The Welcome Mat

Welcome to this Blog. Hopefully you may find it of use (i doubt it but it doesnt stop me hoping does it?). All my skills are normally self taught, and at the moment i'm a lone ranger when it comes to my layout with the occasional help from friends (normally it involves alot heckling).

I've never yet got a layout really past the electrics stage. I normally lose interest which is why i've decided to become involved in lots of things so i can vary my time between different things. All the work you see on Westleigh is my own work and all the photos you see on my fotopic sites are again my own work. I'm amazed i havent started to play with it, perhaps leaving the vast majoirty of the wiring to the end helps.

My main interest in railways is principally the early 90s. Even though i only just got into double figures in terms of age just as privitisation came in, i find it a very interesting period. My earliest memories were at Salisbury, Oxford and Bristol. So to counteract this aswell i tend to model the northwest scene during 1990 to 1994. However i also do the Wessex area during the same period and the scottish lowlands during 1988-1990.

I do have a little interest in the 1996-1998 privitisation period. I'm more aware of this period than the sectorisation period and again i wouldnt mind if it turned into this era.

I also am working on a project of Devizes station in 1963/64 just before alot of the line was rationalised and eventually closed. This however is a very very long term project and probably wont get anyway for many many years yet.

I do spend alot of time in the summer out an about doing photography particularly of civil jet aircraft. I'm certainly no David Bailey but i'm reasonably proud of most of the photos taken.

Anyway i suppose i really should get off the computer and get on with some modelling work, except work has a tendancy to get in the way!

Sunday 31 January 2010

More filler time (WR)

Again some time spent filling in all the craters that were left on the layout. TBH i now realise my mistake and i also know now how to mix filler properly. Oh well we learn from our mistakes.
There is really much else to do until the filler dries. Which unfortunately takes an age!

In the mean time i suppose i could spend the time doing more research and getting more links in the process.

Saturday 30 January 2010

The newest of the new (AC)

I know this is primailiy a modelling blog but i do have an interest in aircraft. So i'm pleased to report that after coping BAs new A320 G-EUYF today it did the decent thing and go tech on its return in LHR from AMS. Its only on its second day in service and by the sounds of it it could be out for a while. Oh well just blame the bits the French and tell them to honour the warrenty and we'll be fine ;) :D

White powder of a different kind (WR)

I'm now head to toe in a white dust. yes i've spent a pleasant evening rubbing down the filler i put down last night. Theres good and bad news. The good news is the bits which i did towards the end are ok. The bad news is that some of it needs another application as its sadly a little flaky. I dont mind a little bit of roughness but some of it is almost like craters. Hopefully some time tomorrow afternoon should get the new top on again so hopefully by monday night it should be ready to painted and weathered. I plan to paint it concrete at first and then using a series of washes darken it down. Perhaps i should have used the dry method after all!

The next job i need to do is to install the ground signals and wire them in. I'm a little worried about damage but as long as i'm not cak handed i should be ok. Once this is all done all the wiring should be complete. There is already a feed for any lights which will be fitted although in hinsight it might be better to put and extra circuit or two in so some lights such as internal shed lights could be on wheras extenals would be off. it also looks like i wont be able to fit the strip LED lights in the pits. Hopefully though they can be used in the shed building itself to provide light. I will admit i havent played around with it yet but rest assured playing will be done.

Once all this dirt work is done they can be set up as a pair again so i can get on and do some work on the backscene and then once thats done i can do scenic break. I can also begin to fill in the gaps between the tracks with typical wasteground type rubbish. The photos from Eastleigh and Warrington may come in handy then.

TTFN

A day ranger GM/WR

A pleasant day was had at the Southampton Model Railway Exhibition today. A reasonable mix of layouts and trade. For me though the best bit was the ability to get one board of the layouts back scene sorted. On the MISM stand there were some ex demo low relief warehouse units. Three of these later, its on it way to be sorted. I've uploaded a photo or two to the Westlea Road section of my fotopic site, the link for which is to the right.

While i was there i was also on the hunt for a suitable station building but sadly nothing was found. There were a few possibilities but many required too much kit bashing, something i am keen avoid.

Also some time was spent at the station at Eastliegh and while there i managed to fire off around 100 photos of just general detailing bits that will come in useful for the layout, this included even taking photos of what colour the platforms actually were!

I've also been able to inspect the damage from my time with the filler and apart from a section which i put on a little too wet its not come out too badly, its certainly better than i expected. I need to do some finishing with sandpaper and i suspect a little more filling will be necessary but in most respects i'm not too unhappy with the results. Again some photos will come to show the work as its been carried out. I may add some new sections to my fotopic concentrating on certain scenes as if its all lumped together it seems a little over the top.

Anyway more work to do.....

Friday 29 January 2010

Action Planning (WR)

Now its time to come in from the cold some serious planning can begin as to what to do next. Do i work on the platforms or do i do the scenic break? Its all very important as sods law states that if i dont get it in the right order one or another could affect it all. The main scenic jobs to do are the scenic break which is planned to be as a road going up and over the line, a little twee i know but it works in my eyes. Along with this is the backscene. I plan to make up some low relief warehosuing using wood shapes cut out to form the ends and then plasticard and embossed sheet etc to clad the wood to make it look like a warehouse etc. I have some i got which need redoing so i shall use these as a base for the rest. Electrically apart from some shaking down and the wiring up of the signals (capacity has got to be put in as i didnt intially plan on having working ground signals. I've got to make up some 25way d plug tag strips so that i can wire these up, which will mean another job knocked off the list.

I've also got some chippy work to do such as the fiddle yard fascia boards and the general front fascia. I've also got to do the lighting gantry for which i already have all the kit. I just need to do it all!

Also i think its out grown the small 3dr car it was designed to go in. A new vehicle may be the order of the day perhaps?

Also what colour do i paint the fascia and fiddle yard cover? I did find a shade of Br Blue in homebase but i think its too dark. Intercity red maybe or NSE red white and blue? Or what about dutch colours or even railfreight with sector logos? I think i may plump for a maroon that the club uses for its layouts as its relativly plain and does look nice once varnished.

Also one other thing in the title you will notice two letters after the title itself. This are to denote which layout they are in relation to WR= Westlea Road and WH= Wellingham. If theres a GM= general modelling and if theres no intials its something else not related to modelling, probably either the rant of the day or aircraft related.

I hate filler!!

Having just spent a few pleasant hours spreading filler to create the hardstanding on Westlea i would be quite happy if i never saw the stuff again! I should have used the dry method as its going to look a right mess and is going to need alot of tiding up once its dried.
Also i've been putting some Eckon ground signals together this evening. And without doubt they have to be the most fiddly thing that is ever possible to make. I just hope they work and it isnt £15 for the pair wasted.

I say all this just as it starts to snow again which has now promptly frozen on the ground. Should make it a good trip out tomorrow morning then. And the met office said it was going to be sunny with clear skies. They must have missed the snowy bits!

First one of this year and of this blog!

Well now the christmas rush is over its time to get back to whevever you have your workbench to see what can be fashioned out of various different things. For me it started a little differently as i had a model railway show to deliver leaflets for. However now thats over work can begin.

First on the agenda is Westlea Road. This is my mini layout (well its 11ft long) and so far has been up and down like a Yo-Yo. Well there is progress being made. The most recent photos are on my fotopic site can be found here:-http://www.37412smodelphotos.fotopic.net/c1695772.html

These were taken as long ago as september which reminds me i must get the camera out and take some more recent photos of it. So far the hardstanding has gone in and the signalling is now in place, which considering there are only three signals (2 ground and one 3 aspect) on the layout it wasn't exactly a challanging project. The biggest problem i'm having so far is the station building, I'm not a brilliant scratchbuilder but there isn't really any suitible building available without having to resort it extensive modifications. I suppose i'll have to spend more time hacking bits of kits and plasticard about to get something that looks vaguely presentable.

The next layout to introduce is Wellingham. This is a co-project between myself and another gent who frequents the same train as me home in the evening. This is essentially a twin track mainline set somewhere in the NW. It will have OHLE so it assumed its north of Winnick Junction where it goes from 4 to 2 tracks. So far only basic planning has taken although some boards now exsist but there isnt anything less interesting than bare boards, so i'll spare the agro for the time being. However once enough has been done i'll post some pics on the fotopic site above.

As you might be able to tell i have a hankering after the early 90s. My easliest memories were of 50s at Salisbury painted in a funny Red White and Blue, tbh i cant really get interested that much anymore. Given i grew with the railways of Wiltshire and Avon in my blood, i never really took to it. My main interest is the NW but i do have some wessex area plans. I just keep getting tempted by that red white and blue livery again. I've uploaded some shots which arent my albums to my fotopic site which can be found here, along with a load of useful modelling shots :- http://www.37412sphotos.fotopic.net/

Anyway i need to go and do some more filling on the hardstanding on Westlea so when i take some photos i actually looks like some work has been done.
TTFN.