A wide view (WR)

Well i needed to get the layout set up, sadly the weather was against me today so its now up in spare room. When one board is up in the garage it seems quite small, stick the pair up though or try and move one they suddenly seem so much bigger than they used to be.

Anyway i can now work out some of the back scene and other details need to go. As the track is not quite parallel to the rear it does mean I'm going to have to do some cutting and shutting so that i can get something that fits. I'm also going to put the main station building on the layout board rather than the extension as i really think it just doesn't look right with it missing while its at home. I'm also debating whether to use the hornby platform straights or use some peco edging sections i have for the platform and cobbling together a new roof. I currenty have both so its an easier decision to make.

I've also wired the shed. I just need a plug and some grain of wheat bulbs as it was decided that the LEDs wouldn't work. All i need to do is to install them. I also need another peco shed side vent as one of mine has fallen out and i don't have spares, still will have to do my best.

Correctly Scaled (GR)

A break tonight from Westlea Road. I've been thinking (dangerous i know) about the N gauge project. Devizes is a very very long term project so Gatslow Road is the inbetweener if you like. Essentially I've now managed to draw up what i hope is a useful track plan. Its basically a standard double track oval with a depot in the centre. The depot track plan is unashamedly taken from a rail magazine from a few years ago (1988??) which fits the space i have quite well. The layout is 11x3 on three 3ft 8 inches by 3ft boards. Its too long if split into two boards and too short for it to be 4 boards so three boards it is.

The era and location is fairly fluid at the moment with the general plan is that its the early 90s somewhere in the UK. In n gauge its much easier to hide the differences between different parts of the country. As such yet the layout is still in the planning stage so there is still plenty of work to do before the first bit of wood can be cut, but who knows it might not be too long.

Building Bridges (WR)

Right well I'm not very happy with the scenic break. The strip of wood i used is far too wide. The trouble is to cut it down would take forever so it looks like that's on hold. I haven't tried to get it off the fake wall yet as i nailed it instead of screwing it on. I shall have to have a look in the garage and see if there is any other timber suitable however i very much doubt it.

Apart from that i have done absolutely diddly squat! Trouble is i cant really do much until i can get some bits so whichever way i turn I'm stuck. I suppose i should get on with some research

Also a little plea, does anyone have a photo of 150205 in its NNW colours around Bristol. It was allocated to Cardiff for a while before heading back to NH via Derby where it was given an overhaul and repaint into Merseyrail colours.

Timber!!!! (WR)

Well today the old permanent n gauge layout was dismantled, needless to say the spare room looks a lot bigger now. It does however benefit me as i can use some of the timber for myself.

I haven't really had a chance to do anything today except to nail a section of the aforementioned timber to the scenic break. I just need to decide how I'm going to play it from here on in! Is going to be brick or stone. Cast or sheet. Theres just simply too much choice!

Fotopic Link (WR)

http://37412smodelphotos.fotopic.net/c1817664.html
Heres the link as promised to show some of the work thats recently been going on. Enjoy.

Red Brick Paradise (WR)

Well today i have been mostly working on my station building. The station building is now structurally complete aswell as having been treated to a coat of Railmatch Light Brick. The next challenge should i choose to accept it is to do the mortar courses. I have had a practice run but it wasn't exactly brilliant so i suppose i should keep going and see where i end up. It certainly looks like enamels will be a better bet than acrylics as they seem to dry rather to quickly for my liking.

I've also been busy taking some photos, i havent uploaded them yet but i will soon to my fotopic page showing some Mud, some oil and a red brick built building.

Building Blocks (WR)

Well i didn't manage to get the layout set up in the end however the station building has come on a pace. I was originally going to get another peco office kit however after some thought it became possible to put a fake rear wall in so as to save on the bits required. It's a combination of brick sheet and plasticard but this shouldn't matter in theory as it will never be seen as it points to the rear. Its currently had the internal walls fitted with the next job to give it a coat of paint on the outside (Light or Dark brick, its all the same to me). Then i have the roof it fit which will be entirely scratch built using wills section and plasticard. At the moment it looks quite reasonable but hopefully once its been painted it will look much better.

That's more or less it to report for this weekend as the only other thing which happened was some mud was painted on one of the boards but I've now run out of paint so a trip to the toyshop is necessary to get some more. I'll wait until the shed is looking vaguely presentable first before i post any photos of it, it doesn't look that good yet as any construction site does until its finished.

Bodysnatching and Skippage and some englightenment (WR)+other

Well some time was spent today doing some bashing around Bristol. True its mainly scratch mileage kind of stuff but enjoyable all the same. Both the 57s and the 67s were done. Also saw the red shed which is entirely boring, in fact its exceptionally boring ;)

Anyway moving on to the layout, I've managed to get hold of some clear LEDs so i can fit lights to my shed. However as I'm wiring them in series I'm not sure if i need to put a resistor for each LED or if i can put just one in the circuit before it splits up. its not a major problem if its the former but obviously the latter would be easier. A small plug will connect this through the board hidden in the unseen corner of the shed.

I've also found out what colour Brown, Mud is which is Humbrol 29 which is classed as Matt Earth. it looks to be the best out of all the shades tried (around 10 in all) so i shall be getting on adding some mud in certain areas before i begin to add some ballast, flock and other assorted scrub/wasteland kind of stuff.

Also i shall hopefully get the layout set up in one piece this weekend so i shall try and get some photos for a more complete overview.

Why isnt Brown, coloured Brown? (WR)

Right back to normal today, I'm still flirting with the N gauge but i really need to get on with the oo project and finish it off. I'm looking now to paint all the gaps on both boards brown so i can begin the scenic work of that uncared for and scruffy look. My big question is thought, what colour is Brown or more importantly Mud. I've got one or two colours in mind especially Railmatch Frame dirt which seems a very very close match but i don't have much available so i may choose another one but trouble is i really don't know which.

I'm also going to begin fitting lights to the shed building. Not sure whether to use grain of wheat which are easier to wire but do get hot or use LEDs which don't get hot but are more expensive. Perhaps some more research is needed into this before i go any further.

Also i still haven't done the scenic break and i still don't have another peco office kit, hopefully it will soon all be resolved though.

Reducing Requirement (WR) + (GR)

I know another day missed, my excuse is I'm full of a cold and i really couldn't be bothered so here it is, yesterdays and todays rolled into one.

Firstly to update the progress on Westlea, Ive now more or less finished the shed area and joy of joys, i now have the station building in the form of some Peco Office buildings (LK81), I've just got to decide which way i am going to build them, that being the difficult bit.

I'm also working on the N gauge plan. It does have a name already (the most important bit that) so i hereby name it "Gatslow Road". Its going to be 11x3 split into three boards and will be a double track continuous run with a depot in the middle. Yes i know its been done loads of times before but it suits my needs best. Track is as yet undecided but it will use electrofrog points, and that's more or less all i can tell you at the moment as i don't know the rest myself yet.

Electric what?

Yes i know no traditional Sunday update, a family visit meant little time was available for modelling. In terms of the OO gauge one I've now repainted the concrete and weathered it down again using the tempera powder. It looks much better than before so it looks like the weathered new concrete has won the day and it really does now look the part. Just need to tidy up the shed and roadway now.

Moving on however is a new angle, I've been thinking about a possible move to N for a while. After doing a pros and cons exercise N gauge almost makes OO look stupid. So I've been playing around with xtrakcad tonight but i haven't really come up with anything that I'm actually happy with. The maximum dimensions can be 11x4 but it does need to be transportable which makes it 3ft8inches by 4ft on three boards, In reality it may be 3ft8inches by 3ft on three boards. Its mainly at the planning stage at the moment but expect more to come soon. How soon is another matter.

A road trip of sorts

Well even though i said there wouldn't be an update today, there is. This is simply because i got back earlier than expected. Doncaster itself wasn't too bad, perhaps not as good as it used to be but its still not bad. There were quite a few bargains and some good layouts too. A layout called Alanbeck Road was my favourite as it was set firmly in the sectorisation era. An interesting concept in that it was end to end but looked like a continuous run.

Anyway some update on the layout. The fake wall for the scenic break is ready to be bricked and finished, also I've got some new concrete coloured paint, its supposed to be New Concrete so I'll try tomorrow and see what i get out of it. Also I'm going to repaint the parking/road areas as having looked its still too dark. I might try a much lighter grey and go from there.

Anyway i've been up since for 4am so i'll sign off for now!

A spring Clean

I've been tempted by these post privatisation liveries! It is sometimes just too tempting. Oh well i suppose just watch it then delete it when i get over it. Hmmm just found a lima dognose on ebay too.

Also I've revamped the blog a little, all the content (or lack of worthwhile content) is still here just in a new wrapper.

Bricking Up (WR)

Had an afternoon off today so decided to use some of the time to do some work on the layout. Essentially I've now weathered in the tracks around the shed area with some black tempera powder. It looks quite good in the flesh but in the photos it looks quite poor but there are photos to be found here.

I've also repainted the road area around the depot. Simply because i didn't think it looked right. I found some Humbrol paint which was a lighter shade and seemed to do the job perfectly. I've also done some work on the scenic break, using a 3mm hardboard base I've cut a fake wall which eventually form the new scenic break behind which will be a footpath. At the moment I've had to glue a restraining bar behind the current board as it was rather weak. I'll then mount it onto a a piece of strip wood which will form the base to the footpath aswell as being the support. It will then be screwed together and then the fund part of cutting out brick sheet will begin. I may use a Hornby scaledale single track tunnel mouth if i can find one or i may cheat and use some of the iron girders and see where that takes me. Until its been mounted there isn't really much else i can do.

Also its unlikely there will be update tomorrow as I'm off to Doncaster for the day.

Road to nowhere! (WR)

I decided tonight to begin the parking area around the shed. Question is what colour are roads? and dont say grey! I decided in the end the best colour was to be Railmatch Roof Dirt. It has quite a good dark grey/black, the trouble is i have now run out so i was only able to do a small bit. I shall hopefully get some at the weekend so i can fully finish it off. While there was some paint on the brush i chose that time to weather down the hardstanding a little, it doesn't look too bad now and I'll get some photos (when its a little warmer) to show what it looks like. Also in that area I've fitted some guides for the shed building so it wont be tempted to move and will also be easy to line up.

I've been pondering the DCC situation today. I really am in two minds about this whole set up. While i think its a brilliant idea, the extra cost and temperamental nature puts me off. But then i remember its a whole lot more flexible than standard DC but then i remember i have insulators fitted which means if I'd have decided to use DCC a while ago i wouldn't have needed lots of insulated joints. It really is a case of swings and roundabouts.

To energise it the way God intended? (WR)

I've been having a quiet evening tonight and I've been contemplating the control methods used. At the moment I'm going to use DC control. However DCC is getting more and more tempting. True there is the cost of chips and when you already have the layout wired for dc and all you need is a controller DC is cheaper. But DCC is just so tempting, but Is it worth the £10 or so a loco extra? I've used DCC before and found it to be good when it works but when the numbers don't add up i find it a pain to get it working again. In some respects I'm a technophobe. Not a complete one mind you but certainly a fair way there and if i do decide to go down the DCC road what control unit and what chips??

I like the dynamis in most respects but i dont like it when you have to keep it pointed at the main box. I like a digitrax unit which twin controls on one handheld but i understand that's quite expensive. The lenz set 90 is a very good set but perhaps is a little old hat now. It all just seems to be questions questions but with DCC that seems alot of what it is. The roco multimouse was a perfect unit but i found it didnt give very good control. Perhaps that was just me though! Question is where does one get a roco multimouse from?

Black is the new Black! (WR)

Well to update the ballasting has now been all but completed, the area round the hard standing has been more or less sorted, its still waiting to dry as its not exactly too warm down in the garage. Once this has been done i can begin to weather it in. I plan to use some tempera powder to weather the track, this does seem to work reasonably well as it seems to have the sporadic look about it, It is a little more temperamental than paint but it doesn't look too bad.

After all this it will be back upstairs to pair them up to begin the platform and back scene along with the scenic break. I'm hopefully going to begin the scenic break later on tonight cutting the wooden wall and top which will but up again the current back scene. Essentially because of the narrow width that there is I'm going to make it loo like a footpath as this is likely to look fairly plausible, anything else would just look like over kill!

Ive also finished the signalling, I've had to lower the phone boxes on both signals as it was realised they were both rather high, despite looking right it would be in fact impossible to reach. One of these signals has also been fitted with an eckon cast calling on head. It doesn't look that good but hopefully once its in it will look better and also given the cost its alot cheaper than getting a Roger Murray and alot easier than making one myself.

The station at the moment is more or less on stop. I'm planning to just use it without the extra scenic board initially as the layout will function without this, it was purely a scenic add on for shows and also by doing it this way i can spend extra time trying to sort something suitable.

The future looks Grey (WR)

What colour is concrete? Is it grey? Cream? Beige even? Whatever colour it is i cant seem to find the right one no matter where i look. Even paint labelled concrete doesnt look right, so i'm ina bit of quandry as where i should go next. I suppose the simple answer is to leave it and carry on regardless.

The hardstanding area is more or less done now so give or take a few more days it should look reasonable. I'll take some pictures of this once its all been completed as i already have some work in progress ones.

The next task i need to complete is the scenic break, this is going to be more difficult than i first thought as i dont have the depth i thought i had. I'd like something of a tunnel but it looks like its just not going to be an option. I do have a two track tunnel mouth so i may use that and some brick sheet. Again obviously i'll keep you all updated!

Anyway i suppose i'd better go and do some more work touching up the hardstanding.

A spring Clean (WR)

Well one thing i've done today is to have a complete tidy up. I've sorted through all my stuff and put the vast majoirty of it in the £1 for 10 plastic trays. I really didnt realise i had so much stuff. I already have the kit for the lighting along with spare bulbs, I have enough will sheets of various different sorts to clad the entire house and in terms of switches, i have enough to control the national grid! Anyway its all been sorted so its easily accessible for future use.

I've now painted the hardstanding with the phoenix concrete grey. It doesnt look too bad, I just need to touch it up and hopefully it should be ok. Then its touching in the rails and the inspection pits before the inevitable weathering. I can also ballast right up to the hardstanding now i know where it is. Then some more weathering.

I have had a problem with a point motor being tight. It seems the hole is slightly narrow and its catching at one end of its travel. Before it was ballasted it was possible to sort it out but its going to be alot more difficult now so suggestions on a postcard please.

I'm also going to try and add the calling on head to the the platform signal. I'm still not sure where it should go or even if the platform starter should be a two or three aspect. Three aspect is slightly better but its more likely its a two aspect.

I'm not sure its all working correctly but once some more of the scenic work has been done i should be able to sort it all out.

The next job (WR)

Well i partook in a trip to the show at Stafford today. Quite a good show in all quarters, the layouts have been better but they certainly werent poor. Some quite good bargains too, £7.50 for the Hornby Rudd and Clam wagons certainly was a good one. For me the only thing i got was some concrete paint for the concrete oddly enough. I also got another working shunt signal which i'm going to fit to the platform road signal. Well thats the plan anyway, trouble is i really dont know where to mount them, In the middle or at the top?

While at Stafford station itself i got plenty of good detailing shots, I could have got more but the light was going, and an two journey still needed to be done to get home.

I've also been through and sorted out my bits and pieces, I've been putting it into 99p for 10 store boxes. I didnt realise i had quite so much!!

Anyway its now time to relax after a day of rushing around. A big update will take place tomorrow as i've been making some notes as to what to do next, but i'll bore you with that tomorrow.

The Colour of Concrete! (WR)

Well there isnt really that much to report. Except that the sanding has been done. Question is what colour is concrete? Hopefully some suitible paints will be purloined this weekend at the Stafford show. Also i'm going to get another calling on head. I have a fake one for the entry signal but not for the platform starter. This should be a working model. I've also redrilled the mount holes for one of the ground signals after i got one rather out of shape. Just fill it back in and bobs your aunties live in lover.

Also rather annoyingly one point doesnt seem to want to play ball. Or rather the motor doesnt want to play ball. Some suitible adjustment will become neccessery.

Also i must say it was rather pleasant this afternoon watching the trains at Temple Meads. Was almost spring like. It was a bit different this time last year when the ground was covered with snow and i had a trip home to Yate on a Voyager!

Back to..... (WR)

Well i painted the hardstanding last night and it looked terrible. Firstly because some of the pot holes were more like craters and secondly concrete paint from Humbrol looks nothing like concrete. Now I've been to a few places today and sadly none have any concrete paint in stock.
Anyway i took the opportunity to do some filling on some of the craters. Its now waiting to dry which given the current weather will probably need 48 hrs.

Other work to happen involves the signalling. I've wired in some extra wires so i can add the ground signals in when general work with the filler is complete. Also the main platform starter has gone in along with the fake which guards entry to the station area. The main platform starter is a three aspect signal wheras the one guarding entry is a 2 aspect (red/yellow) with left hand feather. This doesnt actually work but its need for the sake of clarity.

And talking of stations I've been thinking more about the station area. A construction site is a very good idea, essentially by doing this a simple portacabin can be used to provide a ticket office and as there wont be much station furniture apart from the usual seats, posters and TV screens it seems the right thing to do. Essentially then next job once the hardstanding is done and sanded, but not necessarily painted is to do the rear. This can be done with the scenic break which is going to have be alot narrower than first thought as there is simply not the room. It seemed big enough on xtrakcad anyway :s. I'm going to look at other options as well to see what i can do. Perhaps a simple retaining wall with footbridge over the railway may have to do.

Anyway no update tomorrow due to the need of having to work and do a presentation. Bah!

Dust to Dust

Right well finally the filling and more importantly the sanding is done. Its now time to begin to paint it all. Question is what colour is a normal hard standing. I'd say and creamy kind of colour. But is it really that colour. Well its going to have to be concrete and then weathered down with suitable black washes.
I also managed to lose one of the ground signal heads. I found it again later when emptying the vacuum cleaner. DOH!

Anyway must dash some painting to be done.

The curse of David Bayley (WR)

As its rather to cold to be working in the garage i thought i'd just nip out and get some of the much promised photos. I've uploaded these straight to my fotopic site and these can be found here.

First up is the hardstanding which is not completely finished in those shots. It needs to be sanded down again and some little bits clean off and then painted. Until this it does look quite rough and ready.

The next shots are of the much quizzed ground signals. I didnt know the difference between one yellow and two whites and one red and two whites. I eventually chose the latter but i may have needed the former. They dont look too bad but the still need painting and wiring in. I'm also not sure they are technically correct being one either side but given they have arrows i hope it will suffice.

Theres also a photo of the three low relief warehouses i got from Nigel Crow of MISM., these need to be cut down and have some airvents and a new coat of paint. Although the platform road is straight it isnt parallel with the backscene, whoops!

There is also a shot or two of the panel. This is because i'm actually reasonably proud of it. I dont mind wiring and although i'm not expert it works reasonably well. This is also a reason why there is a photo of the board wiring. Again i'm reasonably happy with the result and it all works. Just!!

Setting things in stone (WR)

Another cold and dark day draws to a close over North Bristol. Its at times like this i tend to reflect on things and the thing that i have chosen today is the fiction behind this layout.
I felt that perhaps the old fiction was a little weak. I had planned to include a WRD but this seemed unlikely so with aid of a modellers license i chose to locate the WRD just off scene on the other side of the scenic break/road bridge. To add to this i made sure that it was only accessible one way. This in theory has meant i could run virtually any time of wagon in any formation.

However i also wanted to create a freight only branch line so again i used the same principle in that trains needed to run round the only place being the station area. After alot of thought it was centred on a Cement Works and a Nuclear flask depot. Essentially with this i can run 4 different trains. Obviously the nuclear flask would remain fairly static but the cement works could receive train loads of coal in both HAA and HEA hoppers and send out going supplies of Cement in PCAs and also in bagged form using normal vans. This simple idea has almost given me some excuse to get away with more or less anything. It also means that the current sidings on the layout can be used for wagon berthing, unit stabling and loco stabling. I prefer to call them my get out of jail sidings as no matter what they will come in handy.

The last two freights to mention are engineers which will use the sidings next to the station and also fuel oil feeder trips which will drop one or two TTAs in the head-shunt to unload fuel.

The loco hauled train has also been sorted in how it will operate. It will pull in and unload, then move the train back slightly so it can run round. Once run round it will propel the stock back to the buffers so it clears the entry point. I'm told this is quite realistic for many stations.

And talking of stations I've come up with an option for the station building. Why not make it so the building is being rebuilt. Therefore i don't really need a building. Also if the extender board is NOT used i don't really need the station building at all. I could just pretend its off scene. This would work in the short term although i would like to do in the longer term. It just this way it doesn't hold up construction work anymore.

And another link into construction work. The polyfilla i put down has more or less dried so i can now being sanding it back. I suspect it will still not be perfect this time but its getting better so i hope most of it adequate.

Anyway enough for now.