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WhitehouseFilms

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  1. Ffarquhar is getting some last minute work done to it before it's ready to go to the North Down Model Railway Society's show on the 23rd & 24th March. The stock is getting a small upgrade with new S&W couplings being fitted but also, trying to match the original goods stock that was used for the main goods and stone trains. So far most of the models used are Tri-ang with new wheels fitted, but others are ones that I had to make do with till I found the right models for them. So from this image of the main goods train here, only two items in this are Tri-ang stock, the goods van and tanker. One of the coal wagons is a PECO kit while the other is a homemade one from wood and fitted to a Hamblings wagon chassis. I'm not entirely sure what brand the cattle wagon is as from seeing the original I think it's a white metal/diecast kit of sorts. And finally the brake van. Again this is a kind of plastic kit of sorts but this dates from the late 40s. If anyone has any insight on this, it would be most helpful.
  2. Yeah, this is only during the test fitting of the track and isn't secured down just yet. Once I have that bit of track cut and fixed down, that kink will be removed.
  3. Another upgrade which needs sorting is this siding. At the start of building this layout, I wasn't thinking of extending this siding much more as I feared that it might disrupt trains coming into the station via the throat and so shorten it as you see it. However after looking at some photos of the original layout in more detail, that particular siding is extended more so that it's roughly along side the coal and oil siding. The later operation movements states that this siding is used a few times by Thomas, Percy and Mavis so the decision to take up the track and relay it was made. Now seeing as PECO has now taken it's foam inlay off the market, I'm using Hornby's inlay. I might actually see about fixing the track down permanently, baring those two track sections that need to be removable, and properly ballast it. The reason I'm using foam inlay was simply for the sake of time and easy maintenance should anything went wrong. It's not stuck to the track so I can remove it when things start deteriorating. The new track is test fitted in place and models of Thomas, Percy and Mavis have been tested on it to ensure no derailments occur. The start of the siding after it leaves the points will be straightened to remove that kink.
  4. Seeing that Peco have just announced their new unifrog set track based streamline curved turnouts, I'm hoping that they'll do the same for the other set track ones too. Chances are they might not, but if they do, it will make shunting operations on this layout a lot more smoother while exhibiting. I had asked Peco in the past if they would consider having this done to their set track turnouts and they said that they wouldn't. However seeing this might raise some hopes for a much need upgrade. We'll see how it goes with fingers crossed.
  5. Yes, there are articles in the original Railway Modeller that I found to be very interesting. In the issue where the original Ffarquhar layout features, theres an article on how to alter an old clock to be motorised to work with your layout's operational timetable. It's stuff like that that we'd need to see more in today's magazines. More mechanical guides and less digital, you know? At some point I will see about making up a clock board for the layout to display the times for each train movement.
  6. Decided to give Ffarquhar another upgrade. One of the main issues I have with the layout is the track alignment when assembling it at shows. Stock would either come off at the crossing or in the tunnel which requires me or a helper to retrieve it constantly. I've looked at several version on laying track over baseboard joints but the same result happens which ever way I go about it. It was when I was in Wales a few weeks back helping out at the Awdry Extravaganza 3 that the layout Ffarquhar MrkII gave me the idea for this alteration and that is to have two sections of track that are removable at both the crossing and tunnel. The hill behind the station will be altered to be removable to gain access. Both Settrack sections that I used while relaying the track back in 2018 go over the joint easily so there will be no issues with connecting the other sections of track thats already laid. When it comes to transporting the layout, the rail joiners can be easily loosened and pushed into the sleepers for easy removal and thus the boards can be folded without problems.
  7. In 2008, myself and a close school friend came up with a set of stories that were based on our times at a miniature railway/model engineering club we were members of. These stories soon grew to become an online series of audiobooks called 'The Miniature Railway Adventures'. The stories focussing on a fictionalised version of our miniature railway and the main characters were based on ourselves, friends and family. The basis was the Model Engineers Society of Northern Ireland at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, which was sadly forced to close down in 2019. 2021 was when track, locos and other essentials was lifted and removed from the premises. In the stories the railway is a duplicate version of the society's line with additional items to make it more practical for the characters and trains. A small ground level signal box is included at a loop line junction where all the railways controls take place and a new series of storage sidings were made underneath the railway via a series of underground tunnels. Also was the inclusion of another society whom are the main antagonists in the stories; a black market car dealership who wants the miniature railway to close so that they can build a factory on their grounds to further expand their business. I have been meaning to adapt the stories in some form other than audiobooks, but couldn't think of a suitable alternative. Animation was the main go to, but the alternative was to make model the location as well as the people and engines. Gnine looked to be the best choice for this adaption and model figures representing the characters are already readily available to buy and customise. Parts of the line will be made in the forms of dioramas but I'd like to have a main layout that I can run trains and to maybe display at shows in the future. The best location was the main station where you'd see both the ground level and raised tracks. For the raised track Z gauge would be the best choice to use and having custom models made. Like the original, no paintwork will be required for this section. For the 7 1/4 gauge, a mixture of Peco 009 mainline track and streamline medium radius points will be used. The locos and stock will be customised using ready at hand chassis and scratch build 3d prints. Here you can see that work has already started on the first engine, Lady Grange. The tender is a solid 3d print sitting on a PECO wagon chassis. The main body work is currently undergoing designing, but will simply slot on top of this chassis frame as it's set up is perfect for the loco. Scenics will be made using artificial plants and foliage from B&M and gardening centres, painted or altered to give the right look required. Personally either 3ft x 6ft or 4ft x 6ft should be a decent enough sizer this layout's size, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens. A Magnorail system will also be installed for the little loop at the top. This will be for the running of little miniature traction engines and steam lorries which I found was the purpose of that little road after looking through some old film footage of the old railway. The wall will act as a scenic block for a home loop as well as my control panel and storage sidings. The characters in my stories will also be present on this layout as little figure representations, either driving trains or being present at the platform or around various parts of the layout. Now because this layout is also being made for filming purposes, the figures won't be permanently stuck down. At shows they will be fixed using either black tack or tacky wax.
  8. It's been a few years now since I last updated this thread. So how is Ffarquhar Branch doing after all this time? Well it's been making a few appearances at shows as well as appearing on TV. It was the layout chosen to promote the Friends of Cultra model railway show in 2018 by appearing in a segment for UTV Life, where I got interviewed to talk about the layout. It also made a guest cameo appearance in an actual episode of Thomas and Friends by being one of the displays at a model railway show. So the layout has been making some good impressions. Though during the last year or so, it has been sitting in storage till I could sort out a new home for it to be stationed. I eventually took it out in October for it was due to appear at the Cultra show again in 2022. Quite a bit of work needed to be done for the layout had not been used since I put in storage. Track needed cleaning, locks and stock needed running in and serviced and some touch ups on worn out scenery was required. In the end the layout did well at the show, but there were a few faults. The main ones was down to some rolling stock derailing and a signal switch breaking. Now these have been taken note of and some upgrades are being sorted out. So the first upgrade was to relay the fiddle yard for there doesn't appear to be enough room for all the stock I need to work the layout. The original layout also had this done and with it in mind, I added a 3rd siding for the main stock lines, and extended the two other sidings for Quarry and enthusiast train stock. I was also fortunate enough to source copies of the original sequence cards for Ffarquhar MrkI only to discover that there is a secret isolating section along the quarry branch. This would make operating the layout a lot more easier and less stressful. so that too is being looked at. As for the signals. the Ratio lever switches I originally used have been removed and some PECO PL-12s are to be connected where I'll have the signals worked using PL-10 point motors. With luck they should work just fine. You will see from the photos that some stock has been upgraded slightly, most notably Thomas. I managed to find a spare Reidpath tank engine but its motor was not working. So I asked a friend to fit a new motor on the original chassis and although it jitters quite a bit, after some time it does run quite fine. I might see if I can have a spare chassis on standby just in case anything goes wrong. Annie and Clarabel's models badly needed upgrading. Their models failed the most during the Cultra show and so I thought it was time they too had new models made. Currently they are undergoing rebuilding, but hope to have pics of the build up soon. Ffarquhar is due to appear in the North Down Model Railway Society's show in April, so I hope to have everything sorted for the layout come then and to ensure everything runs according to schedule.
  9. A Merry Christmas to all you fellow modellers out there. Hope you get many wonderful gifts that would help grow the hobby and enthusiasm more and more. 

    Hopefully Father Christmas will bring me some track to start my new exhibition layout in the New Year. This one I'm really looking forward to make. 

  10. My replicas of the original Annie and Clarabel could do with some upgrading. So while I'm keeping my old ones as spares, I'm making up a new set. The sides and ends are 3D printed. The base is being designed now to fix them on and the bogies/buffers have been ordered off. With luck they should be ready before my layout's next show in April. 

    20221220_182216.jpg

    20221220_182245.jpg

  11. Some years back I posted a pic of a wee 0-4-0 saddle tank for my Ffarquhar Layout using a Bachmann chassis as it's basis. Well that model has been through several rebuilds since then and its latest form is the final form as I doubt I can get it any closer to how I originally want it to be. So once more the chassis is Bachman only this time the body shell is a custom made one, made for me by a friend, nearly fully painted and lined with just the handrails and crew to fit and that should be it.
  12. Peco streamline track has been ordered with the inclusion of electrofrog points for the smaller wheelbase engines. This will be the first time I've used electrofrog points which I hope will continue on using once I have everything understood. Just the accessory switches are needed for the points and we'll be in business. Of corse, I'll have to start with Ffarquhar with it being the terminus end of the branch line before continuing to Elsbridge. However, Elsbridge has been giving me some thought in regards to an operation programme to co work with the one for Ffarquhar. A 3 stage sequence has been written out which will see the workings of a day's work, which I hope to do a video covering it one day. Another item of Elsbridge is the river bridge that crosses the River Els. Originally I had a 3d print of the bridge made, but the print didn't look all that right to me so I decided to see what kit bashing could do. According the the IOS: It's People, History and Railways, the bridge isn't that big compared to how you see it in the books and so a smaller model would have to be made. When making the baseboards for Elsbridge, I used the Hornby Viaduct as a reference model for size and as you can see the model fits fine in the bridge's section. However, the appearance is all wrong for the bridge is a show piece to show the strength of the stone from the quarries at Anopha, whereas the Hornby model is brick built and the arches are not the right size. So I decided to adapt the Wills river bridge kit with the inclusion of the Cattle creep kits to act as walkways for the public and the local fishermen. So far the river bridge kit arrived and it's test fitted by the side of the viaduct model for reference of how much more material is required to make the rest of it up. With some slopes at each end, would make a nice river side view for people to see. A road bridge for the other side is being thought of at the moment. But that's a mother story.
  13. I'm sorry to report that further progress on my club's replica layout, the North Western Region, has now been discontinued. Whilst some members of the club are disappointed that the layout is not to be continued, it has given some the chance to think of new ideas for layouts to build. The track and boards are currently being dismantled and reused for other projects. 

    1. chris p bacon

      chris p bacon

      The same has happened at our club following a change of venue.

  14. Giving my replica of the original Thomas model a repaint into the livery the model wore when first made in the late 40s. 

    The original motor has been replaced with a new one as the original had some running issues. I just need to do the lining on the other side, add it's rear buffers, safety valves and crew and that should be it ready for service. I have another Reidpath engine that I'm currently painting up to show the model in it's later years where it went through a repaint and had some additional parts added. That model will be working the MrkII replica of Ffarquhar Branch. A Spare Thomas replica, made from a Tri-ang Jinty, is also in the making but will take time  before it's ready. 

     

     

    20221007_181242.jpg

  15. I think it was the downsize it went through when it was rebuilt. I've read that the layout was meant to have a bigger section to have more countryside and of course the passing station Elsbridge, but sadly that never came to be. It did have the scenic extension added for large exhibitions. But yeah there was something about MrkI that gave it more charm.
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