Geep7

Also to add, I've recently seen announce that the small radius Code 100 Y point has been redesigned as unifrog. Not sure when it's due in stock though....

What I do know is that all the Code 75 Flat-bottom track is available in either Insulfrog or Electrofrog, with none available as unifrog, but the code 75 Bullhead is all unifrog.

So a bit of slow progress made over the past couple of evenings on the retaining wall along the rear of the left hand side of the layout. There will be an embankment from the bridge and down the slope, covered in undergrowth and a few bushes and trees, and then on the level, I will have a couple of house backs. Probably the rear of a fairly new housing estate, of the type that appeared all over the south in the mid to late 1960's. I already have a laser cut kit, one that came free with BRM a few years back, so I might use this, perhaps as an interim until I can scratch build some. With the factory and now some houses on the back of the layout, rather than being distinctly countryside, it's starting to feel a little more outer suburban, so perhaps it's imaginary location of being somewhere a bit south of Bordon isn't so good, and maybe I should move it somewhere closer to London perhaps? You may also have noticed that I have painted the platform sides, and tops. The tops are just in a shade of black in preparation for the emery sheets to be glued in place. The white areas, are where I have filled in a couple of screw holes (to initially keep the platform in place) and filed back smooth. The platform is now held down by screws from underneath the board, but will eventually be glued in place. Whilst the Peco sides are moulded in coloured plastic approximating concrete, painting them takes away the plastic shine. I have been experimenting with what shade of paint to use for well aged concrete, since my customary paint, Polly Scale Aged Concrete, is no longer in production. The paint shade here, and brush painted, is Stone Grey by Vallejo in the Model Color range, which I think looks pretty good. I have also sprayed the footbridge with Army Painter Skeleton Bone, which seems to give a similar colour. Obviously both will need a good amount of weathering added too. Something else I have been pondering. So the exit to the station is via this footbridge, and I think it's safe to say there would be some sort of barrow crossing (as marked in red) to allow luggage, etc. to be transferred out of the station. Also the crossing would continue to the other side to allow the signalman to collect the single-line token (when the line used to continue further south/west). The area marked with the blue rectangle i'm wondering if there would be a small station building / booking hall of some sort? Maybe one of the those fairly modern looking CLASP style buildings? Single story so as not to overpower the scene too much. However, i'm not 100% sure if this would be prototypical at all. I know at Waddon Marsh, people used to buy their tickets from the signalbox, but this was situated between the tracks at the end of the platform, but I don't have the room to do that here. Maybe I could just get away with one of those red ticket kiosks and just some gates? Any thoughts or suggestions?

Sorry, I should have been a bit clearer, I'll never go back to using IPA to clean my track. The contact cleaner works like a dream.

At the risk of opening pandora's box again, i'll be honest. I used to be sold on using 99% IPA, wiped on using a cloth, but having read some other suggestions, I've used electrical contact cleaner, again applied with a cloth, and I'll never go back to IPA. I only ever use a track rubber when removing any paint sprayed on.

Thank you, yes, I did wonder if English bond might be the better one to go with. Haven't looked through my plasticard stash yet, but I seem to recall I only have plain and Flemish bond....

So there was no progress with the layout over the Easter weekend as I was away visiting the in-laws in Dorset. However, the weekend before saw some progress, with a start being made on fitting the point motors. The first motor fitted was for the first point coming out of the fiddle yard, controlling access to the goods loop and yard. This was fairly simple to fit. I am using the Gaugemaster solenoid motors with fitted screw terminals. Even though the baseboard surface is fairly thin, it still required the extension pin being used. Once this was fitted, I started looking at the other points, and realised I had 2 or 3 that were being blocked by baseboard crossmembers. Two of these I have had to surface mount against the backscene, and the other (yet to fit) will have to be fitted underneath away from the point with a modified wire in tube method being employed. The two surface mounted point motors are also using the modified wire in tub method, i.e, a wire with no tube. The point motor in the first photo, which operates one switch of the double-slip, will be hidden under an embankment, but I am considering having some house backs over the top, so they can be removed for access. I did consider perhaps a TP hut, but not sure if I would need one on this line. The 2nd point motor pictured will either be hidden under a larger factory building, or perhaps a platelayers hut, but I think it's a bit far back from the tracks for the later. I also managed to lay the siding to the factory. This was glued in place with foam tack glue, and the track soldered to brass screws either side of the baseboard join, and then cut with a razor saw. As you will see, I still need to glue in place the additional sleepers that were removed at the joints. I am also considering making the siding inset into concrete where it is covered. I'm not sure how prototypical this would be, but I think it might have been a possibility.

So i've been doing some digging around on the internet, and it looks like there are factories built out of all types..... so I guess it's down to what brick plasticard I have in stock.

Must admit the Class 37 has me interested. Split headcode in Blue or Large Logo Blue, plus some Blue & Grey Mk1's (come on, where are the SO/SK's?) and a few TTA's and 12-ton vans, and there is a start for a West Highland branch terminus.

Yes, that's the one. Thank you very much.

As per the title, I have one of the laser-cut terraced house kits, and I was wondering which issue it came with, as i'd be interested in re-reading the build-up article that i'm pretty sure was in the same issue. For those that don't remember, this is the kit: Can anyone help please? TIA.

If I may yet again ask for some assistance. The factory I am building, is planned to be brick built, but what bond should it be? I'm imagining that it was built in the 1930's, so not sure if it would be Flemish bond, English bond, or just plain stretcher bond? Any brick experts out there that can help?

Sorry, yes, now I look, that's supposed to be a unifrog diagram, but it looks no different to the diagram for an electrofrog. Apologies for straying from the unifrog discussion, I just thought it might help.

Having laid and wired a few double / single slips now, of both insulfrog and electrofrog variety, it's safe enough to only put insulating rail joiners on the frog rails. It's always wise though to add feed wires as suggested by Peco on the outer 2 rails of the slips. Never rely on the rail joiners to do their job of conducting electricity forever, especially if you spray paint your track. I can honestly say that switching the frogs on slips is pretty much essential, and will avoid ever using an insulfrog variety. It's just one of those items of pointwork that really needs as much juice given to it as possible, if you want to avoid stalling.

The first really big exhibition that I remember would be Imrex 1990. I went along on one of the days as a visitor with my Grandad. My father was there helping operate Twickenham MRC's N gauge Ravens Park layout. The following day, I was allowed back to help operate the layout for the day, my first taste of exhibiting, at the age of 12.... The bug's obviously bitten, as i've had a couple of exhibition layouts myself, although none exhibited recently.