Ballasted

This week i have been mostly ballasting. Apologies to a fast show sketch there but it really is like that. After finishing the track painting and putting a new hardstanding in along with the shed foundations i could put off the dreaded job no longer!
The ballast is woodland scenics grey blend which i think gives a good colour especially when weathered down. So far i have done most of the straight sections of track leaving just the points to do which i will need to do very carefully to avoid problems from before!

As i mentioned above i have relaid the hardstanding at the shed end. It just looked odd and as id glued bits to it i reasoned just take it out and start again and cut it out complete of an A2 sheet of card which i did. I used the old as a template for part of it with the new section added on. This now means there is road access up past the shed which looks far more realistic. It just needs spraying with my grey primer mix and then sticking down, another job then completed!

Wires of many colours....

Well the wiring is almost finished with the completetion 3 of the 5 signals along with all the light feeds having been soldered up. I only have 10 solder joints to make. These include 8 for the two On-On-On switches and a pair for a flashing light which i cant wire up to a tag strip yet as i dont know where it goes! The wiring should be completed next month as i wont be getting the switches till trainwest. So in the meantime..

Im currently looking at station buildings. These will be on the bridge over th station. Thats about as much as i know so far as im not quite sure what building looks right there and even then no kit or even slightly kitbashed building may not look right so a period of research is called for.

Apart from that there isnt much else to report, the platform is more or less finished, just needs painting and then having a black wash applied to bring out the cracks. For what was my first scratchbuild im really quite pleased, it will look even better once finished!

Structural engineering

Well ive managed to intall the platform. Theres still a little fettling to do but overall im quite pleased! I just need to paint it all up.

I really do however need to consider the station end. My original plan was and still is to have the station up on high. I have visions about what it looks like. Im just not sure how to achieve it but im sure ill think of something. I suppose the first thing is to build a wooden support for it all so i can clad it in brick sheet and then go from there.

Also my dynamis unit has gone on the blink. The handset and the base station arent talking. Trouble is ive tried every suggestion all to no avail. I only have one option left and thats the change the batteries for a good quality set as that can sometimes make a difference. Its worth a shot otherwise its an expensive trip to bachmann!

Platforming

Well i spent some time doing something else and that was cleaning the spare room where the layout is located. Its now nice and tidy so i can find stuff again.

Anyway on to the layout, today i began platform work. All 25 peco platform sides are joined up ready for me to cut the wills victoria paving sheets tomorrow. I need to reduce the size of the sheets as they are currently to wide. I plan to build the platforms off the layout and then fit them. Doing it this way makes them much easier to construct. I can also strengthen them far better than i would otherwise be able to do. They should hopefully look much better than my previous attempt at a platform. I just need to decide now what colour to paint them, then once done i can give them a dirty wash of black to give the slab lines a bit more visability.

Anyway enough gibbering from me for now. Onwards to tomorrow.

Signalling the way.

Well ive spent today fitting the catch point and doing the copperclad so the track can be cut. Ive also been doing the signals, they are all now in with the wiring completed as far as the tag strip, although i havent wired the panel yet. One of the signals ,an eckon junction signal was quite tricky to put together as there was nowhere for the wires to go. A little bit of black paint later and its sorted. Im going to add some non working feathers to the main entry signals. I think i might use the model scene signal and kitbash them together, they dont need to be working as its too close to the curve and tunnel mouth. Its probably prototypically incorrect but its my train set and ill do what i like :). Anyway thats it for now although tomorrow i plan to wire up the panel and then i can test. Thats the wiring more or less done.

Why am i posting this at 2.30 am? Well im also stuffed full of a cold so as im awake now seemed an opportune time.

All electric

Well not terribly much has happened this week. Ive started looking at the scenery and have begun getting the bits needed. The platform parts are all here which are peco sides and wills victoria stone sheet tops, among with some wills cable trunking i hope to start that this week.

The wiring is more or less done, all the points havin been wired up although i am going to install a catch point for the loop which has proved very difficult to get hold of it although im told one should be waiting for me at the worcester show where i am now.

Ive also got all the signals now i just need to install them and wire them up. Thats one of this week jobs aong with the catch point and starting the scenic work. Ive only got 8 months left! Better get on with it!

Pointed....

Well ive managed to do most of what i set out to do today. All the feeds are done, the point motors are in and the copper clad is cut but not installed as ive run out of track pins. The panel is ready so tomorrow i will begin the task of wiring it up so that the points can be tested. I should have the pins by tuesday which means i can finish the joints and cut the tracks. Then its onto the signals or install the wiring at least and add the light feeds. This will finish the major electrics. Then its on to the scenery.

The first job will be to paint the tracks and put the platform edging in. I plan to use the wills victoria paving sheets for the tops. I will also get some more wills cable trunking and add that. Then its on to ballasting. It will be woodland scenics grey blend as before but this time done properley rather than rushed which is what i normally do. Will i be able to hold myself to that? Only time will tell!

Anyway enough for today onwards to tomorrow!

Copper cladding

Hopefully tomorrow i should be able to get on and finish the track as i picked up some copper clad sleeper strips for the board joints. I need to add a feed and then i can move on and install all the point motors. Im looking to start on the scenics next week although i will need to put the plasticard bases for the signals in as they will be added at a later date.

anyway enough for now but hopefully a very productive day tomorow!

Tracked and sorted

Spent most of this week laying the track. All the scenic section is laid and wired for dcc using 7amp wire in a bus formation except for one section which i forgot to add feeds to. I hope to fit the point motors of the next few days and add the plan to the front of the panel which is now black and railfreight grey with a red track diagram. Given i only started it on wednesday im quite pleased with amount done so far. I need to consider the signals and what is where etc but apart from that im more or less up together on the wiring and it will be time to add some scenics.

Further dismantling

Today i had planned to spend time at the Glasgow show but due to the weather it was not to be. Instead i spent today confirming the track plan and cleaning up all the electrical components from the layout so they can be reused.

Im quite pleased with the plan as i have finally got a layout that can take a loco and 5 coaches or a loco and 12 SLUs such as PCAs or HEAs, so i can finally operate it prototypically which must be a first for me.

I hope to get the track tomorrow so i can get on with it. I tend to work fairly fast as i tend to enjoy myself doing it. So therefore expect to see me wiring it up next week. I want to do the scenics better on this one however, although the previous layout was acceptable i thought i could do much much better so i will take longer and investigate different methods first before deciding what i want to do in the hope it improves.

Anyway enough for today.

TIMBER

Well new boards are built and ready to go. They follow the exsisting construction of 12mm chip on a 2x1 frame except these ones are braced and firmly screwed down and have been treated with a varnish to seal them.

Tonight i mainly played around with track plans using the peco templates and now have a virtually workable plan. Hopfully i can get some track in the comming days and begin laying!!

On a seperate note our new board band package was activated today and its just so much faster (averaging 16mb) so i hope to upload more photos than i did before.

A change...

Well it had to happen didnt it. Something went wrong with Westleigh and go wrong it did. Id noticed that there was a slight hump at th joins. On closer inspection it tuned out the boards were warping and saging. I tired to brace it but too late. They were shot so it had to be replaced so two boards have been scrapped. The orriginal scenic break board has been retained however as it is structurally sound but has been braced anyway.

All this mean is i can no start again with a new plan and eased curves. Im stil clarifying the new plan at present but hope to have something soon. Needless to say the new boards will be well braced!

A new expanding plan!

Well things have changed somewhat since the orriginal plan. I've redesigned the fiddle yard to provide me with a mainline and a siding yard. The mainline yard deals with through trains and the siding yard (the 3 roads) provides for the sidings. I'm planning to use setrack points on these simply because of cheapness and when i budgeted it all out orriginally it came to £260! By using S/H setrack points i can reduce it by nearly £90!

Its next show will actually be in Chippenham again in September this year. Well the exhibition manager was obviously desperate but it will be a useful shakedown.

A bigger better empire.....

Check back tomorrow for the full story!!

new year, New direction?

Well i said i would do a big update and here it is. The last few weeks have been busy as would be expected at this time of year. It doesnt mean however no modelling has been done. In fact quite the opposite actually as plenty has been done, however it does seem that for every job that has been completed another presents itself.

Firstly ive been busy on the presentation of the layout. The fascia has been rubbed down and resprayed. I prefer to spray rather than brush paint as A) its quicker and B) i think you can get a smoother finish and C) its alot easier!
Ive also made a new piece for the section in front of the scenic break. This now has got a single piece rather than the ugly fill in piece.
This teamed with some new signage which has been laminated looks far more professional. The curtain has also been given a wash.

The 3rd rail instalation has also been gaining pace. The chairs have been painted an are now attatched to rails. I'm planning to get the rails in place this week. Then i need to add some wiring using black multicore wire. I then need to add all of the associated boxes and signage.

The one job i havent started for lack of funds to do it is the fiddle yard. At the moment it isnt that important as the layout isnt being operated but i need to think about it seriously soon as it needs to be done. I'm just making sure i havent left any alternatives before i begin.

Ive also been adding some greenery of various shades to the areas that need to try and bring out some life and disorganisation. This in some respects is something that can be tweeked for years.

Apart from that its going to be a quiet start to 2012 for Westleigh. I hope however the start 2013 will be anything but.

Happy new year.

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.

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!

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.

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......

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!