SparxD428 Posted August 16, 2010 Share Posted August 16, 2010 Hi All, After viewing the forums for quite some time now I have decided it is time to start a thread about my own developing layout, "Westquay". This is my first layout attempt since 1989 when i was still a teenager, and so the location and period is an attempt to recreate those glorious summer saturdays I spent following Vacs in the West Country. The layout will be circa 1984-1988, although I may in the future decide to have an earlier period to allow me to run unrefurbished Vacs and earlier blue diesels, although one step at a time. The layout is situated in my garage and measures 15ft x 8ft in an L shape, with widths between 16 inches and 2ft at different points of the layout, thanks to my wife agreeing to me taking half the garage space in return for keeping it tidy enough to still fit all the other garden furniture and kids outdoor toys in somewhere. I am currently working on a trackplan that I can scan and post for viewing, though I am still toying with a small sea-wall "branch within a branch" scene in front of the storage roads on the 8ft "L" section. Unfortunately due to the poor lighting and low quality of my camera, I am trying to work on the images taken in development so far so they are suitable to post. I have posted the first iamge which was taken about 9 months ago, just to give an idea of the station area. I will post better , updated images very soon. Thanks for looking, Stu. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
7APT7 Posted August 16, 2010 Share Posted August 16, 2010 Hi mate Great photo start, Do you have a track Plan...? Keep the photos coming dude... Cheers Jamie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Temeraire Posted August 16, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 16, 2010 Did somebody mention Vacs? You've got my interest already. Looks good so far look forward to seeing more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted August 16, 2010 Author Share Posted August 16, 2010 Thanks Guys for the views and posts already. I have managed to trace, amend and scan a trackplan showing how the layout currently is to date. Everything (right to left) in the first 12 foot has been laid, and also the storage roads will be off the single track main line. I just need to finalise my decision on the sea wall / branch in front of the storage roads. The original plan didn't include the cross-over at the 12' point, but as an after thought for shunting manoeuvres / branch option, I added this to give me the scope for the additional section. Cheers, Stu. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.C.M Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 Hi Stu, The layout looks good, you can't beat a nice terminus, nice time period too. I used to do the odd 50 when they worked the Mule. Cheers Peter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted August 17, 2010 Author Share Posted August 17, 2010 Thanks Pete, lovely picture of number 8 hammering down the mule there, glory days indeed. I have attempted to post some better pictures below, although I am going to borrow a better quality camera soon so hope to post better in the near future. From the pics I hope you can see how the layout has developed compared to the first picture. As most of my loco stock is 20+ years old (looking forward to investing in some new Hornby Vacs soon when funds allow), it is still in reasonable condition. So for now only 3 x Lima vacs run on the layout, all repainted and detailed to different levels, although 50028 is currently out of service due to the state of the bodywork and chassis - I had a go at removing the grills and fitting a working fan when I was younger which wasn't too successful !. 50010 was one I repainted and detailed as a teenager, and in the grainy focus of the image below probably looks better than in true light. I also found a really old spare body which I used recently to practice my spraying and painting skills, which re-emerged as 50013. On the Lima machines I have always filled in the front headlight and tried to paint shades of white/grey to make it look more realistic. Managed to pickup a couple of second hand Lima 47's recently which are mid-detail and weathering, and after servicing do run quite well. Cheers, Stu. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted August 17, 2010 Author Share Posted August 17, 2010 At this stage of resurrecting my modelling career I have decided to begin using proprietary buildings and models, but to practice adding my own angle by repainting and weathering, hence the Hornby booking halls and canopies, and magna signal box (look familiar Pete - inspired by Llanbourne? ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.C.M Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Hi Stu, Station building and canopies look good, You could probably pick up some cheap Lima class 50 body off ebay, I had a few myself but sold them a while back. Looks like 45013 on the fuel point. Nice. Here is 50010 on a Diverted Exeter train. I had a Lima model I renumbered as 50010 I liked the D number on the headcode. Cheers Peter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted September 15, 2010 Author Share Posted September 15, 2010 Sorry no posts for a while, but progress as slowed, as I went on holiday and have also started a new job, so been focused on other things for the past month. I do have a new work PD device with a very good camera, so once I can get the lighting sorted should have some better pics to post (and also once I can get it to connect to my home PC to upload as well !!). Hope to do some more work on the layout this weekend and have some new pics up too. Stu. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted September 19, 2010 Author Share Posted September 19, 2010 Managed to get a few better pictures this weekend. 1.) Overview of Westquay station. 2.) 50013 Agincourt in platform 4 with 33004 in the holding siding. 3.) DMU and fuel point holiding in background with 47513 Severn lurking. 4.) Work in progress, the scenery on the approach , with 47628 Sir Daniel Gooch on a single Brake van. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 Finally kicked off my Hornby collection of 50's with 50020 Revenge today, and after 3 months of inactivity due to work commitments, managed to get back out to the garage and continue working on the layout. I have changed one of the later baseboards and added and extra board for storage, to make a "reverse-J" shape layout now. Will take some pics later and post of 50020 in action, once I've replaced the screwlink couplings, though looking at the diagrams, compared to the Heljan ones on my Shredder, something looks amiss on this Hornby system. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 Some hopefully better images of 50020 and some station improvements. Also my recently weathered and slightly repainted Bachmann 08, although this machine seems to attract dirt to the contacts like nothing else, rendering it regularly out of service. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Great looking layout. The 50s and blue+grey coaches remind me of holidays spent in Totnes during the mid eighties. I can remember seeing my first refurbished 50, with the headlight and big yellow end I wondered what it was! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I like this. I look forward to seeing it develop B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 Thanks Jules & Vac Basher. I remember the first time I saw a large logo 50, number 3 at Paddington around 1981 I think (I was only a wee lad) - thought it looked fantastic in the livery and with the centre headlight ! I've had a bit more time this weekend to continue with the layout and run number 20 in a little. I am revamping the fuelling point scenics as my scratchbuilt "arch" structure looks a little worn, so will either use a stone or brick cladding for this, also thinking of putting a couple of low relief warehouses above it to hide the join in the backscene. Also decided on how the "L" to "J" part of the layout will look and the storage roads. Finally have the main line in situ from terminus to storage road, cleared all the tools etc. from the storage road boards and now beginning to crack on at pace, although back to work thursday and on-call all weekend so work will come to a halt temporarily again. Will get some more pics up shortly. Stu. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 Not much work done recently , although I have decided to use a brickwork wall for the fuelling point and also cut a low relief warehouse template and weathered a few yards (OK, scale yards !) of track ballast. But I seem to be distracted by purchasing stock, and recently got hold of a second hand Mainline 45 and Lima 50 in Old NSE livery. So now I have transferred the body of 45103 from the dead chassis to the new working one. Whilst I thought I would only go forward with Hornby vacs, the price of 50044 was too good to refuse, and it will allow me to reacquaint my detailing skills on filling in the sandboxes, roof panels, altering and repainting the front ends, detailing etc. Oh No, another mini project to add to the list of things to do ! Below are a couple of pics of 50044 and 45103 including one from a rarely seen angle. So all I need to do now is get down to some proper work and leave the computer alone. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 Started to tidy up some of those "snagging" jobs in the scenic area that I have been looking at for a while, namely the botched backscene join and where on earth does the road behind the station lead to?? Decided that the road behind the station now will only be for BR road traffic into the small nearly desolate shunters hut/yard, as trying to blend the road at an angle into the backscene gap was becoming a headache too far. I have also almost completed the security fencing in the fuelling point, as well as started weathering brickwork behind the fuel point, although I am still considering using stonework and maybe using brick for the lower part of the low relief warehouses which will sit above the fueller. Also commenced some detailing and weathering of No.1 end and side of 44. Slowly, slowly.. A couple of pics below show some of the tidied snagging areas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJ Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Just found this thread. A very nice looking layout and it certainally gives of an impression of Summer Saturdays! I think the detailing and weathering/painting of propriety buildings looks good. It does rather make me realise how dull the current railway operations are - and how the 80s are almost as historic now as steam was when I first got interested in trains. Hope too see more pics of this as it develops Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 Thanks Tom, Wouldn't it be great just to be able to do those summer saturdays just once again? Started experimenting with signalling now, built a ratio signal a few months back but made a couple of schoolboy errors so now classing that one as my "practice" run. In keeping with the feel I want for the layout, I have decided to go for semaphores, as lots remained in the West country through most of the 80's , although in truth I would probably be far more comfortable wiring colour light signalling, and probably get the right type of signals in the right places. Will start to read some signalling threads to get some idea of the correct (roughly) signal types. Looking at old photo's of Newquay may start with a rake of single home (GWR) for the station, though the branch and the loco/stabling roads may need to be looked at. Don't feel confident enough to scratchbuild a gantry yet either. A few more pics of the layout developing 50020 & 50044 at Westquay. Demo signal for main platform in place. Another view of 20 33004 on short mixed freight on the branch road Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterbournecm Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Hi there Love what you've done so far. I'm a BR freak with a terminal layout set in Cornwall too so lots in common. Such a shame that Newquay reduced to a single platform with just Voyagers and HSTs on a Saturday nowadays. Still, at least lots of "totty" still use the trains I suppose! The Hornby 50's are fantastic, the 08's are quite easy to clean. Unscrew the running plate underneath and remove the two plastic threads either side with the side gear on. The wheels and side rods can then be dropped out. The brass prongs are probably full of fluff and cr*p. Remove this and carefully re-assemble and she'll be good as new. Cheers for now Craig Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimleygrid Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Lovely layout and with some very nice traction too! B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Thanks Craig (Winterbourne CM) and Grimley Grid. I have been following your excellent layouts as well. Love Mount Charles, seem to remember a couple of years back didn't you have a layout with a massive Sea Wall Craig, not on Rmweb but somewhere on the net ?? Wish I had your awesome stable of power!! Was tempted to buy a 56 at the Basingstoke show last week but instead opted for a pair of second hand airfix Mk 2D 1st class coaches, as more required than a grid although I remember getting my Mainline 56 in the post when I was about 13, amazed by the lights and the motor slow speed and power at the time. I am sure in the near future I can diagram a reverse freight to the branch that requires a big grid to hack up the branch with at least 4 wagons !! Anyway, took some more photo's recently, and also this morning made a temporary "block" on the unfinished section, as last night whilst sat in front of Comic relief devised an interim Summer Saturday morning timetable circa 1985-87, so this morning decided to test out the theory in practice to see if I had made any mistakes. I did identify a couple in the fact that my branch main is supposed to be single line so it is unlikely down trains would arrive withint 2 mins of a departing service (unless there is a loop just outside where the line disappears into the ether of course), but overall was happy with the first draft. Still thinking about the crazy idea of a TMD off the branch loop in reverse! More DPDT switching and wiring required if I go for that option ! Anyway, some more pics prior to todays running. , didn't take any today as experimental. 44 waits in Platform 4 with Paddington Service 20 sits on the Westquay-Manchester service in Platform 2, whilst 10 & 13 just happen to be sitting in the holding road, purely for aesthetic reasons. 45103 sits bored in the bay off the overnight Newcastle Sorry the pics seem all the same angle, hoping to complete the last few feet of layout in the coming months so can get some more overall pics. Cheers, Stu. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beresford Junction Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi Stu. Looks like you're a way in advance of me, and it's looking great - a great '80s flashback. I've been following your progress and enjoying it. Cheers Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroman Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Lovely looking layout, always great to see 50s in action ... how I miss those glory days! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterbournecm Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hi again Nice to see some more photos. I'm glad you like the recent layout Mount Charles. It's nice to have a WR terminus isn't it? Although I lived in West Cornwall, Newquay wasn't a place I tended to go in loco hauled days. I prefered the action on the mainline. Missed so much on the branch. How times have changed now. I did get a nice picture of Barham at Goonbarrow, and a couple of shots of Exeter on Gossmoor, but I really should have paid more attention to the branch. The seawall layout was in Bristol, Elm Park it was called. It featured on my (ka-put) Fotopic site. I'm planning a Smug-mug site from this week so will transfer all the photos over at some point. The fleet has been built up over a great many years, so I'm sure you'll have an amarda of 50's one day! Look out on E Bay & toy fairs for Hornby ones - they come along sometimes. All the best for now Craig Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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