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!

Friday 30 December 2011

Too long

Dont go away. Im still here just been rather busy. A full update musing on the sailient parts of 2011 will be posted tomorrow.

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Its Electrifying

Well i turned the layout round to get better access. Ive got all my 3rd rail kit out(peco chairs and Z gauge rail) so i can make a start tomorrow. While im doing this the fascia will get a complete rub down and repaint. I also need to adjust the height of one as its higher than its neighbours. Ive also got the scenic break to do as its currently a little bit poor in a few areas.

But enough for this post. Its late so time to leave it till tomorrow. Depending on the progress i might get some photos done too!

Monday 5 December 2011

Going for the 3rd time

Well the last few days ive been very busy. Ive finish my lighting kit and am now just waiting till i install it in a loco.

The biggest thing is the instalation of 3rd rail so i can run both sr emus and a 508 or a GMPTE class 504 unit depending on where its set. Its all using peco parts which are getting alot easier to come by. im only adding it to the platform, cleaning siding and loop line. The rest of it will be off limits to DC units. Im aso going to whether the track soon too. But i dont really now how so im looking for tips on how to do it.

Anyway enough for now.

Saturday 3 December 2011

Its all rosier down south....

Its something i have been wondering for a while, modelling to the southern region. I already have a few dckits kits of epbs, mlvs, demus etc and i was brought up on the 50s and 33s out of Salisbury. Ok and lots of 47/8s at bath road too, but sometimes the whistle of those big EEs gets very tempting. The hornby model is not bad if you replace the horrid working side lourves with fixed ones. I know people say the windscreen is wrong but dont see it myself. Perhaps i need to fit a 3rd rail (i already have the chairs and the rail). I could always say it was a merseyrail extention if i wanted to move it back north.

Maybe something to seriously consider. I already have about half the stock so perhaps its a worthwhile way to go. Only time will tell......

Thursday 1 December 2011

The show must go on

Well theres another expo invite in the can. I suppose this means i need to actually crack on and do the fiddle yards and extention board. Oh and the rm article. Oh and all the rolling stock jobs. The list gets ever and ever longer. One day there will be nothing on there. I suspect however it will be when the layout is finally retired
Anyway enough yaking, get cracking!