An 'attempt' at Hull

[pantrogla]

So, inspired by some of the other layout threads on here I thought I'd start my own - my latest project is inspired by my home city station Hull Paragon - it will be interesting to see how it evolves over time

 

Here's how the track plan should look:

 

 

 

Can you see the likeness?

 

 

I'm sure I'll get there in the end but progress has been delayed by the fact the garage has no heating and next to no insulation and I'm clearly a bit of a softie!

 

Traction will be semi prototypical of Hull - various DMUs that have been reliveried into Northern colours - an East Coast HST when Dapol release it - and in lieu of no suitable options for TPEs 185s and Hull Trains 180s (when they are not cancelled!) the station will have joined the Cross Country network in the spirit of my layout my rules!  They'll also be a bit of light engine stabling in the now disused platform 1 and 1 / 2 of the sidings to the south of the station.

 

Layout will be under DCC traction - but signals will reman manual for now - one new technology at a time and all that

Edited May 17, 2018 by pantrogla

[pantrogla]

Bit more progress today - most of the track on the front half of the board is now laid - what I did discover is that wearing a fleece whilst trimming down track with a Dremel style cutting disc is not a good idea as I went up the shops later and realised 3 small bits of track that had come flying off at speed when I'd cut them down must have been a bit warm as they'd melted themselves into my jacket!

 

 

Busy few days for me this week so probably no more work in the garage until Easter weekend (and not until I've mown the lawn and all those oh so vital jobs  ) although all being well I'd like to get the front half of the board wired up for traction next weekend - even if it isn't for signalling as I relised this afternoon just how much wire I needed for the signals and how many cables I'd need to run!

Edited May 17, 2018 by pantrogla

[richierich]

Will follow this with interest.

[danstercivicman]

Nice n gauge I take it?

[pantrogla]

Yep - N Gauge - 8ft by 4ft board left from a previous layout - won't be moving from the garage as it's very heavy as it's made with roofing boards and 4'x2'

 

Have done some of the wiring work today - reminded me how much I hate soldering as I was busy melting sleepers faster than solder

 

So went back to painting stuff - 20 out of 67 platform edging panels primed and the final coat put on 12 led street lights (converted from very cheap Chinese tat to something British looking)

[pantrogla]

Almost in honour to fellow member scoobyra I have spent most of today striping paint off things and redoing it - finally happy with the paint job on the Peco platform edges after 7 or 8 attempts - looks much better for no primer 

 

Final combination is two different makes of brown paint and a third make with the matt varnish and then Tamiya weathering powders on top

 

Problem is having spent so long playing with different combinations of paint I've lost a whole day to do 1 platform section - but still have 66 to go!

[pantrogla]

Well, after seemingly nothing to report for ages due to financial year end and audit season at work it's come on with a clatter in the last week or so - all platform edges are now in and the process of filling them to make them recognisable as platforms is now well under way. 

 

I've done a first pass with the caulking gun, i'm now going to leave this to set for a week or two until it goes properly hard before doing a neater job and bringing to just short of platform height.  I'm not sure whose idea Ive nicked but I know I read it on here somewhere and will be using one strike filler for the final platform surface - thank you whoever you are.

 

 

And in the spirit of not throwing anything away I've been poking spare sleepers in gaps whilst waiting for the caulk to dry as my first draft track laying can be a bit clumsy at time.

 

 

With another 4 days off in a row inc the weekend I sense some good modelling time coming up!

[scottystitch]

I've never seen/thought of doing platforms like that. I shall be watching with interest as my platforms are a similar length, albeit in N gauge.

 

EDIT - Just realised this is N Gauge too. Even more reason  to follow.

Edited May 17, 2018 by scottystitch

[pantrogla]

I've never seen/thought of doing platforms like that. I shall be watching with interest as my platforms are a similar length, albeit in N gauge.

 

EDIT - Just realised this is N Gauge too. Even more reason  to follow.

 

Its a cheap and effective way of filling them out just make sure you give it a couple of weeks to set properly as it does shrink a little bit in the drying process - and if you are planning on moving your boards / taking them to exhibitions then i'd consider something other than caulk as they can get very heavy very quickly

 

One strike or similar fine grade filler on top then gives a decent textural representation of concrete in N gauge when given a light sanding prior to painting - unlike now which just looks like a winter snow scene with all that white!

[scottystitch]

Thanks for that. My layout won't be portable, it's going to be pretty bomb-proof in the railway room. I haven't heard of one strike filler, so I'll need to investigate. My platforms should really be mostly paved, for the location/timescale so maybe instead I could lay sheet plasticard/balsa, etc on top of the filler.

 

Anyway, I'll keep watching to see if it is an option for me. 

 

Thanks for the reply.

[pantrogla]

it's going to be pretty bomb-proof in the railway room. 

 

The platforms will probably be the most bomb proof thing in the room with that quantity of caulk!  One strike is a very lightweight fine grade pollyfiller type substance - by no means essential to get exactly that i'm sure

[Joseph_Pestell]

Well, after seemingly nothing to report for ages due to financial year end and audit season at work it's come on with a clatter in the last week or so - all platform edges are now in and the process of filling them to make them recognisable as platforms is now well under way. 

 

I've done a first pass with the caulking gun, i'm now going to leave this to set for a week or two until it goes properly hard before doing a neater job and bringing to just short of platform height.  I'm not sure whose idea Ive nicked but I know I read it on here somewhere and will be using one strike filler for the final platform surface - thank you whoever you are.

 

 

And in the spirit of not throwing anything away I've been poking spare sleepers in gaps whilst waiting for the caulk to dry as my first draft track laying can be a bit clumsy at time.

 

 

With another 4 days off in a row inc the weekend I sense some good modelling time coming up!

 

When I first saw that photo I thought that your garage roof had let in snow.

[pantrogla]

Not much has been achieved on the board after all today - spent the day fixing broken locos

 

Have a Dapol 58 sorted which was kangarooing down the track - means I no longer need the Mainline blue one I purchased a while ago to rob the chassis off - so that's off on eBay

 

Have also sorted out a rough running Farish 57 which will now be going in the paintshop instead of the bin - just need to decide if it is going to become a Northern Belle, or if it is going WCRC Maroon

[pantrogla]

The hot weather over the summer derailed progress!  However recent weeks have seen me back on it, platforms are now largely complete, just the eastern end to sort where they join the concourse, ballasting done and smaller details starting to be added now

 

 

The photos are slightly unkind on the AWS ramps - they don't need toning down as much in normal light - what needs work is the colour of the ballast now