The New Blood (EAS)

I know i havent updated this for a long long time but sadly family things have got in the way, anyway its business as normal now and time to announce the new project.

Easterton was something which i was playing with before i built Westlea Road however Westlea kid of got in the way, anyway the decision has been made to stip Westlea for bits so i can build this new project. So far its been fully budgeted and so far i have got the wood and the track sorted, i just need to await the finance to get it all. Hopefully i should begin building the boards over christmas.

To give you some background on the layout, its 11 by 2 for the main scenic boards with the fiddle yard at a 90 degree angle to the rest of the layout. Its got a small 2 road station with a small SP and a warehouse unloading area. I toyed with the idea of using code 75 track but i decided to go for 100 in the end as it was easier, i will be using electrofrog points and this will also be a start for DCC control. I'm planning to get an NCE powercab unit as it seems reasonable for the money.
I'll try and upload a plan on here if possible in the next day or so.

Richard

Long Time Lots Of News

Its been a while since i updated this blog. Mainly because various different things have conspired to get in the way but here we are again.
First news is that Westlea Road has gone into storage in the loft while i sort out some stock. Essentially WR has served its purpose and its now time to look at its replacement (which i actually got half way through about 2 years ago) and i'm doing track plans at the moment http://www.37412smodelphotos.fotopic.net/c1871565.html
Click the link to see them so far. I intend to reuse the current fiddle yard so it will just be three new front boards. So far the jury is still out on the plan but i'm tweaking and playing around with them to see which one gives me the best operation and is the most interesting.

Apart from that not much else to report.

A pandoras box update! (WR)

I thought i would update this given things have been going on in the background.

First of all there weren't too many wiring faults with the layout. Those that were there were mainly me getting the wires crossed. Needless to say after a few nights of swearing and sweating (its very hot under the layout with a headlamp and a soldering iron for company, its even worse upside down) it has settled down quite nicely. I had to replace the hardstanding as the polyfilla method just didn't work so it was chipped out and replaced with plastics, it now works fine. I've also got the LEDs to work in the shed correctly. I.e they dont burn everything in sight!

I also now have some packs of the dapol catenery masts to fit. I was planning intially just fitting them and then add the wire later on. The 3rd rail is being installed on the rear tracks where units are likely to run, i also have a third rail flasher unit to add, just a question of how to mount it.

The lighting towers havent gone in yet simply because i dint fancy doing it at the moment.

In terms of the stock I'm having trouble with a new hornby PCA. The wheels seem to fine and keep dropping into the VEE of the double slip point and derailing. Everything else though manages it fine so I'm looking to re-wheel it and see if it makes any difference, my lima and dapol ones run without fuss.

The rest of the stock is being weathered at the moment with alot of it being done by simply drybrushing. Only the PCAs have so far received any form of airbrush weathering.

Also my blog address has now changed to www.theelectriccockroach.blogspot.com - I blame Tim Hall for this idea!

Dont go away (WR)

Just a quick update seeing as how i havent updated in months. It all works. Just a few tweaks to do. I will do a full update later on this week but expect to see a big annoucement.

Richard

New fotopic update (WR)

Just been updating my fotopic account with the latest Westlea Road photos.
http://37412smodelphotos.fotopic.net/c1870325.html

Enjoy

A new dawn (WR)

A nice bit of time away has got me back into the mood to do some work on the layout. The layout has been completely rewired from the bottom up as there were too many wiring glitches when testing. I've also begun the last of the woodworking and have cut the fiddle yard fascia. This just needs to be painted up. I also need to the sort the trestle legs as they are a little flimsey (well their built like bricks but the screws used were too small). It really is starting to come to completion that i really dont have much choice now than too look at the stock.....

The stock is in some respects comming on well but at the moment its all awaiting time. I tend to do most rolling stock work during the winter as its just such a shame to do it during the summer. I'm still after alot of locomotives and units but the wagon rakes are comming together and the coaching stock is nearly complete. Just two more guvs or BGs required. All it needs then is finishing which could take a long time and that is time i dont have.

Anyway still more to do so back to the grindstone.

Miles o Wire (WR)

Well i'm currently doing the panel. I have 292 solder connections to make. So far i've done 48 so i'm 1/6 of the way through. Hopefully another few weeks and it should be all up and running.

There has been a change of era too. Given one of the club layouts i'm involved with has been backdated i decided perhaps it was time to backdate this. So its now a mid 80s layout. Not a mega change but it does mean a little stock changing has had to go on. Also means the cleaning siding will see more DMUs than planned. Also means there is more stock work to do. Oh well we still have 6 months to do it all in.

Surfs Up (WR)

Well backboards are now painted and refitted. I need to add a brace at one end as for some reason it seems to have warped slightly. I suspect an issue of using MDF. Anyway the front of the panel is also now fitted and all of the switches are also now in.
There was a minor panic when i realised one of the 25 way tag strips had been wired in a completely unfathomable way so that will need to be replaced (sadly i have already soldered some wires to it, never mind). Anyway I'm just about to begin to note up what goes to what on the board tag strips, then it is a question of endless hand burning while i try and fit alot of wires into the panel. Oh what fun....

The end is in sight (WR)

Well scenically Westlea Road is getting there. I've redone the backscenes as painted using a colour called Surf from Wickes. I still need to finish off the industrial building but the vents should hopefully be here sometime next week. Just the roof to do then. I also need to weather the hard standing down a bit and then just do some small tweaks.

Electrically however there is still lots to do. The panel front still needs painting (the main body has been completed) and it then all needs wiring up. Also the fiddle yard still needs wiring up although i have now sorted out the joins (i decided on using conventional joins using coach bolts in the end) and i also now have the extra 1ft extension. All i need to do is put the copper clad in, solder it down and then cut it. After that its case of wiring it all up.

I hope this to take around 2-3 weeks so by the beginning of July i hope to have it operational. This would be useful as i think I'll need around 6 months as it may have a potential show appearance.

Anyway enough yakking and more working.

I've done some more work but the list hasnt got any shorter... (WR)

Well the wiring on the main scenic boards has been completed. The panel however has been stripped, sanded down and is being resprayed a lovely black shade. With this lovely weather its drying quicker than is normal so it should be ok to use within another 24 hrs (it needs one or two more coats as the paint is quite thin (gloss black from the pound shop)). Once this is dried i can then begin refitting the panel out. So far all of the switches have been sorted and are ready along with the tag strips and the main power din plug. All i need now is for it to dry.

There still plenty to do in the mean time though, mainly this time concerning the fiddle yard. Originally i was going to make it folding however on the first time of trying this i realised i didn't leave enough depth for the track so it meant they were being forced in unnatural directions. So 've had to remove them and instead mount some standard 2x1 strip wood on top and while using a flat surface (not many of those around) reattach these folding arms. Then it should all clear. Also i need to wire it up as currently all of the wires are just loose. To do this i need to add the tag strips which i still need to do. Once this is done it is literally the panel left to do. Hopefully then the panel should be ready and then i can begin on that. As i said it never seems to end....

Some new piccies (WR)

http://37412smodelphotos.fotopic.net/c1849907.html

Some of the latest photos showing work so far. Because I'm not far off being scenically happy i have decided to get the mass of wires working. The first job was to remove them all. Now its time to put them all back on hopefully this time in the right order.

Hot Solder (WR)

Well the re-wiring has begun. I managed to get hold of some red wire, all 100metres of it, I've now made the cables for the 9 way and 15 way D plugs (the 25 ways use standard computer cables). I made a list earlier of the jobs to do and i came up with 23 bullet points so theres plenty to do. Hopefully a quiet weekend this weekend should mean chance to get on with alot of it.

I've had to replace two dodgy seeps which don't actually fire, however while they are fine off the point when attached they can hardly fire it, i think I'm going to have to alot of work to the point spring which i suspect has become gummed up, anyone good some good ideas for freeing up peco points?

Anyway back to work, more wires to solder!

Miles O Wire (WR)

Well its been a while since my last blog post and alot has changed. First and foremost is the dumping of a cassette style fiddle yard. Its now a conventional five road fiddle yard wired up as cab control.

Also the panel has been rebuilt and actually looks alot smarter with a nice new satin black paint job and new front. It looks a little rough close up (it is 20 years old) but it will serve its new purpose. Between this panel and the layout there are 140 connections along with 9 between each scenic board 9 between each fiddle yard board. It just all needs now to be wired up, and yes i have run out of red wire which is probably the most important colour.

I'm going to try and fettle the points themselves a bit as i think a poor CDU and stiff points might be the answer as off the layout they work fine.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel ( WR)

Again no updates for a while. This is mainly because I've been working hard on the layout.

Anyway its finally coming to completion (more or less and i know a layout is never finished). I've just put the sky on so its now looking the part. Just one more industrial unit to finish and the two lighting towers to fit then scenically the layout is finished.

Just the fiddle yard cassettes of which have done none along with the fiddle yard fascia.

Theres also the little matter of the wiring. I've decided to completely rewire the layout along with the panel. This will more than likely take a few weeks to complete as its more or less from scratch. Also I'm beginning to think that changing the point motors from Seeps to Pecos would be a good idea. Hopefully by selling the Seep motors i can reduce the cost of the Pecos.

Once this is all done then its shakedown testing to ensure that everything performs as it should do. This should then mean that it should be completed by the middle of Autumn.

Latest photos will come when i get a chance.

Playing with the detail (WR)

Well i've been mainly playing around adding little details. I hope however to get some more bits this weekend at the Bristol show. I'm also going to need to start the wiring and to get it done properly. I suspect i'm going to change and go for peco motors but its still all got to be tested. And also so far none of the fiddle yard has been completed. But i still have time.

I'm also looking at the rolling stock. So far i have virtually nothing but who knows, i have nearly 7 months to buy the required bits and pieces so it might be a bit of a scrabble but we should get there.

Lighting up time (WR)

Well I've now ballasted in the back gap between the wall and the first siding, I've also begun painting around 200 odd 3rd rail chairs so i can begin drilling the holes. Its a very boring and monotonous task!
I've also fitted some non working lights to the rear. They are brass construction and very strong, much stronger than the knightwing cast ones i was going to use. They are of course removable for transport. These essentially hide the poor gaps on the scaledale walling.

I've also added two advertising boards to the front as where the viewer would stand there is planned to be a road so these could be seen from there, these are standard Modelscene items.

Hopefully come the Bristol show next weekend (I'm on the DEMU stand on the Friday) i hope to get alot of bits such as my point levers, some GEM water taps for the platform and some other bits and pieces. Hopefully this means the week after that it should be a flurry of activity.

Anyway always more work to do.

Painting the Insulators Red (WR)

Well tonight I've fitted the rear wall and cut down the three overlarge industrial units. I can now ballast in the are in between. It means i can also begin the tedious task of not only painting but installing the 3rd rail. One job i do need to do before i start fitting however it put in the barrow crossing between the three way and the scenic break. The bricks on the scenic break are nearly finished, they just need to coating with some grime and some varnish to tone it down and then the sky can be added. This is going to be done using the peco sky sheet. The same sky sheet will also be used on the back scene when i get round to it. Oh well back to work.

Also the modelling fotopic site has been fully updated with many not previous uploaded shots. See the links next to this.

Just Another Brick in the Wall (WR)

Well today I've managed to fit the ground signals. I've also sprayed up the industrial unit a nice shade of rail grey and also sprayed the brick wall. I've also mortared it and I've now begun the very boring task of picking the bricks out. So far I'm around a quarter of the way through and I'm already fairly bored, but in little bouts its not too bad.

The next job will be to fit the rear wall, along with cutting the three larger units down even more as otherwise they are too close to the wall. The one i'm working on at the moment still needs a roof and some more of the peco train shed side wall ventilators. It seems that no one has any spare and peco wont provide any either. Still I'm sure I'll find something.

Also my fotopic sites are being given a through overhaul. I'm updating the images with better ones and also uploading many that have never been seen before of previous layouts and rolling stock. I may even upload photos of layouts I've taken at shows. The modelling site looks a little spartan at the mo but hopefully the first will be up tomorrow with the rest following during the week. The transport site will follow after than as its a much bigger job.

Anyway still more bricks to paint....

Some scale walling! (WR)

Some more work today despite the good weather and the ash. I managed to pop into Model Railways Direct in Portishead. I thought despite its location (in the middle of a housing estate) its a brilliant shop. Excellent range of bits for OO and they price match with the big box shifters in the RM. They also have alot of the bits and pieces and are planning to get more lines in. I fully recomend them as a customer. I also finally managed to get my two ground signals (they don't have any left now :D). Now I've got these and the 3rd rail bits I've put off doing the wiring to finish the rear scenic area.

I've put the new walling in along the rear and through some ingenuity using a Peco Trainshed building cut about i have a suitable building to fit the gap. It will get a new coat of paint before being anglicised a little bit to try and hide its origins. The ground signals have also now been drilled. The next job is to drill the holes for the 3rd rail, just need to remember to do it every 4th sleeper. Theres also the flasher unit to installed, the trouble I'm not sure i have the right bulb after the first one failed. The new bulb just doesn't look right.

I'm also still contemplating whether to use Peco point motors with base plates or stay with the seeps. The Seep motors have no adjustments and seem a little down on power. That's a decision that doesn't need to be made yet however.

For the 3rd Time (WR)

Was reminded through something else today that i haven't updated my blog in a while. Well the reason for this is two fold, works been very busy and secondly i had a club show to deal with in the mean time. Trainwest passed without incident and despite being exceptional knackered by the end it enjoyed it. I also managed to get hold of a 507ish. I actually got an MTK 313 kit virtually identical apart from the panto well and a slightly different window arrangement under the panto well. Anyway more on that in later post.

What about the layout then, well its being completely rewired. I wasn't happy with the quality of my wiring. I'm also having terrible difficulty with my point motors not firing. I suspect alot work will be required here. Also it was mentioned in the previous post that it was DC control. That's still the case but the All components unit i had need a another dc output for lights. So while in Cardiff today on a course i popped into Lord and Butler (a fantastic shop, no connection, just a customer) and they had a Gaugemaster 100m which has all i need in being twin control and having both DC and AC outputs for £25. Oddly enough that's what i got for the all components one at the weekend by selling it to a trader. I haven't made anything but i didn't lose anything.
I'm still having difficulty in finding a Eckon ground signal, they seem to be like hens teeth.

In terms of the scenic side i now have enough rail chairs and the Z gauge rail joiners i need for the layout. I may stop the wiring to do this as i will need to fit the flasher unit for which i also have a new bulb except this one is 12v, just hope the flasher will cope with 12v now.

I've not taken any new photos as there really isn't anything to show but i will do once the 3rd rail is in.