This will be just a short update, as I am now at the stage where most construction has to be halted, whilst awaiting the arrival of some "spare parts" from Springside Models,- who are very kindly sending the components that I said I required in the previous blog, I must say very good customer service!
The only remaining task possible is to begin building the staircase, which I may do, depending on how long the wait for the internal bits.
The roof has been painted, as have the wi
Hello again, well the weather has become more reasonable for modelling, so I decided to make an attempt at advancing the construction of Sproston's signalbox.
This has been sitting partly madeup on my little workbench/ folding picnic table for some time, and after reading through the many posts on RMweb of RSLR (Reece), I have been galvanised into action...adding the courses of engineers blue brick around windows, doors and on the edges of the structure,adding the glazing and painting the r
Hello again, now the weather has become cooler,and my loft has had its NASA makeover! I have been busy constructing the railway telegraph pole and the towns telephone pole routes.
I have used the Ratio poles, and cut them down to more accurately represent the required capacity of line/telephone wires and insulators, after having a quick calculation on which premises in the town would have had a phone, and where the railway would need to run its line wires to/from.
Spacing proved a bit
Well it's been a long (hot) month, since there was any noticeable progress on Sproston, and I have also been on a full week of nights. (Destroys me...)
My time previously had been occupied with fitting the loft interior out, with large quantities of double sided aluminium foil roll, with a fire retardant fibreglass layer inside it.- I am hoping that this may go some way to solving the huge temperature fluctuations that have been experienced this Summer, whilst also keeping it more co
One of the major disadvantages of having a layout in a loft (uninsulated) is the weather - in Summer it's often just too hot to handle up there for more than a few minutes..
Yesterday the temperature was 34c (98f)!
In these circumstances, and along with work ( 7 shifts in a row yeuch!!) taking up far too much of my time, I have very little progress to report.
However the signalbox is coming along slowly, and the area of the goods yard has seen some backscene improvements started,
It's been quite a long time since I last updated progress on the layout, so thought I better get cracking...
I have added 4 new levers for the hand operated points scattered around the Station, after repainting them correctly - for some reason as purchased the black and white colours were reversed.They are mounted on timbers just clear of the lineside
Next task was to extend the goods shed road by about 1 1/2" to allow a van to stand completely outside the rear of the shed, and allow a
Have recently had an enjoyable operating session which helped to clean the track,- it being sometime since a loco hauled movement had taken place.
Still to be decided is which coupling system to standardize on - all stock is fitted with tension lock couplings, so I suppose that is the obvious way to go, I find that the only problem with this is the large number of uncoupling ramps that will be necessary to enable all the proposed train movements to take place. It also seems that nearly ever
Decided to indulge in a little operating session during a break from construction, and try out some different train formations, as I wanted to run the latest additions to the stock - two Hornby Hawksworth coaches in BR maroon- a brake 2nd and a 1st/2nd composite.
These are the most modern and also the longest coaches in use on the layout ( and the only ones with the luxury of toilets onboard...)
In common with most modellers - I suspect, I have around 50% too much stock ( already!!) in
Well, the operating lever mechanisms for the two Ratio lower quadrant semaphore signals that I have spent loads of time fitting to the layout have just broken - they lasted all of TWO days!!!( I have already had to use the only spare available,after an earlier breakage).
So, reverting to just pulling the strings now to operate them - I do hope Dapol bring out a decent motorized W.R round post bracket signal sometime soon..as I certainly won't be wasting any money on ratio replacement
Forgot to include this signalling diagram in the last entry- should hopefully make a lot more sense now !
Regards.
The frame has 25 levers, There is no 26!! a mistake on my part
Sigtech.
Have had a very trying week, attempting to install two Ratio lower quadrant (cat:460/1) signals as the platform starters at Sproston, - and then getting them to work...
To say they were fiddly would be an understatement, the instructions were very poor and towards the end I was almost tempted to replace one with a strictly unprototypical - but nevertheless working colourlight!!
However after dogged perseverance,and some very choice expletives,( and lots of tea..) success, although I di
No new work done on layout - as I've been on a week of night shifts (yeuch!).
However, have taken a few more pics to see if it is starting to feel "real" - which I think is the 'acid test' for any layout.
More photos showing the little details that I am trying to add, to make up for the layouts small size!
Next task will be adding two more starting signals, ( and hopefully making them work...) and all the ground discs.
Regards
Sigtech.
Managed to make more substantial progress with the scenery last week - bought 12 trees (woodland scenics)to make up and install. Had a disaster with the first attempt,- I used hairspray to attach the clump foilage, next day when I came to handle the trees guess what? Yup, most of the green stuff fell off!!
Second attempt at tree making, and this time taking no chances- using uhu clear adhesive, result - success!! Obviously 'Tesco' hairspray is not quite as "firm hold" as they like to
Some more photos that I have taken of the layout, must say that overall I am pleased with the way it is progressing,- only trouble is that work gets in the way!!
Regards
sigtech.
Carrying on with more progress on Sproston, the next task was to paint all the landscape with Windsor and Newton 'dark umber' poster paint -,for no other reason than I had two tins of the stuff!! This at least put an end to all the dreaded "snow"...
The road surfaces were painted with thinned Humbrol hs209 'tarmac' enamel paint, and Jarvis 'rough pasture' scatter was applied to the hillsides on top of diluted pva glue, I found that this needed more than one application, to achieve a satisfa
The creamery is the major industry in Sproston, and has been in existence since 1929 - before that the buildings were in use as a cider factory, opened in 1881, and closing in 1926. To construct the original site a large area of the hillside was removed, and the yard is flanked on two sides by a high retaining wall of brown stone. Around 75 people, working 2 shifts keep production going 24 hours a day.
The milk is collected from the surrounding farms and transported in churns by lorr
Here we go again; it was about this time last year, that my Son and myself went to a local model railway exhibition held at a school in Dereham,Norfolk, looking for some inspiration and ideas. We came upon a very realistic layout with a nice (small) working turntable, and my curiosity was aroused - I had begun to realise that the non - motorised, kitbashed Dapol turntable on Sproston had many shortcomings, and that something more refined would be needed.I had contemplated the Peco one - too big;
Now the that the scenery had been started in earnest, I decided that any changes would only be cosmetic.I had a plan, and was going to stick too it...(famous last words!!)
More items were being added to the layout, which resembled a winter wonderland- everywhere was all white!!
The yard crane on the loading bank in the goods yard made an appearance ( Wills),also the GWR water crane next to the loco-release at the main platform, followed by a grounded van body (both Ratio)
The sign
Hi again,- updating progress rapidly, to bring the story to where we are now, as I decided to start this blog at what some would say is a late stage in the development of Sproston. ( Truth is - I was not sure the layout would actually come to fruition). After much tinkering with the non-railway buildings and road layout, the final plan was produced, I was trying to achieve a sense of openness (very difficult in a space 6'6"x5'0"!) with the placement of the structures.The layout is meant to repre
This is the continuing story of a small branchline terminus-fiddle yard layout in my loft.
The next stage saw frenetic kit building activity- the goods shed (Metcalfe, with the office portion repositioned, and a Ratio 'coaling stage'wooden hoist fitted inside on the loading platform) was quickly followed by coal cells, coal office (ratio), weghbridge and weigh house (Metcalfe again).
Then came platelayers hut, two lamprooms, WR/LMS loading gauge and pagoda shelter (all ratio).
By
It all started approximately 12 months ago, when our 33 year old central heating system was finally condemned by the Corgi gas fitter who serviced it,- unable to get the parts!
So we spent a small fortune on an all singing, all dancing, new 'government approved' pressurized system - and out went the water tank in the loft, we were left with a large partly boarded and well lit loft, access via a built in loft-ladder and with very little in it, except two flush pannelled wood doors...
It
