Mock-ups

Various components for the cardboard mock-ups.

Wasted Energy?

This has always been the big question with regards mock-ups. Often it is just easier and more productive to jump in there and make the mistakes. I have no issues with this sentiment. However, this is my first venture in N-gauge, in American modelling and I had also decided that it would be my first attempt at lightweight ply beam bench work. It would have been madness not to have continued the design into a three dimensional mock-up.

I made some quick cardboard mock-ups out cereal packets to look at the bench work. construction and to get a feel for the layout. There were some areas, particularly where the single track crossed over the double track that I could not quite get my head around. It also helped my to visualise the timber work needed at various locations and most of all, I began to understand just how strong lightweight construction methods could be.

	The design as originally intended. The start of the higher level staging can be seen at the far end over the lower staging.

At first, it was intended that there would be two long boards and two shorter boards (as can be seen in the photos). Each pair would be capable of been 'coffined' together for storage and transportation. It quickly became apparent that there was no real advantage in having boards of different lengths. The high level trestle was also giving me a few headaches at the baseboard joints.

The biggest single problem was in the staging area. No matter how I fiddled with the design, I could not get adequate access to the low-level staging yard with the high-level yard being located somewhere above it. I even went as far as creating a full-scale mock up to gauge the height and see if I could get under the higher staging. Although it was possible, it was not going to be easy. Not only would this would spoil my fun, but also it might prove quite stressful at exhibitions where everything must run smoothly. Added to this that a five year-old boy was going to be playing with it and...

All four boards put together. Just as I was constructing the higher level staging (seen at the far end), I realised it simply wasn't going to work.

 

Back to the drawing board.

The cardboard mock-ups only took about two lazy evenings work but they have saved a great deal of wasted effort not to mention the money that I might have spent on unsuitable bench work. .

Energy well spent!