The new layout

Owen · The new layout

It's about high time I set up a thread to update progress of my layout in as I often post updates on other forums, so there is no reason why this one should miss out!

The Newest Addition to the fleet is an Airfix Class 31:

I've also been working on a Hornby-Triang Jinty. I found this picture of a 9F, in October 1964 from one of my books, and it shows some very serious weathering. I quite like the Hard Water residue/limescale on the sides, and I've tried to replicate this on the Jinty.

Your opinions on what is good/bad/what might help with the Jinty Weathering Please!

Oh, and I just bought a Live Steam Set for... a large amount of hard earned queens.... But you wouldn't want to know about that now would you Wink

easternbuzz

Very nice weathering buddy! Well show all and tell all!!

Owen

Thanks EB.

I shall post any updates on my layout in this thread as I often post similar items in about three different forums.

Owen

The Newest Addition to the fleet, an Airfix Royal Scot:

The Ratio Permanent Way Wagons I've been working on are now 99% complete. Decals need sealing in with Klear, and slight weathering.

This is the Jinty, now put away in case I do anything else to it that might make it look even worse!

Owen

easternbuzz

Again, all looking great!

Owen

D-Day hath cometh!

:nod:

I'm hoping to get steam up tomorrow, expect lots of pics then!

I've had to do a bit of a re-work on the Live Steam line Y point as I haven't been happy with the track plan:

Original (note Setrack Curves)

Revised

Owen

easternbuzz

So we know what you will be doing in the near future!!!!! Playing with your new toy!! hehe!!

Owen

Yep!

I've built another module on the boards this morning because I really want to get a loop in place. Just one more section to go! (The hardest one though. D'oh!)

I've managed to understand controlling it a bit better now. I set up a sort of 'rolling road' by lifting the wheels off and this meant I could practice my starting, stopping a speed control. Now I'm getting the hand of it, it is much more fun!

Anyway, here are a couple of pics of the thing 'in motion'. The smell and steam makes a very impressive spectacle. I think I'll melt when I get it going over the viaduct!

Owen

Owen

Hardboard Sides are in the process of being fixed to the sides of the layout:

As you can see, there is a slight recess to allow the door to swing open freely.

The viaduct is in it's rough position. In the corner is where the last boards need to be built. Once done, that's everything!

This is the trackbed that I've described above. The supports are glued to the board and the sundeala is screwed to the supports:

Owen

Owen

Instant Viaduct, just add wood and PVA Very Happy

I'm amazed at how quickly I've managed to set up the viaduct in what looks like a pretty permanent position. Some 2x1'' raising supports were screwed into the boards and a bit of 2x1 has been cut to fit inside the central support of the viaduct. The Sundeala raised trackbed on the right side has now been joined to the viaduct and things are starting to look impressive!

The only concern with this viaduct however, is it's card construction. With Live Steam tootling around the layout, I begin to worry if this viaduct may one day turn to mush from the steam and oil vapour. I hope not!

Owen

Owen

Good news today! I have finally managed to cut what I hope will be the last bit of wood Exclamation

I haven't started building the last few modules yet, because I've been kayaking all day Embarassed

It's about time that I got my rear end in gear, because I can't b***** wait to get my Live Steam stuff going in a tailchaser. I'm aiming to get the full circuit done by Tuesday.

I've done a little bit of modelling this evening. I've tidied up the Branchline and 009 River Bridges. The 009 Bridge, closer to the camera was from the Knoghtwing N Gauge Plate Girder Bridge Kit which appears to be an ex-Heljian Kit. The original structure was around 20cm in length, but using my dremmel, I have modified it so that instead of having stone supports, it has retaining walls, is sorter and the detail bumps on the top are bevelled towards the trackbed as they looked a little odd. The 00 Branchline kit is a Wills one that has been in my toolbox for around 5 years, from an old 6'x4' Project that never materialised.

I have also been working on tunnel mouths over the last few days. I bought a Jarvis Single Track Tunnel Mouth from Auto-Loco in Sherringham whilst I was on the NNR a few days ago, thinking it was just the thing. Now back home, I'm pretty dissapointed with it. It is a Resin Structure that is thick. It is warped so it bends slightly on the horizontal. The stonework looks a little odd too and even after some chopping down of it, It still looks pants. If anyone wants it, they can just so long as you pay for postage. It has some unwarped retaining walls (Top Mouth in picture).

I have now scratchbuilt a new one for 00, which seems to be an improvement in my eyes. It is made from Plasticard and an old sheet of Metcalfe embosed stone. I have also modified one of the N Gauge/009 Single Mouths so when it attaches to it, it doesn't look odd. To my eyes, it looks OK (parts of it still need weathering etc), but does it look good to you?

For your enjoyment, I've also got three pictures of the newly cleaned up J94. You might be able to see a few bits of the old vile purple weathering powder in the photo's. The weathering isn't complete so I'll get these out before I call it finished.

Thanks for peeping!
Owen

Owen

Due to a power cut that has been on since dawn this morning (typical for Bank Holidays eh!), I have now completely finished all major baseboards, and now have enough infrastructure in place to complete a loop. Trouble was, with a power cut I had no way of charging power packs for the drill, so I was lucky that they were charged last night! Very Happy

Last night I cracked on with the clearence holes, using a Pillar Drill to make sure they were square. This morning I assembled the last two modules, and these were bolted into position.

Here are a couple of shots showing progress evolve over the course of the day:

Off cuts of Sundeala and 2x1 supports were again used to meet the viaduct. I've put an order into Screwfix for a couple of cans of PU Expanding Foam, and have boarded off the descent to the branchline to control the foam when it expands. The branchline trackbed should descend at a reasonable rate. It'll probably go down at around 10cm per Metre which is similar to the rate of climb on the Hornby Track Supports.

I've also been testing the fit of the Tunnel Mouths for the two branchlines. This picture is reassuring for me as it shows I have got something right!

I shall now lay the last bit of track, before the inaugural first run round the layout. Dwight D Eisenhower will do the honours for Live Steam, and The Flying Scotsman, the Grandad of my collection will be first for DC. The loop would be in place sooner if it had been up to me, but with no power my Dremmel wouldn't work of course and my Razor Saw isn't very sharp and needs a new blade.

I've come a long way since this, back in April!

Owen

Bramleyman

I have finally made a start on mine and must get some pictures as I go. So far, I got the baseboard 'framed' as such because it will be in 'N gauge' and based on a ficticious place in East Anglia around the 1960's if I can get the right loco's and rolling stock. I have to do 'N' as I only have a very small space to work in and thet is approximately 3'6" x 2'. Sorry, but I don't do metric and regardless of EU ruling.

Owen

Imperial Measurments are much easier to work with in Model Railways - partly because of scale (4mm to the foot) and because 2' is a good baseboard width.

I have a couple of video's, uloaded onto Youtube. You can see them here. The third is of Broad Sidlinch, the layout at Holt.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=OringusIV

Owen

Time for an update on how things are going.

Lots of 'Hmm's and Ahhh's' are pretuding from my modelling room at the moment, regarding the positioning of the MPD/Yard. I've figured out that to have the entry road coming in from the curved point on the viaduct, the curve would have to be even tighter than a radius 1 setrack curve, and this would mean large loco's, which I ideally want to live in the MPD Engine shed would not be able to get in without derailment or damage. I've changed the entry position now, and this is how it loooks:

I also took apart an old Flying Scotsman model that I've had lying around for a while. This was one of those ones you could get for two quid, intended to entice you into buying a series of models at a higher price. The Loco body/boiler looks like it might have a use for a 009 locomotive perhaps, the wheels can be repainted and rusted up for yard fodder and the base has now become a nice base for my old Flying Scotsman that is about to die if I try and use it much more.

This is a picture of some of the Hardboard stuff I've done. There are now sides that extend all the way round the layout, ensuring no stock can fall off! The ones around the station area will also act as bases for walling to be afixed to. I have decided that I will try and incorporate a half-relief street scene along the top, although this may/may not work. I'll have to see how it goes.

Owen

Bramleyman

Since my posting about starting my layout, I haven't touched it very much and that's because I tend to be busy doing other things too much including coming on my computer a lot of late. I must have a break and get something done now I have got the underlay and PVA to glue it down, then perhaps, my Partner can get on the comp a bit more? Laughing

Seriously, I MUST get on with the layout and come on here later at night.

Owen

Please post some pictures of your layout/trackplan Brian, I'd be interested to see it. Are you building a space saving end to end or a lavish tail chaser?

Bramleyman

Owen

I look forward to seeing it Very Happy

Here is my round robin update:

My Nice new 9F arrived safe and sound - lovely loco and it is a tender drive Shocked

But the detail is brilliant and runs like a dream Cool

Lots of major polyfilla work this evening too. I emptied out an open carton of Powder into an old large stork marge tub, which was about three quarters of the packet. I then added the left overs of some Dark Brown clothes dye that I had left over from when I made some lichen last year. Funny thing is, it turned out green Confused

It now meets up to the river bridge retaining walls well:

The slope for the 009 part has also been remodelled. I bought some more PU Expanding Foam through Screwfix and have used it here:

The slope looks pretty good now (well it would, I made it!)

The two tunnel mouths have also been glued into place. I was thinking of building a superstructure over the top of the tunnel, in a suitable shape from srips of card, then covering it in Plaster Bandage and then lifting it up, lining it with Brick Paper then gluing it in place. A shoddy description, but you'll see.

Owen

Owen

It's been a while since my last update.

I haven't had much time for modelling lately, as I've been very busy. A combination of lots of school work, and taking my brother to Uni in Wales and my Birthday last weekend hasn't given me much time to do much on the layout.

One of the main reasons why progress has been slow is because of some dodgey Polyfilla plaster. I thought I'd be clever, and mix some brown clothes dye in with the plaster mix so the plaster would come ready coloured and wouldn't need painting.

To begin with things looked promising but when I sealed it in with PVA things went wrong. The PVA layer went almost black and then small mould like dots appeared on the surface. I found that the PVA had not applied properly and was only like a thin skin. However, underneath the plaster had started to crumble badly. Another coat of PVA was applied, but it didn't work the second time around so it was pulled up.

Plain white Polyfilla was then applied onto the remains of the old surface and so far things look good.

The approach to the incline on the branchline has also been started. The embankment was made using PU Expanding foam again, then cut to size and Polyfilla applied, learning from the previous cock-up!

This picture gives an approximate feel of where the incline goes:

Work on the Tunnel has also started. It is very rough at the moment and needs a lot of work doing inside. Trains run through nicely though, which is a promising start.

I've also been looking into layout lighting. I've got a very nice Levington Light to experiment with. I have to say, I am very impressed.

There are also two new additions to the fleet from today. Firstly is the new Hornby Princess "Queen Maud", which I was given for my Birthday. It is a very nice loco but still needs a bit of a running in.

The second is one I bought today, along with three Mk.I Blood and Custard Coaches at the Bressinham Steam Museum Model Railway Day. It's a Bachmann 5MT. It is a very nice model with plenty of scope to snap things off!

I intended to get my hands on a Bachmann 108 DMU and a V2 today, but no traders had them so I ended up giving up and went for the 5MT. My plan now is the save up for the two car 108 DMU.

Owen

easternbuzz

Looking good. The 108 DMU is a lovely model, i picked one up a month or so ago, and it runs like a dream!

Owen

Thanks. I really want the 108 for my Branchline (only the two car set).

[roundrobin]
Another Brief Update...

Earlier this week, I tried to lay track on the Branchline incline, but found it to be too uneven. I've now layed down some cork tiles to assist in track laying and these will be covered in yet more Polyfilla to hopefully assist with smoother running and a more even trackbed. I've also moved a supporting post for the boards to enable a smoother curve.

When I tested it yesterday, I found that the 110 DMU would not negotiate the quick and sharp change of incline and it's wheels were coming off the rails. My Caley 0-4-0 and J94 seemed to get up and down fine (no wheelslip whatsoever which is very promising - likewise with the 110 when it was on the rails), but it still needs to be smoother.

I have also made a start on the bridge sections for both gauges too.

Owen

[/roundrobin]

Owen

Time for an update...

I got out the Airbrush today and sprayed up all the track in Phoenix Precition Sleeper Grime. That took quite a while, and had mixed results. One area of track looks like it might need re-doing because I thinned the paint a little bit too much. It's still an improvement though.

A bit of Ballasting was also done last night as an experiment:

Thats about it really. I put in an order on Gaugemaster yesterday for some Slaters Plasticard so I can crack on with the Station Platforms. The tunnel has been painted black inside and so has the trackbed. The next step is to begin work on the papier mache covering.

Owen

Done a little more work on the layout today - working on the "photographic" branchline. The 'underpass' that goes under the small yard has had some Faller Embossed Foam retaining walls fixed into position:

I've also worked a little on the Branchline. A 5MT poses for a quick photo:

I built up and quickly painted a Wills Pill-box this afternoon too:

I'm hoping to get the majority of the 009 trackwork finished off tomorrow if all goes to plan.

Bramleyman

The 'Bramley Line' have a genuine box on its site, but I can't say exactly where just yet, but all will be revealed when we have the line in our hands. I don't care what the FDC have been advised by two unheard of people who claim to know more than they do, we ARE going to run trains along there.

Owen

A bit of experimental photography of North Clipperby:

(Click on thumbnail for a larger image)