Update - RIP Mike Reid, fellow Spanish resident whose game show I grew up with. De-light-ful...
Have been doing the sparks for Board 3 the last two nights to try and get the moorswater runaround working and I confess electrics is not my speciality. One would think that such a simple layout to wire with DC and a few isolating switches could not give many problems however I lost over an hour and a half of modelling time last night trying to solve a short, which in the end came down to a dodgy sli
Update - Answers on a postcard which Bond movie Roger Moore uttered that line (where's the smilie, with one eyebrow raised when you need it ) Tonight saw a little bit of progress on the moorswater board namely as the title implies to do with the automated uncoupling. As I am no electrician I decided to continue with the use of permanent magnets which seemed to work without problem on my boxfile layout of Kyle. The only difference this time is that I have buried them beneath the track whereas pre
Update - Progress on the third board scenics has been delayed whilst I await for a package of wiring to arrive from the UK and all those fantastic shots from the excursion last weekend got me thinking about another train to model, as short of passenger workings tripping to and from CJ to the fiddleyard and clay hoods to Moorswater, there is little additional rolling stock required for the layout in the era chosen.
So...the idea is to create an 'enthusiasts special' but sort of backdate it to
Update - I pose the question as not only was the station identified in 'The Guardian' last year as currently the least used station in the UK but even when it opened in 1901, The Board of Trade cited " The new station at Coombe does not conform to the standard requirements of the Board, which are hardly applicable to the peculiar conditions existing here. Few if any passengers use it...it is necessary because a reversing place is needed...neither booking office nor conveniences are provided...co
Update - The countdown refers to the 3 boards as earlier today I managed to erect the layout in its entire length on the dining room table and 'brassed off' refers to my wifes reaction as the layout momentarily took over our apartment
In order to break myself back into modelling since vacation I decided to prepare the backscenes, which need to be detachable if I am to be able to transport the layout back to the UK one day. The height had been determined as 300mm above track level from previ
Update...Back from hols in France...have swapped rain for heat and looking forward to getting back in the modelling groove.Plenty of things to get on with, namely progressing the third board of Moorswater and also the second phase of scenics to the second board, however whilst away I thought of an interesting little addition to the rolling stock, but I am struggling a little with my research.
At Moorswater, in the early nineties, ECC had one of their own shunting locomotives, named Sharon trans
Bonjour Tout Monde - Good Moaning - Good Morning - It's ironic that being some 150km's South of Paris, and the weather a good 10°C cooler than Barcelona, that I am missing doing some modelling - Next week, I will return and probably set out the layout, ponder a while and put it back uninspired to move forward.
Whilst in France, early morning mountain bike rides, to escape 'The Outlaws' for a while, are enjoyable as there is a deserted railway line adjacent. What is it about discovering a few r
Update - Bit of respite in France for a couple of weeks means a break from modelling...but still the mind keeps turning...
One of the things that came from Expo weekend Guinness fueled discussions and something I had also touched on in a previous post was the realisation that Board 3 could 'go it alone' and be a self contained layout. Granted, it's a only a run-a round-loop but it will contain a few signature ingredients of the layout, namely Moorswater dries and Moorswater viauduct.
The main
Update - Stay with me on this one Inkeeping with the trilogy theme, I shall first give a quick recap from episodes I and II...
The project initially started out as a Parkwood N gauge kit on a Peco 9ft chassis which was then attempted to be mated to a 2FS 9ft chassis etch. Following helpful comments and pointers from the last post, a new start was made by filing the sides and ends of the kit to mitre them together...making sure the ends and sides were this time correlated
All seemed to be we
Update - The Spanish heat has certainly supressed the Expo fever somewhat - last week, I took out Board 2 to work on it, spent 15 minutes looking at it on the table, before concluding it was complete pants, putting it away and watching some TV
Remedy - Leave the layout and concentrate on rolling stock. I decided to carry on with 37142, namely adding wire handrails to the front end and lowering the body on the chassis. Bachfar introduced the wire handrails on the front of the recent 37254, but
Update - I thought I would give the hoods a break tonight
What follows is an idea that started brewing around the Expo weekend. I am not sure if it was influenced by discussions with Bryn on future layout plans, Kris's decision to adapt Avonwick into a roundy roundy or seeing the long trains running on Fencehouses.
I had been thinking for a while now, how to resolve the problem of running in my new locos. Both Coombe and Kyle are not suitable so for now I have been using a loop of old
Update - Still suffering from Expo fever and thanks to all the encouraging comments from my last post of my first wagon etch chassis build, I was keen to progress it.
The body is a Parkwood kit and a number of modifications were required to get it to fit better on the chassis. Firstly, the width of the buffer beam was reduced as this would have made the wagon too wide. Secondly, the overall length was trimmed to fit better. Thirdly, the moulding on the buffer beam was removed and a 2FS coupl
Update - Brimming with enthusiasm from the Expo (was it really a week ago that I was flying back?) and keen to try and avoid the usual summer recess of modelling, I decided to try and have a go at my first 2mm wagon etch chassis.
One thing that really struck me at the Expo, was not only the overall quality of the layouts and the trackwork, but how much the rolling stock makes a difference. Up until now I have been rewheeling my old N gauge stock (some of it 20 years plus) and while r-t-r sta
Update - Returned late last night from a fabulous weekend in the UK
The 2FS EXPO really was terrific. Such a nice bunch of friendly, helpful people, fantastic layouts and for me finally a chance to put a few faces to names from the Association and RMWeb - I won't list names as it will look like an Oscar acceptance speech, but it was a real privilege to spend a weekend and be amongst and talk to modellers who have been and continue to be an inspiration to me.
I would have loved to have
Update - As in the UK, its been very hot here of late and there has been little enthusiasm to plug in the soldering iron and complete the turnout, however the last two evenings have seen a bit more progress.
First of all, during my periodic scans on EBay to see if I can find anything related to Coombe and Moorswater, I managed to find the two items depicted below, duly won and received. Steam days 2009 had a series of colour shots of the Looe branch and whilst pre diesel it does have some go
Update - With apologies to Sinatra , I think I have now found a solution to be able to transport the layout to the UK for my target date circa summer 2012.
Originally, the idea was to transport it in one large box, but courier costs were ridiculously high (one of the factors for withdrawing the layout from the GJLC) I then began to search other options, namely custom made cases, although these were expensive items alone.
It then occurred to me that the boards could each have their own bo
Update - Fairly mundane tasks but some progress tonight. Firstly, adjusting Board No 3 to the same 'working plane' height as Board No 2, secondly building up the track bed to match (I ran out of imported DIY cork floor tiles so had to use card) and thirdly, laying the track down to form the gentle curve in the dries.
The mock up buildings previously made will need to be trimmed to match the curve of the run-a-round loop but there is enough room for a loco to pass and I have now adjusted the
Update - Earlier this week, I returned from work to find a package outside the front door - the rituals of opening said packages were recently covered in someone elses blog and I must admit, one nice thing about ordering from Hattons is they still wrap parcels like this...
more on the contents a bit later...but first back to matters in hand...
As a break from loco detailing, I have started the track for Board 3, which will comprise both Moorswater dries and the viaduct. Following my recen
Update - My wife has gone out tonight, the kids are in bed, so a perfect night to sneak in a bit of modelling, right ?...wrong ...seem to have lost the mojo tonight...so have thrown the towel in early rather than risk topping up the swear box.
A bit more progress on 37142 though - need to buy some more micro drill bits tomorrow to do the handrails on the nose, however I did put some orange and red paint on the pipes/hoses and will tidy up edges tomorrow with a scalpel - Note to self...next
Update - Work started this evening on converting the Bachfar 37238 into 37142. This will have a black headcode as relevant to my era and 37207 will have the yellow headcode.
The decision has been made to omit couplings completely one end on in favour of buffer beam detailing, with a DG on the other end and as much detail as can be worked around it without compromising operations.
To begin with the NEM(?)pocket was removed and a small rectangle of plasticard was laid over the end to allow
Update - No modelling as such, but have just received some rolling stock boxes and I thought worth sharing.
Whilst browsing last month I came across this thread and realised I needed something. Originally, I had always thought that I would 'trap' the rolling stock in formations between foam inserts in the cassettes, but having done this for KIAB, it was not a great success, as DG couplings and snow ploughs seemed to have not survived transit in my carefully stowed hand luggage.
Following
Update - I have been refining the schedule of motive power/rolling stock that will be represented on the layout. The period chosen of 1979 - 1981 will allow the phasing out of the class 25's and the overlapping and replacement by the Class 37's, which ruled until the arrival of the class 66's.
Locos have been strictly selected upon prototypes that visited the branch and include:
25155 - BR Blue - Bachfar (with reprofiled 2FS wheels and one fully detailed front end - DG to the other)
Update - Following Alex's question on my last post, I couldn't quite manage to upload an image within a reply so have added it here.
Whilst being something of a 'tradionalist' and liking to see a nicely presented layout complete with full length fabric to disguise the support structure, a pet hate of mine is to see the fabric pinned to the front of the layout or resembling something of a washing line running along the front edge.
For CJ I am aiming to align the black fabric with the fron
Update - Further to the last post and comments received, I kept thinking through the proscenium arch and looking at the 1:50 model...and then...seeing an ariel view of the display at the Railex exhibition, I realised that I didn't want a formal proscenium arch as such...more an implied one.
The problem of how the lighting beam at the front was going to be supported had troubled me for some time, but now I have a revised solution I am happy with, in that the lighting beam runs the full length
Update - After about 6 months of neglect due to the Boxfile Kyle layout I now turn my focus again to Coombe Junction. My renewed enthusiasm for it is twofold: Firstly, of disappointment that I had to withdraw it from the impending 2FS Golden Jubilee Layout Competition and secondly, after exhibiting Kyle, I realised it had been over 20 years since I had last exhibited and it was thoroughly enjoyable (albeit) a little stressful at times
Ironic then, that Coombe Junction was never conceived w
