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About this blog

An O Gauge BR Branch Line Terminus Model Railway set around 1980 in or about Somerset. Ish.

 

The lock-down diorama kind of got out of control.

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Entries in this blog

The Big Move

It doesn't seem I can just transfer my blog across from it's old home, so... rewind to the start of the great lock-down and hopefully things should catch up quite quickly.
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The (Entirely Unnecessary) Ground Frame

For the gronks little siding I'm putting in a ground frame. This completely un-prototypical in the circumstances, but I thought it would be fun. My excuse is that's how access to Bristol Bath Road depot was done. This is a Wizard/MSE kit of a Saxby & Farmer frame. I didn't actually know quite what I'd ordered since there's no picture on the site, but I guess that adds to the anticipation. It's a very nice kit, the base folded up simple with minimal cleaning up. The etches for the
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Stuff Starts Coming Together

With the banner repeater done and installed (painted the hand-rails white for some reason, will have to change that), the far corner tree placed (but not fixed yet) and the footpath lamps in place all that needs to be done is: Fix bushes etc to hide the gaps; Put the foliage on the RBO (Ridiculously Big Oak) and plant it to the left of the tracks; Plant the other NSRBT (Not So Ridiculously Big Tree) on the right together with the tiny trees; Add some 'dry grass' and some dark
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Stone. Loads Of Stone. Walls.

And so to the excellent tunnel mouth and stone walling from Invertrain. The first thing was to paint everything grey (a match pot from B&Q). I kind of assumed the plaster would suck the paint right in requiring many coats, but it just needed the one. Not the greatest photo, the flash on my phone is way OTT, but here's the bit I tackled first - the tunnel mouth. After the grey had dried I got out my chalks (did I mention I love chalks now for weathering). Basically I 'drew' wh
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Static Grass. Man.

This is something that just didn't exist the last time I built a layout, but Chris Nevard's photos of it's use convinced me that it's the way to go. So, over to Youtube and see how it works. Obviously the first thing is getting a static grass tool. Some googling revealed news that would not impress the bank manager, so I looked up the technicalities of how it works and got wondering if there was a Plan B short of making a Van Der Graff generator. Indeed there is, cheap and nasty bug swatter
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So Far So Good

I finally knuckled down to doing the point rodding. Somewhat to my surprise it's all gone well, if a little slow. Under the branch track the crank for the facing point lock went it and using Plastruct square the rod the headshunt point rod placed. The the FPL and branch points were connected to the run back to the signal box. These are 's's of round 0.7mm round brass kinked to drop the height from the rod in the chair to the crank and soldered to 0.7mm square rod . They are perhaps a little exag
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Signals - And Progress

Had a bit of a grumble about dummies (ground position signals for the posh) in an earlier post. In a kind of desperation, there being no picture of what you are getting, I ordered a pair of BR(M) kits from Wizard/MSE. This was on the basis that apparently the Midland Region ones were BR standard and the MSE signals I built are really nice. So, this is what you get, and very nice it is too. They do seem massive after OO! Yes, these are what I wanted. And it says on the packet they can
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Signal Wires...

Originally I'd decided that just having the signal wire posts and pulleys would be sufficient, but having done most of the point rodding I thought I'd just try a guitar string since I'd mentioned that might work and thought it would be fun. So I did, and entered a whole new world of "this is actually probably insane". The No. 1 problem is actually being able to see the dammed things... Still, the experimental one went ok, putting a nice bend in it round the pulley at the box (my needle file is t
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SIgnals

Signal Kit Build - Paint

And so to painting and finishing. First off was to pop out to the garden and spray it with good old Hafords etch primer (the can's about eight years old and still going strong). Before I did this I intended to mask the lamp 'lenses' with a bit of Blue Tac but forgot. I got away with it. The signal was then appropriately decorated. The black is possibly a bit shinier that intended, I'm going with having a very keen S&T Dept rather than mess about. The grey is just the aforementioned Halfords
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SIgnals

Signal Kit Build - 4

With the LED now fixed in the lamp, the leads got fed down the post. I half expected them to get caught up on the rod providing the pivot for the counter balance, but all went swimmingly. Twisting them together may have helped. The camera's really struggling close-ups today, wrong phase of the moon or something.   And then the lamp  was glued on, making sure it lines up with the spectacle lens holes.     Followed by the track circuit plaque. I placed this as
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SIgnals

Signal Kit Build - 3

The part of the instructions, which have only a couple of sketches and reminded me today of Airfix instructions back in the day when they purely text, is to add either a signal wire pulley, or a crank arm (cosmetic). This is different from the other kit I did which just offered a crank, so naturally I've gone with the pulley - though this is I suspect not prototypical for the period. It uses the same part as the bracket on the post and folds up with a pulley on another short bit of rod. This is
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SIgnals

Signal Kit Build - 2

On the way to the workbench I passed a flock of newly arrived tail lamps making their way towards their traditional nesting habitat; to whit some buffer stops. Beautiful plumage.   And so session number 2 with the signal kit. The next step in the instructions is to make the arm. All quite straightforward, but in the absence of any non-soldery pins to hold things square I did this by lying it face down on a bit of wood with a hole drilled for end of the pivot wire. Then looking do
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SIgnals

Signal Kit Build

Whilst painting and decorating, fitting fishplates and the final bits of rodding and signal wires proceeds in stops and starts (they aren't my favourite activities) I decided building a nice kit would be a pleasant diversion. Though I'm itching to build the 43two1 Models BR 20T brake van kit (I built one a few years ago, a delightful kit) reason suggested making the MSE signal kit for the platform would be more practical.   Those of the tidy workshop persuasion might like to go and hav
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Signal Box Complete(ish)

Having got rid of the chimney and having added the gazing the signal box has assumed residency of it's real estate. Wires are in place for the interior light and cork laid to bring it up to sleeper height. The white thing is the ramp that goes in front of the box to provide a walk way, and somewhere to hide the ends of the rodding. Oh, I did take a photo.   View the full article  
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Set The Controls To...

So while that sorts itself out, time to start wiring the double slip. Pretty quickly it became apparent that having somewhere to mount switches might be an idea! Well, I've got some ply - nope, too thick. Dammit, why have you never got some hardboard lying about like it always was (for some unexplained reason) back in the day. Eyes cast round the loft... oh look, the wallpaper pasting table. Reaches for saw... Above : I feel no guilt. I hate wallpaper. One control panel.
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Removing The New-ness

Model railways, or perhaps modelling in general, must be one of the few endevours where you take nice shiny new things and make them unshiny. To this end all the track, bar the concrete sleepers, got a good sprayed dose of Railmatch 'Sleeper Grime'. The can was six years old and wouldn't play ball to start with, but after fiddling with the nozzle for an hour it suddenly sprung into life. The rail heads were wiped off (with a little thinners for the stubborn bits) with a cloth. The transformation
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Track

RBO Ready To... And Fishplates.

The poly stuff for RBO turned up, so much spraying of dilute PVA and sprinkling of leaves, and light leaves too, has ensued. It's sitting with the glue drying while the Engineering Dept. ponders on actually planting it. It all gets a bit real when your actually going to have to try The Plan out. It will work. He says.   Here's a coupe of pics of the Permaway fishplates, which highlight the quality of the fishplates and the not-terribly-goodness of my track laying skills. Fitting them t
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Radio Control... ?

Over the last couple of days I've been checking out Protocab, a radio controlled battery powered control system that eliminates the need for power to the track. This appeals immensely - no track cleaning, no wiring and you get to drive down the rusty little-used siding without coming to a grinding halt. I'm happy battery life will meet my needs, and I like the idea of re-charging via the engines normal pickups (the induction version, at over £100, is not justifiable on a small layout). There's o
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Radio Control Revisited

I was babbling on about battery powered radio control above, and had literally got to the point of ordering stuff when I spotted a show-stopper flaw, well 1.5/2 ish flaws. I'd found all the bits to set up 11.1V battery power, r/c controller, r/c receiver board and a way to charge from the track (using a 'special' powered section on an otherwise dead-track layout, at the fueling point) for about £120. Not only that but the bits were actually in stock (a very rare event in r/c land it seems)! Just
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Progress...

Finally the crossing is now complete. I've cut some wood to represent a railing that was protecting whatever it was that caused the wide bit to be built, this will appear when I've worked out how to make it look a bit derelict.  The real reason is that yard of track the headshunt came from had been mounted on a plinth, complete with barrow crossing, for photographing a ruck of wagons I sold some years back. When I came to lay the track for Soddingham the middle bit of the crossing wouldn't come
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Platforms (from LCUT)

Platforms - the curse of all my previous model railway endeavours. Platforms can make or break a layout, I've seen so many in exhibition videos (insomnia and YouTube!) that mar an otherwise nice layout. The first thing was to establish if there is such a thing as a 'standard' GWR/BR(W) platform design, and the result was no, at least in the time frame being modeled. This is due to so many on the fringes of GWR being built by constituent companies - the same goes for station buildings etc. It see
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Rolling Stock

Parkside SR 25T Brake Van Kit Build - Supplemental

Alas Wilko were out of their 350 x 450 x 40mm granite cutting boards, so a smaller local shop provided a glass one for a whopping £2. It's nice and flat, but being basically a bit of glass (I assume some form of Pyrex) so it's survival chances are probably not very long term. But it will do for now.     It's sadly not full of stars.  
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Rolling Stock

Parkside SR 25T Brake Van Kit Build - 2

And on to actually making it. The first thing I did, as I intend to paint the inside faces of the verandah as the instructions suggest, was to prepare the ends, side and chassis bits. Nothing overly exciting, just cut away some flashing and file mould marks flat. Where they will be visible I've removed the circular marks from the injection process (at least that what I hope they are!) , I've put 'as is' next to tarted up. This is probably a bit OTT since with the verandah doors shut you'd have a
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Rolling Stock

Parkside SR 25T Brake Van Kit Build

With the banner repeater finished and the stone walling on order, another sub-project as mentioned is needed. To this end I've secured a spray gun that actually sprays, but as yet can't find the marble cutting board I use as a known flat surface to make sure all is square. A trip to Wilko on shopping day may be in order. I'm attempting to order a set of wheels with roller bearings for this, as I'd like to see how effectively loose shunting can be reproduced, since it was such a major part of rai
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Parkside BR 12T Pipe Wagon Kit Build

Having had some paint problems,  mostly very slow drying (maybe temperature related, it's not that warm in the loft at this time of year), the SR van is parked to one side while things go off. So to avoid practicing I've started the BR 12T pipe wagon kit. With a bit of luck I can do one while the other's paint dries and so on.   The box is what you'd expect - a box really. Inside there's somewhat less a number of parts compared to the SR van - and no need to pre-paint stuff.  
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