Now the track has been weathered and the surface has received a coat of concrete paint. The backscene is 'Northern European Grey' the usual colour of the sky.

  

Ballasting is both messy and tedious, the final section of track to be ballasted, just needs tidying. 

Details

On such a small layout there is just  a high wall that hides the hidden ‘A’ siding.

 

3D printed staithes, painted a base of Humbrol 72 with a wash of dilute black and red oxide uprights. 

Building the small brick office 

 

  

 

It is a Model Scene laser cut wooden kit

 

First, it was given a wash of dilute Humbrol acrylic 113, allowed to dry and then lightly 'stroked' with a Daler Rowney Sketching pencil 'Sanguine Drawing' and the excess rubbed off with the ball of the thumb. 

 It is, without doubt, the most infuriating but satisfying kit. 

  

The floor must be installed as the card side walls warp, a fillet of PVA around the wall/floor joint holds everything in place. I like the worn paint around the door handle.

 

 

 

This bizarre situation is a couple of solutions to keep the roof of office flat whilst the glue sets. The kit fights any and all attempts to complete the build.

 

Just needed to paint the underside of the roof, the gap at each end has been covered by a soffit and somewhere in the workshop there are some minute brass pins that will be turned for the door handle.

 

The coal yard needs an exit and some gates

 

 Th coal merchant's dray

The period is appropriate for horses, Bluebell and Beth

Others

This corner of a coal yard impressed due to the use of planting - Nebenbahnfreund on DSO

 

Models

Models