DougN's LNER NE inspired layout

[P.C.M]

Hi Doug,

Happy Birthday to you and James. Hope James had a good Birthday party yesterday.

 

The Goathland hotel looks good, I had a few beers there when I was over there in 2003, didn't see Mr Greengrass though. I must agree you can't have to many pubs. It's something lacking on Llanbourne at the moment, though I will get around to adding a few.

 

The loco shed has come up alright too.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Arpleymodeller]

I like the collection of resin buildings you have,is the 'Aidensfield Arms' from Bachmann scenecraft or Hornby Skaledale?

Happy Birthday too!

[SRman]

Having seen these in the flesh yesterday, they look very nice indeed. I was surprised how large the 'Aidensfield Arms' building is.

 

I'd also like to say publicly what I said to Doug yesterday: that he is making great progress with his layout and particularly on the scenic side (train wrecks notwithstanding!). Between Peter (PCM above) and Doug, my efforts seem rather paltry in comparison! Must pull my socks up!

 

Great inspirations, Doug.

[DougN]

I find the scenic side interesting as this is the first layout of mine that has had any serious attempt to get scenic details done. It seems to be engaging the other part of the brain. I stillhave a little trouble getting the colour balance right. I think there should be a few more browns generally. Though this all comes with experience. Mixing the suppliers of Scenic materials is the interesting thing in that I have used a little Heki, lots of Woodlands and soon some Mininature. Within the ranges the colours are consistant but it is getting the various manufacturers to work nicely together I find a challange.

 

I also find getting the texture and finess of the products very important. So that the scene looks and feels right.

 

Arpley, The resin buildings are there due to the speed in which the layout can be brought together. I like building things (hence my day job is a Commercial building Project manager) I just don't get that much time to do all my own models. Before Kids my interest was P4 LNER (NER section) which everything was built, time wasn't a big problem. Now though the resin buildings can look just as good as hand built. At times even better!

 

The biggest thing other than the scenics is I have to get the Electrical all sorted as the lack of siding access and egress is starting to annoy me. I also need to assess the change of the peco points to change to switched frogs. The live frogs that I have put in work but they are annoying when the switching dies on the bottom of point blades.

[DougN]

Well what has happened in over a month. Well other than being crook, I have started some more scenic work on the layout in adding some spring/ summer colour. Mininature flowers have poped up along with some fences to hold onto them.

 

I thought that this area needed a bit of a lift.

 

this one is some Woodland scenics purple flowers. Not to the fininess of the mininature but effective in an area that would be over grown. I do have more in yellow to put around the place.

 

Also I have had a new loco turn up.

Detail is great though I have yet to install all the add ons. The runing was tight to begin with but after an hour the mech has loosened up and is running to my now standard requirement. I do have a interesting thought that Rails of Sh. may have checked it before sending which if they did would have found the running very jerky as the brakets had been removed. The airmail to Australia has had a go at it in that one corner of the box was damaged and the other loco (LNER green J72) had its plastic inner cradle broken badly! So I think it had had the 2meter drop test and passed! Only the J72 has sustained a small amount of damage and that was limited too a steel buffer had come loose and the buffer housing broken. 1minute and a small amount of superglue and no one would even guess!

[Markeg]

Nice work Doug. Hope you get it done for the convention.

 

I succumbed and ordered a Hornby L1 in British Rlys (LNER green) from Rails. you know the one. So hopefully it arrives safely.

 

Mark

[SRman]

You are making very good progress there, Doug. The L1 looks nice too - I'll look forward to actually seeing it in motion soon.

 

* Translation, for those not used to Australian idiom: "crook" means ill.*

 

As I said on the phone earlier this evening, I may have a new green Cravens DMU to run in on your layout in the very near future - a bit out of period for your chosen era but quite appropriate for the regional setting!

[DougN]

Well it has been quite a while since I did any work on my layout... Look at SRman's new layout thread to see why I have done something rather nice I think in that I have installed a Digitrax point decoder....(Not really a exciting scenic wise but operationally interesting) I am sticking with a digitrax decoder at the moment as Installing the DS64 is rather easy and each of the out puts can be numbered separately (nice feature in that not always do you want every out put numbered consecutively!) So far I have installed 1 decoder and ordered another 4 from the US.... Just like the UK there can be a cheaper place in the world that is not in your own country . For instance the one that I bought was 84AUD and the 4 I have just ordered are a total of 217US which translates to 4 for the price of 2 and a half.

 

Other interesting things on the point decoder are they can be controled via a standard push to make button if I want a standard control panel. They have 2 inputs whcih can drive them so 1 is the panel and the other could be a occupancy detector.... For the hinden yards that may be worth while... later!

[DougN]

It has been a long time since I put a post together on the layout! So what have I done.

The track to the back corner of the layout (ie that bit that is so hard toget to you ignore it until all you end up with is derailments!) I have finnally re laid the track with a seriously modified Peco Curved point (I think I may have voided the Warranty) To produce a radius some where between the large radius set track and the Streamline version . So the loco's that do not run through that point now do! BUT the problem was with the locos not the track. The Hornby A4 & A3 have a fixing to the front of the driving wheels which can catch on the trailing wheels of the bogie! Once found and ground off with a Dremel problem has just about been solved only 2 more loco's to go.

 

The point decoders are all installed and I am down to about 3 point motors to install and that will be complete. The problem That I am striking is "what is the best way to number the points?"

 

Next on the agenda is the secnic to the back righthand side. This is an area behind the loco shed. It will be obscured by the coaling plant and the Shed building. I am thinking abit of waste ground/ industry with a back ground of a road way which will tail off to the right over the railway. The land will also rise from the Left side to the right so where I can I have added a bit of height to make the railway look like it is going through the landscape rather than the other way round.

 

I'll try to get some more photo's up soon.

[SRman]

I'm not sure if Doug will thank me for posting a few pics (not the best quality as they were taken on my mobile phone) of his progress, but his layout has not been entirely static since his last post. Spurred on by his hosting of a BRMA meeting last month, he added some scenery to the right-hand end of the layout, with a few small contributions from me. I hope he'll forgive me for showing some of the clutter and unfinished bits in the first photo.




The overall effect is good, and has been further enhanced by some track ballasting he did before my visit yesterday.

[DougN]

Thanks Jeff. I was taking some photos today of progress and the new J15. It runs very well with the Zen decoder. Today saw me attaching once again the right hand end of the layout as I am still not happy with the running of the trains though. I have fitted my V2 with a zen decoder with keep alive... Seems to be a lot better now. I will post some photos soon.

[Markeg]

Hi Doug and Jeff,

 

Thanks for the photos.  Looks like some good progress has been made since I last saw the layout.

 

Doug, are you heading up this way for Easter?  If you are you are more than welcome to drop in.

The club has open days on the Saturday and Sunday at the club rooms, but I will be home Sunday and Monday.

4 working layouts for $2 per adult and children free.  Good for an outing.

 

Mark

[DougN]

Finally the layout has been attacked once again by the landscapers. 

 

On the north end not much has changed but below is a overall shot. I have put away most of the materials though I seem to have found the best spot to put spare rolling stock is still in the middle of the goods yard and on the platforms. 

 

 

How ever as per SRmans post above I have been out with the arbourist.... well 2+ packs of Hornby Professional trees and a selection of Woodlands scenics bits and pieces. Looks like I have a trip to the local model shops again to stock up. My A3 sized Ex paperbox is slowly being depleted and needs a refill. 

 

Any how here are a selection of photos of the Southern end of the layout. 

 

The last photo shows the middle of the layout where i have yet to finalize the land form. This area needs to be suitable for buildings. 

 

Umm not bad for a few hours on a Sunday. I need to do a fair bit of infill of ground covers and general bits and pieces. The Pub next to the manor house needs a far bit done to the rear... Not sure what to put in there though. 

[SRman]

I didn't get the chance to catch up with you this weekend, Doug, but hopefully we'll see you in the next week or so. I am back to work tomorrow as the school holidays have ended (as you would know with your two going back to school!). Once we catch up, we can bounce a few ideas around for the pub area and see where that takes us.

It is certainly looking good. 

p.s. How long does the Sentinel take to complete one circuit?

[DougN]

Well SRman, you will notice a reasonable number of subtle changes to that corner. Hopefully the track can stay where it is and I don't need to replace another one of the gradients.

 

Yeap my lot are back at school today, and to running around after them. I am positive I may do a run branchline to see what Scenic gear they have and I think I need more fencing! How many metres should be in those packs... I must admit I think only 3 to 4metres are required... I feel I have used that many. Any how not much booked for next weekend and you are more than welcome... you can bring Mrs SRman too. 

[DougN]

Here is what has happened this week. We had a visitor SRman with a new E1 to run in as can be seen below 

 

Also after a trip to a local model shop where the price for this loco were very similar to the ones from the UK. 

 

Lovely Runner, it was running around the layout for an hour or 2 pulling 3 MK1's in maroon. 

 

Also where I had been doing some scenic work... it looks like Ashleigh has been at it again!

 

Well the kids do add some of their own bits and peices every so often. The cow has also been seen riding in a truck in a freight train as well 

 

[P.C.M]

Hi Doug,

Both loco's look very good, The cow looks like it's have a good time on your layout, plenty of greenery to munch on.

 

Cheers Peter.

[SRman]

We ran the "cab ride" camera wagon a couple of weeks ago, taking video footage in each direction.

I have only made some slight edits, and the rest has come together well, I think. I think I have identified the correct locomotives. If not I can upload an amended version of the video later, possibly with still photos of the actual locomotives added as well.

 

 

[DougN]

For a number of years I have been having trouble with this curve at the bottom of the layout. SRman and I have spent some time trying to get this little alignment to work over the years. Previously at the bottom of the photo I had a modified set track curved point. It worked of a fashion for years until about a month and a half ago a loco kept shorting out and derailing. I had, had enough and purchased a new live frog to solve the problem of this little part of the layout. I had installed it after Christmas and still had the same problem with the same loco. Only to find out that it was one wire in the 4 way plug in the tender had pulled through and was shorting on the screw! OK maybe I should give up with J15's as the first had a misshap at the top of the same gradient and the second had the short circuit. So I have put the 2 together and have a running J15.... until Hornby release the spares to the world so I can get it running again. This has also identified another problem with some of the wiring... which is an easy fix which I might do today as well.

 

Here is the current state of play:-

 

I think I will move the 2 central curved points down the gradient and into the fiddle yard and I might have to change the point to the right hand side from a left to a right. (this might need a trip to a model shop! as I don't think I have any spare points around any more! If so it too will become a live frog with a change over switch!) 

 

Not sure if I will need to change any of the left hand side bits at this time! 

[SRman]

Well! It's about time you posted some more about your layout, Doug!!   

As we said the other day, I really think it's time to bite the bullet and relay that corner. It was always just a little bit tight and, together with the transition to or from the gradient, caused a few running problems over the years. Just give me a call if you want a hand.

For the most part, the track plan has worked very well. We'll have to get some track occupation detectors on to those hidden lines at the back too. Once you are ready, we'll do another 'cab view' run with the camera wagon, and try to include all parts of the layout, including those hidden lines.

[DougN]

Thanks SRman. I have ended up getting distracted again this afternoon. Spent an hour looking at photos I took 3 years ago when we were over in Europe. Any how it wont take long to pull the track up.... better go off and do it. Luckily I have the removable Hill of polystyrene which may need to be adjusted too. I am trying to avoid a trip to bunnings to buy additional MDF to redo some of the track bed.

 

any how better go off and do it. Some more photos of other parts later...

[DougN]

Well as the TV is now infested with Plants Vs Zombies 

 

I went back to contemplating the problems of the back rear corner of the layout. 

 

Here is the proposed new arrangement. OK I will have to change the right hand point from a Left to a right but I think the tracks will flow much better then they did. 

 

From the opposite angle

 

 

I think I might have to get 1 new piece of flexi track for the run up the hill (bottom left and around to the left) as the one that has been there has seen better days... unless somewhere in DougN Towers there is a full new length. I think I used all of those up years ago. I will have to head over to the local hobby shop... just hope they stock the medium radius electrofrog right hand point and a accessory switch! 

 

Now as the layout has been around for a number of years here is the photos as it stands today with out the lift out section for the main town to show the new alignment off.

 

The eagle eyed may miss the changes which are the completion of the platforms (finally some may say) as of course I needed 2 packs but only really bits out of the second pack. The rear buildings have gained paving and a cardboard Roadway in need of painting. Until the track work is finalised the back scene will be off. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Markeg]

Hi Doug,

 

Good progress there.

 

Are you starting a Scrapyard and a Museum?  Locos and Rolling Stock on the left and The Brighton Belle on the platform.  3rd photo.

 

I have my new Hornby B12 in front of me about to add details.

 

Mark

[DougN]

Well Mark the Brighton Belle doesn't fit any where.... it does really in my uncles house.... for some reason at the moment he wants me to hold onto it! It has an issue in that the interior lights work on DC but not pluged in on DCC! Not high on my priority list to resolve at the moment for him... As I am coming to the end of my holiday I want to get some of MY MODELING things done....I have done things with the kids (Space rails are fun to see the ball bearing runing around in, cleaned out half the garage, cooked with No 1 daughter ETC) I have reached the "ITS MY TIME" stage. I also have a Finney V2 which I was to get more done on but that is being pushed away at the moment. Any how better get off the computer and go and do some more! 

 

Will we see you at the end of January BRMA meeting in Geelong? 

[Markeg]

I wont be making the Geelong meeting.

 

I have talked to Frank and he to Manfred about coming up here sometime to go and see a large (45'x20' apx) O gauge layout a friend is building.

Manfred will likely bring his Falcon.

 

I plan to visit Rick's Penhayle Bay the first week of Feb.

 

I also have on the desk an Anchoridge J39 etch brass kit which I have to get some axle bushes and a gear from Markits.

Also is a J50 kit which needs wheels. Both these kits were around the $30 mark, so decided to buy them.

 

I am also repainting the kitchen cupboards before returning to work.

 

Mark