Christmas 2025 Project -update #6

I choose to paint the building in a traditional Bauxite Red colour as seen on the original ThunderMesa site. I consulted the internet about the exact colour and found out that American barns were painted in a mixture of cheap homemade paint or sealant made from linseed oil and red rust to protect the timbers. I mixed my red from red and Linen with a touch of brown Craft Paints and tried to vary the colour across the walls with a slightly darker colour to the base of the walls and lighter to the upper edges. The interior has also been given a coat of red, two coats in fact and although very little will be seen, I have highlighted what little detail there is on the inside with a light drybrush.

The door surrounds were painted in a light cream (white was far to stark) but even this was latter toned down with a light brown wash.

Tony

Christmas 2025 Project - update #5

I thought I would use this post to give more details of the inspiration for this building.

The project had stalled and for some time I didn't really know where I wanted to go with this build. Then I saw a post by ThunderMesa Trains from YouTube showing the construction of a new limited edition kit - The Gold Tooth Mine. For full details see;

Gold Tooth Mine Part 1

Gold Tooth Mine Part 2

Gold Tooth Mine Part 3

And 

Thunder Messa Kits

In addition I have also used images that we took at Disneyland Paris earlier this year.

There are many other ThunderMesa YouTube posts worth watching, such as these;

Big Thunder Mine

And

Bandit Canyon Mine

My 1:27.7 (11mm = 1 foot) scale scratch built model is a combination of all of the above using mainly scrap materials I have stored in my shed-at-the-bottom-of-the-garden and as such will be totally unique.

I would hope that you enjoy watching these truly inspirational videos and that they inspire you to build a model railway layout or stand alone mine as well.

Tony

Christmas 2025 Project - update #4

The basic roof has been built from some scrap card (backing card from a sketch book) with the holes for the pit supports cut out. Once again I have raised the footings of the supports by slotting in a snap-off knife blade container. The large opening to the rear of the roof is for the roof cupola where the pit winding gear will enter the structure.

I have cut a piece of balsawood to the same height as the yellow blade container and glued this to the inside to act as a support for the diagonal posts that run inside the building.

At this point the roof has NOT been glued down as I still need to paint the interior.

Tony

Christmas 2025 Project - update #3

Firstly, thank you to everyone who commented and offered advice about my issues with Blogger (this blog post has now been deleted). Today's post show some of the early detailed modelling like the added battens and door detail which has been modelled with balsawood and used fruit packing crate wood. The door furniture has been constructed from plastic card and plastic rod glued in place with a mixture of poly cement and superglue.

In addition I have added some metal cross bracing and supports to the main pit head. These have been modelled with plastic rod and more balsawood. They were inspired by the pit head and mine seen at Disneyland Paris earlier this year.

The new snap-off bladed case (yellow plastic under the main frame) is included because I have realised that the wooden pit supports will need to be raised by about 11mm - 12mm. My plan is to build a short stone base from some scrap foam to support the frame.

The final image shows the mine from the other side. Note that there is battening to the inside as well as a foamboard corner angle to keep everything 'square'.

Tony

Christmas 2025 Project - update #2

The main building has been built over a foamboard core (a used advertising sign) with balsawood cladding glued in place with a mixture of superglue and PVA. I have started adding the wooden battens to the front these were cut from thin wood salvaged from a fruit packing crate cut into thin strips.

The small window on the lean-to was cut from a cheap plastic toy and glued in place with superglue. Once again, I have included this 1:27.7 scale figure to give an idea of the size of this model.

Tony

Christmas 2025 Project - update

The main gantry or pithead was built from a single piece of 11mm thick soft wood that I had in my scrap wood store. I cut the main posts slightly oversize with a snap-off bladed knife and then sanded the pieces to the exact profile before first cutting them to length and finally gluing them together with superglue. The red pulley came from a plastic construction toy and most of the reinforcing metal strapping and bolt heads were modelled from plastic card. The pulley is glued in place on a metal rod and does not turn.

I have included a 1:27.7 scale or 65mm tall figure to give an idea of the size. 

The design is a mix of the Gold Tooth Mine (see earlier post) and a similar mine that I photographed at Disneyland Paris earlier this year.

Tony

Christmas 2025 reborn

With the Cold Comfort Lane 1:35th scale, narrow gauge railway layout complete I was left looking around for my next modelling project and rather than start a completely new one I went back to my Christmas 2025 stalled project. The Christmas 2025 Pizza layout.

The layout was moving along at quite a pace but a virus over the Christmas period left me a little deflated and I have to admit that I had lost all interest in modelling in a cold shed. Details of the progress up to this time can be found by searching the Christmas 2025 link to the right or 'clicking' on this link.

Moving forward the first piece of work was installing a transformer/controller. I had wanted to use a unit that I had bought off the internet but with this not working properly, I went back to this tried-and-tested Hornby controller that I had in my stash. The simple single knob unit is not glued in place but the black plastic facia panel and four screws are enough to hold it securely in place. I can confirm that it works perfectly.

I had planned that there would be an in-and-out industrial unit for this layout and I had built a number of mock-ups but I have to admit that none of them really appealed to me. Then I saw a YouTube video from ThunderMessa Trains (see this link) and the decision was made. I would build a similar structure to 11mm = 1 foot and situate it in the middle of the Pizza layout.

The first stage was to draw up a sketch plan.

I think that this plan shows how I work better than words.....

It's a mess with amendments and re-drawn details across the whole page. But is was enough for me to start cutting strip wood and I can honestly say that my modelling MOJO is well and truly back.

Expect further updates later this week, but for now, welcome to my version of Gold Tooth Mine.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - Not working over the lead up to Christmas

Work on the new narrow gauge layout - the pizza layout has stalled. I am only just recovering from a viral infection and the thought of being down the shed in the cold has meant that I have not done any work on the layout for over three weeks. It will just have to wait until the new Year.

Merry Christmas to all.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - working over a cold weekend

Both grandsons are very keen on me getting on with this project but (very) cold weather this weekend meant that I didn't get that much done. The road crossing area has been built from some balsawood and coloured with washes.

I have also played around with some paper profiles in an attempt to get a workable building. The engines will enter in to the engine shed (right) and exit around the back. Getting the correct positioning has been challenging as I did not want to have the three part building dominate the layout but at the same time I wanted the engines to enter the engine shed, disappear and then re-emerge around the back of the extension.

Here is a better mock-up built from foamboard and balsa with wooden scraps used for internal support.

If the weather is better this week maybe I will get around to adding some detail!

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - ballasting the track

Progress on the new Pizza layout has been slow. Mainly down to the weather and me not being willing to spend time in the un-heated garage. But I have now ballasted the track. Just a quick up date - I am using PECO O-16.5 'crazy track', with one in three sleepers removed and the spacing stretched to fit. I am running 11mm = 1 foot scale engines and modified wagons or 1:27.7 scale models. which equates to a track gauge of 18 inches. A gauge that was used by a number of industrial narrow gauge lines. Because of this unusual scale/gauge combination there is a lot of scratch building on HO-OO mechanisms and wagons.

The ballast is a mix of shop bought ballast intended for HO-OO models, sieved sand and small stones collected from the beach and various odd samples of plaster, cement and soil found in the garden. The ballast has been laid on Mod Podge matt and then sealed with a diluted mix of Mod Podge and alcohol. Unfortunately (with the cold damp weather) it has taken ages to fully set or dry.

The final image shows one of the scratch built engines and a single wagon from the Yellow Pelican narrow gauge layout I built some time ago.

Hopefully I can get some additional work done on the layout soon. Although there is another cold snap due very soon. The December or Christmas dead line might be looking a little tight!

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - more groundwork painting and a retaining wall

A number of steps this weekend. Firstly re-painting the groundwork in my dark brown/red basecolour then painting the area under the rails in a very dark brown/black colour and finally adding the retaining wall. You should also be able to see that I have painted odd sleepers in different colours to mimic their age and decay. Finley helped which meant that they were truly random!

The retaining wall was scratch built from some spare blue insulation foam, textured with a scalpel and then a pencil before being 'aged' by sanding and impressing a stone in to the foam. Painting was done over a neutral grey base with odd stones picked out in various colours before being drybrushed.

The wall was then bedded in to the existing groundwork with more home-made paper mache. Later the groundwork was painted.

Progress has been slow, but the Christmas 2025 deadline is still possible.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - modifications to the track bed

With the track glued in place I felt that the shoulder (the area to either side of the sleepers) was too narrow for my 1:27.7 scale engines ( I used the three engines from my Yellow Pelican layout as a test). So I mixed up another batch of home-made paper mache/Scuptamould (shredded toilet roll, Plaster of Paris and a touch of PVA glue with a drop of brown paint) and extended the shoulders outwards.

The paper mache takes some time to fully dry and I'm not sure that I added enough paint, but I am pleased with  the new wider rail bed.

I think the new rail bed looks better than the earlier narrow one and I'll be painting it up very soon.

The Peco O-16.5 track was laid to a radius of 300mm - 600mm from side to side. I will running 1:27.7 scale models which on the 16.5mm gauge track represents an 18inch gauge narrow gauge railway. Or NG11.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - laying the track

I have now laid the narrow gauge track. It is modified PECO O-16.5 Crazy Track (SL500) with one in ever three sleepers removed and the spacing extended. I have both glued (PVA glue) and nailed (PECO track pins) to the track as the tight curves needed reinforcing to stop them springing apart.

I have used two and a half lengths of SL500 track with metal connectors soldered in place.

I have used this scrap piece of softwood to ensure that the circle of track is uniform. The underside of the track end of this guide has a piece of 3mm thick plastic card glued in place which fits perfectly between the two 16.5mm or HO-OO spaced rails.

Obviously once laid I ran a couple of HO-OO wagons along the track to make sure that there were no pinch points. Any modifications were made with a sharp tap of a pin hammer and a hole punch with any irregularities smoothed out with a metal file and some fine sanding pads.

The next step will be to get the power leads fitted and run some trains.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - first paint

Finley and Charlie helped to paint the groundwork ready to add the narrow gauge track. I have used tester pots from B&Q for the colours and tried to have a darker colour where the Peco O-16.5 'Crazy Track' will be laid.

You can also see (very faintly) a white chalk line for the centre line of the 16.5mm track which will act as a guide when I come to glue and pin the track down.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - We now have a name for the layout

I have continued to add home-made paper mache over foam or toilet roll card to the base. In addition we now have a name for the latest narrow gauge project.

RED LION

LUMBER

Co.

I have also been experimenting with the building mock-ups and placement although I have now been told by my grandson's that these are two big and I will need to be cut down.

Tony

New narrow gauge layout - NG11 - starting the groundwork

I have used a mixture of polystyrene foam and card lattice to in-fill the corners and then covered this with home-made paper mache made from shredded toilet paper and plaster of Paris to which I have added a drop of PVA glue

In the final image you can see Finley and Charlie helping with the work. The only problem I have encountered with the home-made paper mache is the variation in drying times. Some mixes can be fully set in 48 hours others take longer. This maybe down to the fact that I have not been methodical with the quantities of plaster of Paris vs. toilet roll paper. The good news is that it does eventually dry to a solid crust.

Tony with help from Finley and Charlie

New narrow gauge railway layout - NG11 - Pizza layout update

I have used second-hand battens to frame the layout base. These battens were glued in place and then nailed with small wooden blocks in the corners. I later glued the central circle back in place but slightly higher up than the track base. Two sections were cut and glued lower than the track base to give some variety and undulations to the groundwork. 

I didn't like the fact that the track was so close to the edges of the frames and decided to add another layer of MDF to give a wider layout footprint and make more room between the planned track loop and the edge of the layout. This MDF frame was glued and nailed in to position with 10mm spacers to the bottom edge which raises the whole layout so that wiring can be fitted underneath. It also makes the layout larger.

The right front edge was 'hacked' apart to model an even lower front edge drop off. The slot opening to the front is for the built-in controls which will be added later.

I should also admit to one very silly mistake.....

The plan was for the new narrow gauge railway layout to be easily transportable in the back of the car. With these new additions the layout does NOT fit in the boot and to transport the model back and forth to Leamington Spa so that the two grandsons can help build the layout, I now have to fold down both seats in the back of the car. Oops!

Tony

New narrow gauge railway layout - NG11 - The Pizza layout

With the IKEA Lack table firmly glued, it was time to add the Pizza track base. The ring was cut from MDF with my jigsaw and with a track centre of 600mm. I thought 600mm was about the minimum I could get away with without compromising performance of the Hornby 0-4-0 or 'Smokey Joe' chassis on the tight curve.

As you can see the track base just fits on the extended Lack side table.

I used small wooden blocks to raise the track ring as I wanted to have the groundwork extend below track level as well as above it. The wooden blocks and ring were glued and pinned in place which allows me to lift the whole assemble by the MDF track disc.

The plan is for the engines, wagons and buildings to be scratch built to the scale of 11mm = 1 foot or 1:27.7, hence NG11. The same as the OSO Salt diorama and Yellow Pelican layout (see earlier posts for more information).

I would expect more updates soon.

Tony

Christmas 2025 Project - NG11, the LACK table base

The new NG11 narrow gauge layout (11mm = 1 foot or 1:27.7 scale) will be a simple PIZZA LAYOUT based on an IKEA Lack side table.

I have used the table top and the four legs to model a layout base slightly larger than 650mm x 650mm. The edges will be clad with MDF at a later date but for now, I have a strong but light surface to start adding detail. The cut out to the front will house the built-in control panel. So far all construction was done with a mix of PVA and superglue.

I still don't have a name for the layout but the plan is for it to be a lumber or timber yard. Expect more updates soon.

Tony