The Stamping Ground is 1/24th Scale, the same as my garden railway
The concept of the Stamping Ground is an animated layout, with lots of moving parts.
The Water Wheel, Stamping Battery and other gold processing equipment all move.
Trains are loaded with real rocks at one end of the layout. These are transported to the Stamping Battery site at the other end, and the rocks tipped out for processing.
There is no computer automation. All the tipping is done with pull levers hidden under the layout.
The new configuration (now three modules long), on display for the first time at the Christchurch Big Model Train Show. October 2009.
Layout in Action - The operating routine
1: Two wagons are loaded from the loading bins.
2: Crossing the bridge with gold miners in the river bed.
3: The miner comes out of the mine and tips his wagon to load the last wagon below.
4: The train arrives at the stamping battery and the rocks are tiped into the hopper for processing.
The first module was built in 2007 for the Christchurch Train Show (October 2007). The incline and siding have since been reworked. It contains one oval and a siding at the lower level. The rocks are made from Foam. Here is how it appeared at the 2007 Show.
The Stamping Battery:
Here is the stamping battery. It is a wooden structure glued with pva and nailed. Nails heads left exposed to simulate bolts.
The stamp box is made from plastic. There are brass eyelets in pushed in the wood to act as a bush. This will stop the rods rubbing on the wood, making the hole bigger and also create less friction for the motor.
The rods were brass and have been blackened with a Birchwood Casey product for blackening gun barrels. The cams are cast white metal.
The Tippler:
The Tippler frame was made by soldering some brass strips together.
It has an arm on the end and is operated by a small wire in some curtain rod mounted under the layout.
Buildings:
The buildings were made from 3mm mdf (wood) with a veneer of weather boards over the top. The roof is ecoboard, corrogated cardboard. The holes in the side are for the hidden track which runs from the red shed.
The Loco Fleet
Loco #1 is a free lance loco built on a Tenshodo motor 'spud' unit.
The motor came from a 1:24 car kit going cheap on TradeMe.
Loco #2 & 3 are modified On30 Bachmann Gas Mechanical locos. They run great
Loco #4 is a free lance Heisler geared steam loco, built on a Bachmann HO scale 44 tonner diesel loco chassis.
The new modules
During 2008, two new modules were added to extend the top level line.
The first module features a rock cliff, a bridge, and a small mine. A miner with a wagon appears from the mine, and tips his wagon which sends the load of rocks down into the train wagon waiting below.
The second one features a yard and some hopper bins which are used to load rocks into the wagons. There will also be another mine developed in the future.
October 2009: An underground mine module was added. It is positioned below the loading bins module.
It is down low for good viewing for kids. There are 3 windows.
An animated miner in the middle window swings a pick.
About Gn15
Gn15 is G scale trains (1:22) on HO scale track (16.5mm). It represents a narrow gauge of 15" between the rails.
I am using 1:24 scale, which is close enough for me.
Lots of tips and inspiration can be found at this great site
www.Gn15.info.
You will find more history on my layout here in the forum section.
Rocky
Creek Railway
