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About this blog

Layout build, based on a current prototype. Reason for selection, Photos of the prototype and the build

Entries in this blog

DCC -Why Not

Wiring and Electrics - The Plan   My S&DJR layouts have all been DCC to date and see no reason now to build using DC. I've had some mixed success with Hornby Railmaster software on Sturminster Halt but that's more to do with the running of the Loco's and the track work than the software. DCC Cobalt motors have worked well but not been happy using the Gaugemaster DCC30 Controllers, Will use here Integrated Cobalt motors/controllers on this layout but also include manual switching to a m

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Crawley Yard - January Update

Had a productive Christmas on the modelling front and a busy start to the year with an early club Saturday running which provided the impetus to get some work done and get the module test passed. That was successful so I am now officially allowed to exhibit with the first date penciled in for the Bluebell railway show in June.   The main improvement is the ballasting on the main line, this vastly improves the look and moves the layout on from a work in progress to super detailing. I've adde

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Crawley Yard - Fix 3

Couple of photo's to show some progress on the cement yard. Some final photo's to take tomorrow and then its break up time to put the model on the layout. back outside into the garden as the light is so much better. Used the airbrush to smooth the concrete and add some depth and colour to the framework. Everything is now stuck down with stickywax for the show tomorrow. Still to add, Signs and transfers, trees for the front and some brushwork to tidy up some of the paint work. First time I've

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Crawley Yard - Self Imposed Deadline, MOT and the Covers

One of the key Aspects of building a module is that it needs to pass a Module Operating Test (MOT) and following a quick discussion I had at the club it was recommended to me that I do this in two phases, phase 1 before ballasting and scenery detailing and phase 2 once the scenery and importantly the ballasting is done. Having realised this that has set my plans back a little and a slight change of focus.   I hadn't though too much about transport and when I was going to get the testing done b

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Crawley Yard - Weekend Jobs

This weekend managed to get a lot of little bits done over the layout and working towards the main buildings which are the most complicated to do. I've done some more ballasting which can be seen on these pictures. I used a mixture of ballast and finished off with a blast on the puffer bottle to this area as the yard doesn't appear to be weed treated.     One of the decisions I've had to make is where to change the ballast colouring between the Yard and the Main Line, The Main Line is brow

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Aggregate Recycling and Cement Mixers

Managed to get some modelling done today on the Aggregate recycling Facility. The basic building consists of 3 major parts, the Main Building, the back section and the tanks as shown in the picture above. I'd made the basic buildings a while ago to get the size and fit along with the positioning established but had to make a couple of changes to get the building to look right and deal with the backscene. The buildings themselves are made from cereal box card, to get the feeling of the corrugatio

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Scenic's and Wagons

Not made as much progress as I would have liked over the last week or so especially with the test coming up but managed to complete some jobs. In Burdens yard i've now fixed the fences both at the back of the yard towards the backscene buildings and right at the front paralell with the track, For this I've used one of the wire fencing packs from Ancortons. This was cut to size and then attached to the fence posts, not very easy and not sure how I would do this the next time but it looks ok in th

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Crawley Yard pre Xmas update

Competition over and so back to work on the layout. Here are the buildings stripped back off the model and back in place on the layout. I spent far too many hours doing work on the wiring following the module test, Some of this is now completed but I had the board on its side to do so have all the vehicles and stock off the layout at the moment, makes it seem very barren. Now having a couple of niggles with some points so no stock back until that's sorted.     My plan did work and I was able

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Photo Survey - Part 2 The Cement Works

The cement works next to the Aggregates yards provides the other key buildings for the layout consisting of the conveyor system for the hopper discharge feeding into the cement mixing, storage and what I think is a control unit. These are very close to the running lines and will have to be scratch built. The first picture taken from the entrance shows a general view of the site including what I assume is an old platform from a now totally cleared siding. The Control Building dominates this view

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First Outing - Not a success :-(

Not posted for a while as I've been preparing for the first outing of Crawley Yard to the club so that the initial checks could be completed with the wiring, construction, alignment and get some feedback on the build, scenics and operation. I'd chosen this weekend as there was a Saturday running morning as well which meant I could set up on the Friday and tear down on the Saturday. I finally finished the covers on Friday afternoon, I'd wanted them painted so that when the layout is in storage in

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Modelling the Cement works part 1

Started working now on the Cement works, I’d been buying bits and pieces of slaters plasticard for this purpose over the last few months and as you can see from the photo below I had some ideas about how it was all going to fit together and I’d had the buildings made but not detailed and fitted for some time.       The first thing that had to go was the polystyrene formed mounds under the conveyor, they didn’t look quite right to my eyes and I decided to replace them with foam board moun

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Crawley Yard - February Update

Quick update this time as I had intended to spend the month working on Sturminster Halt but an invite to the N Gauge Forum Meet up at Riddlesdown near Croydon, Surrey prompted me to get some of the jobs done that I had been putting off for a while. The N gauge meet up should be good and some good layouts attending including Banbury and Horseblock lane, Both modern Image :-) and of course Kanjiyama from my friend Claude who has just built himself a new website which i'm very tempted to follow his

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Background

Hi everyone, Firstly I'm new to Blogging so going to take me a while to get used to the tools and process and make sure that the pictures in FlickR align with the content here so please bear with me on this. I actually started this project at Xmas so will quickly bring the blog upto the current status and then probably the hardest thing of all carry on with blogging whilst Building.   Like many of you I've come back to Railway modelling after a number of years break with work and Family. Cra

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Cement Works Part 2 - Buildings and structures built- scenics started

The picture below represents the starting point for the next phase which includes finishing off the conveyor systems and the buildings and starting work on the scenics as well as the excavation for the conveyor pits. I used the theme board as a back which sets the model off nicely but the light reflecting is something to look at next time.         The picture below shows the problem with conveyor 3 going into the drying tower where I didnt get the angles quite right. Just going to do some

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BaseBoards and Track Plan

Site survey completed, Aerial views analysed, Couple of train trips past the location to verify some of the details and I was ready to start the track planning piece. I'd already selected the location based on the alignment with the Main London Brighton line. The aerial views gave a good view of the current and probably historic layout so I just had to deal with the returns into the Fiddle Yard. The overall size was constrained by 2 main factors, firstly the length of a module for the WSNG stan

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Photo Survey

Visited the site on 26th January, Very cold but dry but still snow on the ground in places. Wasn't sure what to expect and wasn't able to get any views from the main line side. I figured that these pictures would be enough to get me started and a feel for the size and positioning on the layout. This post covers the main features of the Aggregate recycling facility. Off to a good start though as the Internet searching found this great aerial view of the Burdens Yard, Just what every modeller need

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Crawley Yard Aerial Reconnisance

The great thing and perhaps the worst is the ability to order up your own aerial photographs from in this case Google Earth to look at the location you have chosen and make sure it meets your requirements. Having identified the potential from train Simulator and confirmed with a couple of trips on the train the next thing was the aerial views. I've actually managed to do some screenshots from the google earth site using paint and included them below     You can see the main London-Brighto

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Modular System - West Sussex Area Group of the N Gauge Society

One of the constraints mentioned in the last blog was the alignmenet with the Modular system used by the West Sussex Area Group (WSNG) of the N Gauge Society. Link Below   http://www.wsng.co.uk/   The Modular system has some basic principles which I think are broadly aligned across the N Gauge Society but I'll just highlight the WSNG features. The first one is the the front 6 inches of the layout belongs to the club when connected. Tracks are laid at 2 inches, 3 and 5 from the front of the

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Introduction

I wanted to build a layout as part of the WSNG modular system that was based on a real location and was relatively close to where I live in West Sussex. My previous modelling has been focused on the Somerset and Dorset based on my ramblings over the old line as a teenager and familiarity with the Poole area from growing up. Neither the S&D or the Dorset area really dealt with the fundamental problem with the Modular solution of requiring 3 running tracks at the front for the Module and wha

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