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Exhibition layout based on Ventnor West

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First exhibition for Ventnor West

Well, we made it to the Farnham and District MRC show on 14th & 15th October. Things went pretty well. There were some electrical problems which were hard to track down but turned out to be failures with proprietary connectors rather than poor quality work on our part! Re-assuring in a way, but we could have done without them. A last minute effort to get more stock ready for the show paid dividends and we had varied traffic running on the layout. Met and made lots of friends, and I think we

ChrisG

ChrisG

New kid on the block

I've just finished a new loco for service on Ventnor West. I haven't found any pictures of an E1 at Ventnor West, but apparently they were used on the branch to pull ballast trains. This model is built from the trusty Wills/Southeastern Finecast kit. It's fitted with Romford drivers and a Mashima motor, and it is finished as No. 1 "Medina".   One week to go before the layout's debut at the Farnham MRC exhibition in Aldershot. This week has been spent doing lots of little detailing jobs, cleani

ChrisG

ChrisG

Let there be light!

Well maybe not light, but at least the means with which to attach LEDs to illuminate the layout. This is the result of a few hours' work in the sun today. Still a lot to be done but the rest can be largely done indoors (rain is forecast for tomorrow).   Chris    

ChrisG

ChrisG

The home straight?

No doubt still a number of backward steps are possible, but today saw some progress with the improving of some of the layout's wiring and testing of all the electrical functions. There were some backward steps today, but it was a lovely afternoon in the garden attaching the nascent lighting gantry to the layout and then discovering that my idea for attaching lighting strips was not as good as it might have been. Nevertheless, failure quickly gave way to a new plan which will require another trip

ChrisG

ChrisG

Little Pax completed

A few shots of "LIttle Pax", the house which was built in the 17th Century as the Summer residence of the Governor of the Isle of Wight. It also happens to have been the childhood home of Godfrey Glyn, a member of this august forum. The model is now finished. It was constructed on a 2mm ply shell which I had laser cut from CAD files by York Modelmaking. The stonework is "Coursed Rubble" from the Scalescenes range, and the windows are again laser cut (from Rowmark) by York Modelmaking to my desig

ChrisG

ChrisG

Ventnor West Photo Survey, 18th June 2017

Here's a large handful of shots of Ventnor West taken this morning. The signals are at odd positions and angles because they have not been permanently mounted and the servos rest in odd positions when they are unpowered.   Everything works and the basic scenery is nearing completion. Obviously there is a lot of detailing to be done, fascia boards to be added and a lighting rig constructed. The excellent backscene with tantalising glimpses of the open sea is by Mark Pretious, who has built a m

ChrisG

ChrisG

Scenic work at Ventnor West

A brilliant day of progress today. Wizard painter Mark Pretious came over and painted the backscene. The layout is now beginning to look like something.   Chris      

ChrisG

ChrisG

Progress on No35 "Freshwater"

Here's the latest shot of the wireless remote control test bed loco. It is being modelled as 35 "Freshwater", one of two push-pull fitted O2s which were used on the Ventnor West branch in BR days. The object of the exercise has been to create as much space as possible for the remote control equipment and battery in the loco body. This has been facilitated by the use of a HighLevel Roadrunner Compact Plus gear box, which means the motor (a Mashima 1015) fits almost entirely between the frames, le

ChrisG

ChrisG

Buildings for Ventnor West

I've made good progress on the layout in the last couple of months. The track is wired, fully tested and running, control panel built and signals operational. Work can now start on the scenic treatment. Meanwhile the buildings are coming on, with photos of the station building and signal box attached. I am now working on the goods shed.   Ventnor West has two exhibition bookings now, the first at the Moors Valley Railway modelling weekend and the second at the Farnham MRC show in Aldershot. It

ChrisG

ChrisG

First attempt at CAD and laser cutting

I'm pretty pleased with how this has turned out. My first attempt at CAD (using CorelDraw) to produce a building shell. A pretty steep learning curve with the software, just resorting to the help file and generally stumbling around in the dark until finding the answer to each little thing one needs to do. I'm now working on the windows which present an additional layer of complexity.   I have to say this is the way to go for producing model buildings. At least it is for me who cannot cut anyth

ChrisG

ChrisG

Waiting for the glue to dry

A few finishing touches to the baseboards today, then the start of tracklaying. Now waiting for the glue and ballast to dry on the station throat pointwork. Will be starting the trackbuilding at the weekend.   Chris  

ChrisG

ChrisG

Ventnor West - work starts

Work has started on Ventnor West. Intended to be a "minor (ha ha) diversion" from building the loft layout (Cowes to Newport) this is intended as an exhibition extension to Mark Pretious's Merstone layout, which made its exhibition debut in February at the Alton Model Railway Group show.   Following a full day yesterday working on the baseboards (which had been bought from a friend as ready-assembled kits needing some modification and additions), we were able to lay the track into the station

ChrisG

ChrisG

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