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War Department First World War Narrow Gauge Layout O-16.5 WDLR

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Horsing Around!

I was sat here earlier this evening thinking that I ought to get on with the Hunslet but I had a problem - everything I needed to do involved filing, sawing or soldering all of which are banned in the wifes presence and as she was sat there amusing herself on the computer my options were limited. So this is how I busied myself;     I was probably about ten last time I painted a horse so had to make it up as I went along but pretty pleased with the results. They had already been spray primed
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Running out of bits - in a good way!

Have finally got to the point with the Hunslet where there really are not many bits left in the box which means nearly finished! As you may know finished is not a word which is often ascribed to my models!     Admittedly some of the bits are not stuck down yet but some of these have been sorted out since this morning when I took these pics. I am going to leave the rear cab sheet off until I have painted this little lot;     In my usual going over the top mode I have managed to add even
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Half a set of valve gear.

I got down to it today and now have one side fully finished and working beautifully. The other side is part done and with the lessons learned and some parts fabricated already should not take too long to finish.       Made a couple of mistakes along the way but nothing too terrible and didn't hold me up for long.   You can't see it here, as forgot to pop the pony truck on, but the hole punch thingy worked a treat for punching out in-fill discs for the wheels.
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It all takes so long!

Had quite forgotten how long detailing and sorting out the chassis takes. Have managed to finish all of my more pressing proper work now and spent last night and rather too much of today on the Hunslet chassis. Fitting the brakes took ages. As I am using them to locate the pick up wire I made replacement hangers from plasticard and stuck the detailed shoe to these. Am using some very thing Berilium Copper wire in a single run over the tops of the wheels held down by the brake hanger rods which h
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Feeling rather proud of myself!

The replacement etches arrived from Mr. Chivers very promptly and a couple of days later I set about a new chassis for the second Hunslet. I will point out for any new readers that the need for a replacement chassis is entirely down to me and my rather over ambitious attempt to compensate the first one. I have not given up completely on this but is going to be put aside in the interests of meeting my now less than a year deadline. I think the recent experience has helped and did various things l
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A new toy!

Got a new toy today which I have been thinking of for ages but finally justified for the new Hunslet project. I have always had a problem with cutting true circles out of sheet metal or even plasticard and with the imminent need for cab spectacles, wheel inserts and balance weights I finally gave in to a Jewelers Circular hole punch set. This is something I have knocked up myself before but this will do the job so much better. It has a good selection of sizes (except the one you really want of c
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Something for nothing!

How often have you ever found a solution to a very real, sometimes costly but usually time consuming and uncomfortable problem and for no money! Well I did just that yesterday. My particular problem - dropping (and often loosing). bits on the floor. The solution - a clear out at my daughters school! In the skip were quite a number of strong plastic trays that I just couldn't resist. I was initially thinking seedlings for the garden or an extra cat poo tray when we go away (Yuk!), but one (and po
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Subsidence and anti cat measures

Having erected two of the baseboards in my office last week and being rather alarmed at how vertically misaligned one of the loops had become i have worked out the reason. Strictly speaking though it is not subsidence but more like separation. I have realised that the outer card layer has parted company with the foam core of the foam board underlay taking the track with it. Luckily is just on one track but being at the baseboard join it is rather inconvenient to say the least. I will try to run
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Hunslet #2 progress (but don't get too excited!)

Yes, is actually a bit more strategic progress rather than physical but important all the same. After having had another couple of head scratching sessions over my possibly over ambitious compensated chassis I have admitted defeat and have instigated plan B. Anyone who followed my Hunslet week a couple of months ago will know that before I set about hacking into a perfectly good chassis I had talked to Mr Chivers about replacement etches if it didn't work out. Well, I have just instigated plan B
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Narrow gauge at the bottom of the garden!

OK, a complete aside from War department projects but I can't let the fact go that Sir Hayden (or Corris #3 as I prefer!) is currently sitting just 200 yards away! It has always been a happy coincidence that our ideal house was right next to the Severn Valley Railway but although I now know every loco by it's sound, standard gauge just doesn't do it for me! But..... as part of the annual steam gala which has trains running right through the night (and good beer opportunities!) this year Sir Hay
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Figuring it out

Was sitting there the other night thinking I really should be getting on with something layout orientated but was constrained both by feeling really lazy and the fact that my wife was busying herself with something on the computer in the same room so no cutting or filing of metal allowed. She hate the sound but I retaliate by not letting her file her nails anywhere near me! Anyway, it seemed as if I had little option but to start on the forty or so figures I have been amassing. Now, I don't thin
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Ditched!

Drainage ditches are not really very interesting - well about as - no even I can't commit that pun! But, they are important and I have realised that I have got mine all wrong. A couple of days ago on a military rail forum someone posted some links to a couple of original films. on British and one German and I have watched each several times over now. Strangely enough it is actually the German one which is most interesting as it must have been shot after the big break through in March 1918 and sh
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Layout in the office

No pictures tonight I am afraid as far too late for that sort of thing and I have been playing with money making pictures all (well most!), of the day so have had enough of them! Anyway, in little gaps when I have run away from the computer I have made some progress - sort of. Have cleared the accumulation of junk from one side of my office (oh the joys of working from home!), and have installed two of the base boards so I can do some scenic work. Ok, problem one - I really don't think my leg sy
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What's cooking and some new goodies.

Had a busy day today but a bit about what I achieved last night first. Thought I would tackle another small project and pretty much finished the construction of the PLM field kitchen. Another bit of unusual detail that should add a bit of extra interest to the layout. Very straight forward really and just need a little bit of detailing and then painting which shouldn't be hard.     Now apart from taking little one to a bowling party first thing the rest of the day was spent at the O Gauge G
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Back to school and Hunslet success!

At last - school hols are over! We have had a lovely time but has not left much room for playing with trains. So have eased myself back in and with surprising success. I started my original Hunslet 4-6-0 about two years ago and fairly quickly had myself a nice looking loco which ran very well - backwards! It would lock up solid going forwards. After much head scratching I did the obvious thing and popped it in the display cabinet for another day which (two years later), was today.   I suspecte
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How long can I keep this up?

Keep what up? Well a blog on constructing a layout without actually getting anything built! Hopefully not for much longer as is getting very frustrating! Still very hectic work wise but did manage to fit in a short mid week break with some old friends which was not without some purpose for my project. I strongly believe that it is always good to talk to people about things and from a very obscure conversation over a a campfire a rather intriguing idea arose for my backscene. I already have a pre
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Just like buses!

No this isn't an order but a comment on how my work is! Nothing for months and then everything all at once. Guess you know where I am going with this one - yes - no progress on layout! Am afraid that my resolution to do a bit every day has gone out of the window. Well, not completely, I think about it every day and if I had more time I would be worrying about it! In case you have not been following this thread from the start this layout is being built specifically to be exhibited at the First Wo
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All Quiet on the Layout Front.

Rather a quiet couple of weeks but not entirely wasted. A huge great rush of work before going off on hols meant little progress and then twelve days away meant no physical advance but..... Our rather ambitious tour of Holland and Belgium did land us in Ypres for three days in the end and had plenty of time to to loads of WWI sites and research. Met a lot of very interesting, knowledgeable and very helpful people who filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge. Met the man who excavated the Yorkshir
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Wait to you see the back drop!

Am amazed (and pretty pleased!), at how that last post seemed to go down and all for a very simple bit of Photo Shopping. Well just wait until you see what I plan to do for the back drop! Oh ! (have just found out you can't say bug ger!). Have just committed myself to something else! I actually have quite a few more unusual features that I want to build into this layout but I did decide not to let on until I have a good idea that they will work so as not to look too foolish. well, I do know my b
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Couldn't resist a bit of a play

While I was doing some useful work in PhotoShop last night couldn't resist a bit of a play with this pic I took yesterday of the new track section with a Hunslet and a couple of wagons.   And here is the result;  
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Playing with mud

As the weather has got mercifully cooler have been able to attack another board with paint and mud. Again, with help from my little assistant, the areas between and around the track were given a rough coat of brown acrylic then attacked with the airbrush and then finally finished off with dried and sieved garden dirt and Astonish polish. This is great as it seems to be very 'wet' and does not clump up the dirt but am considering a quick coat of dilute PVA as well. Reason for this is the other bo
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It might not seem much

Probably because it isn't much! But it is a start on the Dick Kerr chassis. Personally I love this bit, a couple of bits of soldered together brass (to make two identical frames), and a new innovation. Yes, another good idea, two in as many days! Previously I have just gone straight for cutting the brass, tried making card formers but never quite right. This time I used a bit of foam board which is ridged but squishy enough to form to the body to get the right shape for the frames to fit the bod
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A stroke of genius!

Well it does happen sometimes! Was having huge amounts of trouble getting the Dick Kerr to sit straight and square while I soldered it up but then found the solution. I was looking for a big sheet of copper clad stuff but found this sheet of nickel silver instead. Then proceeded to tack one side of the body to it, get out the square,then the other. suddenly I had a really solid, square and easy to work on shell.     And a little outing to the garden,     All soldered up and ready to ha
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I've been a little bit naughty!

Well just a little bit, but I can justify it! Naughtiness is starting another loco before finishing anything else. Trouble is I really need to get on with the track but only place I can do this is in the conservatory at the moment and it is just TOO HOT! Yes, I am complaining - I hate it! Anyway, just needed something straight forward to get on with instead (I guess I could have got on with clearing the cellar -it's cool down there!), so decided to start one of the Worsley Works Dick Kerr petrol
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Sand Bags

This project is throwing up a few things that even a much experienced (which I am not!), railway modeller might find new and unusual. OK a military modeller might not but be put out by such things as sand bags, shells and barbed wire but even then I need them in far greater quantities than a 12 inch square diorama would need. I have found a few articles on making sandbags on the net but they tend to recommend using Miliput. Now Miliput is something I have a bit of a hate - hate relationship with
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