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About this blog

I'm a fidget so always a new project coming.

Entries in this blog

March 16th - The Caravan Opens for 2014

Today I went to open up the caravan for the 2014 season. The site is closed from the end of October until 16th March. Tucked under the double bed is my Shillingstones Lane diorama that I'm looking forward to working on again as I extend to double the original length. Here is the first half, photographed back in June last year. Loads of green fields with bronze age barrow & other hidden shapes in a field. I have contemplated adding a simple roundy extension behind a high green hill to allo
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Still just playing around on Two Short Planks

Dug out the Bachmann 3 car 108 DMU, it runs so smoothly I did a nice gentle pull out from North Quay terminus, platform 2. I have a key-fob video camera, but not enough light in the loft to get acceptable videos of cab rides into the tunnel. The result is more simple videos from the small digi camera.     I don't know if I ever told the story behind the layout being Two Short Planks. I started when I knew nothing and in model railway terms was as thick as two short planks. It was als
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Being a Big Kid - Again .....

Why Not indeed !! I've been trying over several evenings to produce a video showing some shunting. Although the camera can be stuck on a tripod it involves many changes of points and some carefull use of controllers, particularly when trying to run a DMU into & out of the station at the same time. Thanks to small digital camers one can try & try again, interesting hearing the expletives on play back of failed 'takes'.     Dad-1
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A Shed at Last !

Well the MKMRS show went O.K, although the Dynamis system failed. Just got it back from Bachmann at a cost of £100 !!! Anyway back to more interesting things. I returned home with my CM layout after the exhibition and had to store in the garage pending arrival of my new shed.     My shed arrived on the 20th of last Month as I went down with a rotten cold. This was the largest I could get in the available space, just 12ft x 7ft.     I have moved one end board into the shed and done
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Leaving the wife for 2 days ........ MKMRS Exhibition !

I should have got so much more done, but when the layouts 165 miles away it's difficult. So the cars packed & I leave first thing tomorrow morning for MK. With compact layout storage so much has to be detachable, giving other storage problems. This is my pile of 'stuff' for Saturdays exhibition.     It's almost embarrasing that there is still so much to do scenically, at least it should run fine with a couple of sound locos this year (not mine) a 4F & Ivatt 2MT.   May see some
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Where has the last month gone ?

Nothing posted since the first week of January. In truth not a great deal of railway modelling done since then. Getting settled into a new home after some 35 years in the old one takes longer than expected, in fact still a long way to go. My new garden shed arrives later this month and I've been struggling to demolish the old leaking rotten one that came with the bungalow. Nothing to do with the shed, but more the weather, we live just 1 mile from the sea at West Bay & driving rain and
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Things took longer than expected - now have something running.

My move to a new home has had it's problems. The broken down removal lorry that split my delivery in two, part 1 arriving next day as expected on the 3rd, part 2 coming 2 days later. Then when the man came to fit a water meter it indicated a leak. The water company dug a couple of holes and then decided it was leaking under the bungalow. We have cut off the old supply pipe & laid in a shorter more direct one and have stopped the water loss.   At the same time I was trying to board out t
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Back ...... But still sorting things out

Back reliably online, given up on my little USB wireless adapters. I have loads of work to do in the loft, but within a week (or so) hope to have my Two Short Planks layout installed and working.   The occasional picture to follow !!   Dad-1
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Going off line for a while - After a good send off

Well Tuesday evening was a sad one ...... were it not for the warmth of MKMRS members. We had a special evening as one Andy York was coming to our club, some future article ?   During all of this it was announced that it would be my last visit as moving home is almost upon us and I expect to be transferring a couple of layouts to Dorset next Tuesday. I was almost embarrased by the number of members who said they'd miss me. What can I say ..... This club has been welcoming and I've enjoyed
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A Step forward ..... And nearer to moving home.

As this is booked into the MKMRS Exhibition in February & I have no safe way of getting it from Northamptonshire to Dorset it's being left in the care of a friend. Today he came and picked up 2 corner boards and the sidings 'pod' now 10 miles from home !!   Decided to make up the other half of the station entrance this afternoon & evening. The ramp is on one board, with the steps on another, I seem to have got acceptable joints.   Put some figures out to see how it looks ....  
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Photos that go wrong !

We all like a funny photo ..... Tonight I was laying some grass on embankment sides and decided as I was finishing to take a few photos. This one kind of caught me out !! Have you ever seen such pretty smoke coming from a chimney ?     Brought a smile to my face.   Dad-1
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Rescue Time - A 333 mile drive

A Blog I was once told is a sort of diary, what you're doing and perhaps why. Well yesterday was a 'save some models' day. I have a large collection of aircraft models made over the last 30 years. Many have not seen light of day for several years and are destined for the bin, others I spent a great deal of time making and want to keep. These are too delicate to be trusted with a removal company and as our moving date gets near I wanted to get some safely down to the holiday caravan. This ne
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Never Enough Time +1 Day

I took a few snaps last evening, showing the few odd jobs that I've been doing. We all like photographs so here are a couple more.       just 6 foot 8 inches of it !! The station platforms measure 6 foot 1 inch straight, a little more because of the curve.   Dad-1
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Never Enough Time .......

The latest information is that we should be moving around the last week of November. So much to do & so little time, as a result I've started simplifying some areas. I've now grassed the small bank behind the goods line and to try & keep the enthusiasm up photographed while still wet with adhesive !     I had a small accident back in February when one station board toppled onto it's scenic side destroying the ratio fencing stuck all along the rear platform retaining wall. Now all r
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Castell Mawr - Back to the station side

Although we're still waiting for more details on the planned house move I need to press on. Having done as much as I want on the top siding board I've now put these away in their storage pod and brought in a station side board. The station side is viewed from the signal box side and this is the condition it has been left in since February this year. I now need to fill in with something !! Currently my idea is to fix the Dapol de-mounted fruit 'D' box backing onto the tracks with a gravel
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Some plans for next year - After a house move

As mentioned in my last posting we've sold our house subject to contract and have a 'chain' formed up so it looks like we could move well before Christmas !! It's also time to shut the holiday caravan down for winter, due to local authority regulations the site is closed from the end of October until mid March. On our last visit I took some of my Shillingstones Lane diorama back, I'd brought home to try and do some work, but didn't get much done. When there I lined all 6 small sections toge
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A Major Crisis ....... Or Just A Few Problems To Overcome ?

Since April we have spent more time at our caravan in Dorset than at home. My wife has decided that she wants to move there to be nearer to one of our sons & grandchildren. In principal I quite like the idea and suggested that within a couple of years we should do that. However things have rolled along so fast I'm now a worried man. Within two days we have sold our house subject to contract. Fine only I'm working on Castell Mawr a collaborative layout with me doing nearly all the work &a
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Going to be away again ........

Never a dull moment ..... apart from looking out of the window. This Saturday I'm running the Silverfox DCC Clubs "Thomas at Silverfox Island" About a half & half job as I built it and bought about half the components that made it as well as supplying the two Select DCC units used by the children who drive on it.   Sunday it's a trip to the Ecclesbourne railway with the Milton Keynes MRC. We donated our working signal to them when we were pushed out of Bletchley Park at the end of last
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Rain Started Play ....... Obviously Not Cricket

I do most of my modelling outdoors - any mess is easily swept away However it was raining when I got up this morning. I decided to look at my 'New' Metclafe GWR signal box. Now there is a growing group of railway modellers who look down their noses at Metcalfe card buildings. Yes over used and the answer is that they are affordable,reasonably easy to make with first class instructions and most retailers stock them ....... just proves they must be doing something right.   The new box is e
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Work Progress on the big layout - The 13 foot 4 inch 4 board section.

Having added my diorama in Dorset I checked back to see what was last posted about Castell Mawr. I've probably moved forward enough to post a couple of photographs. This layout offers a 45 foot twin track oval with a scenic substitute for a fiddle yard in the form of two sidings beside each line, these are long enough to hold 2 trains in each although not if running an 8 coach set.   Here we go showing the two central siding boards :-       Today I started adding some grass on the lev
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Shocking Neglect - Not been here to post since February.

In truth I'd forgotten what user name I'd used and had so many failed attempts I though I'd never get back in again. Then one moments inspiration - that's a fib, got in at the 4th attempt !! Now having a holiday caravan in Dorset we spend half our time away from home. Not good for the big layout, but gave a chance to play with a diorama based on Dorset landscape. So Shillingstones Lane came about, started in May I think, where three scenic sections just sit on a framework that has a short leng
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Plodding along - But some greenery at last.

I like making up scenes, but first there's all the boards & trackwork, which at times seems to go on forever. My coal siding board, which is also the north station throat has at last seen some greenery.     I get so pleased at reaching this stage that my camera comes out while things are still wet with glue Sorry !!     Ahh well, only 11 more boards to work through - Even this needs the cattle dock making and buildings finished, but at last it starts looking like a railway &
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Just Having Fun ...........

I'm struggling along, and at times feel rather defeated by the sheer amount of work still to be done on Castell Mawr. In fact there are frequent times when I regret starting something this large, offering a 45 foot main line run. Yet how else can you get the feel of even a local 3 or 5 coach train running 'somewhere', let alone a 30 wagon goods train ?   To keep spirits up I'll occasionally just have a little play, get some people, a train, or two and set up some simple cameo scenes. At tim
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I am still alive, but progress slow and not too much to report

August ....... last time I posted was AUGUST ? Yes I suppose it was. I'm still fighting my 'big' layout, but did some more ballasting tonight, stuck a loco and station building on.     Digi cameras pick out all the small detail that's not quite right !! My friend who was persuaded to paint the rails missed in a few places You can just see the odd figure inside the station, perhaps I should have found a few figures for the platform, but they're all outside in the garage.   Geoff T.
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Back & Fighting Fit

Hi All,   The back operation went very well and my legs are working without giving me pain equal to a broken limb. Although there were no promises regarding general back pain that I've had for 50+ years there has been a considerable improvement. Shame the NHS thought they could defer until I was unable to move, was it worth the eventual private cost of £6 K, yes worth every penny.   However now she who must be obeyed has pushed me into buying a holiday caravan by the sea. As a result all bui
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