The diorama is being built on a board 4 ft x 2 ft (1200mm x 600mm), N scale of course. The intention is to use the 'stage' type of arrangement where the layout is viewed through a frame which makes it look like it's on a theatre stage. This then accentuates the idea that things are happening 'off stage' as well as the activities you can actually see.
The layout depicts a small workshop/locomotive shed, somewhere in the Hanoi area. There is a single track main line towards the back of the layout, which will see trains 'passing through'. Trains will enter the work shop area from behind several buildings. This style of layout is quite popular at the moment. For more information on this and other 'micro' layouts visit The Micro layouts site at http://carendt.com
The back scene will be a combination of photos of buildings and actual model buildings with little more than the front wall actually constructed. There will be a level crossing (there seem to be very few road bridges crossing VNR tracks)and hopefully I can squeeze in one of those Petrolimex petrol stations, and lots and lots of motorbikes and bicycles. Anyone know how to make a cyclo in N scale?
At this stage I've given it the name 'Doi Moi', the legend that appears on most of the D19E class locomotives, and which according to my Vietnamese dictionary means innovation or new way. Whether that's the name of the non existent town, or whether it's the name of the layout I'll leave up to you.
The trains will be assembled off layout possibly using some sort of cassette system (not decided yet). I will need a fiddle yard on both sides to allow trains on the main line to enter and leave. An alternative ( and probably easier) would be to have a circle of track running around behind the layout with a fiddle yard. Decisions, decisions...
I have laid all the cork underlay for the track and have laid some track. I hope to have the rest finished tomorrow (I've got the day off). Hopefully I can put some images up on my website.
When I've finished this module I plan to have a go at a second module depicting a more 'rural' scene. Any ideas on how to depict rice paddies gratefully received.
BTW: I got hold of some additional photos of DSVN freight vehicles and I discovered a slight error in my DSVN gondola, basically with the doors on the sides. I need to make the doors go right to the top rather than have them under a continuous side. This will mean a slight delay in completion but nothing major. I'll have a go at that tomorrow too and I'm hoping a can put photos of the wagon in it's final red colour scheme up on the website as well. I'm still not sure how I'm going to letter the wagon, there being no commercially available decals, particularly as in most of the images I have a lot of the lettering is a bit 'fuzzy'.
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