Threefathom Quay: new exhibition layout.

[Emettman]

Well, nearly, but it's got to be ready by the end of the month.

Threefathom Quay is a 6 ft by 6ft shunting layout, and its unique selling point, more than being portable in G which is just fairly rare, is that it is intended to let the public drive the locos.
Yes, this is an experiment.



In the 6x6 we have a continuous run, five sidings plus loco siding and a run-round loop
Minimum radus of 2ft.



Eight points, remote-operated by wire in tube inside the baseboards
All the points clustered on two of the four boards



I have six locos complete or near complete, cobbled together using a range of simple radio or IR remote control.  Three  geared very slow, three faster.  We shall see.
I only need one or two at a time.

There are twelve wagons for them to shunt, coupled in fixed pairs for simplicity.

The centre hole made by the four 4x2 board is filled by a large warehouse, which breaks up the view, and emphasises that the layout is meant to be seen and operated from all sides.
I'm rebuilding that, as I was unhappy with my first attempt, apart from the roof.



This has got to be NUTS.
But committed now: booked for two shows in October!

Edit: board didn't like photos, so I'm trying again by a separate route.

Aside: the chapel on my garden line now has zombies:

[crackingjob]

There I am, struggling with trying to fit Mamod outer line for steam and Faller plastic inner line on Ironing boards for a portable Austerity and Thrift, and you do that!!!!

Great track plan

What shows are you going to in October?

Crackingjob

ps I will visit one day

[Fritz]

It seems, these Zombies hang around all over this world





Have fun

Juergen / Fritz

[dmaynard]

I am copier repairman, and after spending too much of my time at work resurrecting the dead (copiers) I don't need the undead roaming around here. So there are no Zombies roaming around here.

But now, if any do show up, I know where to send them. 

[Emettman]

What shows are you going to in October?

Crackingjob

ps I will visit one day

Wadebridge at the beginning of October, Bodmin at the end.
Bodmin get the best of it, as I have a couple of weeks to correct any bugs that show up at the first ever outing at Wadebridge.

[Emettman]

All the locos for Threefathom are running and complete (bar a driver or two, and maybe a few odd details...)  I only need two, at most, so I have gone for overkill here, or I'm just covering myself as I'm  being seriously experimental.


From left to right:
Stuart, scrap body, scratch-built chassis with external chain drive to second axle.
IR control from an Early Learning Centre toy car.
Cheviot, recycled kit body, An IP engineering budget chass with internal chain drive, Thomas R/C toy control.
Bee, scrap body, another  IP budget chassis and R/C from a very cheap car.
Growler, scrap body (aiming for a small Sentinel look), Newbright chassis cut down to an 0-4-0 and same R/C source as Bee (they cannot be run together)



From left to right:
Dinky, scrap body, Lego motor block chassis, IR control from a Thomas toy.
(cannot run at the same time as Stuart.)
Wellington, scrap body, Playmobil *origina*l motor block, but with Playmobil R/C battery and control.
No.3, Playmobil diesel body, but with Newbright chassis cut down to the smallest possible 0-6-0, with Playmobil  R/C battery and remote.
The chassis was originally supposed to go under Wellington, but it sounded nothing at all like a steam engine.  Hence the diesel body, and Wellington getting a quieter motor block.

Some are faster than others, to put it mildly.  I'm waiting to see what the public, driving, can handle.

[Emettman]

Threefathom Quay's first outing was a success.  Fewer faults than I could have hoped for, and anything that wasn't minor was within prepared contingencies (such as having enough spare locos)nothing major.

No-one had a bad word for it, and there were lots of grins, laughs and not a few addicts...

I am actually looking forward to showing at Bodmin at the end of the month.









Spot the terrified innocent civilians in the last picture?  I used those as "crash markers", one placed every time one of my volunteer drivers made a major mistake.
Apart from going forwards/backwards when the opposite was called for, the most common cause was not watching out for the other engine when two locos were working at the same time.

I didn't even think of trying three at once.

[Rowan]

EM, the look of those kids faces says it all... you probably encouraged dozens of kids into the hobby with your great layout...
Congrats.

 

[Emettman]

Thank you Rowan.

I did get lots of positive comments from the public and other exhibitors on the idea of letting the on-lookers drive the trains (some adults were surprisingly reluctant, and had to be chivvied into it: at wich point they enjoyed themselves, to put it mildly).

Neither the layout, locos or stock took any damage, though I had allowed for some degree of attrition...

And for an Emett connection:
at an exhibition of his Honeywell Forget-Me-Not computer at a trade fair an onlooker demanded: "But what's the end product?"
Emett's considered answer: "To bring the smallest smile to the eye of the beholder."