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  • SouthernRegionSteam

    Coastguard Creek - 15 months of planning!

    By SouthernRegionSteam

    Hold on to your socks - this is going to be a lengthy one! (In fact it's so long, I've now split it into 2 separate posts - the next will be up soon...)   I think it's fair to say that you are all long overdue an update on Coastguard Creek. Due to other commitments, no real progress has been made since the last post way back in March 2021; almost 15 months ago! If anything, things went backwards for quite a while, as I kept finding more and more inspiring locations that I really wanted
    • 8 comments
    • 2,786 views
Layout stored on the ceiling

Grace's layout using a LTM Layout Lift

I have managed a start on my good lady Grace's 8ft by 4ft layout using a LTM Layout Lift to store it suspended from the ceiling in our small guest room.   The lift was installed as per the instructions     The layout base would have to be made as light as posible and was made from one sheet of 9mm ply for the framework and one sheet of 6mm as a top to hold two sheets of 50mm styro foam.     I began by cutting the 9mm ply sheet into 8 110mmm strips to form the sides; each strip double
emac

emac

0
Etched Pixels Workbench

A little balloonacy

I got distracted (again) adding another experiment to the corner of an etch sheet, which I've now been assembling (and editing with scissors a bit as I goofed a couple of bits of the design on the first go)   Some of the terrier photos I've always loved are the tiny terriers dwarfed by the biig Marsh 'Balloon' trailers. I wanted to do the first ones - the 'classic' shot of the originals with gangways, but in the absence of good enough drawings I moved on a couple of diagrams.
Etched Pixels

Etched Pixels

4
The Abercorn Branch

A time for contemplation - size matters

all is quiet on the Abercorn Branch. The electrics seem as fully operational as a settrack layout seems to allow, and the chances of my moving things to cab control before the darker days draw in seem , er, 'remote'   Scenery is in the hands of the female of the species (both large and small as wot live in this house) and is moving not a jot at present.   Operating the thing though seems to me to be a confirmation that the layout will serve us well for the next little while. (ie, all seem ag
mr magnolia

mr magnolia

2
Engine Wood

Insulated box vans - now I need a change!

I've now finished P4 box vans numbers 7 and 8 in the current batch build for 'Callow Lane'. These are two Bachmann insulated planked vans, which have had the Bachmann chassis completely replaced with various components from Parkside, Bill Bedford and our very own Craigwelsh of this forum.   Notwithstanding the valid debate about the mouldings of the planked Bachmann vans, I had acquired a number of examples when the came out, and I wanted to use them on Callow Lane, (the OO layouts having enou
Captain Kernow

Captain Kernow

6
RJRs Branch Lines

More 25 in G starts of nose

Tonight ... you might as well tackle the hard bits first ! and boy are those simple looking ends full of curves !     The front sides were the starting point   Then the nose itself, the long side is clamped on just to help me visualise were I am going !         John
johnteal

johnteal

3
First Steps in O gauge

Part 1 - something to run - the shunter

Following on from my points in my first post about why O gauge was a good idea for me to try something new, I'm also wanting to try a number of new techniques that I haven't done before.   My first part - albeit bizarrely - is to attempt a brass kit, something I've never done before.   Having grown up near Chard Junction, and having fond memories of the Ruston 165 shunter pottering around the yard moving milk tanks around, it seemed a good place to start. I contacted Mike Edge, and after a
cromptonnut

cromptonnut

4
First Steps in O gauge

How it all began

I've been modelling for about 30 years. Started in OO gauge with a surprise layout straight out the Cyril Freezer trackplan book for Christmas 1976 - being an hour from the Peco factory I guess it wasn't too surprising.     Over the years the layout grew, taking over a spare room, until the usual teenage years when other, less wholesome interests take over your life. All packed up, put in a box in the back of a cupboard, and forgotten about for about 10 years.   One day, having a clearo
cromptonnut

cromptonnut

4
Bisley Junction

Ahhh, that's better....

After yesterdays trials and tribulations, one of the first things I did this evening, once home, was to turn the boards around to see how it would look viewed from the opposite side to the original plan.     I think it works better - I'm much happier with the appearance of the layout now, it just works better IMO.   The mugs and herb jars are the storage tanks, the CDs are the loading canopy and the coasters are a small office building. The Bachmann boxes by the far wall are a low-ish re
Pugsley

Pugsley

3
Highclere - 2mm Finescale

Results from this bank holiday weekend...

Hello.   Here is what I have been upto this weekend...     1. I have managed to get both sets of lights working on the layout. It took a bit of time to figure out why one side wasnt working but I managed to find a short across some PCB from some flux (there is a lesson there Im sure). I still have to paint the light bits black, pin the wiring down, and clip them to the brackets (one of the baseboards has already got a nice dent in it from one falling!)     2. I have made a start on t
-missy-

-missy-

7
The Grime Street Blog

Some modelling and a few gratuitous trolleybus pics.

What's going on, two entries in less than a week! Mention was made of the modded PC trams chassis for a Corgi Feltham, so here it is in primer     And with the Corgi body fitted     The general idea behind this is to do with the proposed resin body kit for LCC1/Leeds 301 which if all goes to plan (yeah, right!) would feature an r-t-r chassis using the PC/Halling chassis as a base unit but with platforms/stairs/doors/bulkheads/controllers etc, basically fit lifeguards, bogie sides etc a
Red Devil

Red Devil

4
2mm layout based in South Wales The Blog

Progress before my return to EM

No I havn't given up on the 2mm and hopefuly I'll be able to get back to it later in the year, but I have been working on my EM stock for the past month and I now require the space, so I've had to box up the 2mm whilst I do some work with an EM gauge layout, Morfa Mawr. http://www.rmweb.co....__1entry48479   This has a couple of exhibitions to get ready for, of which the first is STORMEx in August. http://www.rmweb.co...._1entry122363   I took a few photos of the 2mm today before packing a
Trevor H

Trevor H

10
The Saltney Railway

Saltney, more good(s) stuff.

The goods shed at “Slugworth†(not convinced that name’ll stick) is now just about finished and in position.   I’ve built an internal crane from wooden coffee stirrers and assorted bits of brass from the scrap box, fitted gutters & downpipes, LED lights and the windows in the office.     The roof and canopy have been painted and weathered but there are still ridge tiles to fit and quite a bit more internal detail to add.     Steve’s now added the island platform to the G
Jon Fitness

Jon Fitness

0
TomE's N Gauge Modelling

Slow progress

Well, what with work and holiday recently, time for the railway has been in short supply. However, I've had a go at weathering a Farish Class 66 and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Perhaps the roof needs a bit more around the exahust though?     Hopefully I'll have a bit more time to push on with the layout itself soon so more updates on the way.   Cheers,   Tom.
TomE

TomE

3
RJRs Branch Lines

Class 25 in G

Work has now started on my latest scratch built plasti-card loco   Based on a OO model I have, it is still in the early stages, but it is taking shape now. I have always thought it would be nice to have a BO BO diesel but couldn't work out how to hide the very "steam" based playmobil motor blocks, till now !   Here with its inspiration in OO, sat next to N gauge tracks !       Very basic but the next bit is where it starts to take shape, 4 side frames like this..     Once mounte
johnteal

johnteal

5
Bisley Junction

Progress, of sorts, and a small change of plan

It's been one of those days. One of those days when most things don't go the way you want them to. In fact, I've had the Sadim touch all day (the opposite of the Midas touch - everything you touch turns to sh*t) so it came as no real surprise that the start on the layout didn't quite go to plan.   Once all the Templot plans had been put on the boards, I started putting stock in the relevant places just to check the visual appearance of the plan. I don't make detailed plans, as such, I have
Pugsley

Pugsley

8
coombe junction - moorswater

coombe junction - Display sorted...

Update - Further to the last post and comments received, I kept thinking through the proscenium arch and looking at the 1:50 model...and then...seeing an ariel view of the display at the Railex exhibition, I realised that I didn't want a formal proscenium arch as such...more an implied one.   The problem of how the lighting beam at the front was going to be supported had troubled me for some time, but now I have a revised solution I am happy with, in that the lighting beam runs the full length
bcnPete

bcnPete

6
Calshot 4mm - SRS's Blog

Late night inspiration...

Just been playing around with some bits of paper after having comprehensively re-read the narrow gauge book on Calshot. This sketch doesn't sound that feasible given the right hand hangar will scale down to 36cm wide. (Not 50cm as I originally said) Alternately, the castle can be on the left hand side.   I'd ideally like to follow the prototype as close as possible, in the next few days I'll have half a dozen NG wagons to play with which will need to be modified to resemble the real things.  
Beardybloke's 009 Bodging Bench

Passengers, Slates and Progress (or the lack thereof)

Post-Railex, I spent a boring couple of hours soldering up some Spratt & Winkle couplings for the newest rolling stock - the WHR Ashbury, slate wagons and sundry other freight stock. There are still quite a lot to do, but many of the older wagons still need weight fitting and it's a somewhat mind-numbing task, so I keep allowing myself to be distracted!   However, with the fitting of couplings to No. 23 and wire loops to Prince in place of Bemo couplers, Hafod Las now has its first complet
Beardybloke

Beardybloke

4
Brass0four's Blog

In at the deep end...

Having browsed this excellent website for a while I've finally summoned the courage to jump in. Its odd how the seemingly plausible legend I'd contrived to justify my layout has suddenly become utterly bizarre and an obvious target for ridicule by my elders and betters. There might be comparatively few of the former as I'm no spring-chicken, but a great many of the latter as my railway modelling experience is minimal. First, that sig: -   Following a period of ill-health that was useful in est
Brass0four

Brass0four

3
Coombe Barton

Anti Spill Bunds for Fluids - saving the carpet and the wrath

The Bunds   So the anti spill in plastic caused problems. Especially with plastic solvents. To be expected, wasn’t it?   Yes, well ...   So this time a visit to Pets at Home (the dogs sent me, actually, to get them some treats) to get a couple of £1.59 stainless steel dog bowls. Small ones will do – you only need to use them as a bund in the most extreme circumstances so the volume needs be over twice that of the largest bottle/tin you’re going to put in them. They’re for stabili
Coombe Barton

Coombe Barton

1
Whitemarsh Yard

Crossing timbers

Having received some help from other members about siting point machines (thanks guys!) I've been extending my crossing timbers in readiness.     I cut up some spare sleepers left behind by track laying, shaving off one chair and trimming short of the other. These are glued in line with the crossing timbers - they look long to me, but with the point machine they seem about right - and the length is based on pictures of Whitemoor, so it ought to be legit. I've had a first pass at puttying to
Will Vale

Will Vale

0
Whitemarsh Yard

Sprat and Winkles

I did a lot of experiments with magnetic tension locks and while they were cheap, fun, and pretty effective, I ended up getting annoyed at how big and bulky they were. I ordered some 3mm scale Sprat and Winkle etches from MSE to give them a try, and I liked them even more - especially since one 3mm diameter Neodymium magnet is enough to operate a pair of couplings, albeit without much margin for positional error.     Teeny weeny! I drilled suitable holes and the magnets fit in. They're rece
Will Vale

Will Vale

0

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