Sunday 1 April 2012

Three castles and no track

It's been gloriously sunny here and Isaac has been making the most of it. The wooden railway doesn't lend itself to his outside activities, but the construction work continues. On two separate visits to the beach he has constructed wonderful sandcastles and has built another fort from a cardboard box as a birthday present for someone. I thought it might be nice to share a couple of the photos here.



This is castle one, built on a dry sandy beach in Suffolk. It was a bit impromptu as we were waiting around. Isaac quickly realised dry sand was never going to make anything impressive, so he set about finding stones to create the pattern. The stick to the left is the draw bridge.








Castle two was made on a beach in West Sussex a few days later. The sand was wetter and lent itself to building something more substantial. Isaac added a moat to this creation and tried filling it. That day he built two other castles as well. As the tide rose it first filled the moats of each castle and the slowly overwhelmed them. Isaac stood up the beach stoically surveying the process and obviously quite fascinated by how it happened.











And finally castle three. This was built as a present for a friend's birthday. Having done something similar for his cousin, Isaac gets a lot of pleasure out of constructing these gifts. He raided his stickers to decorate it and painted the moat all around the castle (the blue band at the bottom). Out of sight on this photo is a cotton wool forest at the back. The draw bridge was Isaac's idea, but the execution was down to daddy. Isaac finally looked through his Lego box for two knights which he will give to his friend as well.



Thursday 15 March 2012

Long and lean

This is going to be a very short post today.

The layout the boys created was very simple so they could to run their electric train on it. The elongated loop has wide curves to prevent the train sticking. At the top the placed a set of points and then created a long siding with a bridge to take it rover the bottom of the loop.

There are a couple of embellishments to the design including the tunnel and the additional two bridges in the siding, which serve no purpose other than make the train go up and down a bit.

Monday 12 March 2012

Warning: Boys at work

We thought it was about time you saw some of the process that goes into making the layouts. This sequence of photos is Isaac and his brother working out a new layout. It turned out to be one of the most ambitious layouts they have created to date.

What made it particularly interesting was that part of the way through Isaac ran out of some small but essential pieces and had to work out how to free them from where they were in the track so that he could use them else where.


These first three pictures show the initial stages of the layout. First, what will become the centre track is laid. The lift bridge and engine shed are good points of reference for later photos. The second photo shows this track has a Y junction at the other end which leads round to the turntable. In photo three the track is extended right the way back down to cross over the lift bridge.




In this next sequence of photos the track is extended again off the third branch of the turntable and the tunnel added, but the loop is left incomplete. Finally, the forth branch is completed which loops under the bridges that form the central track. Once this was done Isaac returned to the loop with the tunnel on it. To complete this Isaac used the two short double ended pieces.

Isaac then found he needed another double ended piece to complete the main loop. After a little while he figured out he could free both of the pieces by turning the turn table round by 90 degrees. It did mean having to redo the loop which went under the bridges. If you look carefully at the two similar photos to the right you can see the changes that were made. The loop joining the lifting bridge and the other end of the Y junction was completed, including the doubled ended piece.


The final elements was a passing loop that was added to the last straight and a short curving siding. It needs top be noted that Isaac's brother was definitely a co-creator of this layout and the boys cooperated beautifully to create a really pleasing layout.

Tracing my fingers round the track, as I do, I could see it had lots of possibilities in terms of routes and direction and it kept the boys busy for a long tie as they explored the options.

Sunday 11 March 2012

Sidings with a twist


 It's been a while since Isaac created a layout. This is the first one he did after a couple of weeks rest. It appears to be a layout that demonstrates his repertoire of sidings to the world, a little like one of those cabinet maker's apprentice pieces. As is fairly obvious from the photo that Isaac had to work this layout around a fairly busy room and he even incorporated the leg of the coffee table into the layout.

The layout consists of five sidings. Two finish at the repair shed and engine shed respectively. The other three are straight sidings for a single train.

The first of these is the wonderfully twisted one at the bottom of the layout. It does a full 180 degree turn before reaching the buffers. When I first came in and saw the layout it was this one that caught my eye as it was so prominent.

However the final pair of sidings are the ones that I eventually found most pleasing. I love the longer siding with it's double approach to it. It's wonderfully extravagant and a little overboard. What is so fun thought is the small siding that then pierces one of these branches like a thread though the eye of a needle.

If I was after a someone who knew about making sidings I would definitely consider this apprentice.




Monday 27 February 2012

Invalidated by an invalid

Invalid
1: to remove from or classify as not able to perform active service
2: an infirm or sickly person.

Today's layout is quite straightforward. This might reflect the fact that Isaac was suffering from a stinking cold. He built a loop using the viaduct and then put in the points which split off into two branches, one to the engine shed and the other to the repair shed.

After a few minutes later he removed the repair shed and placed a simple siding in the layout instead. The two lines out of the repair shed seem to indicate there might have been an intention to reincorporate it back into the main track, but this never happened.

It reminded me of what happens with real life railways, where a piece of infrastructure no longer serves a purpose and rather than being erased it is just left to slowly decay in sight of the working railway. I often wonder about this when I view it from a train. Was there an intention of returning to it some day, but  no one ever got round to it?




Thursday 23 February 2012

A break through

I have mentioned in previous posts that some times the levels of cooperation in building railways between Isaac and his brother can be fairly tense. Isaac does tend to dominate his brother when it comes to deciding the layout. This track started out that way and then something changed.

Isaac stated off with a simple loop with a viaduct in it. His brother wanted to help, but Isaac was having none of it and in the end consented to let his brother have a few pieces to build a separate track. 

After a few minutes of solitary building the two brothers suddenly decided to join their loops up. It the top photo Isaac's original loop is on the left and his brothers on the right. 

Once this had been done Isaac suggested the linking track through the viaduct. Finally the turntable and sidings were added. The rest of the afternoon was fairly peaceful with a good deal of cooperation, listening and respect for ideas.

The track itself works really well with lots of opportunities to reverse the train's direction and vary the route. I always mentally play out the possibilities in my mind and find it quite pleasing when there are lots of choices. Maybe that says something about me.

Monday 20 February 2012

Noughts and crosses

Isn't always the way? Yesterday I decided to post a layout that I normally wouldn't have shared, just to let everyone know we hadn't fallen off the edge of the world and then today I come home to a new layout!

Isaac is maintaining the simplicity theme. In fact today's track seems to be all about places where rolling stock and engines can be stored rather than any sort of journey they could make. The one circuit is completely inaccessible to any of the trains using the main track.

The forest on the plinth is back and there are three buildings as well. The combination of repair shed, tunnel and level crossing in close proximity is intriguing.

At the other end of the line is a rare example of the turntable being used to access sidings rather than a a replacement for the cross over. 

For such a small layout there was a lot of rolling stock, but only one engine. But whatever it's quirks it's nice to have Isaac building again.


Sunday 19 February 2012

A simple interlude

It's been a but quiet on he railway front for quite a number of days. I have been expecting normal service to resume shortly, but as yet nothing.

This layout was done a few days ago and was so simple I half decided not to post it. But given the length of time since my last post I decided I would add it.

I had wondered what would happen if Isaac didn't build a railway for a while. There is never any coercion in making him get the tracks out and create a layout. I always said what ever happens that he had to be spontaneous in his building.

I suppose that's always the dilemma in writing about something that is not really in your control. I do anticipate coming home to a layout each night and when I don't I have to accept that's the way it is. My disappointment is not too great as Isaac and his brother have usually used their creative skills in some other venture. Recent achievements have included building a castle form boxes and toilet rolls, learning to colour within the lines and building a fantastic house form building blocks.

So, back to the layout: This is a really simple track which just allows a train to leave the repair shed, go through the tunnel over the bridge loop round and return. There's not much more to it than that. There is the separate circle, which I believe was mummy's track.

Until next time keep watching this space! Thanks.

Wednesday 8 February 2012

The roundabout way from A to B


It's been a bit of a linear day for our sons. The first layout was built by Isaac's brother, I have no photo, but it was described to me by mum. It was a straight track with buffers either end, it had both the turntable and cross over in it, but the essential main line was the straight track. Isaac's brother then put the battery train it and ran it from one end and back again for quarter of an hour.

Later Isaac got to work on this layout. Although it looks quite complicated it is actually just a track between two points, the siding and the engine shed. It is also sprawls, which is why none of the photos quite get it all in. Despite it's simple form there are a couple of marvellous elements to it.

Starting at the engine shed you come to the loop after the bridges. Instead of taking a tight turn Isaac made a loop that had a single track in and out a set of Y points. The train is turned around and goes back down the way it came. It can either retrace the route back to the shed or continue down the line.

Continuing down the line brings it eventually to the siding, which is tucked down the side of the sofa. On the return leg the train can take a little diversion onto a small circuit. But once on there you have two choices:
1. Get very dizzy
2. Reverse off

I do like the mixture of simplicity and little twists in this track. It feels like you're taking a journey and yet not going too far.


Tuesday 7 February 2012

Roots, loops and sheds



This layout has four distinct areas. Compared to some of the recent layouts that have been quite intricately woven together Isaac has reverted back to apparent simplicity here. But hidden in there are a couple of complexities that really make it work.

What struck me immediately when I came in were the trees. These are quite a rare feature on Isaac's railways. I assumed that they were decorative elements on three very closely grouped station platforms. When I mentioned this I was told that what I thought were platforms were just Isaac's solution to the fact that the trees kept falling over on the carpet. So remember, if you lack roots there's always Jenga bricks.

The entrance to the repair shed is rather grand today. Not only is approached via  along straight that brings you in high level across a viaduct, but it also has two splendid lamps at the entrance to greet the train's arrival. In contrast the engine shed is more subdued.

I particularly liked the small loop with the tunnel on. At first is seems a bit frivolous, but in fact it serves quite an important purpose of allowing the trains to turn around and face the opposite direction. This is key on a layout where all three branches involve reversing to retrace your route.

Finally, there is the little loop. Isaac's brother built this for mummy. It reminds me of Trevithick's Steam Circus. Maybe we should rename the little black engine the Catch Me If You Can.



Saturday 4 February 2012

The bottom of the box

 It was going to happen one day and today was that day. Every single piece of track was used. The evolution of this track was a fascinating journey.

Originally Isaac put together a figure of eight around the lifting bridge. There was a shot loop and then a broad one. The broad one had the single arch hump back bridge and the seven arch viaduct in it. There were two sets of points added so the engine shed and repair shed could be in the middle.

In the meantime Isaac's brother was creating a separate layout using a small loop, the cross over and a set of points. This was designated as mummy and daddy's track. But when play started the large layout was the chosen one.

There quickly arose a difference of opinion about which direction the trains should be travelling. At this point I was elbow deep in washing up and wasn't wanting to arbitrate. I tried the wisdom of Solomon tack and said if they couldn't agree the track would go away. But this just resulted in two wailing boys.

Then Isaac had an idea that he would build a second loop so that the trains would not run into each other. This seemed acceptable to all parties so I returned to the kitchen sink. To be honest I thought Isaac was just going to create a short passing loop. I knew something more was going on when a few minutes later Isaac said he didn't have enough straight pieces. I suggested using the red suspension bridge. I came in a little later to find the inner and outer loops that shared just one straight.

I loved it. It was well thought out and executed. I particularly liked the use of the two short Y points as the entrance and exit to the outer loop. I also liked the way that it passed round the table leg.

After a few minutes it was decided to incorporate the small loop. Following a bit of rearranging this became a series of sidings. including some with a curiously twisting route involving crossing over itself. I did think the siding that passed under the slope of the lifting bridge wasn't going to work, but in fact there were a few wagons that fitted under there quite neatly. There was plenty of room on this layout for every train to be used.



Thursday 2 February 2012

Back where you started

Isaac and his brother worked on this a couple of days back. They seem to have gone small with the last couple f creations. One of which was just a circle, which I didn't write about or photograph as I couldn't think what I might write about it.

This layout is unusual as it doesn't have a continuous loop. You start at the engine shed and finish right back there again. The only other option is to come out and go onto a siding. One of which is tiny.

Isaac has put a passing loop in so that he and his brother could share share this compact layout.

I'm not sure who chose it, but one of them was running the battery train. However it's lack of cornering meant it couldn't complete the last twisty section. Also the little black engine 'old puffer pete' was chosen. The choice of these two locomotives leads me to conclude some sort of Chuggington based adventure was being acted out.

Monday 30 January 2012

Good train and goods yards



Isaac's latest track was a bit of challenge to fit into one photo as it stretches right across the living room. There are two ends joined by an isthmus of track containing a couple of bridges. Interestingly the viaduct didn't make an appearance today.

Looking at the layout one end of it has certainly received more thought than the other. As I have said before Isaac is not keen on loops that once on have no exit except by reversing. But he seems to have been content to allow one to pass here. The building in the loop is a knight's castle and dragon. At the other end is a spectacular tour de force of sidings, Isaac, assisted by mummy, creating a goods yard and this was for one reason.

For the sharp eyed regular readers you may have noticed a new train. Isaac got a supplies train today in the post and both he and his brother were very excited by this. It's certainly well made and each element has something extra. Two of the trucks can be tipped and unloaded, a third rotates and the engine has a bogie. It had a nice weight to it as well. I can see that this will be coming out quite often.

It's intriguing that today's new arrival has reversed the normal cycle of Isaac's building. Often, he'll spend hours putting together a layout and then only playing in short bursts. It's like the construction is more fun than the play. But here it feels like the layout was rushed so that Isaac would have something to play with his new train on.

Saturday 28 January 2012

If you go down to the woods today

 Isaac and his brother co-created today's layout. It started with a fairly basic loop around the seven arched viaduct (this is definitely the most popular track piece at the moment). I thought we were going to get another simple layout and then at the last piece Isaac put in the points.

Even at this stage I thought it would just be a siding and I suppose looking at it in it's purest form that's just what it is. But, oh what a siding.

The loop back followed by the hump back bridge was the clue something bigger was planned. The next set of points allow it split into two branches. One for the engine shed and one for the repair shed. Interestingly to reach the engine shed you have to cross the points and then double back. Given that there is a lot of Y points available I'm not sure why this configuration was chosen. The turntable was added to give access to rolling-stock stock sidings.

I have to say I zoned out a little on what was going on at this point. I came back into a heated debate about the height of a 'cave'. Isaac was building a small tower near the viaduct. His brother was of the opinion that it shouldn't be that high. Eventually gravity won due to a carpet not being the best foundation for a tower. This borne out by the fact that not one major skyscraper in the last 75 years has been built on a foundation of either loop or shag pile. So Isaac's brother won the argument and the cave was dully built as low rise and occupied by a black bear. I have a feeling the wooden shape was supposed to be a sheep, but it is rather bear like.

Finally with some left over pieces Isaac and his brother constructed a small loop and siding that were completely detached form the rest of the layout. It's the thing that looks like a speech bubble. This is mummy and daddy's track. Presumably to keep us out of harms way in case we want to play trains too.





Friday 27 January 2012

Conform or innovate

Isaac is still working round the battery train issues and while he's doing this he is building quite simple layouts. This one was a loop with three sidings. One for the repair shed, one for the engine shed and a siding for rolling stock.

He added a further siding to accommodate the battery train as it wouldn't fit the engine shed. I did like the way that the final siding looped under the viaduct. I think Isaac is enjoying the new viaduct for the options it gives him in terms of which arch to use.

This layout survived for a couple of days. But he dismantled it this morning and called for me to see what he'd built in its place. For the first time he had ventured out of the living room with a track. There was a long liner track that went from the living room, through the kitchen and was on it's way to the dining area. He was very pleased with this development. Sadly the practicalities of having a track the follows one of the main walk ways in the house was soon apparent and it became a bit of five minute flash in the pan. Hence why there are no photos.

Looking at the latter layout I wonder if Isaac was trying to work out how to have an innovative layout that had very few curves and sidings.

Thursday 26 January 2012

Simple and ordered, but is that good?



Isaac's  new track is a departure from his normal abandon in joining up pieces until he gets a layout he likes. By his standards it is quiet stayed. It's a classic case of having to adapt his style to accommodate a new element. That element being a battery operated train. There was a false start on this development as Isaac and his brother got one of these trains for Christmas, but it died only a couple of days later. The sounds all worked, but the motor didn't. We thought it was the batteries and tried replacing them, but the problem was still there. This is the second attempt a electrification, which came out of Isaac's brother's birthday.

Being relatively new to the world of wooden railways I thought I'd do a little research and found that opinion is sharply divided over these electric trains. On one hand is the school of thought that goes toys are becoming more hi-tech and to keep children's interest and secure a future of wooden railways it needs to adapt. The other  says  that the purpose of wooden trains is develop manual dexterity in children by pushing the trains around and this doesn't happen when the train is self propelled.

Having watched Isaac adapting to the electric train I have some thoughts. Isaac had to simplify his layout because the train dis not work well on tight or twisting curves. Often it became jammed and sometimes fell off the track. Points were a real issue and had to be set against the run of the trains as it would randomly choose its direction. Often the the locomotive would choose a different direction to the carriage at points. The train is also heavy because of the batteries and motor and it struggled up slid down inclines. And talking of batteries a complete change will set us back £11.27 (a major brand from a well known supermarket).

I have to say I'm coming down on the side of the traditionalists on this one. Any advance that forces out the creativity of a child is probably not an advance at all. I sound very ungrateful here to the enormous generosity of the gift giver and that's not my intention, if I had to be cross with anyone it would be the manufacturers for selling out on the great core proposition that wooden railways are. If you have any thoughts on this I'd love to hear them in the comments.

Having had my say I'll get back to the track.  I's a pretty straight forward circuit with three branches. A siding for rolling stock, the engine shed and repair shed. The repair shed was an after thought, mainly because the new train won't fit in the engine shed, and Isaac neatly added it into the track with a deft shoulder in the loop. The figures lined up in two neat rows are school children waiting to board the trains with their teacher at the front. Isaac clearly has little experience with ordering school children going on a excursion! Though close inspection of the pupils does reveal some who are already holding down employment and others who are of a pensionable age.

Tuesday 24 January 2012

Giving it all we've got (almost)


It's nice to be right once and a while. The New Heights track did remain up overnight and Isaac busied himself extending it in the morning.

He started by putting in the lifting bridge and this set the direction of the build. The suspension bridge was added to make it over the other side of the loop. To start the the new loop Isaac extended out the siding that had the repair shed on it. I was expecting that he'd aim to join the other side of the loop back on somewhere near the tunnel. making a layout of twin loops with a share track on one side.

But Isaac had other ideas and put the siding in on the loop that went under the new viaduct. At the same time he put the turntable back in and added a couple of sidings for rolling stock to be kept. This is one of those rare occasions where the turntable is used in more conventional way. The sidings and position of the new points led to a lack of straights to complete the layout. Rather than compromising the plan Isaac turned to me for help. I suggested using his hump back bridge and level crossing on one of the original loops to free up some of the straights.

Once all this had been done there were very few pieces left in the track boxes. I suppose with some more planning even they could have been integrated.

I have to say the layout is a really pleasing one if you're looking for a long journey on a train before getting back to where you started from. It is possible to do a route that involves a circuit of all three circuits before you get back to square one.

As an aside, Isaac and I worked out a solution to one of those problems that had been vexing him for a sometime. Namely the issue that the red suspension bridge did not have enough clearance for his Thomas trains. The solution was two piece of Lego under the towers raising it by just enough so Thomas could pass by smoothly.