Hi Missy,

Is that your signal box I can see in the second shot??

Yes, you've certainly dived right in there on board 2!

Mind you, having seen your high standards for myself at Expo, I know it will be worth it in the end.

mmmmmmmmm miss Beeching strikes lol

keep going lass in the long run you will redo it any way . i know your standards.

You don't do things by half do you?

If I remember rightly, it's only one point and a section of single track from the end of the platforms to the bridge; I'd be inclined to say 'go for it' and get all the track to a basic level (no ballast). The only doubt/concern about this that I would have would be the alignment of your 'mechanisms' under the board and the risk of spoiling the super neat wiring that you had so carefully done. The up-side of this would be that you would have a totally clean slate from which to ensure that the running characteristics were absolutely perfect.

It is easy to view this with clinical detachment when it's not your own layout your so blithely suggesting ripping up and starting again , and I could well imagine how disheartening this could seem at times. However, with your standards of perfection and detail, I can fully appreciate your wish to get everything just so...

Thanks guys for the votes of confidence

Hi Missy,

Is that your signal box I can see in the second shot??

Not unless my signal box has double glazing . Its now a goat shed

You don't do things by half do you?

No! But I WANT to get it right and now the first board is running much better it needed doing. I have taken the easy route and pulled alot of track up instead of trying to remove the ballast but I feel it will be worth it long term, even if it feels like I am going backwards right now.

Would that be the cattle dock. I don't think you should add the birch tree.

I dont think I will, no. At least the photo shows the posts but it is amazing how quickly nature has taken over.

You could replace the track so far. Test it all and then decided whether to rip up the rest or try to blend it in. Was the point trouble free? Its either that or just go for it.

Don

I have taken pretty much all of the plain track up now but have left the point and small bits on the baseboard ends. The point wasnt brilliant but it is easily fixed.

It's interesting that the second board is harder to do than the first - did you use different methods for fixing the ballast/track?

On this board I did, instead of dripping diluted PVA onto the ballast I tried applying neat PVA first then adding dry ballast on top. It didnt really work how I planned it to so in a way Im glad to take it all up and start again.

Most people try different things on a little test piece first but not me! I dive straight in on my layout and regret it later! As I mentioned previously its a big learning curve so this was kind of inevitable really.

Missy

I wouldnt worry too much about getting the ballast to look the same - lots of prototype photos show all sorts of variations but many models are too even. Embrace unevenness! The more interesting question might be how to make the variations on the model look right. I wouldn't claim to have got this right myself, but there's no harm in trying.

Andy / Don.

Thanks for the advice. It can be difficult to create unevenness sometimes as your subconcious automatically tries to do the opposite. I have found that especially difficult when planting trees as you automatically try to create a pattern!

As for the ballast I have now left about 6 inches of ballasted track around the bridge which I will blend into the new stuff as I feel confident I can do that. I would be laying more track right now if it wasnt for the fact I have lost my track making jig!

Missy